Our Weekend at the Bunya Mountains

In November, Graham and I spend a wonderful weekend in the Bunya Mountains with some very good friends of ours from church. We stayed in a very spacious home with lovely views and lots of feathered and furred visitors.

We were so fortunate weather wise the entire weekend as the week prior had seen storms and heavy rainfall hit at home but God was good and blessed us with perfect weather.

Graham and I arrived Friday afternoon to fine Mavis and Peter already settled in. Then Lorelle and Noel arrived later on Saturday morning. We went for a walk before lunch .... I love this area. The forests range from rainforest to open eucalypt.

We think these are surveyors markings on this tree.
A beautiful example of a crows nest fern on one of the trees.
The marks in this tree would have been made years ago by the Aboriginal people for foot and hand holds when climbing the Bunya Pines to harvest the large cones.
Mavis and I during our Saturday walk ..... in our hiking gear .......
Saturday afternoon we were summonsed by noise King Parrots. These birds have the most spectacular plumage. They are such cheeky birds and were even climbing up the screen on the doors to catch our attention.
The parrots are so friendly that they will eat out of your hand.

Sunday morning and as the mist cleared we could see all the wallabies in the yard. There were no many ... some with Joeys and one pair were courting. It was so lovely to watch.

You can see how full her pouch is and if you look carefully can just make out part of the joey's face.
Courting wallabies.

These are some of the wildflowers which we saw on Sunday morning's bush walk. After heading through rainforest we came out in more open eucalypt forest.

The view from the clearing after we walked out of the rainforest.

These are some of the different ferns, fungi and lichen which we saw growing on the forest floor and on trees. There were also lots of native orchids but unfortunately none were flowering.


In our hiking gear. Unfortunately I didn't have my tripod with me so couldn't be in this photo.

One of the falls and cascades we came across.

This little grotto was a lovely, cool area for a break.

Some unusual trees and climbers. This one has raised prickles all the way up the trunk.

Some of the vines get so twisted around the trees.

Due to the high rainforest and damp misty mornings lichen grows on everything. Even the houses as the following photos show.

Our Native Animal Visitors

These were our visitors who dropped by. We regularly have Koalas visit but this time had a pair of them in the one tree.
This 'lump' in the foliage of the tree is actually a possum curled up.
A closer look ...... you can just make out 'possie' if you look carefully.
One of our nightly visitors in a palm tree in our pool yard.
A couple more photos of one of the koalas, this time it was visiting on its own. They are completely unperturbed by the goings on beneath them and will look at us and then go back to sleeping.

Our Casuarina Beach Holiday

My husband and I spent a lovely week away down at Casuarina in October. We were very lucky with the weather as the week prior had been windy & rainy. We did have a couple of showery days but nothing too much.

This is when Graham, myself (to the left in the photo) and my friend Kezzie spent the day in the Numinbah Valley and visited Natural Arch. Such a picturesque area.

The walk down to the pool is through rainforest. It's an easy grade and only a short walk so well worth the effort.

When we were kids I can remember swimming in this pool and the water was ice cold however it is fenced off now and swimming isn't allowed. There was always foolhardy ones too which jumped into the pool through the hole in the roof where the water cascades in.
Some of the mosses, lichens and ferns growing on the sides of the path. Because we had so much rain in the weeks prior everything was lovely and green.
These photos were taken on the beach just in front of where we were staying. We were able to go for a walk most mornings and afternoons.

This was taken just on sunset and the light from the lighthouse is just visible. I didn't know whether I would be able to get this shot as it had to be timed perfectly with the light.
Graham and I went for an afternoon drive just south of where we were holidaying. Here you are able to walk along a boardwalk up to the top of a hill overlooking the ocean.
These are Pandanus Palms which have unusual fruit and root system.
Not very clear but there were whales not far off where we were but I was only able to get a photo of this small spout.
Part of the boardwalk.
The root system of the Pandanus Palms.
Pandanus Palm fruit.
A friendly dragon which we found at the top of the hill.
We also spent a day down at Byron Bay. This day was overcast and showery however we managed to dodge most of the rain. This photo of myself and Kezzie was taken at the Byron Bay lighthouse.


O

Beautiful Birds

Aren't these Lorikeets just beautiful. I love their bright colours. They are very cheeky birds and will sit in the tree where I hang a bird feeder and screech to let me know they want some seed. This one is perched on the flower stalk of one of my grass trees in the front yard at home.