Ding-dong, the rat is dead

With the assistance of a glue-trap our rodent companion was captured last night.  It was then dealt with appropriately.  A full write up of the saga is here and Ratty is there:

As I type, at 6:44 on 12 August at Wellington NSW it is well below freezing.  Please explain why we left Yungaburra!  Apparently the overnight low was -2^oC.  We forced ourselves out to start packing and completed this by about 9am and were on the road soon after.

The drive was basically a drive.  From Wellington to (about) Cowra we were impressed with how green the country was.

 In some places canola had been plated and was fully flowering, giving patches of bright yellow.

More yellow was evident from the wattles beside the road.

As we started to climb from the plains up to the Tableland the green-ness started to decline to the frost-burnt brown of a Monaro Winter.  While there there was plenty of canola planted between Cowra and Boorowa it was only just starting to flower.  This was a sure sign that things had been cool.  Probably not a pleasant time for these sheep to have misplaced their overcoats.

 At least the little lambs were capering well (although Frances noted a few in another paddock that appeared to gone to check on Ratty).

We got home at just on 2pm having paused briefly in Boorowa for a pie.

• Bird of the day: Pied Butcherbird: common through the trip but not in Canberra, so I had been saving the species for this day.  Flock of the day was NOT Superb Parrot, which as usual was unevident , except on various hoardings around Boorowa.  This tick goes to Little Corellas along the Macquarie River in Wellington.
• Vegetation of the day:    Canola near Molong.
• Memorable moment:  Swinging into our drive!
• Comment of the day: None
• Pie of the day: A steak and kidney item from Superb Bakery in Boorowa.  A very good offering indeed.  Everything well done.  It at least ties with the Quincan Cafe in Yungaburra for pie of the trip.  A little small so 9/10.
• Troppo moment of the day.I was so laid back that even a pause at roadworks on the edge of Wellington didn't cause me anguish.  We were also well below the tropics!

Some overall review of the trip material will be has been generated when I have caught up on a few other things!
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Not looking back yet

I will start with a quiz:  if males = Guns what are females?  Answer at the end of this post.  (alternatives welcomed in the comments section!)

Frances asked if I had put a photo of the cottage on the blog yet.  I have now.

 After checking the car Ratsak situation (some eaten in the front - good that should fix it) we went for our final stroll on MatherRd.  The weather wasn't good, after raining most of the night.

 But it wasn't as bad as we found two hours later as we headed towards Millaa Millaa.  An unpleasant drive in showers on a hilly, twisty road.

Once we got to the bottom of the escarpment the weather improved.  It was cane country, what could be referred to as MMSBC  (miles and miles of sugar bloody cane). Trains were very evident.

 So was smoke or steam from the mills in every town.

 This was the closest we came to seeing a Cassowary.

 As we proceeded along we came to the Hinchinbrook lookout it was very impressive.

At Ingham I went for a look at the Tyto Wetlands  They were excellent and delivered Wandering Whistling Ducks (Bird of the Day) and

 .... Comb-crested Jacana.

They were also graced by an Italian Festival; with the worst Italian ballads since the crap our teacher offered us in language school in Sienna.  Ingham has the wetlands as a big plus and the festival and the fish and chip shop (see comments under pies) as BIG minuses.

On down the road towards Townsville.  We spent quite a bit of time close to Townsville due to the worst bunch of road (non) works we've come across so far on the trip.  These rocks on the way out of town were the highlight.

As we got close to Alva Beach Frances noticed a flock of about 20 Black Kites on some recently cut cane fields.  Of course by the time I'd stoppedthere was only one  left on the ground.

 A few kms later she spotted a group of Bustards.   Well done that Woman: well done those birds for hanging around while I did a uie and got back to them.

 On the beach at Alva kites were being surfed.  Note the one in the background out in the ocean.

Here is the estuary.

 Our first coconut palm with nuts.

 A Little Egret gave some ID issues but were resolved by deciding it was a juvenile.

 This dog gave Tammy a look but stuck with the quad.  See also comment of the day.

