A Wanderer's Xmas Part 1

This year my own circumstances left me at a loose end for the xmas holidays...as luch would have it a friend offered to put me up for a few days...with the enticement of the company of his collie dog Milly, and some wandering around Mt Crosby and Lake Manchester area of NW Brisbane.

Jonathon lives in quite an isolated spot; Kholo and was cut off for a few days following the floods earlier this year

- although there was rain whilst I visited Jon and Milly thankfully no roads were cut and the power remained on.

The wet weather we have been having certainly has resulted in remarkable green colours through the bush, and especially in areas that were cleared in the past and now have grass paddocks.

The walk to the post box is just beginning to be comfortable for Milly who is recovering from serious surgery in the last month...hence her shaved state

...which I really liked since it made her look like a fluffy puppy.

My accomodation was not as basic as this old out house...

I like Milly's attitude - you can stay there if you like I'm going back up to the house where its dry and comfy.

Beyond the house and the cleared areas Jon has a trangular block of land which includes an attractive gulley and a range of native regrowth, there is (of course ) a large volume of weed which is a constant headache for Jon...

Whilst wandering about in the early morning (well its what defines me is it not?) I found some lovely fungi and lichens;

Fungi pics: 1- Panus fasciatus, 2- Marasmius sp, 3- Both together, 4- Phellinus sp, 5/6/7- Punctularia strigosozonata

...as well as a wonderful little copse of Red Cedar (Toona ciliata);

Gratuitous shots of Milly....

Burliegh Heads National Park

To try and clear my head and relax I took a walk in nearby Burleigh Heads National Park yesterday just after some lovely rain showers.

From the National Parks website:

Burleigh Head National Park covers 27.6ha. The Burleigh headland was first set aside as a reserve for public purposes in 1886 and in 1947 was gazetted national park. It is now the only Gold Coast rocky headland that remains substantially in its natural state.

A variety of habitats, including lowland rainforest and pandanus grove, are conserved in the park. It also contains interesting geological forms and is of important cultural heritage significance to the Kombumerri Aboriginal people.


The park provides a popular recreational and educational venue for local and international visitors and is one of the most visited parks in the region.

Despite the glowing description of the vegetation sadly the park has been badly neglected over the years; and is being swamped by exotic weeds....however despite this it is a magical place to walk (or jog!) esp after the rain.



Yucca in flower (a weed) at the northern entrance to the headlands

 It contains some wonderful examples of the kind of vegetation that I believe would have been common on most of the headlands along the coast before it was 'improved'.

Intriguing shapes in the rock formations - reminiscent of Giants Causway in NW Ireland

Some of the trees are engaged in the kind of long term wrestling matches that defy our temporal time frames

Some of my favourite parts of this small park are a little different from the popular tourist lookout points, I'm sure I am not alone in that...

I'll put up lots of the lovely fungi I found (with hopefully some correct identification!) in another post...But here is a taste.....

Tamborine National Park Joalah Section

Tamborine National park was the first gazetted park in Queensland, back in 1908..although for me some parts of the mountain village are less attractive; a bit too touristified (yes its a word I made up!) the park areas contain some beautiful vegetation.

Located about 30-40mins from the Goldcoast its not pristine by any means but it has beauty and diversity which can make for a lovely afternoon walk even in the rain....

This time I went with two friends to a small section of park called Joalah Section, its very near to one of the main roads on the mountain and housing but it has an air to it that made it very easy to imagine people in the 1900's enjoying the forest and the creek.

The giant Strangler fig for which one part of the walking trail was originally designed has collapsed but this fallen wood now forms the substrate for a beautiful array of different fungi.

I think in lots of ways we forget that many of the parks we enjoy today (and the paths on which we walk) are there today thanks to the efforts of others whose names are by now forgotten...but their legacy is almost immortal.