Paluma has had a number of major power outages in the last month or so as Ergon Energy carries out major maintenance on the system, including replacement of several power poles. According to Ergon, all residents should receive a notice my mail of any upcoming outages, but for some reason not everyone seems to have received these for the outage that occurred this past Thursday.
Linda Venn has shared a way of getting automatic emails of upcoming outages that will provide an additional means of notification:
“Ergon cannot manage to work around our twice-weekly mail deliveries and they are only bound to give us four days’ notice. If we are not getting notices in time, or if we are not getting them at all, apparently it is not Ergon’s fault, but Australia Post’s. There may be some truth in that, but this is an unwinnable argument. Far better to set up an email contact, similar to that we now have with Main Roads.
Unfortunately, this cannot be done online. You have to phone 13 22 96 and press a lot of buttons before you get to speak to a real person. Give them your street address and your email address and request that they email you with the details for setting up an email contact. My email to set this up arrived within 5 minutes of my phone call and all I had to do is reply. Now I await my email of notification of future outages.”
Townsville City Council has announced that the next kerbside collection of bulk rubbish has been postponed to Monday 28th September. Currently only 2 residences have registered for this service and the Council is asking for the word to be passed around concerning this new date, and the need to register if you wish to have your rubbish picked up.
People can submit a booking enquiry at townsville.qld.gov.au Generally they want some idea of what the rubbish is and how much – presumeably to decide which truck to send! There are some items that can’t be collected, these are detailed on the website.
As previously reported, Les Hyland was nominated to be the Townsville City Council “Senior of the Year” for 2020. While he did not win the award, he was included in the short list. This Saturday (Sept 12) our local Councilor, Margie Ryder, will come up the range to make a presentation to Les in recognition of his shortlisting. The event will be at the Rainforest Inn at 11am. Please come along to help celebrate the achievements (and stamina!) of our now-famous senior member of the Village.
Last Thursday SpaceX, the company led by Elon Musk, launched 57 “Starlink” satellites into low earth orbit. For the first day or so they could be seen in the night sky as a string of bright lights racing across the night sky, prior to moving off under their own steam to take up separate orbits. Last Saturday night Wilfred Karnoll was lucky enough to see this spectactular show and was briefly convinced he might have been seeing UFOs.
A string of recently released Star-link satellites taken last year over the Netherlands
Perhaps others also caught a glimpse of this latest deployment by SpaceX? Let us know if you did.
While sixty-odd satellites sounds like a lot, this is mearly the lastest batch in a major program that will ultimately see a network of thousands of wirelessly interconnected satellites that will provide high bandwith internet to people around the word in even the remotest of locations.
Currently there are over 700 Starlink satellites overhead and beta testing of internet links has commenced in the US. Hovever SpaceX has permission to launch nearly 12,000 and has currently seeking further permission to have a total of 42,000 satellites in orbit. Currently there are only about 2000 satellites of all types circling the earth, so space is going to get pretty crowded in the future. Astronomers have complained that all these bright objects will hinder stargazing – SpaceX has responded by intalling “sunshades” over its latest satellites.
Australian regulator ACMA has given SpaceX initial approval for the Starlink internet service to operate in Australia, but there is much more testing, launching and approvals to do before we in Paluma can think about switching from the rather lack-lustre SkyMuster NBN satellite. In the mean time you can go to this website, or download an Apple or Android, app that will tell you when you can observe the light-show over Townsville/Paluma.
This year the Pre-push Welcome dinner will be at the Community Hall on Saturday, October 10th. If you are interested/planning to attend it is essential that you book tickets online prior to the event, or at a minimum let Sam or Aline know you want to reserve a spot. The dinner, a 2 course roast banquet style dinner will be cooked and served by Magnums, promises to be a great way to celebrate the start of this iconic event for Paluma. Be sure to book early as under COVID we are restricted in how many can attend!
The Department of Transport and Main Roads would like to advise that reconstruction works on Mt Spec Road between the Little Crystal Creek Bridge and McLellands Lookout will commence onMonday 14 September 2020.
Reconstruction works on Mt Spec Road are being undertaken to ensure motorist safety and the ongoing integrity of the road. We are targeting completion of works at damaged sites prior to the 2020–21 wet season.
Works will be completed at night to minimise traffic disruption and the impact on local businesses and residents. Night works will take place between 6pm to 6amthroughout the duration of the project, except Fridays where work will be completed 7pm to 7am. Works are expected to be completed by late December 2020, weather and construction conditions permitting.
