A warm day is a good day!

We decided to go along Petersons Creek (aka the platypus walk) this morning.  We passed the usual bunch of cattle, who were as usual curious about Tammy.  She pretty much ignored them: I think her brain rejects dogs of that size.

Shortly after crossing the Swing Bridge and the sign honouring Geoff Treacy (the originator of the clean -up project, and as it turns out a resident of the house across the street from us) we crossed with a couple of walkers.  The older of the two advised - with I think a French accent - that there was a platypus in Frawleys Pool.

And so, after a few minutes waiting, there was!

After passing the Pool I took a snap looking down into it.  The small bridge is on the far end of the pool.

We then decided to go to Nerada Tea Estate to buy some leaf and to checkout the Tree-Kangaroos which are theoretically verminous there.  First up we stopped at the Curtain Fig Tree to show Frances the Wompoo Fruit-Dove.  My snap today is better than the original!

As we passed through Malanda we noticed a sign to the Falls so swung in.  There was a quite interesting sign about indigenous beliefs and funeral practices.

The falls had been improved a bit.  Here is after ...

.. while this gives a clue about before.

When we got back to the car it seemed to be losing some fluids, so given the issue with the sump seal we decided not to muck about with unnecessary distance but go home.  I checked for drips when we got there and could find none and the oil level looked good when I checked the dipstick!

Rather than hang about the house all day - nice as it is, we have done that a few days - we walked down to the Tinaburra boat ramp.  A ravening idiot was there.

Never have I wished so hard for a large log to be 2cm below the water surface.

A large bird call was rather evident.  Initially I thought it was Bush Stone Curlews but then saw 5 cranes flying along.  As the call was still evident I checked the banks about 400m away.  There were some 20 Brolgas as I thought.

On checking the photo, the red goes well down the neck so they were in fact Sarus Cranes.  Woo-hoo.  Or in fact "WOOO - HOOOO" as I hadn't used them as bird of the Day on the previous sighting!  I have now!!!!!

Walking back down the Avenue of Honour we noticed a gent digging up a few weeds.  Frances congratulated him for being part of the Yungaburra park maintenance community.  Thus far we have recorded:

• The Landcare group who look after Peterson Creek;
• Another group who tend to Williams Park;
• The folk who look after the gardens down the middle of Eacham Street;
• The ladies (of the CWA?) who maintain the hanging baskets in the village centre; and now
• The volunteers who maintain the Avenue of Honour,

Well done that village!!

As we walked back I noticed these two ladies with a distinctive yellow satchel.  Census Collectors doing what is needed outside major urban areas, delivering the former trees (ie hard copy forms).

I wondered if they were going around in pairs due to the controversy currently in hand but apparently this was just a training process.  I wished them luck - they noticed my 1996 Census cap - and passed on.  In terms of the controversy, this message from Bill McLennan pretty much summarises the major stuff-up ABS have brought upon themselves.

When taking the small dog out for her final comfort stop I was aware of rustling in the bushes.  My headlight caught some eyeshine and the flash on my camera got a Coppery Brushtailed Possum.

• Bird of the day: Sarus Cranes get the individual and flock tick!
• Vegetation of the day:   The growth in what used to be Geoff Treacy's house block.
• Memorable moment: Spotting the cranes
• Comment of the day: Bill McLennan's conclusion on the Census; " The ABS doesn’t have the authority to collect ‘name’ in the 2016 Census on a compulsory basis."
• Pie of the day:.  Not tonight Josephine..
• Troppo moment of the day. The idiot on the jet ski duetting with a burglar alarm going off on a house near the dam.

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