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Loop Road Upgrade Completed

The upgrade work to the retaining wall at the Loop Road at Paluma has been completed. Over a period of two weeks, Contractors for Townsville City Council were very busy erecting a new steel and concrete retaining wall along the road margins. The completion of this work sees a big improvement to the overall appearance and aesthetics of the Loop Road and the access to McClelland’s Lookout. The new wall also enhances the safety, road drainage and maintenance issues for this area.

Jamie Oliver (PDCA President) commented recently “in discussions with our local Councillor, Margie Ryder, this was highlighted as a top priority for action by the PDCA over the last couple of years. Many thanks to Margie, who championed this issue and was able to source funding for it from the $600 million Works for Queensland (W4Q) program that supports regional Councils to undertake job-creating maintenance and minor infrastructure projects”.

LOOP ROAD UPGRADE

The Loop Road at Paluma is finally getting a face lift.

Anyone who has visited McClellands’s Lookout and the various walking tracks via the Loop Road in recent years will have noticed that the margins of the roadway were looking very much the worse for wear.  The old wooden sleeper retaining walls along the roadway were mostly collapsed, termite infested and dilapidated. Old sleepers, soil and vegetation were strewn along the roadside and not only was this very unsightly, but the drainage of stormwater from the roadway was impeded during heavy rainfall.

The work being undertaken at the Loop Road includes the installation of a new retaining wall made from steel posts, concreted into the ground along a concrete base and drainage channel. A permanent retaining wall of concrete ‘sleepers’ is being erected between the steel posts. 

This appears to be a great solution to what has been one of Paluma’s less attractive spots and an ongoing maintenance problem. The new retaining wall will be a termite proof, permanent and attractive solution, at the same time managing drainage and water flow from the roadway. 

Contractors for Townsville City Council are undertaking the upgrade works and be aware that the northern end of the road is closed to vehicles during this work. The main car park and walking track to McClelland’s Lookout remain open.

Some views of the new retaining wall under construction are shown below.

Bush Dance & Paluma Market

There are two upcoming events at Paluma to mark in the calendar for the month of June………..!

The Wattle ‘n’ Gum Bush Band invite everyone to attend their annual Bush Dance at the Paluma Community Hall on Saturday 29th June at 7.30 PM. Details are provided in the flyer below.

After dancing the night away, you can then catch up on your shopping at the Paluma Sunday Market on Sunday 30th June between 9 AM to 1 PM. Celebrate the end of the financial year with a sausage or two at the PDCA Sausage Sizzle.

We are looking for new stall holders for the Paluma Sunday Market so if you have some goods to sell please contact Lynn Hyland at email address: lynnhyland@optusnet.com.au

See you there!

Another Day In Paradise….

An early morning walk to Mc Clellands’s Lookout at Paluma is always a treat, but especially so at this time of the year. With the humidity and cloudy skies of summer and the wet season now gone, the early mornings are crisp and clear, without a cloud in the sky.

For the first time this year, the temperature dipped to single digits on Sunday morning (12 May) with a cool 9 degrees in the village.  Gone is the heat-haze of summer, so that the view from the Lookout is particularly special. So clear is the view of the coast and offshore islands that you can clearly see their outline and you can even identify each individual island – especially with the assistance of the interpretive signage from the Lookout’s best vantage point.   

There is no better place at Paluma village to sit and contemplate the view, whilst thawing out and soaking up the warmth of the sun’s early morning rays. On Sunday morning the visit to the Lookout was enhanced by the sound of dingoes calling from somewhere downslope, deep within the rainforest. With the cool clear air, the eerie sound of their calls seemed to carry for miles. 

A cup of lemon myrtle tea and a slice of mandarin and almond cake at the Rainforest Inn topped off a rather delightful early morning stroll.

Just another day in the paradise we know as Paluma.

Len Cook Ceramics is OPEN

Len Cook would like to advise that the new Gallery is OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

Len Cook Ceramics (formerly known as Paluma Pottery) is located at 29 Lennox Crescent, off Mount Spec Road. You can’t miss the sign on the corner of Lennox Crescent.

The Gallery will be OPEN on a regular basis over the coming months, with the usual business hours of 10 AM to 4 PM.

Count the Lorikeets!

During this long weekend, the birds at our feeder have become more and more numerous, with Satin Bowerbirds making their first appearance for the year, and Catbirds sneaking in at dawn and dusk. But it is the Rainbow Lorikeets that have dominated the show. Since we first put up our feeder in 1996, I have recorded the same 10 species coming in for a feed (see list below). The species composition may vary at other feeders depending on the food offered (we consistently use dates, softened and mashed up in water). Originally, Lorikeets were almost never at our feeder, but since cyclone Yasi the Rainbow Lorikeets are often a dominant visitor, with the occasional Scaley-breasted Lorikeet thrown into the mix

Yesterday morning and this morning the Rainbow Lorikeets came in numbers I have never seen before. I suspect the entire population of the village was at or around my feeder. The picture below reminds me of the old competition one saw at fairs where you had to guess the number of jellybeans in a large glass jar. I reckon there are 24 in the first photo and 27 in the second (both images have been cropped to include the central mass of birds only). Any other estimates?

Click here to enlarge
Click here to enlarge

Here is my list of birds that I have recorded at my feeder (the last two I try to discourage). I would be interested to hear from other residents who could add to this list. Please also include what type of food you put out.

  • White-cheeked Honeyeater
  • Lewin’s Honeyeater
  • Macleay’s Honeyeater
  • Rainbow lorikeet
  • Scaley-breasted Lorikeet
  • Satin Bower bird
  • Spotted Catbird
  • Riflebird
  • Pied Currawong
  • Brush Turkey

Jamie Oliver

Council Decision on Boating on Paluma Dam

At its recent meeting, the Townsville City Council endorsed a recommendation from its officers that the opening of Lake Paluma to additional recreational/commercial opportunities will not be contemplated due to its low-key, nature based recreational activities and camping focus. This decision will ensure that the dam remains closed to motorised boating and other commercial activities. This is an excellent outcome. The PDCA has previously communicated to the TCC its strong opposition to any change in the use of the Dam. Margie Ryder, our local Councillor has made our views clear to the Council. We appreciate that her efforts on our behalf have helped to achieve this outcome.

A Colourful visitor to the garden

Among the colourful visitors to my garden recently was this beautiful female Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly, (Papilio  aegeus).  This species is also known as the Large Citrus Butterfly because of the preference of its larvae for feasting on citrus leaves.  The butterfly feeds on the nectar of plants, particularly lantana.  This one however was resting on a flower-laden choko vine. 

The Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly is found in Eastern Australia, ranging from Victoria to Cape York and into PNG.  Its usual habitat is lowland rainforest, dry eucalypt woodlands, orchards and suburban gardens so it is not common to see one here in Paluma.  The female lays eggs on the underside of leaves of host trees and the eggs hatch a week later.  The larvae are patterned in green, brown and a creamy colour and look remarkably like bird droppings: no doubt an excellent camouflage from potential predators.

The female with a wing span of about 105 to 110 mm is slightly larger and more colourful than the male but both attract attention when fluttering through the garden.  This butterfly is sometimes considered a pest because of its habit of feeding on citrus leaves in suburban gardens.

Text and photo by Colwyn Campbell