Out and about in the Bush

I did check out the services at the local churches here, including the Cathedral but they were all at 8am only. I do like to experience the way they do these things in different countries. The last Sunday service I attended was in Bicester when I stayed with Emily and Kerrie before leaving for the airport. That seems eons ago! I have to say that since being here, I have felt nearer to God at the top of the Dividing Range than anywhere else so decided to give the services in Warwick a miss today.

Another wonderful day out in the bush with my entusiastic guide and her lovely daughter! We headed out to different part of the range. I thought what a perfect place Warwick was to live; a great little “city” (although I would describe it as a small town) so near to this wonderful subtropical rainforest area and yet only a couple of hours from the coast and Brisbane. We stopped and spent some time just listening and enjoying the sights and sounds at several creeks in the morning where we had our picnic lunch. I was delighted at last to spot the amazing Bellbird in an area at the entrance to Box Forest. I had been hearing his echoing call through the rainforests every day since my arrival but never actually caught sight of this illusive little bird. Here is a photo, slightly out of focus as I had to zoom in from some distance, showing its olive green plumage and orange legs and beak.

I noticed a few butterflies and dragonflies today. Perhaps the previous night’s storm had brought more out than usual, although the day was as dry and warm as ever. The butterfly pictured here is a Yellow Admiral often known as the Australian Admiral; it’s markings are very similar to our Red Admiral in the UK.

In the afternoon we went to Rockwood Dam. I commented on the miles of yellow dirtroads we travel over without seeing another vehicle. The condition of these roads is better than some of our main roads at home that are still full of potholes from the harsh winter. I saw evidence of the serious Queensland floods which took place earlier in the year and were reported globally. The fences around many properties were still under water and the Dam was high.


Some of the new birds and animals seen today for my record
Yellow Admiral butterfly
Bellbirds
King Parrots
Eastern Australian Kangaroo
Australian Darter
Yellow Legged Flycatcher
Masked Wood Swallow
Willy Wagtail
White winged Chough

Oh I must just mention seeing for the first time a Walleroo. This creature is bigger than a wallaby but smaller than a Roo and found mainly on the slopes of the Dividing Range where we were. I smile at some of the names I keep discovering every day here in Oz and am amazed at how many marsupial animals there are here – 140 species!, including Wombats, Numbats, Bandicoots and Bilbies. They have even replaced the Easter Bunny with the Bilby to highlight it’s plight as becoming another extinct marsupial creature.

At one of the creeks, we taught Ash how to skim small pebbles on the water’s surface. She became quite proficient and competitive at this.

This evening we watched the sun set over the Dam. The wind had got up and the water was very rough like an ocean. The main highway was becoming familiar to me now. We stopped off at the IJA supermarket for some provisions including some stubbies and longnecks to accompany our delicious Tachos dinner.

I will not get a chance to update the blog for the next few days as we are planning our big trip to Agnes Water (about 600k) where we are staying for a few days and where we will be taking a boat over to Lady Musgrave Island and the Great Barrier Reef. We do not plan to take netbooks with us. However, there should be lots to report on Friday so be patient.

A bit of homework while you’re waiting: can any of you out there identify this bird:

Too late, I just found it in our new book: An Apostlebird ! Apropriate for Sunday 🙂

This entry was posted in Australia. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Out and about in the Bush

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *