Early in the morning as the sun is beginning to rise above the gravel road and trees in the valley below the kookaburras begin to announce that this is their land. They don't sing alone but answer each other laughing across the horizon. In this video you can hear them laughing with the cicadas singing in the … Continue reading Native Animals at Long Timber
Travel
Follow my adventures visiting friends and family around the world.
Drying Clothes at Long Timber
"Hand me a pin," I asked as I helped Wally hang up clothes on the line. "It's a peg," said my Australian friend. "We call them clothespins," I answered. "Clothespins are those skinny things ladies sew with." He retorted shaking his head. "Pegs are flat things that go in holes," I responded defending my American … Continue reading Drying Clothes at Long Timber
Mustering the Cattle at Long Timber
My father was an organic farmer and raised beef cattle along with grade B Dairy cows in Minnesota in the 1950s. He died when I was eight years old and my family moved to the city. As a teenager, I became very interested in Eastern thought and at age 18 my fiance and I became … Continue reading Mustering the Cattle at Long Timber
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 3-4
Birdwalk, Buffet Breakfast with the birds, Animal encounter, The Lost World Spa, and Python Rock If you're an early bird O'Rielly's offers a bird walk at 6:30 a.m. It takes an excellent guide to introduce ten noisy tourists to native birds. Our guide on Thursday was amazing, he was a bird whisperer. The wild birds … Continue reading O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 3-4
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 2
Surviving the Box Forest Circuit in Lamington National ParkToday's plan was to do the 10 km Box Forest Circuit. We'd go to the left descending downhill most of the way past numerous waterfalls. Huge Brush Box trees dominate this track, hence the name: This is what the little sign said next to the trunk. … Continue reading O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 2
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 1
I was so excited I hardly slept the night before. Twenty years ago O'Reilly's was the highlight of my Australian tour, and I was getting to go there again, this time with Lizzie. Lizzie had last been there in the 1960s so she was looking forward to our adventure. I knew I was going to … Continue reading O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 1
Bunya Mountain National Park
I wasn't as sore as I thought I'd be from the last Lizzie hike. I woke up full of anticipation on Bunya Mountains morning. The leech bites on my legs itched but I ignored them as I dressed in blue jeans and gray New Balance shoes, no white this time. It was 7:00 am precisely … Continue reading Bunya Mountain National Park
Birdwing Butterflies and the Leeches of Booroobin
My friend Lizzie said, "would you like to walk down the hill to the river?" I smiled, "Sure, that sounds great." I'd just managed to drive solo to her place on the other side of the valley from Long Timber through a slight drizzle. Although I couldn't see the river from her house I thought it … Continue reading Birdwing Butterflies and the Leeches of Booroobin
Horseback Riding at Long Timber
I dreamed of riding a horse when I was a little girl. My brother had a horse on the farm. Her name was Mona, but they said I was too young to ride her. When Daddy died Mona was sold and we moved to the city. I had a little white porcelain horse that I … Continue reading Horseback Riding at Long Timber
Further Driving Lessons
My dendrites are slow growing. I need lots of practice, you can teach an old dog new tricks but you need to be patient with yourself, I tell myself. I say watch and learn, and do more research. I watched my partner negotiate the many blind curves between Peachester and Beerwah: The drive continued like … Continue reading Further Driving Lessons
Visions from Two Continents. 