KONDALILLA FALLS CALLS...

An outing to Kondalilla Falls with family on Friday was enjoyable, if a little tiring and in the end very damp. We didn't see the main Falls as the track to the bottom is temporarily closed due to a rock fall.

These first two photos are the first of the smaller falls you come to as you follow the track. We've had a bit of rain so they're flowing well.

Some of the pretty flowers we saw along the way.

This dragonfly was so vibrant I had to take its photo.

Quite a few trees were down, whether due to inclement weather or purposefully cut I don't know.

Up, up, up to the clouds.

Moss and lichen cover most rocks.

Gorgeous views of the Obi Valley from the lookout.

Not as much fungus around as I'd thought there'd be.

This pool was entertaining several swimmers, including a topless female when we came back around.

Below the pool I believe this leads to the main falls we couldn't see, apparently 80m high. Of course, if one goes down, one has come back up!

Some handy railings along the sometimes narrow paths.

This little eastern waterdragon blocked our way up wanting his photo taken. I heard birds but didn't see any. Too high up.

It was a cloudy morning and the heavens opened just as we were about to head up to the carpark so had to wait undercover for a few minutes. We arrived at the Kondalilla Restaurant above the carpark quite bedraggled but staff were very helpful, bringing towels and insisting we were fine to dine.  Highly recommended and we'll return for more delicious, well-priced meals.

This leech almost ruined my day! It must have dropped down the back of my vest during the walk and had been feeding on me while we walked. I didn't feel it at all, even after I wondered why I had blood on the hand. We found it still on my vest which I'd taken off when we sat down. 

MARY CAIRNCROSS RESERVE VISIT...

Recently, I returned to Mary Cairncross Reserve very early in the morning with a friend. The idea being there'd be fewer people around to spoil shots. 

This is the view from the Cafe there where we had a much-needed coffee at the end of our visit. By then the light was better but not by much. It was very gloomy along the paths although I managed a few decent snaps of some of the wildlife. I promised myself I'd go back when the weather is sunnier. It's worth the visit.

A little juvenile scarlet honeyeater enjoying the pink evodia at the entrance to the Reserve. His head will be bright red when he matures.

These Wonga vines have a strong visual impact. Nature's sculpture. The vine below has had to be strapped up as it had fallen across the path.

One of the pathways showing various fig trees along the way.

I spotted this galah high up in a dead tree. It spotted me too.

This tiny critter is an antechinus of some sort.

These are brown gerygones and were a "first for me". Tiny little birds.

Another first was this russett-tailed thrush. Its camouflage is so good I was focussing on clumps of leaves at one stage instead of the bird. It certainly has picked up a good breakfast.

Of course, due to the nature of the rainforest and the recent wet weather, lots of fungus was spotted.

A little grey fantail was flitting around with several others.

We saw a few pademelons and initially thought this one was ill but when it heard noises would raise its head and then go back to sleep. Cute little things.

There was a shallow pond on the grounds full of dark tadpoles but these two caught our attention.

Rufous fantails are notoriously hard to photograph in low light because they rarely sit still but here we had a captive audience as they were sitting on a nest. I couldn't get a decent shot of one of the many yellow-throated scrubwrens, just too quick.  Next time!

SOMETIMES NATURE BUGS ME...

...in a good way.

This morning I visited Mary Cairncross Reserve, here in Maleny, for an insect photography workshop. As it turned out, because I don't use an SLR camera, some of what was discussed really didn't apply to me as I don't have interchangeable lenses etc. A lot of it was things I already knew (but often forget) or just common sense. After a bit of a lecture with slides we were let out into the field to see what we could find. Not a lot for a while but once we got going there was a lot more to be seen.

Love must've been in the air because this pair of Dainty Swallowtail butterflies were apparently courting and they weren't the last of the wildlife to be seen "getting it on"...

I thought this very colourful beetle should be called a rainbow beetle...

...but apparently it's a Spilophyra sumptuosa, a chrysomelid beetle, smaller than no index fingernail.  

This almost-as-colourful guy is an orange and blue narrow necked leaf beetle! The carapace was more iridescent than what I've managed to capture though.  

A pair of robber flies flagrantly flaunted their love. They had no shame, they would not be frightened off by a few humans clicking at them.

The fungi around because of the damp weather of late was too polite to run away so managed some half decent shots of them...

 Just all round fun guys...

    The tiny green spider was difficult to see against the green leaf.

Skinks have very sweet faces. This is a Murray skink and it looks like he's missing a bit of the tail. Didn't stop him running off...

Another amorous pair, this time reptiles. A pair of Southern Angle-headed dragons. 

Not sure which is which but the one on the ground wasn't moving much, whether it was embarrassed and hoped we'd ignore it or because it was sore. 

***

Not a bird seen (although many heard) during the 2 hours but I was most invigorated by my morning out with Nature.

LETTING IN THE LIGHT...

 More fungi, enjoying a bit of morning sun. No sign of the fairies though...

All these photos were taken at the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk park.

 Insect damage looks a little different with a bit of light shone on the subject doesn't it.  Mother Nature's lace... 

New foliage spotted in the undergrowth; a beautiful shade of pink thanks to the sunlight.

This new leaf got chomped by something so I thought photographing it from above might give a better perspective.

SWIMMING UPSTREAM...

I took this photo without realising there was an apparent struggle going on in the centre.  This tiny fungus seems to be swimming against the tide of moss doesn't it?

WHO SAID THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS FAIRIES??

Unfortunately, I didn't have my shutter speed set right so the fairies are a bit blurred.  They like the wet weather they said because the mushrooms give them shelter.

IT'S WET OUT THERE