It was time. Time to leave this lovely island. After another wonderful lunch at Scallywags, my friend drove me to the ferry. We arrived early and had time to walk out on the pier and see the Rock Wallaby that lives there.

I once again boarded the ferry for the short ride back to Townsville.

From the ferry terminal in Townsville it was a 20 minute drive to my cousins’ home near the Ross River. I took a late afternoon stroll along the Ross River Parkway.

It is home to numerous water birds:

My mind was mesmerized by an old tree. It’s trunk seemed split or maybe in was two trees. I wasn’t sure from the distance. But its curved trunk seems to sway gracefully under a perfect canopy:

Closer inspection revealed one very old tree with a huge hole in the trunk. I thought how I admire this wrinkled old thing. Too bad humans can’t look at their lined faces and admire the beauty and experience etched in those cracks.

Further along I saw what looked like red leaves or were they flowers in a huge tree.

Local volunteers were moving compost in wheel barrows and planting native vegetation. A sign told about the restoration that had been happening at this site.

I continued down the path coming to a damn with a walking path across it. There was a park next to the dam with climbing jungle gyms, and a sculpture.

Evening was coming on so I turned and went back to my cousin’s house. I’d been careful to pay attention as I left so I didn’t get lost returning this time, in 2018 I didn’t pay any attention when I left the house, and needed gps help to get back. Tomorrow I was flying again back to Brisbane.