Gallipolli: read about and visited

I am currently reading Peter Fitzsimons excellent book about the Gallipolli campaign.  Not pleasant but very interesting.  So when I saw a sign to Gallipolli beach it had to be followed to see what was there.  That sub-expedition appears late in this post.

For the morning dog walk Frances suggested going along the beach towards the main part of Mount Dutton Bay.  As we left the house the resident Australian Ringnecks appeared.  As the vernacular name for this subspecies is Port Lincoln Parrot they should be expected round here. 

The weather was cool, approaching cold, and cloudy.  So the mist made nice shapes on the hills.

A bunch of small parrots showed up and on reading my phone field guide I decided they were probably Rock Parrots. On getting home and looking at the photograph I have confirmed that ID,  I think this is my second sighting of the species, the first being 6 years ago when we visited Coffin Bay.

A typical edge to the limestone at Dutton Bay.

I am not leg-ist.  Frances spotted this snail munching on unknown, but surely prickly to the gastropod, plant.

Two Pacific Gulls.  I have spent hours scanning the sea and shore at Mallacoota for this species with no luck.  Here they are very common (see below for more).

After a good rest and some lunch we headed off in the Pajero to a nearby area Frances had noticed on a map.  We noticed for the first time that the rock spat at us on Saturday had hit the edge of the windscreen T and started a crack.  Bugger,  The road passed Farm Beach and carried on South to a settlement called "Little Douglas".  I have no idea why it is so called nor have I noticed anywhere called Big Douglas!  As we got on to the beach this vessel appeared and tore off into the bay.  My guess is that the load is something to do with oyster farming, so the guys are performing a public service.

 Using big tractors to launch seems popular.

 At Farm beach there is an area full of these devices which didn't look in good condition: I guess being driven into salt water tends to lead to a bit of corrosion!  I have tried to get a price on these John Deere's but it proved a little difficult: however I found a somewhat larger device cost around $150,000 which seemed a huge amount to pay for something you're going to chuck into the sea!

Just off the shore was an emerging sandbank which was very well supplied with birds.  As well as the pictured waders - Red-capped Plovers (1) and Red-necked Stints (2) there were three species of tern: in ascending order of size there were Fairy (29); Crested (1) and Caspian (14).  And of course numbers of Pacific and Silver Gulls.

 A bit further down the beach, where Frances had picked up many shell treasures, were a pair of Australian Pied Oystercatchers.

 Barnacles seem to be an issue ....

 .. but if that worries you, just set up a chair or two in the dunes and relax.

 Heading back to Farm Beach two emus were spotted.

Farm Beach itself was well endowed with seaweed and about 29 Pacific Gulls which were paying great attention to some fisherpersons cleaning their catch.  A Kelpie was having great fun ensuring the Gulls kept alert.

 As well as the seaweed there was a good supply of these fibrous balls.  On consulting a book at the house they are some form of seaweed.

 The track to Gallipolli Beach was signed and noted as 4km.  As it basically went across the top of limestone cliffs it was in rather average condition, which caused a small lengthening of the crack in the windscreen.  (This was a matter of some concern but it didn't grow much more so we waited until getting home before replacing the screen - which already had about 5 chips in it,) Frances noted that dealing with such tracks is why we traveled here in the Pajero rather than the Jetta.

 This is Gallipolli Beach itself.  It was used for some of the shooting of the film "Gallipolli".  Certainly it looks rather like some of the photos I have seen of the Dardanelles.

As we left we crossed with another car going to the beach and had a chat with the driver.  He wondered how on earth Peter Weir had found the place to film.  Its not exactly on a main road!

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A much better day

After yesterdays shambles anything had to be better.  In fact today was pretty good by most standards.

We set off on our dog walk along Mather Rd and were greeted by a guy we had seen many times along the road, driving a Land Cruiser ute.  He was interested in us and we in him, as he, like the cattle guy from Sunday, told us a lot about the social and industrial structure of the area.  He solved the mystery plant on the road as being foliage for florists in Sydney.  One of our discussants jobs was making hay which he sells inter alia through the Yungaburra Pit Stop servo.  Apparently it is sold as fast as he can make it!  (It is interesting how many people up here do many interesting jobs and are keen to show how industrious they are.  Right on guys!)

