Monday 14^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

We headed into Tully for a few things then to Wongaling for supplies.

More packing of Bertie, washing & finalising our trip tomorrow to the Undara Volcanic Lava Tubes & the big trip to Birdsville.

Pizza for dinner & an evening of TV shows that we needed to catch up on.

Seen in the forests

This little birds nest fell to the ground

as I walked along a creek bed - there were 2 little birds

in the tree above.

I hope they weren't building this nest!

An interesting looking seed pod, & veined leaf on the forest floor

Sunday 13^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

It was a cool 18C this morning. LOL! Sunny & lovely blue skies: just how I like it.

We took Bruce for his final Tully Heads Beach run in the morning. It was beautiful down there, but being a weekend there were other people around! We usually have the beach to ourselves!

Bruce seemed much happier in the river than the sea, going in several times as we walked back towards the car.

After his first dip...

In again & swimming!

The sad looking Gumboot back in April

Shiny & now back to being the Golden Gumboot

Geoff & Bruce waiting patiently as always!

HE SAID:

It was an enjoyable wander along the beach today. When the weather is perfect, this area is perfect.

Saturday 12^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

Apart from doing some cooking for our trip & more packing, it was a quiet day.

Geoff is now as nude as Bruce in the hair cutting department! Bruce is slowly calming down... He seemed quite “out of sorts” after his clipping the other day.

This pretty Praying Mantis kept "attacking" the phone lens, I

guess it was seeing it's reflection in it

It did end up posing nicely for me though

Burn baby, burn!

The best: wine & a fire!

Playing with the purple laser pointer through the fire.... sadly it isn't much good for pointing out satellites.

Geoff has a green one that works really well for doing that!

HE SAID:

Shhhh... Don't tell my Mum about my haircut. Despite insisting for my teen years that I needed to get a haircut, when I do it now I'm told that I should let it grow. I've been getting a Number 1 or Number 2 clip for over 20 years now, so I think she'll get used to it soon.

Friday 11^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

Today I had a list of four places along the lower part of the Palmerston Highway that I wanted to have a look at.

I left around 9.15am, ticking off the Scenic Drive & Gooligans Creek in quick time.

The waterfalls of Wallacha & Tchupala took a little longer; they were both very scenic & on about a 2km track through the rainforest. My final stop was at the Palmerston Rocks National Park,.There was a short walk to the creek, where there were odd looking rocks in the water!

In the late afternoon we decided to have a bonfire; there was a heap of paper & cardboard to get rid of before the owners return. Any excuse for a drink around a blazing fire!

Gooligans Creek

The swimming area at Gooligans Creek

Wallacha Falls

Tchupala Falls

Fungi in the forest

Palmerston Rocks National Park

HE SAID:

Hopefully I have mowed for the last time. There were no dramas this time, but it was still good to have it done. The work must have made me thirsty, so we had a couple of drinks around the fire in the evening.

Thursday 10^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

I went for the final time to the Frogsafe Hospital today. On Garner's Beach Road I spotted a Cassowary wandering along the grass eating the Pandanus fruits - whole! I got a couple of photos on my phone as well as a short video.

I helped Deb in the garden today, moving fish ponds & plants. She doesn't have any other volunteers to help her yet. I hope she finds some soon.

On the way back to the house I had a short side trip to Garner's Beach. It is a small cove & quite pretty.

Garner's Beach Road

AND a Cassowary

Orchard Butterfly Caterpillar

(Brown colouring)

Orchard Butterfly Caterpillar (Green colouring)

Another caterpillar

Huge hibiscus

"Frog Lady" Deb & a couple of her frogs

Garner's Beach

HE SAID:

While Varena was out I spent a couple of hours doing a few chores in town and taking Bruce for a wander in the cane fields.

Wednesday 9^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

Bruce had a hair cut today!

He has been smelling pretty bad, & his fur is matted, especially behind his ears; the brushing wasn't helping much. Now he looks SO different, his head & body look like they are from different dogs! It's quite funny to see him & I think a shock!

Hopefully it will grow a little before the owners return.

I did some cooking prep for our travels & packing in the van.

From this.....

.....to this.....

He looks SO different

HE SAID:

The dog did need a clip. We thought that a tub and brush from someone who knows what they are doing would be of benefit for him. And it was. His fur will grow again, and we get the benefit, for a short while, of him not being smelly.

We whipped up pies, chips, and peas for dinner. It had peas! Therefore, it was a reasonably healthy meal.

Tuesday 8^th August 2017

SHE SAID:

I persuaded Geoff to come out for the day with me on an orchid hunt. I was pretty certain that we would find terrestrial orchids, as I had seen signs of them before in the area that I wanted to go to.

We found them straight away: lots of Northern Sun Orchids & quite a few Pink Fingers. Higher up in the Herberton Ranges we also found what I think is the Common / Hairy Jewel Orchid, but it wasn't quite at the flowering stage. I'm hoping we can return late next week & find some flowering.

We continued the 4WD trip across the Herberton Range Ridge Road and into Atherton. Then it was back to Djarawong in the late afternoon.

 Caladenia carnea - Pink Fingers

Side on

Size of one of the flowers - this one was especially big

Northern Sun Orchid - Thelymitra queenslandica

Whole Plant - Northern Sun Orchid

Hairy Jewel Orchid

HE SAID:

It was a good day out. I like heading off bush sometimes, and spotting orchids for Varena can be fun when I actually find some. Today I found some!