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The Pines Campground at Araps - What's happening! 27-Nov-2014 At 9:40:42 AM Wendy

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I can't believe people are carrying on about pines again ... It's a state pk. they are a weed. they were planted in the 30s when no one had any idea about this sort of thing. Now they do. They may not appear to have been a major weed at araps, but they clearly have escaped willy nilly from plantations just south of here. pines plantations have discovered that they also trash the soil so much that you can't even grow a 3rd generation of pines on them. It's not going to happen. Get over it.

Everyone wants fast growing and shady. Heard about local eucalypt species recently? Or the larger native acacias? Sheokes also bound along at a great rate although I can't recollect if they naturally occur in the park. Yes, I know, someone will say eucalypts drop limbs. They are also one of the most common species of trees in Oz. They are abundant at campsites across the country. People camp under them all the time. I'm probably not putting myself out on a limb saying that driving to the crag is many times more risky than camping under a gum tree. In fact, per people nights camping under gum trees compared to people days climbing, i reckon the camping has way less accidents (from falling limbs at least) too - a gazillion non climbers camp under gum trees as well.

The other thing is, stop carrying on about it on the internet and do something. Next May/June, organise a planting. Yes you will have to negotiate with PV/AAC/FOA and no you won't get to plant radiata pines. Organise regular waterings from October onwards. The native pines in the pines are doing so well (for their species and the conditions) because friends of arapiles and all the school kids Lou can hound into helping have looked after them. The acacias in the top left are doing fine all on their own because they are much easier to establish. If we had planted eucalypts at the time as well, they'd already be small shady trees ...