He also commented that they had a poor wet season but it had been warm and damp recently.

As we proceeded down the road after this chat noise erupted from the sky.

Although I hate the noise of these things I must acknowledge the guts (or indeed things slightly below the male abdomen) to fly one.  If I was up there umbrellas would be the least punters on the ground would need.

The Bush Stone Curlews went for kissy-kissy camouflage.

 Later in the day our back yard was invaded by 3 - count them, 3 - Emerald Doves!

The day was basically getting a tad warm with the clouds definitely looking like Granny Aching's Sheep.

 So we took off to Lake Barrine, knowing it to be shady.  This was one of the better example of cauliflory we have seen.

 As we moved along a small but very active macropod was seen, and sort of photographed,  It looked like a Musky rat-kangaroo Hypsiprymnodon moschatus which I think is the smallest kangaroo around.  This one was about 25cm long in the body.

 In the rest of the 5km walk I think we saw at least another 6, smaller examples.  When spotlighting I was interested that some species had orange eye-shine while others had silver.  Judging by this flash image the rat-kangaroos shine lilac!

 A number of the Pandanus had fruit on them with this one being the ripest.

 The most interesting birds out on the Lake were Great-crested Grebes.

On land the most exciting birds were a group fossicking through the rainforest floor.  No photos - they were a fair bit back - but the jizz and general shape make me confident they were Chowchillas (a lifer and obviously Bird of the Day).

Back at the tea rooms Frances spotted an exciting butterfly.  Its a Cairns Birdwing.

 I couldn't get one to pose with the upperside of the wings visible.

Later we went to Frawleys pool for Frances to look at the pool and me to find birds (and should I be so lucky, a Tree Kangaroo).  No marsupials but we did have a very pleasant conversation with a Labrador's person about management of the area,  He opined that they'd a very poor wet season.

• Bird of the day: Chowchillas.  Flock was 3 Emerald Doves, as it was such a bonus to see >1.
• Vegetation of the day:   Rainforest generally.
• Memorable moment: Getting a reminder from Reddings about the work on the car on Thursday.  That's more like it.
• Comment of the day: "We had a very poor Wet season."  Everyone we talk to!.
• Pie of the day:.  Not tonight Josephine..
• Troppo moment of the day. Everything was pretty calm

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A reason for not swimming

Another quietish day.  But it was 10^oC warmer than Carwoola!

I went for a quick stroll down the start of Mather Rd early this morning and was rewarded with a beautiful Grey Goshawk perched in a Hoop Pine.  I tend to think they are about the prettiest of Australian raptors.

After regrouping the three of us when for a walk to North Yungaburra.  On getting to the end of the houses in Mulgrave St we went for a look in a garden area.  This is Williams Park and has some very good garden beds.

It also has a lot of birds at times although today was not one of those times (other than yet another pair of Bush Stone Curlews).

We swerved on to the Casuarina Track and on getting to the end of that proceeded to the cemetery.  This is an interesting mix of old and new.  The oldest headstone (1883) was just inside the gate and had been relocated from Tinaroo Dam (damn - sic - I have been mis-spelling that in the matter of 'n') by the Historical Society.

This headstone is interesting because

• it is that of Maud Kehoe, after whom a park in the centre of town is named; and
• the relative dates of death of Maud (1971) and her husband John (1933) show a pattern common to a number of the graves.  I shall have to find out more about this couple.

 I was initially amused by the formality of Mr Williams titles in contrast to the inscription  "resting with Syd".  On Googling Sir Syd I found this Toyota Press Release informative.  A very busy bloke and well worthy of his awards.

On the way back a grasshopper landed on the road.  I realised this was the first 'hopper I'd seen up here.

 We got a view across to the new part of Yungaburra - for some reason I was reminded of the song "Little Boxes".

Frances and I then went for a walk to Lake Eacham.  This image is not about (1) the young ladies sunning themselves on the pontoon.  However the contrast between (2) other young folk swimming in the Lake and (3) the notice about the crocodile is a worry.

 This was the best collection of fungi.

