Mareeba Tropical Savanna and Wetland Reserve

The Mareeba Tropical Savanna and Wetland Reserve is located only an hour’s drive from Cairns or Port Douglas, yet offers the visitor tours and activities that are an authentic Australian experience in the heart of the outback.

Set within the savannas of North Queensland, it is a gateway to Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf Savannah, and provides an excellent base from which to visit the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics Rainforests and Great Barrier Reef, as well as the Cairns Highlands and Atherton Tablelands.

The Reserve, known locally as the Mareeba Wetlands, protects over 5000 acres of savannas and wetlands, providing a sanctuary for much of tropical Australia’s savanna and wetland flora and fauna, and cultural heritage.

Strangler Figs

The Strangler Fig is a tall canopy, widely buttressed tree which grows to 45m in height. The top of this tree spreads like an umbrella. It features light coloured bark. In the rainforest the strangler fig germinates only in the branches of a host tree from the seed deposited by birds. Many roots are sent down and they gradually envelope and strangle the host tree leaving the fig in its place. There are five species of strangler fig represented in the Park.
Leaves:Leaves are simple, large, glossy green above and paler below. Commonly betwwen 4 and 7cm in length.
Flowers: The flowers are on the inside of the fruit and are pollinated by a wasp which enters the fruit through a small hole before the fleshy part of the fruit develops.
Fruit: Fruit is large (about 3cm with a nipple on the end) decorative and tasty which means that it is relished by birds. The fig is dark purple when ripe with yellowish dots, fleshy and ovular. They are a most important food tree for birds

Auburn Botanical Gardens – Sydney DSLR.com Minimeet

lifted from: http://www.auburn.nsw.gov.au/

The Auburn Botanic Gardens are set in on 9.2 hectares of lush parklands, where people can come to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Since the gardens opened in 1977, they have become a popular attraction for local residents and visitors to the area. Just 17 kilometres from Sydney CBD, the park features a spectacular Japanese Garden with traditional style Japanese landscaping including a waterfall, decorative bridges and ornamental trees set around a large lake.

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Sydney Park/St Peters Brickworks and Paracyclotosaurus davidi…

and wtf?! thats what I thought…

The brickworks are well known (well not so well know since I did not know πŸ™‚Β  ) in paleontology for the discovery of a full, intact skeleton of a Paracyclotosaurus davidi in 1910. The 2.75 metre labyrinthodonl Paracyclotosaurus davidi was a prehistoric amphibian and the only known species to have lived in Australia.

Apparently there was also Insects including blattoids (sounds like something outta starcraft πŸ™‚ ), orthopteroids, and coleopterans

Wombats….(and i’m not talking about the band!)

dsc_4642.jpgyes..very noisy at night…blind as a bat but can hear exceptionally well!

Wombats are stout, sturdy marsupials. They grow to about 1.3 metres in length, and can weigh up to 36 kg. They have a large, blunt head with small eyes and ears, and a short, muscular neck. Their sharp claws and stubby, powerful legs make them great diggers. Wombats have been known to live for up to 27 years in captivity.

dsc_4638.jpgTwo of the three species of wombat occur in NSW:

  • The common wombat, most widespread of the two, has a large, naked snout covered in grainy skin.
  • The much rarer southern hairy-nosed wombat has larger ears than the common wombat, and its snout is coated with fine hairs.

The northern hairy-nosed wombat is presumed extinct in NSW.


Watch these nasty little fellows….

dsc_4057_2.jpgDefinitely do not want to accidentally fall in one of these nests, i remember bites from a single one hurts like buggery and the lump lasts for days! Imagine a nest of ’em….

Galstons Walk – part of the Great Northern Walk – check it out here! a tinyfraction of the 250 km walk!

Bull ants have a fearsome reputation, and deservedly so. They are large with long, straight, powerful jaws and a potent venom-loaded sting. They attack intruders of any size that come too close to their nest. Bull ants also have well-developed vision and will follow or even chase an intruder a good distance from the nest. Usually the sight of large aggressive ants streaming out of the nest is enough to prompt a hasty retreat. If not, the ants deliver painful stings by gripping the intruder with their mandibles (jaws), curling their abdomen to reveal the sting and injecting the victim with venom. Often multiple stings are delivered.

Refer to http://www.faunanet.gov.au/Β 

Chinamens Beach Rusty fence…

dsc_4211_2.jpgWell it was time to do the other end of Chinamens Beach, fortunately all my images are pretty ordinary since I left the VR (Vibration Reduction) on whilst on my tripod and also had ISO set to 1250 from the night before… what a crappy eh.. especially since I got up at the cracker of dawn…

Nonetheless there was some nicely composed pictures, which can be all viewed here….

The attached image is of, what appears to be, a fence of some sort to separate Chinamens Beach from the adjacent beach which is part of a military testing zone – probably has not been used for many years but ….

Well I will be up there again soon and this time, 3rd time, I will remember not to leave the ISO or VR on …. oh and it will be an absolutely magic morning.. πŸ™‚

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