Bunya Mountains

Our very good friends Ken and Meredith picked us up Saturday morning and treated us to an overnight in the Bunya Mountains. They rented a house with three bedrooms and all the amenities, provided the wine and food and took us on two beautiful hikes on two different trails. My friend Carole and I had been treated by them when we were there last but the views were misted or fogged in. We were in luck this trip.

When we arrived there were little Wallabies everywhere. They are so cute, and most of the females had joeys in the pouch yet. Often baby would poke his little he'd and front paws out to have a bit of a look around.

We saw a curled up hiding snake along the trail, first I've seen this trip. In the wild that is. Feral pigs are creating a bit of a nuisance issue in the park and they tell you to be aware of them. The bird song and varieties of birds are sometimes evident as you walk the tracks.

The Bunya Pine after which the park is named has huge cones which if they dropped on you would likely knock you out or give you a nasty bruise and headache. The first photo shows an average size. The nuts inside were relished by the aborigines in the past and provide food for many species of animal.

Bunya Pines grow to over 40 m tall with a diameter of 2 m. This park protects the largest stand of Bunya pines as well as huge stately gums (Eucalypts) Hoop Pines cedars, figs, stinging trees and many more I do not know the name of. Strangler figs are pretty impressive growing on and around other trees.

The bird life is so colourful. King parrots with their bright green and orange plumage, crimson rosellas, beautiful crimson red plumage with bright blue wings. We were also visited by large soulful crested cockatoos, and observed many pesky black and white Currawongs. On our treks we saw bush turkeys, wrens, robins with yellow breasts, Bowerbirds and heard the calls of whip birds, and other unseen flyers.

Photos we captured.....ill post a few more later.