Posts – Page 75 – Paluma – our village in the mist

Feedback requested on future night-time closure of Bruce Highway

Do you use the Bruce Highway through Yabulu (north of Townsville) at night?

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is seeking feedback from people who regularly travel the Bruce Highway through Yabulu at night, about upcoming temporary highway closures.

The feedback will be used to inform when these closures occur, so as to have the least impact on motorists. We will provide two weeks notice once the closure dates have been determined, so that road users can plan their journeys accordingly.

Further information about the closures and how you can have your say, is outlined in the attached flyer.

We encourage you to circulate this notice to others who regularly travel this section of the highway at night.

Feedback should be directed to TMR’s Customer and Stakeholder Management team by telephone on 1800 625 648, or by email at engagement.northern@tmr.qld.gov.au no later than close of business Friday 3 August 2018. Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,

Customer and Stakeholder Management Team
North Queensland Region

Customer and Stakeholder Management Team
North Queensland Region
Program Delivery and Operations Branch | Infrastructure Management and Delivery Division | Department of Transport and Main Roads

____________________________________________

Floor 5 | Townsville Government Office Building | 445 Flinders Street | Townsville Qld 4810
PO Box 1089 | Townsville Qld 4810
1800 625 648 
engagement.northern@tmr.qld.gov.au
www.tmr.qld.gov.au

Flyer_Seeking feedback_Bruce Highway closure_yabulu

Bird of the Month – Satin Bowerbird

The satin bowerbird is common at Paluma and quite easy to spot around many of the village gardens and along the numerous walking tracks.

The population of satin bowerbirds at Paluma is quite unique in that it is reported to be an isolated population in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland.

The male birds are black in colour, but the rich dark gloss of their feathers gives the birds an almost metallic sheen, so that they appear to be a deep shiny blue colour. They are quite breathtaking to see in the varying shades of light in the rainforest.

Satin Bowerbird male (top) and female (bottom). Photos by Jamie Oliver

The female birds are green and brown in colour, but with a distinctive scalloped pattern down the body. Both male and female birds have striking blue eyes.

If these birds are not spectacular enough, like most bowerbirds they have a very complex courtship behaviour that involves the male birds building elaborately woven stick structures, or ‘bowers’.

The intention of the bower is to lure females for mating. The female birds will visit the bowers and based on their inspection, will then choose which male they will allow to mate with them.

Male satin bowerbirds go to great lengths to decorate their bower with shiny and coloured objects to impress the ladies. As the males mature they favour blue objects in particular.

Satin Bowerbird bower. Photos by Michele Bird

Some lucky Paluma locals have a resident satin bowerbird and bower in their garden, or on their bush block. The bower here was recently sighted in the Hussey Road area.

This bower is decorated with an array of natural objects. This bird has collected blue bird feathers (probably from a crimson rosella), land snails, brightly coloured pebbles and bright-green moss or lichen. However, the majority of the items are non-natural materials including fragments of plastic, surveyor’s tape, pieces of tarpaulin, pegs, bottle lids, the rings from milk bottles and pieces of aluminium foil.

To me, this bower shows how remarkably innovative and adaptive these birds are to the modern world, in sourcing and using a vast array of treasured blue finds. But, it also shows that even in a small village such as Paluma, which is nestled on the very margins of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the birds are able to find a great deal of plastic material. For me it serves as a timely reminder that we could all do a little bit better in managing our waste and taking care of our environment and native fauna.

Text by Michele Bird

What’s Flowering in Paluma – Madonna Orchid

Pink Madonna orchid (Cattleya trianaei)

This superb specimen of Cattleya orchid belongs to Paluma residents Michael and Donna Drew. The beautiful mauve, deep purple and yellow blooms are long lasting and Michael says that these flowers first opened in early July.

The orchid is about 10 years old and was purchased by Donna at an Orchid Society Show in Townsville. The plant is happily growing in shaded conditions in the fork of a small tree with rough, corky bark. Michael feeds the plant regularly with a spray of liquid fish emulsion and the odd banana skin (as a source of potassium).

Michael has named the orchid ‘Pink Madonna’ after his lovely wife, Donna.

Did you know that the genus of Cattleya orchids was first named in 1824 in tribute to William Cattley of England who was a keen cultivator of tropical plants. These orchids originate from the Central and South Americas.

