Last Hurrah in Australia

Gene took off this past Thursday and Friday and we took a “holiday” in the Bunya Mountains. These are about 3 hrs. NW of Brisbane. A couple who were originally from Ireland went with us and together we stayed in a beautiful home at the top of the mountain over-looking the table lands. The house was called “The Big Picture” and it certainly allowed us that.

We woke up to parrots and lorikeets squawking as well as the beautiful melodic songs of Magpies and Butcher Birds. Wallabies (small kangaroos) were also plentiful—including our front yard (just like in the TV series “Skippy”). We were encouraged not to feed them. It was a real temptation though, as this little fellow pathetically sat beside a sign hoping you hadn’t read the previous sign not to feed him either..
I caught this joey mid-air before he safely retreated to his mother’s pouch.

Hiking and going to a small observatory were among the highlights of our trip. Gene took this picture of Saturn through the telescope. Not bad. We also enjoyed viewing the Southern Cross and the False Cross (a mini-object lesson?) We looked at millions of stars in the nearest galaxy and told the astronomer/guide Who made and named them.

As you might tell by the name, this area is known for the gigantic Bunya Pines. We were encouraged not to linger while walking under the bunyas, as this is the end of the season when the 22 pound soccer-ball sized cones come plummeting down from the tops of towering trees. Ouch! Here is a picture of two of the hundreds of segments and one of the large pine nuts. We had some bunya “pine nuts” on our trout that evening—delicious! though somewhat hazardous to the “hunter/gatherer”.
We also saw (and walked through) this huge Strangler Fig, which has snuffed the life out of a tree.
Here's Gene standing by a Grass Tree, which only reproduces itself in extreme heat as from a fire. Another good spiritual lesson from God's nature as well as a law of thermodynamics--heat results in expansion. May we all become stronger and more zealous for the faith as we go through the fire!
We will soon be in our "Up Over Home" :)