On the recent visit to the Northern Territory, The Doc visited the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens. The Botanic Gardens have a large selection of boababs trees from Madagascar. Here is selection of 4 species.
Madagascan boababs
Category Archives: macro
Eromanga & Outback Queensland – St George, Dirranbandi, Goondawindi – the trip ends
The Doc drove straight from Stanthorpe to Eromanga, with an overnight stay at Cunnamulla. The return trip was over a week, starting with an alternate route out of Eromanga. Two nights were spent at St George where The Doc went exploring especially around Dirranbandi, which a mate raves about. Driving down the Castlereagh Highway south out of St George was nice but terrifying anytime a roadtrain came the other way on this narrow road. Dirranbandi is a road hub with heavy roadtrain traffic. Uninspiring so far.
The Doc refueled, took a rest, visited the bakery, and headed back a different way using the Whyenbah Road. A road that services stations and farms. Suddenly the mood changed and became a magical road trip, almost no traffic, beautiful afternoon light, storm clouds and great scenery. The road is not fully sealed, but is slowly being sealed. You rejoin the Balonne Highway just west of the St George Township. The Doc needs to get the exact location of the riverside stop his mate uses and drive on the Whyenbah Road, not the Castlereagh Highway, when heading to Dirranbandi.
Next stop Goondawindi and Boggabilla. There was some local exploring but the main purpose was to visit the Goondawindi Botanic Gardens (Botanic Gardens of the Western Woodlands). A few nights there and then back to Ballina. More time is needed to cover the extensive Botanic Gardens grounds but here are images from the visit:
Most topics are now done. My favourite image of the trip? Peglers Pond at sunrise.
Priestly Spiny Orbweaver – Outback Queensland
After leaving Eromanga the first overnight stop was St George at the Balonne Inn. The Doc stayed there two nights and went to visit Alton National Park for a day visit. While there he photographed an unknown spider. The Doc has finally identified it as a Priestly Spiny Orbweaver (Gasteracantha sacerdotalis). This sighting is over 400 kilometers west of any other sighting of this species, as most sightings are along the Queensland Coast.
Eromanga trip – Eremophila longifolia
The tree was located on the corner of the Quilpie to Eulo Rod and the Toompine to Eulo Road. Which is just south of the tiny township of Toompine. The tree has lots of common names including Dogwood, Ngawil, Weeping Emubush, Berrigan, Long-Leaved Eremophila, Native Plum, Emu Bush, Long Leaf Emu Bush, Native Plum Tree, Emu Apple, Emubush, Berrigan Emubush, Juniper Tree, Native Plum-Tree!
Eromanga trip – Nicotiana megalosiphon
Common name wild tobacco. It only grows in shaded areas, which are not that common out Eromanga way. At one sand dune The Doc saw the plant growing around some trees – but only where the bloodwood tree provided shade for much of the day. These images were from a shaded area behind the Eromanga Natural History Museum.
Eromanga trip – Acacia tetragonophylla
Also known as Prickly Wattle. Images from two locations, first Peglers Pond about 7km east of Eromanga; second some dams west of Eromanga, beside the Cooper Developmental Road. Click on image to see full size.
Melaleuca thymifolia
Melaleuca thymifolia is commonly known as Thyme Honeymyrtle.
Anigozanthos ‘Red Cross’
Kangaroo Paw, known as Red Cross, taken at Sylvan Grove Native Gardens, Picnic Point. Slowly getting better, it is a long haul.
The Swamp Bottlebrush
Another unusual flower from South West WA, the Swamp Bottlebrush or Beaufortia sparsa. Bright orange flower. Click on image to see the full size.
Grevillea “Goldfever”
Another Grevillea cultivar commonly used in gardens, called Grevillea Goldfever.
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