Every year Friends of Freycinet walk the coast from Chain of Lagoons to Friendly Beaches, clearing the beaches of sea-spurge (Euphorbia paralias) and rubbish over the course of three days.

Firstly, participants began the week by tackling the removal of caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyrism) from Saltwater Lagoon behind Friendly Beaches following our brief on Monday. Although we have been aware of this location for a few years, the water levels in the lagoon have prevented us from reaching the rear of the lagoon from Friendly Beaches. With a little bush bashing, we were able to reach our weeding spot and remove 409 plants after the local landowner kindly granted us access from their property.

001 20250818 Rob With Caper Spurge Plant

Tuesday to Thursday we were on the beaches. We were fortunate to have pleasant weather, low numbers of sea-spurge plants, minimal rubbish, and friendly companions. The area was divided into sectors, and 328 sea-spurge plants were removed while walking in small groups with a Ranger for around 39 kilometres (that’s in a straight line). You do walk twice that distance because it does not include the zigs and the zags.

026 20250820 Seymour to Blind Creek Spurging Ralph George Marilyn

While not all our numbers were required on Thursday for ‘spurging’ three of the group returned to Harveys Farm Road at Bicheno to weed, removing 334 Spanish Heath (Erica lusitanica) plants.

Two FOF participants checked Muirs Beach at Coles Bay, the final beach sector to be covered, for sea surge on Friday morning. Before everyone went back to their homes, the rest of us took on a sizable patch of Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides) on the Shared Track entering Coles Bay from Richardsons Beach.

053 20250822 Coles Bay Bridal Creeper Jenny Peter Marilyn With Spoils

A very productive week of weeding, thank you to all those involved.is is a placeholder auto-draft news article.

009 20250818 Pete Rob Mal Ralph George Marilyn Saltwater Lagoon

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