The vegetation was quite interesting with this fig tree appearing to combine the attributes of the Curtain and Cathedral trees,

 Birds were, as usual with rainforest, very hard to spot.  I eventually saw 2 Yellow-throated Scrubwrens which were bird of the day.

Back on Mather Road I was able to snap this attractive flower before my small four-legged companion spat the dummy and we returned home.

• Bird of the day: Yellow-throated Scrubwren gets the individual award.  9 Great Crested Grebes at Lake Eacham get  the flock award.
• Vegetation of the day:  Gardens in Williams Park
• Memorable moment:  Today wasn't that memorable.
• Comment of the day: ibid
• Pie of the day: No submissions.  I must try harder to find a specimen.
• Troppo moment of the day. A nice looking lady pushing a wheelbarrow full of collapsed cardboard boxes down Elm St.  I don't think they'll help much if Mr Krueger turns up!

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Swimwear in various applications!

Initially, I couldn't come up with an obscure title!  but as I went through the images a theme sort of emerged.

We began the day with a walk along Peterson's Creek.  At Frawley's Pool we stopped to look across the Creek for tree-kangaroos.  This led us to discover a low level bridge to the far side.  Thus we could get in to the Mobi forest where the marsupials lurk.  They were not lurking where we could spot them today.

However this basalt boulder field was lurking.  Clear evidence of the volcanic nature of the area.

We found that Nature had blocked the path with this rather magnificent spider.

 There is an outbreak of red Grevilleas towards the Northern end of the Creek Track,  I suspect they are planted, but could still be natives, which are rather more spectacular up here.

 Getting back to Yungaburra I decided it was time to photograph a few things around the village.  A sign at an arty centre.

 We have noticed a couple of instances of X^N swimwear strapped to various things.  In this case the curves of the tree form a very good backdrop!

After a pause at home we left the small dog and headed off to Mount Hypipamee NP to try to track down a Golden Bowerbird.  I tried taking a shortcut to avoid the main street of Atherton which didn't really work as not all roads are on the map.  We ended up being held for 10+ minutes by these road works.  After about 5 minutes the lollypop man came for a chat.  He was quite reasonable, but it was still a pain.

At one point we dived into the forest to look for the bower and found these fungi instead: note the second, darker, equally unidentified, species in the background.

Another cauliferous tree, Yellow Mahogany (Dysoxylum parasiticum), was flowering beside the track to the Crater itself.  The specific name reflects an incorrect belief that the tree was a parasite.

We took a diversion to Dinner Falls, where backpackers were disporting themselves, in a more or less (mainly less) clothed fashion.

The guy in this image had a camera with him.  I hope it wasn't recording the squeals emitted by the females!

Epiphytes were also available.

This is the Crater itself.  It's 58m down to the water which is in turn 73m deep.

As we went back, Frances got a nice snap of the Barron River above the Falls.

During our walk I spotted a Mountain Thornbill.  Surely as close as it gets to a small brown bird.  However it was a lifer and thus Bird of the Day.

We went back more or less on the main road, including a stop at the Gallo Dairy Centre.  A very pleasnt counter person served us with tasters of cheese of which several varieties were acquired along with a very good ice-cream and 4 chocolates (at $2 a go).

Once home, while sitting on the patio we were visited by a small colourful fly.  It turns out to be part of the mosquito grouping within Diptera (ie flies) and probably Plecia sp.

I include this shot as it shows the halteres rather well.  (The lollypop shape above the leg.)

Some noise then erupted which appeared to be a pair of Bar-shouldered Doves having a battle.  Then matters advanced and it was apparent they were continuing the species!

• Bird of the day: Mountain Thornbill.  No flocks of particular interest.
• Vegetation of the day:  Yellow Mahogany
• Memorable moment:  Pool full of nubiles at Dinner Falls.
• Comment of the day: "I have to take cash before handing over."  A very apologetic lady at the Yungaburra Visitors Centre when I wanted to buy a shirt and found I had left my wallet at home.
• Pie of the day:  Second half of the large market item.  Still good.
• Troppo moment of the day. Being held up for 10 minutes while the CFMEU manouevered a pipe 

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