A full road closure of Mt Spec Road will be in place from Little Crystal Creek to McLellands Lookout during project working hours of 6pm to 6am Saturday to Thursday, and 7pm to 7am Friday night/Saturday morning. Road users will not be permitted onto the road during these work hours. The gates to the road at Little Crystal Creek and at Paluma Village will be closed during these hours. In an emergency situation that requires Queensland Emergency Services to travel to Paluma Village, access will be provided by the contractor.
Please find attached a list of Frequently Asked Questions containing further information about these works. TMR thanks you for your patience and understanding while these works are being completed. Should you have any further queries or would like to discuss any aspect of these works, please do not hesitate to contact TMR on the details below.
Kind Regards
Customer and Stakeholder Management (Northern) | North Queensland Region Program Delivery And Operations | Infrastructure Management & Delivery Division |
Also known as Ironwood and Rusty Rhodomyrtus Family: Myrtaceae;
Rhodomyrtus pervagata first came to my attention some years ago when Linda Venn called me over to her garden to see a strange bird feasting on the fruits of a small tree. The rather large bird had been there all day and smaller birds, evidently afraid to approach, kept up a clamour of scolding and complaining about the large bird’s presence. The intruder was identified by the late Roy Mackay as a juvenile pallid cuckoo, a bird not commonly seen in Paluma. It continued eating, oblivious of the other birds, until every fruit was gone. The small tree, or shrub, was a Rhodomyrtus pervagata.
There are several species of Rhodomyrtus: twenty occurring in parts of S E Asia, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia. In Australia, there are seven species, six of which are found in rainforests of tropical Queensland. Rhodomyrtus pervagata is endemic from Mount Misery near Cooktown to Paluma, growing at altitudes from 30 to 1250 metres in well-developed and mountain rainforest. It grows well in disturbed areas and is characteristic of rainforest regrowth.
A shrub, or small tree, it grows to about 10 metres high. New twigs are covered in fine, rusty hairs, giving them a furry appearance. The simple leaves are distinctive, being lanceolate and measuring 50 – 80 mm x 20 – 70 mm. The upper surface is dark green and sparsely glabrous, except for fine hairs along the mid-rib. The underside is pale and covered with fine rusty hairs and numerous oil dots which can be seen with a lens. The under-side has a prominent mid-rib and strongly defined lateral and intra-marginal veins.
The tiny flowers are axillary, growing in clusters of up to three. There are five cup-shaped petals about 5 mm in size surrounding a centre of yellow stamens. They are so small, they are easily missed, especially as the petals tend not to open up fully.
The tiny fruits are fleshy cream to brown berries, about 12 -14 mm long, and densely packed with up to 84 tiny seeds. The fruit, cut lengthwise, reveals the seeds stacked in rows of seven to fourteen. Many birds feed on the fruit of Rhodomyrtus.
There are many of these small trees in Paluma, tucked away in the understorey along the roadsides. Possibly, the easiest to locate are at the roadsides of the cutting between the Rainforest Inn driveway and Loop Road.
Text and Photos (unless otherwise marked) by Colwyn Campbell
Throughout the year, Paluma is blessed with colourful plants, photos of which are regularly posted on the website. Such is the focus on gorgeous blooms that the humble food gardens tend to be overlooked. They are due for some well-deserved attention, particularly as growing fruit and vegetables in Paluma is a real challenge.
The climate can be unkind at times but the wild-life presents the major obstacle to successful food gardening. Bush rats and White-tailed rats eat stone fruits, such as plums and peaches long before the fruit is ripe. Cockatoos savage citrus crops and at night, wallabies emerge from the forest and feast on any new green leaf within reach; citrus, gardenia, rose and hibiscus are favourites along with potted herbs. Bandicoots burrow deep beneath plants, birds steal the chillies but the worst predator within the village is the Brush Turkey. Two or three of these can, in only a few minutes, lay waste to an entire bed of vegetables: nothing is spared; pots are up-ended and their contents eaten and they rival rats in their plunder of pumpkin and choko vines. Out on the rural blocks, feral pigs make unwelcome forays, at times pushing through flimsy fences and devouring everything from bananas to sweet potatoes.
So, it is with awe and admiration that I see several Paluma residents refuse to be defeated and have productive gardens that would make a professional market gardener or orchardist envious. What are some of the secrets of their success? Location, (a position with enough sunlight throughout the day) and pest-proofing are vital.
On the rural blocks most gardens are securely fenced, some are also roofed with wire mesh.
In the village various strategies are employed. Some gardens are in raised beds with a bird-mesh structure above, which can be opened to give access for weeding and harvesting. Other kitchen gardens are in purpose-built boxes suspended from veranda rails – excellent for restricted spaces.
Jennie Robinson’s herb box garden contains basil, parsley, oregano And several other herbs.
Jan and Peter have given their ‘caged’ plants extra protection by planting insect repelling flowers nearby.
Barry and Chris at the Paluma Environmental Education Centre, have established hydroponic gardens with healthy crops of lettuce varieties, tomatoes, beans, radish and a range of herbs. The tubs containing the plants are set on a vertical framework, making them fairly inaccessible to turkeys. A conventional vegetable garden has also been established at the school with the plots protected by bird-mesh covered arches.
So far turkeys have not discovered the hydroponic plants but the other garden has not escaped attention; a net inadvertently left open gave a young male turkey his chance to explore.
So, with location and protection taken care of, the secret of success in producing strong, healthy food plants, apart from having green thumbs, and a passion for gardening, is ascribed to the fertiliser used. Fertilising with liquid and casts from a worm farm seems to be a winner. The popularity of worm farms is growing with several gardeners now raising these helpful little pets.
Lynda’s worm farm
While commercial products work well, traditional natural fertilisers such as goat and cow manure are highly regarded.
Hats off to all these determined gardeners. You are inspirational! This article will be followed up with regular updates of what fruit has ripened and what vegetables are being harvested.
Paluma gardens are in a continuous state of change with a regular cycle of blooming and fruiting that makes each visit up to a the village a new experience. A walk along the village road can be a process of discovery of new blooms never before seen, or the emergence en masse of old favourites, or a re-aquaintance with an uncommon plant not seen for some time.
Although we continue to publish individual posts on interesting plants that are blooming in Paluma gardens, we have not, generally, created new posts for flowers that we have highlighted in previous months or years even, if they are currently in full bloom. Over time this is leading to there being fewer new things to write about in our “What’s Blooming?” section.
It seems a shame not to share our delight in seeing old favourites come into bloom during certain months, or to share a quickly taken picture of a particularly striking plant or flower that we don’t have the time or enough supplementary information to create a dedicated post. Consequently, we have started a new series which is a simple collection of photos from Paluma gardens highlighting what is in bloom during each month, and what interesting plants we have discovered.
We also invite residents with an interest in photography to send us their best photos from their gardens or from around the village for inclusion in the monthly collection.
Below is a slide show for June 202o. You can access slideshows for previous months on the Paluma through the seasons page on our website.
Enjoy the show…..
Jamie and Michele
Paluma in July 2020
Click on the image below to start the slide show… it will start automatically after a few seconds
Its been a pretty cold winter so far in Paluma and the flowers in our gardens are showing it. The weather app on my phone indicates that temperatures have been well below 10°C with a few nights below 5°C. Jonquils and Tulips are two of the cold loving flowers that can be seen growing and occasionally flowering in Paluma, but Len Cook has made me aware that we can grow another bulb normally found in southern climes –Leucojum sp or “Snowflakes”.
Len has had a steadily growing clump of these for several years that he recently replanted them as a row along his fence and they have produced sprays of gorgeous white flowers. They are often misnamed “Snow Drops”, which are nearly identical, but Snowflakes can easily be distinguised by the small green dots near the end of each of the 6 petals. They are more tolerant of warm conditions compared to Snow Drops (Galanthus sp), but both are sufficiently cold tolerant to be seen poking out of the spring snow in full flower in temperate regions.
Snowflakes are native to central and southern Europe but have become naturalised in North America and Australia)
Photo by Len Cook
Len’s snowflakes appear to be the Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum). The other species found in southern gardens is the larger Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum).
In addition to temperate bulbs, Paluma is also able to grow stone fruit in the form of “tropical” peaches which, despite their name, require at least a short period of cold weather to flower and bear fruit. There at least 3 residences which have flowering peach trees in Paluma at present. While the beautiful pink flowers are a delightful addition to any garden I am told that birds and native rats benefit the most from any fruit that are produced. However I gather one resident has been able to harvest enough to make peach jam one year.
