How will we ever get back to real life?

Sunday... a very relaxing day. We sat around and read in the morning sun and then packed a picnic lunch and headed off to Broadwater. A magnificent drive along the Herbert River through cane fields with high mountains in the background. The roads are certainly different to those we have travelled on recently.

The road into Broadwater

As we drove into the national park we saw the devastation to the pine plantations wreaked by cyclone Yasi in Feb 2011.
There was a photographic display of the damage to the park

The national park is maintained beautifully and New South Wales Parks and Wildlife could learn a lot from their Queensland counterparts.



There were some beautiful walks  and a boardwalk led us to a spectacular old fig tree. This circuit walk passes through endangered riparian rainforest with views of Broadwater Creek

and leading to to a magnificent white fig (Ficus virens var. sublanceolata) commonly known as the Broadwater fig.

Fig tree in Broadwater National Park, Ingham

The headwaters of the Herbert River were crystal clear and there were some small rapids to be seen along the walk.

Around the bend was a deep swimming hole with a deck for diving. The water was so clear you could see the boulders on the bottom. A warning sign advised swimmers to be aware of bullrouts... a small fish which will spike you and cause intense pain.

One of the locals commented to us the other day, that in Queensland. the wildlife will either bite you, sting you or eat you!

And then we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the extensive grassy park.It was almost deserted with only a couple of family groups nearby.

They were absorbed in watching the reptilian visitor.(He stayed well away from our table.) Only a small goanna

Then back to the park to have a social afternoon with our Tassie friends and to bemoan the lack of fish caught. On the way back, we called in at the channel to see if there were any fish being caught.

Perhaps the fishing charter later in the week may produce some results!