Parkedge Walk

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Walking to Parkedge Road...

Today you will need
your hat, water bottle
plus a smidgen of stamina

Because
we are going to walk
over the headland
through to Parkedge Road
and down to Sunshine Beach.
It will take about an hour each way...

Westringia tenuicaulis
sometimes called coastal rosemary

we begin by passing through
the rainforest
and eucalyptus forest

see the pretty
Crinkle leaf parsley bush
on the forest floor

In the Tea Tree zone
the Spangled Drongo
caught our attention.
The Drongo calls metallic notes
as he bobs his head and flicks his fish tail.
He has a sharp red eye
which allows him to catch flying insects

On many of the shrubs and trees
I noticed these collections of leaves

hanging like bunches of grapes
so I took a closer look and found...

a spider spins a funnel shaped web
into which fall leaves and forest litter
and presumably insects

In the centre of this web basket
is a small spider,

whether it is the owner
or the supper
it is not clear...

Another species of flowering wattle

We have left the National Park
and arrived in Sunshine Beach
marked by the huge Norfolk Island Pines

on the way
passing by a different species of Cycad
to those we've seen before

the leaves are stiff
and firm to the touch,
resembling plywood

concave and
shaped like paddles

come and enjoy a 'flat white'
and I'll introduce you to
this little fellow
at one of the beachside cafes...

then once rested
we can make our way
back up the hill
to Parkedge Road
and return through the wallum
and the forests
to our starting point
on the North of the headland ...

but before we come home
we have one stop to make

and that is at the Bottleshop.

Alcohol is not sold at the supermarket
in Australia,
so we must call by the Bottleshop
for refreshments,
and in the trees outside
a daily cacophony is occurring as
hundreds upon hundreds
of Rainbow Lorikeets
come in at dusk
and screech and argue
til the sun goes down.



The lorikeets make such a din that you can not talk over them
Surprisingly apartment owners have successfully petitioned
our very 'green' council
for the partial removal of some of the birds' favourite haunts.


4.30pm cacophonies, when the birds come home to roost,
may be endured with sufferance,
but 4.30am ones, when the birds ready for the day,
tend to become very tiresome
for holiday makers
intent on sleeping in...




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