Afternoon amble

We particular hinterlanders who live within the Gold Coast City Council area, are well-endowed with parks and pleasant little walking tracks.  This is the secluded climbing pathway, just two blocks from my home, that has been built for walkers and horseriders.  It follows a gully and a (mostly dry) creek bed that runs between two ridges; the ridges all lined with homes built on steep bush blocks.

Taken on one of my walks with dusk approaching, here is the distant view of the highrise buildings at Surfers Paradise, just half an hour away.

I seldom meet anyone on the path when I like to walk, late in the afternoon, but I sometimes come across fresh horse manure after one of the pony clubbers has been by.  Often I think I should be taking along one of those doggy-doo bags and scoopers to collect it for my garden.  Not only would I have it for the compost, but it would save the proliferation of more foreign weeds along the path. 

The worst of these are the umbrella trees that have become a real nuisance in these parts.   (Which reminds me, we still haven't removed those very healthy specimens I mentioned some time ago - the ones that grace the border of natural bushland on our own block.)

I have made it my mission to yank out any I see that are still small enough to uproot.  Here's one that I left on the path yesterday for the horses to trample.

Comments

[Tjilpi]

Nice views. I remember when the Broadbeach Hotel was the tallest building on the Gold Coast!

I hadn't realized umbrella plants were feral exotics. We had stacks of them in the backyard in Maryborough. I thought they were native - just like my Blue Mallee!

[pablo]

That looks like a lovely trail!

[Tjilpi]

I thought I would throw in a random comment, along the lines of the Complimenting Commenter, to see if you wonderful blog is still alive.

[Jude]

Tj, you are right in that the Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla) is from the tropical north, but in the bush down here they are garden escapees. If you can cope with some feral apostropes there are some brief notes on them at: http://rainforest-australia.com/Umbrella_Tree.htm