More exploring!

We went for a drive around Malanda and came by  the Nerada  tea plantation. We were amazed at the extensive area covered with tea bushes. We kind of drove around it and also came by a bamboo plantation, which seemed to have been abandoned.

 We followed the road that  brought us to Wooroonooran National Park, where walking tracks are everywhere.

While driving around Russell River,

 we came up to this lovely pony. I felt like taking  him home !

I found this fence decoration very interesting, as it was in the mountains…

 We finally came up to Lamins Hill lookout and the view was just magnificent. Hills and valleys on one side

and Mount Bartle Frere on the other, which is the highest Queensland Peek (1,622 m).

You have to take you hat off to the earlier pioneers who explored this area and made tracks through the dense rain forests.

Wild dogs are unfortunately everywhere and they have to put poison baits to control them.

This letter box I thought was very original…

Back in Yungaburra, in a little street that we hadn't gone through yet, we saw this huge tree, which I guess the people who planted it, years ago, didn't think it would outgrow its pot!

Finally back home we are waiting for the wet season with impatience, as the lake is going down. We need a lot of rain this year to refill it the way we're accustomed to.

Spring is for...

This spring has been as usual a beautiful time for the garden. Everything  has been growing  almost overnight, including weeds…

So I've been busy  weeding and mulching - which is not that easy when the winds are blowing. Yes it has been incredibly windy this year! And a lot of our baby macadamia nuts have been hurled to the ground. Also affected was our persimmon tree unfortunately!

However, our Surinam (Brazilian) cherry bush has produced an insane amount of fruits.  I wonder if all the ash from our wood stove during winter and discarded at the base of the bush has anything to do with it?

We picked these two bags of fruits in just one day. Another two bags are already waiting in the freezer to become jam. I dare say I'm going to be busy cooking soon…

And I've stopped competing with the birds that come and feed on the cherries now.

 Amazingly  things that you don't want to grow have a mind of their own… As the stake I made of a mulberry branch  for my cherry tomatoes. Well… the tomatoes didn't do that well but the stake is growing even after lying in the sun for over a month!

 So did these cassava discarded branches cut over 3 months ago which I used to consolidate my pot man!

This cricket came to visit one day. Who said crickets look boring and unattractive?

 Our macadamia tree is again host for this fabulous bird's nest. Every year a new nest is built, always around the same location. I've never seen the bird around but the nest is quite fascinating. So much work into it.

 Of course caterpillars are everywhere munching away on all my herbs. But this one was having a feast on my desert roses. I wondered why they looked like they were dying. He does look very nice but has a ferocious appetite. But hang on where is the front or back?

 Oh! Now I can see…!

Spring is such a lovely time. Temperatures are ideal and I wish it would last longer.

Gillies Lookout

A couple of weeks ago we went for a drive around Tinaroo lake on a Sunday.

As usual there were lots of campers at all of the sites. The water was going down, but it didn't stop the boats towing skiers around and the noise was all about.

We used to love going camping at Kauri Creek when we were living in Cairns, just to get out of the rat race. Now that we live practically on the lake we thought it didn't have the same appeal to be surrounded by all these people. We  have our own little place in the bush… Only the cows come and visit occasionally and  the birds calls is the only noise we can hear.

On our way back, we decided to go to the Gillies lookout. Sven had previously gone there and told me the view was something to see.

After  about 4 km of rugged dirt road, (which at some time I thought our little Subaru wouldn't make it through), and going up and down through the dense rain forest, we finally made it to the top.

We couldn't believe our eyes… Cars were everywhere parked on the side of the narrow road. And between the cars, some people had small tents erected. Sleeping in tents, and cars these were hang gliders waiting for the strong winds to abate so they could take the leap! It felt like we dropped in  a hippy commune!

It was a bit off-putting as rubbish was everywhere and loud music was blaring as entertainment.

 Not our kind of music though. That boom boom boom kind of music was quite disturbing. Bits of toilet paper were flying around on the path and I was careful were I was walking...

We tried to ignore  the disconcerting  back ground and WOW! that view was indeed extraordinary.

We could see all the way from Goldsborough Valley on the left to the Gillies highway on the right.

 It definitely is something to see, but if we were to take visitors to witness this magnificent sight we would go on a week day, as I'm told these hang gliders "hang" around every week end.

And I just hope they picked up their rubbish before they left…

We were quite happy to come home and appreciate nature to its best without any distractions . The next morning I woke up to this beautiful sun rise.

A few days later we witnessed this amazing full moon rising from behind the hills.

 And later again this storm brewing over our place.

What a beautiful world we live in!