Half Way

On reaching Hell's Gates

my half way point

I always stop and breathe deeply

have a stretch

give a little sigh of gratitude

and gaze right down the coastline 

to the south

I search the rocky inlet below 

for signs of turtles

check the horizon for whales and calves

on their journey home to Antarctica

and scour the sky for birds

Today white splashes on the grey rocks below

caught my eye

and I zoomed in to find

three pied Cormorants

resting on the rocks

drying their wings

and preening 

after fishing in the ocean below

The Australian Pied Cormorant 

or Pied Shag

feeds on benthic fish

which are those that live

in the lowest layer of ocean

or in the sediment

fish such as prawns and sea worms

No whales today

but I did see some last evening
and hope to spot more tonight...

Looking for Signs

Looking for signs of spring

in the subtropics

where flowers and trees bloom all year

and very few deciduous trees 

mark the changes of the seasons ~

there are the bright and the obvious

the pink lilly pillies 
and the red bottle-brushes

and then there are the little critters

quietly at work

and the small and almost missed

and then there are the not so subtle

the very bossy juvenile Noisy Miner

in the yellow grevillea

and the loud and flamboyant Rainbow Lorikeet

A Hazy Day

A Hazy day

is a good omen

for the sunset capturing enthusiast

who wanders in the national park

at dusk

stopping frequently

to admire the fireball

of light

until the day quickly disappears

and the twinkles of the town beckon

An Old Jetty

An old jetty

is a fine place to stop

and rest

watch the changing patterns 

of the sunlight and ripples

 on the riverbed

beside the mangroves

and enjoy the fishing antics

of a pelican pair

Blessed be solitude

Walking Noosa Hill

I have been walking over Noosa Hill

through the rainforest

the eucalyptus forest

the bush

and the wallum

to Sunshine Beach

a journey of up to three hours depending on the time

one takes to enjoy a mango smoothie

or a salmon bagel on The Deck

overlooking the beach in the little township

Now it is spring

I have been on the lookout for 

these 

and these

and these

I have seen and heard these

and heard the Splendid Blue Wrens

and the whipbirds

but the others are remaining elusive

however I did see this

and this

but now that I am walking with Canon again

I hope to spy them soon

I take Noosa Hill route 3, the orange path

until it joins the red Tanglewood track 2

follow the Tanglewood East 

until the second right turn

onto the faint purple dotted track

to the heavy purple track 5

which comes out at Parkedge Road

then I walk the streets 

down to the village...

On my return I stay on the Tanglewood 

instead of retracing my steps 

up and over the hill

Once is enough!