• Bird of the day: Wandering Whistling Ducks at Tyto Wetlands.  The flock was contested between the Black kites on the ground at Alva and the Crimson Finches at Tyto.  Size matters so the Kites win.
• Vegetation of the day:   Coconut tree at Alva Beach
• Memorable moment: Frances spottingthe Bustards wins, but the Hinchinbrook Lookout gets a walk on the carpet.
• Comment of the day: "He wouldn't hurt her." by the owners of a dog that charged Tammy with gums bared.  When bioth held and introduced he snarled again: I think they were optimistic.
• Pie of the day:.  No pie, but Frances suggested fish and chips at Ingham.  There about 10 folk in the shop and one staffer debating each bit of fish.  At least a 30 minute wait.  Pass. 0/10.
• Troppo moment of the day. The dog on a quad

Answer to Quiz: Roses, of course.
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Tea, Tree Kangaroo

This is nothing to do with Tea Tree Gully ( a suburb of Adelaide some 3069km SW of the Nerada Tea Estate outside Malanda).

Before getting to the arboreal macropods I will relate a bit of business from yesterday, which while a tad concerning at the time didn't seem worth reporting.  As we neared the Reddings shop in Mareeba we had to stop a couple of times at pedestrian crossings on the highway.  On each occasion people pointed at the front of the car and looked alarmed.  I assumed it was against spitting water (which I was sort of aware of) so just acknowledged them, secure in the thought that we could push the car to the shop if warning lights went off (which they didn't).  I reported the leak to the Reddings person who said they'd look at it.

I will return to this in a few sentences time.

Our first item of business today was getting all the sheets and pillow cases out of the camper as we had peered in there and discovered as a result of packing up wet at Daintree (and not airing it sufficiently back at Yungaburra) a fair amount of mould was happening.  So open up the camper and let 22^oC and a nice dose of trade winds have a go at drying out the camper  while the sheets etc were on the line.  (A pillow was completely buggered but a new one was acquired from Target in Atherton.)

While that was in progress we went for a walk down Peterson's Creek where a Platypus did its thing nicely for us as usual. At 8 o'clock the horde of Landcare guys arrived and started caring.  One of them showed us a small Coppery Brushtailed Possum curled up in an epiphyte

 and explained where to look for tree -kangaroos (which were not evident at the time).  He said that Nerada Tea was THE spot and advised us how to find them there.  (In essence ask the nice ladies at the Visitors Centre.)

We walked back past the pub - which we have done many times - and noticed this platypus logo built into the pavement outside thereof.

So after hanging out the washing we betook ourselves to Malanda and thence followed the signs to the Nerada Tea Estate.  A very picturesque route, which for some reason had several 1 lane bridges.  I can see that it would cost an appendage or two to duplicate them, but as Nerada is a major tourist attraction I'd have thought they could have found the brass somewhere.

So we got to the Estate and asked the ladies who hadn't had any reports today but showed us the likely spots.  As we moved between them we took photos of the tea bushes

  and the processing plant.

 Then a young English couple waved us over as they had found the Lumholz Tree-Kangaroos!

 Not the greatest photo ever taken but it is better than the one at night a few days back.  And most importantly Frances saw these two.

We then headed for Mareeba to regather the Pajero.  En route Frances did some shopping at a fruit stall in Tolga while I photographed the school tennis courts.

I then visited the bakery and scored a Pepper Steak pie: review below.  Frances later visited the bakery and got a pastie which she found very pleasant.

On to Mareeba.  As we approached the dealership there was the Pajero parked outside, which I took to be a good sign.  Indeed it was.  All work done and issues resolved.  Without going into detail about the sump leak it appeared to be a known problem and a long term solution applied.  It was particularly pleasing that the Mareeba lady (but not the Atherton one) told me this was a warranty job, so cost us nothing.  The brakes cost a bit, but brake pads wear out.

However the most astonishing tale was from the mechanic who worked on the car.  When he and his offsider were removing the gearbox they found a huge rat looking at them.   Apparently this caused enough commotion in the workshop that Cassia left her front counter possie to see what was going on.   It was identified as a White-tailed rat, which we have seen mentioned before as a source of mischief.   It disappeared back into the engine bay. and its current whereabouts are unknown - is it somewhere in the guts of the car or enjoying life somewhere in the workshop?  However: my guess is that the rat was poking its head out of the radiator grill as we drove through Mareeba and that is what folk were pointing at!

