Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

The buff-breasted paradise kingfisher, growing a new tail feather - possibly after losing one servicing a nest. ©2009ben

Tree hugger

Demure and unassuming. Stays deep in the forest and only seen on the fringes at dusk. Squats against trees like this to hunt bugs on the ground. ©2009ben

Mt Molloy copper refinery

Copper smelter ruins, Mt Molloy, named after Patrick Molloy who found the ore body nearby. ©2009ben

Purple bromiliad

©2009ben

Bromiliad

©2009ben

White and wet.

Another pure world. ©2009ben

Highland rainforest

Highland rainforest. So it's not just eucalypt forests that have a blue haze from plant oils. ©2009ben

Bottlebrush

Hardy, happy. ©2009ben

Pelicans

Great dignity. ©2009ben

Great Kepple Island

Great Kepple Island, near Rockhampton, South Queensland. ©2009ben

Sand castle

Excellent sand castle in the making, Main Beach, Noosa Heads. Candles in the alcoves at dusk complete the fairytale. ©2009ben

Kite surfing

Kite surfing at the mouth of Noosa River. ©2009ben

Watchtower

Fire watchtower on Mt Wolvi. ©2009ben

Cloud anomaly

Stratocumulus around a stratocirrus feature . . . all ice crystals. ©2009ben

A Rose

From the family rocaceae, the rose. ©2009ben

Ridges

Ridges with stratus cloud. ©2009ben

Ant

An ant's world . . . ©2009ben

Quandong

Blue Quondong (Elaeocarpus angustifolius). ©2009ben

Tobacco shed

Old tobacco drying shed at Mt Molloy. ©2009ben

Boreen Point

Boreen Point on Lake Cootharaba, one of several large lakes in the Noosa River catchment. ©2009ben

Peak Downs peaks

The Peak Downs area lies south-west of Mackay, behind the Great Dividing Range. A coal-mining and grazing region. ©2009ben

Carnarvon Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge creek, Central Queensland. ©2009ben

Noosa sunshine

Noosa sunshine. ©2009ben

Noosa sunset

Sunset, Main Beach, Noosa. ©2009ben

Rainforest creek

From rainforest ranges quite close to the Coral Sea, many creeks in Julatten flow south to the Mitchell River, then over 600 kilometres westward to the Gulf of Carpentaria. ©2009ben

Dam on Mitchell River

This dam on the Mitchell River covers most of what used to be Southedge (cattle) Station and is now known as Lake Southedge or Lake Mitchell. The planned city around it was never approved. ©2009ben

Sunrise

Sunrise approaches, the bird chorus well underway. ©2009ben

Yellow moth

One the numerous moth species at Julatten, north of the Atherton Tablelands. ©2009ben

Knolls, cloud and mist

Just behind the knolls lay the Coral Sea and clearer skies. ©2009ben

Staghorn / elkhorn fern

These epiphytes just turn up on trees. ©2009ben

Mossman Gorge

Mossman Gorge with cloud revealing some ridges not easily discerned otherwise. ©2009ben

Tiger Moth

All dressed up and ready for the bright lights. ©2009ben

Blushing new growth

Syzygium in the Myrtaceae family, of the ancient order of Myrtales ?? (Species unknown . . . any suggestions?) ©2009ben

Cycad

This cycad is hundreds of years old and has become a sizeable tree. It looks like dinosaur food, the species being more or less unchanged from that era. ©2009ben

Dragon

Here's a friendly fellow someone may identify soon. ©2009ben

Buff-breasted paradise kingfisher

This kingfisher comes down to North Queensland from New Guinea in summer to breed. I don't know whether they're all the same ones but several appear here every year, some old and some not so old. Julatten is a world-renowned birdwatcher zone, offers a range of birdwatcher accommodation and is much favoured by twitchers from all over. ©2009ben

Julatten views

Properties in Julatten (north-east Australia) have an elevation of around 400 to 500 metres and many have views of Black Mountain (Mount Garioch) and/or some rainforest. Many of the region's ranges are declared World Heritage conservation areas or National Parks. Port Douglas and the Daintree are nearby. ©2009ben

Ducks on Noosa River

Doggedly growing up on the (saltwater) Noosa River, delighting spectators and receiving plenty of junk food. ©2009ben

Sunshine Coast development

Here's a small sample of Sunshine Coast denizens, huddling cheek by jowl with unknown neighbours, in stupendously overpriced McMansions, on tiny plots of unstable beach sand, paying giant insurance premiums, awaiting the inevitable tidal surge or tsunami. They're also waiting, apparently in vain, for the provision of roads, hospitals and schools to catch up with the burgeoning populace.©2009ben

Julatten landmark

Like all the other Black Mountains in Australia, this one in Julatten (tropical North Queensland) is a local landmark . It's actually named Mt Garioch but not as far as the locals are concerned. ©2009ben

Lily

How's the busy bee? ©2009ben

Island in the stream

Between wet seasons, plants grow where they may. Rainbow fish, spangled perch and the odd gudgeon share the water with small, bright blue crayfish that have red claw tips and are predated upon by platypus. ©2009ben

Tropical House

The highland wet tropics rainforest will reclaim anywhere not actively managed. ©2009ben

Wildflower

Wildflower on the track between Mt Carbine and the McLeod River, Far North Queensland. ©2009ben

Chillagoe

Limestone caves with eucalypt and and kapok trees. ©2009ben

Low Isles on a glassy day

Low Isles near Port Douglas. ©2009ben

Sailing

Sailing off Port Douglas on a single day of fine weather, everyone enjoyed the glassy seas . . Lucky travellers on the Queen Victoria had a splendid day too. ©2009ben