Text and Photos by Michele Bird

What’s Flowering in Paluma – Peach Blossom

Several gardens in Paluma have peach trees which are at present coming into bloom. Buds are swelling along the slender branchlets, with many flowers already open. Another week, (it is 12 July at the time of writing), should see the trees densely covered in delicate pink blossoms. Unless heavy rain washes the blossom off, the tree will display its beauty for up to three weeks. Tiny fruit will begin forming which will swell and ripen in the summer months but Bush Rats and White-tailed Rats will have eaten most of them well before then.

The peach is a deciduous tree and looks bare and straggly for a few months during the year, until mid- winter, but is worth growing for its sheer beauty during the flowering period.

Paluma must be one of the few places in the tropics where a tree more suited to a temperate climate can thrive.

Text and photos by Colwyn Campbell

Rainforest Tree of the Month – July 2018 Paperbark Satinash

Paperbark Satin-ash – Syzygium papyraceum

This is one rainforest tree that can be unmistakably recognised by its bark. The bright red/orange papery bark stands out like a glowing beacon in the surrounding greens of the forest. The flakes of bark are thin, soft and translucent.

The tree grows to a height of 20 to 30 metres and often has buttresses. The small, filamentous flowers are out of sight, high in the canopy but their faint citron scent wafts in the air. The fleshy fruits when they drop to the ground from December to February, are readily identifiable.

These are purple, round to obovoid in shape, and about 30 mm long, holding one seed. Cassowaries, Bush Rats, White-tailed Rats and Musky Rat Kangaroos eat the fruit.

Leaves are glossy dark green obovate, 60 to 130 mm long.

These beautiful trees can be seen along the walking tracks in Paluma and particularly along the Andre Griffin track you will see several at close hand.

Text and photos by Colwyn Campbell

What’s Flowering in Paluma? Iris tectorum

What’s Flowering at Paluma in July? Roof Iris (Iris tectorum)

This species of clumping iris is known as Iris tectorum. It is a perennial plant native to China and Burma. It is called the Roof Iris because in Japan it is grown on the ridges of the roofs of thatched houses. The plants grow from a thick rhizome which forms spreading clumps. These plants thrive in Paluma as they prefer dry and cold winters, with warm and wet summers. The plants prefer partial shade as opposed to full sun. The remarkable flowers range in colour from lavender-blue to bluish-violet shades.

The leaves are light-green in colour and sword-shaped. The flowers attract bees and other insects which are important for pollination. Iris plants flower between June and August and after flowering they produce an ellipsoid seed capsule with black-brown seeds.

As you walk through the village of Paluma during the winter months, keep an eye out for some spectacular iris flowers, especially in the gardens along Mount Spec Road.

Text and photos by Michele Bird

Paluma Profiles – Jack Appleton

This month in ‘Meet a Villager’ we introduce you to Jack Appleton

Jack Appleton with his dad Neil at the Rainforest Inn

At 14 years of age Jack Appleton is Paluma’s youngest full-time resident. Jack is turning 15 very soon and will celebrate his birthday during July.
Jack moved to Paluma with his Mum and Dad (Jenny and Neil) in 2013, but he has been visiting Paluma since he was a baby. When he was a baby the family stayed at Fatima Cottage. He has been visiting Paluma quite regularly since the age of 5.
Jack currently attends Ingham State High School and he is in Year 9. His parents travel up and down the Range Road twice a day to ferry Jack to the school bus which meets him at the bottom of the range.
Before starting High School, Jack attended Mutarnee State School and in Year 6 he was the School Captain.
Jack loves living at Paluma because of the rainforest. Over the years he has established quite a few secluded ‘Base Camps’ in the jungle surrounding the village.
Jack has competed twice in the Paluma Dam Fun Run and he completed the course both times.
Jack doesn’t watch much TV. He has many hobbies and one of his favourite things to do is online gaming. He loves to play ‘Grand Theft Auto’.
Jack also likes to go bushwalking, bike riding and fishing with his Dad. He likes to build and fix bikes and his scooter. He would like to go snow skiing and knee boarding.
Jack regularly helps out his neighbours around the village with mowing, gardening and other chores.
His favourite time of year is cyclone season. This is because the Range Road and the Bruce Highway are often closed during storms and floods and Jack doesn’t have to go to school.
Jack’s favourite foods are lasagne and sweet & sour chicken.
Just two weeks ago, Jack broke his wrist at school whilst playing touch football. He has to wear a cast on his arm for 5 weeks.

Paluma Profiles – Don Battersby

This month in ‘Meet a Villager’ we introduce you to Don Battersby.

Here’s a few things to know about Don:

Don has lived at Paluma for 26 years, first moving to the village in 1992.

He bought a 5-acre block of land on Hussey Road and in 2006 he built his own home.
For 44 years Don worked as a Ships Master. For 20 years he worked aboard the James Kirby, the research vessel for James Cook University.
During his time as Ships Master he had a brush with Hollywood when he transported Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland and Matthew McConaughey around the Whitsunday Islands for the making of the movie ‘Fools Gold’.
Don is a shell collector and he has a vast knowledge of South Pacific marine shells.
He is a very keen gardener and he has a passion for growing anthuriums. He currently has a collection of more than 700 colourful, weird and wonderful varieties, collected from all over Queensland.
Don loves to cook. He often makes a roast for his friends and neighbours on his new wood stove.
Don loves living at Paluma for the peace and quiet, the cool climate, the good people, the birdlife, bush tracks and swimming holes. He can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Don is extremely generous of his time and his vast knowledge of many things. He is never too busy to lend a hand to his neighbours and friends.
Don is proud of Paluma and he often acts as an impromptu tour guide for visitors on the many walking tracks and for bird enthusiasts searching for that elusive species or photograph.
A word of warning though – Don tells very BAD jokes.

What’s flowering in Paluma? Giant Camelia

Paluma gardeners Nick and Glenda Van Rynswoud are well known for their gardening finesse and expertise in growing a variety of plants too numerous to mention. They have an award-winning garden at 40 Mt Spec Road and in 2017 they were crowned the Overall Winner in the Paluma Garden Competition.

Just recently it became apparent that these two very keen gardeners just might have produced the largest flower of the Camellia genus that has been seen in the village!

The remarkable flower measures at least 15cm x 15cm and is about the size of a small plate. It is soft pink in colour with a beautiful ruffled edge. What is most surprising is that this large flower has been produced on a relatively tiny shrub, no more than 50 cm in height.

Glenda bought the plant from a market stall so she does not know the species or variety of the plant. All we know is that is it likely to be from the genus Camellia. Glenda was told the plant was a ‘red camellia’ so you can imagine her surprise when the large ruffled pink flowers started to appear.

Could this be the largest single Camellia flower grown in Paluma village?

Have you grown a larger flower in your garden, or do you know of other flowers of this size? Let us know!!

What’s flowering in Paluma? Tea-trees; Snowflake Tree

Brightening these bleak, wintry days with splashes of cheerful colour are the dainty tea-trees (genus Leptospermum), seen in many gardens in Paluma. Several beautiful specimens of this plant can be seen in the garden of the Rainforest Inn, where shrubs representing two or three varieties of tea-tree grow in a cluster. One shrub bears deep pink flowers, while the others range through paler pink to almost white.

Pale pink tea-tree (photo by Michele Bird)

The common name, tea-tree was derived from early attempts by settlers to use the aromatic leaves of some species as a substitute for tea. Capt. James Cook also, is said to have experimented with using the leaves to make tea.

Deep pink tea-tree (photo by Michele Bird)

Currently 86 species are recognized, 83 of which occur in Australia. The first formal description of Leptospermum was by German botanists, Johann Reinhold Forster and his son, also Johann. A clear definition of the species was not achieved until 1979 and since then many more species have been described. The wood of tea-tree is very hard and has been used for turning, carving and tool handles, as well as durable brushwood fences.

Another eye-catching shrub is the Snowflake Tree, a species of Euphorbia. An example of this plant can be seen in Lennox Crescent where a lovely specimen is densely covered with small white flowers. From a distance the tree looks as if it is snow-covered.

Snowflake tree (Photo by Colwyn Campbell)

There are 2100 species of Euphorbia. The red Poinsettia, of which a few grow in Paluma gardens, is one most people would be familiar with. Another variety is the bright red, spiny ‘Crown of Thorns’ which adds to the brilliant colour in the garden at Number 40 Mount Spec Road.

Other flowering plants bringing colour to the village are notably, Camellias, Azaleas, Hibiscus and the ever reliable Balsam (Impatiens).

Text by Colwyn Campbell