• Bird of the day: Royal Spoonbill gets the individual nod.  I think the flock award goes to the mass of about 6 species which scrounge food from the cattle we walk past on out way to Peterson's Creek
• Vegetation of the day:   The plantings of rainforest trees at Nerada to provide habitat for native wildlife..
• Memorable moment: Being told the sump repair was a warranty item!
• Comment of the day: "You've got a huge rodent in there."  The mechanic who saw the animal in question.
• Pie of the day:.  The offering from the Tolga Bakery was excellent.  Very tasty with a good ratio of crust to filling and meat to gravy in the filling.  The meat was chunks of steak not mince.  Not as large as the ones from Quincan Cafe but only $4.60 so excellent value.  Holbrook standard: 9/10.
• Troppo moment of the day. When filling up at Atherton some character turned up in a battered ute with the radio going at about 170dB.  He looked like a refugee from a swamp somewhere (or one of the banjo player in Deliverance's  big mates).

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Mareeba gets rehabilitated

Our first dealings with Mareeba (a couple of weeks ago, trying to find somewhere to park the camper) were ungood.  However, today as we drove the Pajero there to get things fixed (and subsequently) our views were revised in a positive direction.

Before heading off we noticed that it was rather cool this morning.  (Apparently only 10^oC while frosts are not unknown at this time.)  It was also a tad humid, which in combination seems to have stirred some fungi into fruiting.

As we drove towards Mareeba it was clear that Queensland Sparks and Wildfires Service were emulating their Southern colleagues in lighting up anything that stood still,

Getting to the Mitsubishi dealer in Mareeba everything seemed well under control.  They were offering us a loaner car which I expected to be an old trade in.  Instead, a Barina with about 4500km on clock.  Apart from me failing to understand how to open the back doors - even after Frances had told me how the Reddings staffer did it - it seems a most excellent little car.

After leaving the Pajero in hospital we went to the Skybury Coffee Estate.  The trees in this image are mangoes, across the road from the coffee estate, and fires are a (hopefully) controlled burn.

This is the entrance to the Skybury sales and cafe area.

Some beans were acquired. Small dogs were welcome so we entered and had an excellent long black each and a reasonable pie.  Here is the dining deck.

It looked down on a small pond, where Double-barred Finches were taking a drink.

Having taken a drink, a trip to the khazi was indicated.  Here is the nice garden which introduces person of both sexes to the facilities.

I don't know how the females fared but the males were obviously given some hints about draining the dragonfly.

Our next stop was the West Barron Storage Dam were water from Lake Tinarroo is stored befor being distributed around this very fertile area.

There were a lot of waterbirds on the water, especially this raft of Coots.

Here is the Barina with some sugar cane - including flowers - in the background.

Here is a sluice on the channel taking water to the storage.  A sign nearby banned all sorts of activities, but surprisingly not dogs.  We didn't test this!

As we headed back we passed the Lotus Glen Correctional Facility.  Shortly thereafter I noticed a Police Transit coming along rapidly behind us.  Even though they didn't have their dome lights on I thought it wise to take a dive to the left.

Just before getting to Tolga we hooked in to the peanut place and got some further supplies (of a chili-augmented nature).

Just after Tolga we swung back towards Owl-heaven (ie Forsyte Rd)  to see what was happening in daylight.  Quite a few raptors were around, undoubtedly attracted by the highly photogenic cane cutting going on.

Frances thought this cutter looked like the final evolution of Daleks whereas to me it was more like something out of Mad Max!

Here is a Black Kite watching proceedings.

On getting home we scurried round to a neighbours house for tea.  A more relaxed approach than how we have met them while on dog walks.  Their place was a lovely 6 acres running down to bush with an excellent house including out door deck.  They run Tableland Adventure Guides and if you are into long hikes.MTB Rides/canoe trips I suggest give them an email.  They are also very good on birds and other natural history!

• Bird of the day: Pale-headed Rosella at Skybury for the individual award and the 119 Black Swans at west Barron for the flock.
• Vegetation of the day:   Sugar cane getting harvested at Forsyte Rd.
• Memorable moment: The excellent taste of the Skybury coffee.
• Comment of the day: "Of course dogs are allowed."  Staffer at Skybury
• Pie of the day:.  The pie at Skybury was not up to the standard of the coffee.  It was as expected peppery but I felt it had been nuked after removal from Mr Cellophane!  Still a lot better than the Chillagoe effort so 5 rather than 3.
• Troppo moment of the day. The modern approach to cane cutting!

