Well done, that monotreme!

Patience is a virtue and if you display it you'll see a monotreme later in the post.

We began the day slowly but were packed and on the road by 10am.  A few sights in Mount Garnet were snapped as we left, beginning with the public conveniences.

 Here is the infamous pub which is closed.

 I asked another local why it was closed and the answer was poor business practices, seemingly in respect of local people not liking the food.   There are only 450 in the town, but out of tourist season they are what the pub has to survive on.  (Apparently in the early 1900s there were 1800 people employed in a mine in the town.)

Presumably it is no longer a Shire, but the Hall is well done up.

 Following a tip on a noticeboard in the campground we went to Warruma Swamp.  When the tipster visited 80% of the surface was lilies but that was not the case today.

There were a few lilies in flower and these supported a single Comb-crested Jacana - too far away to be photographed.

Bird of the day was not the Jacana but a flock of 8 Cotton Pygmy Geese which I am fairly sure were my first lifer of the trip.

As we left the Swamp Frances noticed this lonely toy truck.  How did it get there and is some kid sorry he threw out of a window?

 This sign made us laugh.  It probably wouldn't if we met the depicted bovine.

 This is a small village about 16km East of Mt Garnet.

 The water is very warm and has thus got lots of algae growing in the stiller parts.

 And other life forms elsewhere.

 The Archer Creek markets were happening and Frances gave a lady running a vegie stall a bit of action, for some very fresh looking produce.

Having shifted all our kit into the house we're renting we went for a walk.  The Petersons Creek track is pet friendly and advertises Platypus watching.  Bingo: one turned up and swam up and down to the delight of many folk, including us.   Tammy was very well behaved.

The final three images are of some of the flowers in the house gardens.  On chatting with our host, and looking closely, this first one is from the Kingdom Plasticeae: part of the decor for a wedding held at the cottage!

This one is a Calliandra - according to Wikipedia, native to the Americas..

 These are a profusion of Bromeliads, which are very difficult to keep alive as pot plants in Carwoola.

I should comment on the weather.  The last couple of days have maxed out at 27C.  A bit cool. say 6C, overnight but what days!

• Bird of the Day: Cotton Pygmy Goose.  Jacana was a contender and I decided to save the Orange-footed Scrubfowl that ran across the street in Yungyburra for later.
• Vegetation of the day:  The garden plants at Adele's.
• Memorable moment: Seeing the platypus!
• Comment of the day:  Directions to Pine Street in Yúngaburra "Its over there behind the market.  Go that way and you'll find it." And we did!
• Pie of the day: None eaten
• Troppo moment of the day.  Probably the Anglo rasta-impressionist  in a sarong doing his washing at Archer Creek

Back to Index page