Stringybark Creek Historical Reserve, VIC

The day we drove to Stringybark Creek Reserve was bleak and cold, but we were determined not to allow this to break our resolve to see this important site relating to the Kelly Gang bushranger saga.  

Once there, we were all alone ... no one else around ... and it felt quite eery, for it was here, on the banks of Stringybark Creek in 1878 the Kelly Gang members became the most wanted outlaws in Australia after Police Constables Lonigan, Scanlan and Sargeant Kennedy were shot and killed.

The metal plaque representing Kelly's armour was placed on this tree in 1985 as a living memorial to the three police troopers who lost their lives there. The tree trunk has grown around the plaque but is still visible.







A new plaque was placed at the reserve in 2001 by the Victorian Police Force.



The reserve is in north-east Victoria on Taungurung Traditional Lands, 50km from Benalla and 36km from Mansfield within the Toombullup State Forest. 

Time to hit the road !

Well, I may not be on Blogger for a while folks, for the time has come to make our departure from Brisbane for the next month and hit the bitumen for a road trip to my old home state … Victoria.  I was ten years old the last time my tootsies touched Victorian soil and I’m very excited to be going back. With a bit of luck I might even get to see the old house I lived in (if it’s still there)!

Before we reach Victoria though, we will visit Canberra and I am particularly looking forward to exploring the Australian National Botanic Gardens as well as the usual highlights of the A.C.T.

The Victorian regions we hope to traverse will be the High Country, Great Ocean Road, Grampians, Goldfields and The Murray more or less in that order.    

We will be in tow with our caravan and we both really enjoy staying in the campgrounds of National Parks, but we are led to believe there are some excellent free camping sites on the banks of the Murray River and other pretty spots as well, so we may do a mix of both!!

I may get motivated to jump on blogger during the trip, but I make no promises; bye for now!!

Around my native garden #11

A kookaburra paid our back garden a visit the other day, and I think he likes to perch on this branch quite often because the bark is worn away where he was sitting. I'm also guessing he's smart enough to know, that the flowering banksia nearby will quite possibly attract honey eating insects, and that means dinner time for Kookaburras.

Our visitor in these photos is the iconic laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), which is found all along the east coast, from the Eyre Peninsula to Cape York.  Isn't he adorable !!

Kookaburras eat a range of prey, including small reptiles such as lizards and snakes, insects, worms, snails, frogs, rodents and even the occasional small bird ~ oh no!!

 

Read more about the Kookaburra at ABC Science

See more interesting photos from around the planet at Our World Tuesday

Sunset over Darwin, N.T.

I got a real kick out of taking these pictures several years ago whilst
watching the sun set over the ocean in Darwin. 
The novelty ofcourse was the fact that as East Coast inhabitants, we had
never experienced this wondrous spectacle!!

It was our last stop before returning to Brisbane after an adventurous road trip throughout Northern Territory and

as you can see, the setting was idyllic with 
the early evening strollers and their four legged pals,
the men fishing with a net near the shore line
and a large ship sailing by on the horizon. 

You can see more photos from our beautiful planet Earth at Our World Tuesday

Around my native garden #10

My garden has been a happy diversion over the Easter holiday 

with blue skies ...  life ...  colour ...

and lots of mini beasts !

 To end his mischief of munching my Banksia, I moved this hairy
little fellow to another spot in the garden !!

This cheeky lorikeet wasn't too shy to pose for the camera !

The Anigozanthos 'Bush Endeavour' (Kangaroo Paw) has produced another pretty flower stalk.   I really like its' burnt orange colour tone ...

... and the Orthosiphon aristatus 'Cats Whiskers' shrub is boasting several blooms.

Way up in the highest branch ... a kookaburra gazes over his territory. 

... and further in the distance a flock of Galahs pass by on their journey.

You can see more macro shots at Macro Monday

Toohey Forest

T and I took advantage of the glorious weather today and went for a pleasant stroll through nearby Toohey Forest; a mere 7 minute drive from our home and just 10 kilometres south of Brisbane’s CBD.

