20 August, 2008

Lake Sunset and Sweet Flowers

Liz, the lovely lady who runs Lake Eacham Tourist Park www.lakeeachamtouristpark.com sent me these beautiful pictures so I thought I would share them with you. The one above is of Mount Bartle Frere which at 1622 metres is our highest mountain around here. No that is not snow in the foreground even though it feels like winter has returned. These are the flowers of sugar cane.

Below is Liz's swimming pool. Actually as it is a national park she has to share it with the rest of us. Lake Eacham is a beautiful spot for a swim, walk or picnic. the bird watching there is pretty good too and with figs and quandongs coming into fruit it is just going to get better in the next month. Look out for Double-eyed Fig-Parrots near the toilets and above the chelid (turtle) viewing area. Bowerbirds and large pigeons will start feeding on the quandongs in the top picnic area soon. They are already feeding on the Polyscius elegans, Celerywood, in that area.

Lake Eacham is a volcanic crater filled with about 65 metres of rainwater. While it is not quite the classic maar, that is the best name for this type of volcano which produced little extruded matter. To the south of the lake the soils are mostly derived from the Hodgkenson formation metamorphics which underlie much of the Tablelands. Elsewhere the soils are derived from lava and volcanic scoria.

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