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The green, green lawns of Moree

Bird of the Day:  Magpie Goose – although found in Victoria this is way South of where we have ever seen them.  For big flocks Black Kite gets a tick for continual groups of 5 -10 along the road from Lightning Ridge to Moree.

Plant of the Day: Cotton.  Again: to misquote the start of an old toothpaste ad - "You'll wonder where your water went ... ". It doesn't have to be a good plant!

Scene of the Day:  The art deco buildings of Moree.

Art of the day:  CWA Bullarah hall, out in the middle of nowhere.

Typically Australian thing of the day: Signs for school bus stops.

Maximum Temperature  18 Minimum temperature 5

Distance traveled  with camper  450  without camper 0

I had made a couple of enquiries about the best way to get to Moree and the unanimous advice was to stick to the bitumen as the dirt road was badly corrugated.  The main problem appeared to be lack of rain, meaning that the Shire couldn't get a grader in.  This meant back into the centre of the town and we found a Farmers Market was going on.  While Frances went in there I took Tammy for a walk round the Gem Gardens

This was a decorated fountain at the entrance to the gardens.  They were very well set up with many named plants.

I then went into the Market after agreeing that some blood oranges would be a good idea.    At some point in this process Tammy met a few other dogs and I had interesting conversations with the owners while the usual sniffing went on.  I've come to the conclusion that the great sociability between dogs reflected the fact that the canine meetings tended to occur on neutral territory.

Back on the road and back towards Walgett, then a swift left hand down a bit and on to Collarenebri where we found a Memorial ...

.. and a welcoming Murray Cod ..

... or 6!

In the middle of nowhere we came across the Bullarah CWA Hall.  Very amusingly and carefully decorated, but I can't remember seeing a habitation within a bull's roar of the place!  It is apparently the centre of this community!

As we got to the edge of Moree we drove through a lot of very up-market houses with very green lawns.  The contrast to the cactus ridden dirt of Lightning Ridge was dramatic.  As in the past when we have visited towns on the rivers we questioned the use of water in this way.  (I'm not sure it lets Cubby Station off the hook, but a few brown yards around town would indicate that they're trying.)

A quick trip to the visitor Centre directed us to the RSL where a most ornate Memorial was located.  I had some difficulty framing that shot to omit an advert for FOX TV mounted prominently on the Club!

We also had a booklet for their Historic Tour of the town centre which we set off to do.  As we parked I heard honking (of a goose-like rather than V8hoon-like nature) coming from the Gwydir River.  Blow me down with a feather: it was replete with Magpie Geese.

The following image captures the throbbing liveliness (not) of Moree on a Sunday afternoon.  I was reminded of a Dr Who episode in which the Tardis lands on a totally deserted planet and the Doctor's companion - Tegan I think- commented that it reminded her of Brisbane on a Sunday afternoon.  Moree was similar: in the hour we were there we saw about 10 people!

They did have some nice old buildings however!

Given the past history of race relations in Moree it was pleasing to see the decoration outside the Police Station.

We decided that as it was still early afternoon we would not, as planned, stop in Moree but press on to Inverell and save ourselves some driving the next day.  En route we drove through the village of Gravesend.  As usual, we kept an eye open for a War Memorial, and found one prominently positioned beside the Highway.

(Over the trip as a whole we found some 14 'towns' which had not been entered into the Register as having a Memorial.  I suspect there will be other instances where a memorial was listed, but we found additional ones.  A special page in this series will cover a review of this project.)

Warialda was somewhat larger and the memorial there was Registered.

Also in Warialda I was amused by these adverts for a cleaning company!

Delungra was another addition to the list!

So we got to Inverell and set up camp.  I asked the owner/manager of the park if small dogs were allowed and he replied "I've got 3 myself.  Do you want one?".  Here is ours, established for the evening.

The bloke also said it was likely to get a bit cold so put the water jug in the camper.  He wasn't wrong: we have a water bowl for Tammie in the camper and it had ice on it the next morning - the only time I remember that happening.

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