Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

Schlerophyll forests regularly burn; they are often dry and the leaves are full of oils. They have
many fire adaptations. Lots of the seeds only sprout after a fire.
Melaleuca (mela, black; leuca, white). Tea Tree. Mottled black and white bark on some of them.
Bottlebrush flowers.
Leptospermum with papery bark.
Pandanus a palm tree with somewhat Yucca like leaves.
Screw palm, edible fruit and nut, at least by the aborigines.
Acacia, wattle.
Kookaburra, seen nicely in tree, and got good pictures.
Lovely walk. Returned to car and picnic lunch there.
Found a koala up in a tree at the edge of the picnic area, got pictures. Watched it some while,
though it was mostly asleep.
Crested pigeon.
Walked a boardwalk. 2 galahs. Jane saw them perched, and I saw them in flight.
Ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Drove back. Pelican overhead. Drove down to Sunshine Coast
University College. Saw kangaroo with joey in pouch, with head sticking out. Security cop made
me move, and when he got out she took off. A couple more kangaroos.
July 20, Sunday. Drove to Armidale. Left 6.30 a.m. to Caloundra, still on the sea, and turned
inland. Beerwah, some impressive eucalypt forests in here. Kilcoy, bought gas. Esk, high country
with sheep on lands cleared from eucalyptus. Reached New England highway at Hampton.
Toowoomba. Warwick, Stanthorpe, Wallangarra, Tenterfield, Glen Innes. Many Scots and English
names through here. Sheep, fruit trees, apples, grapes. Reached Armidale about 5.00 p.m. and
stayed at Comeytrowe Bed and Breakfast. Clear day, cool but pleasant. Supper at Kentucky Fried
Chicken. Drew Klentzos came round in the evening, my host at the University of New England.
July 21, Sunday. Hard rain in the night, came down in blowing sheets. Early a.m. some bright
spots, some rain. Nice breakfast in the B&B. Drove to Dangar's Falls in Oxley Wild Rivers National
Park (one of several units). Clearing and windy. The last 11 km was on dirt road. Lots of magpies.
Freckled ducks, seen nicely. A few rosellas. Many sheep in dry fields, the brown sheep often
about the same color as the fields.
Walked to Gorge Lookout and Gorge Rim Walk, and around to Dagar Falls Lookout and on to Rock
Wallaby Lookout. The brush-tailed rock wallaby is rare here, not seen. A spectacular falls. Three
wallabies seen, 2 watched at length, then a third one (across the dog fence), seen only briefly.
They have a dark tail, brownish, and somewhat reddish backs. Windy. Return to car. Ate in car
at Parrott's War Memorial, halfway back in toward town.
Left Jane at the B&B, and I drove to Wollomombi Gorge and Falls. There are two falls at
Wollomombi: one is Wollomombi, which is the larger, and Chandler Falls, on Chandler River, both
seen at once. Cool and windy. Walked to lookout. Returned and on the way back drove to Metz
Gorge. About 30 rosellas in a flock on the way in.