Toohey Forest is a large forest remnant of 260 hectares and a refuge to over 400 identified plants and animals. There are extensive walking tracks through open eucalypt forest and heath. 

The forest is named after James Toohey, an Irishman made wealthy in the California gold rush. He selected these lands in 1872 and his family held the forests until Brisbane City Council gradually acquired them after 1945.

 

The city of Brisbane has over 7500 hectares of bushland and wetland reserves. These include Toohey Forest, Whites Hill Reserve, Mt Coot-tha Forest, Karawatha Forest, Brisbane Koala Bushlands, Boondall Wetlands, Bayside Parklands, Chermside Hills Reserves, and Tinchi Tamba Wetlands.

Toohey Forest Walking Track Map

What's On In Brisbane

National Park #12 Naree Budjong Djara NP

Naree Budjong Djara National Park is located at Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island, Qld) the second largest sand island in the world. This national park features places of incredible conservation value and a variety of special habitats, including endangered heathlands, freshwater lakes and woodlands. Naree Budjong Djara means ‘My Mother Earth’ to the island’s traditional owners—the Quandamooka people. 

Our recent visit to the pristine freshwater Blue Lake within this national park, involved a 5.2 km return walk that was an easy grade and well worth the effort.

Banksia integrifolia and Xanthorroea johnsonii grow in profusion throughout the surrounding bushland and along the walking path as well as being scattered amongst the vegetation on the banks of the lake.

Being a sand island, it is no surprise to find a sandy bottom in the shallows near the bank.  It was nature at its' best ... so peaceful and so beautiful and as always, we only left our footprints to be swept away in the next strong breeze!! 

See more photos from around the planet at Our World Tuesday !!

Fern leaf

This is the underside of a fern leaf in my garden. The
little rust coloured spots are the spore. I liked the simple colour contrast
and pattern that the dots made!! 

More macro photos can be seen at Macro Monday !!

North Stradbroke Island

Beautiful North Stradbroke Island or 'Straddie', as we Brisvegans like to affectionately call it, is one of the largest sand islands in the world and it's located right on Brisbane's doorstep!!   

A couple of weeks ago, T and I boarded the vehicular ferry with our trustee caravan in tow and spent a relaxing twelve night stay there.  Our campground was directly opposite this beautiful protected beach.

Here's the campground with our caravan pictured in the middle !!  

There are several well known spectacular attractions on the island, two of which are the North and South Gorges.  This is the North Gorge at low tide ... just magical !! 

This is the entrance to the South Gorge.
  

and this is a continuation of the South Gorge. 

It's common to see large sea turtles in the water, and we did but you have to be quick to capture them on camera !!

See other wonderful Aussie Islands at "Amazing Australian Adventures"

See more photos from around the world at OUR WORLD TUESDAY !!

Around my native garden #9

Brisbane has had a fair amount of rain in recent weeks, so the mozzies are in their element, the ground is very damp and spongy, the lawn grows an extra couple of centimetres every night and my Grevillea 'Coconut Ice' has begun to flower atlast !!

This is a macro shot of new leaf buds on the Banksia oblongifolia. They are really quite pretty at this stage with a sort of velvety appearance and I love their colour !!



The Currawongs are perfectly comfortable drinking from the shallow water bowl on the ground amongst the native plants.

Toadstool

Toadstools and mushrooms always conjure up a vision of pixies and fairies in my imagination.  I definitely believed in fairies when I was a small child. Don't all little girls?? I spotted this one sitting on its' lonesome at the base of a large tree. I didn't notice the tiny bug sitting on the leaf nearby until I was browsing my photos later that day.

Click the photo to enlarge!!

Australian Wood Duck

We've just returned from a lovely holiday to beautiful North Stradbroke Island where we had the pleasure of stumbling upon a flock of Australian Wood Ducks.

During the course of a days' outing to the quiet little township of Amity Point located on the north western point of the island, we noticed Wallum Creek which snakes along the southern border of the town, and it was here in a peaceful wider section of the creek that these birds have made their home. It was so tranquil !! 

The female has the distinctive white stripe above and below the eye and has a more speckled body whereas the male has a darker brown head and pale grey body.

You can find more pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday