Drron takes on the DPRT aka he's off to Tassie again.

[drron]

The last of the Japanese section.
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[drron]

The wisteria walk.
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An interesting banksia.
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[mrs.dr.ron]

Continuing around the Japanese section

Everything has grown so much since we were there last time !

 

[drron]

Part of the American section.Dogwoods.
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And a lake .i spied something in the middle.
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Tasmanian platypi seem to be inquisitive.Once again this fellow came straight for me and did 2 swim pasts.
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It's burrow was here.he swam over and disappeared.
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[drron]

The tea rooms.

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lots of tadpoles.
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[drron]

A small finger of the lake is at one end and is quite shallow meaning a platypus here is easily seen even when under water.
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It swam to the far side then disappeared.I waited a few minutes then walked around that far side which was the path leading back to the tea rooms.I stopped to take a photo and the platypus reappeared literally at my feet.it did a couple of rolls before swimming off.
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[OATEK]

A small finger of the lake is at one end and is quite shallow meaning a platypus here is easily seen even when under water.
View attachment 232059.View attachment 232060.

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It swam to the far side then disappeared.I waited a few minutes then walked around that far side which was the path leading back to the tea rooms.I stopped to take a photo and the platypus reappeared literally at my feet.it did a couple of rolls before swimming off.
View attachment 232065.View attachment 232066.

So many encounters with the platypus that I did wonder at first if you had one in your back pack to float out at each pond/stream. But seriously, have never seen them so easy to spot before.

 

[drron]

I have found that Tasmanian platypi that are in water impoundments are very inquisitive and comfortable with human interaction.Those in streams though are more skittish and usually take off.Between 2007 and 2012 I spent a lot of time at the Mersey hospital.One house they put me up in had a very small creek running behind it.Often in the afternoon whilst sitting on the deck with a glass of wine you would see a platypus.But if you stood up even though a fair way from the creek it would disappear.

On the other hand I often went to the Warrawee reserve where they had 3 lakes-filled in quarries from the shale oil industry- and I am sure I formed a connection with one animal.It was well known for platypus sightings but I had not seen one in the first couple of years.One day I saw a platypus heading down the bank so with my camera ready I waited behind a small bush.nothing happened but after awhile I thought I was being watched.turned around and there it was with it's head resting on a fallen tree branch just watching me.

After that experience I used to go and sit on the bank of the smallest lake.Nearly always within 20 minutes a platypus would appear from the inlet or outlet,swim across to me and rest on the edge of the bank just looking at me.It was quite surreal.

 

[drron]

So time to leave the Garden.Certainly worth the visit.It was after 1300 and I was a little peckish.Checked out the tea rooms.The place is run by volunteers so the offerings were very limited with the most substantial offering a plate of hospital quality sand wiches.So I decided to head up the road to Annsleigh gardens who are meant to have a good cafe and maybe look around their gardens.But it was closed.

So as you leave another large dogwood.
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A powton tree plantation at the turnoff to Annsleigh Gardens.
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A magnificent rhododendron.
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I decided to go back to Burnie and have lunch at the Delish deli at Wivenhoe.No luck it was closed for a private function.Nearly 1400 so decided to go next door and eat at Fish on the Edge again but I decided to go Asian-now their chef is certainly not Asian so I was a little worried as I settled down at an outside table-a birthday party was just finishing up inside.not a bad view from the office.
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So I started with a rice paper roll.not too bad and as good as a lot of Vietnamese restaurants.
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For mains I had the seafood Laksa.It was very good.Nice spices and the fish was great especially the salmon.I will have this again.
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[drron]

After lunch it was off to the Fern Glade Reserve and an easy walk along the Emu river.You can often see a platypus here.But when I arrived it was the birds on show.
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And the native hen family with dad bringing up the rear to make sure I kept my distance.
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It's a pretty spot for a walk.
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I did see a platypus along this section but he was too quick for me.

 

[drron]

The track.
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But I did find an orchid.
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And a little bird has a snack.
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Then some more orchids.
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Time now to get back to my unit.

 

[drron]

So I am now in my last week of this contract.One thing I have enjoyed is doing a better job on oysters Kilpatrick.Now Woolworths down here do sell oysters and on 3 occasions have been on sale.Now IGA have oysters as well.The packing is the same but their oysters are smaller.They are from Cape Bruny oysters-not to be confused with Bruny Island oysters.The quality was good.
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So add bacon and a special sauce.
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I do them 6 at a time under the grill.This is the second batch this night.
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At home it is natural with some finger lime.

 

[drron]

Tuesday afternoon it was back to the orchid reserve.the caladenia are now abundant.
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A late greenhood.
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Sadly the specimens in bud are likely to flower in my 2 weeks off.
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Went on a different path and found another area that has been burnt.Sadly no orchids.
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[drron]

A nice fine afternoon for a bushwalk.I walked there about 11 years ago.I was on call but the phone towers are here and you are never far from the car.
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At what used to be the lookout there was this beast.

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When I was here before the tracks were very rough.now beautiful wide formed tracks.The council has done a lot of work here.The hills are crisscrossed with mountain bike tracks.Didn't see any riders though.
Also at this point there was a good view over Devonport.The trees in front had been felled but since then more trees have grown.
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[drron]

One of the bike tracks and the way back-down hill.
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At the car park there is an old quarry.The side walls.
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The area became a reserve in 1994.
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Went back through Devonport.A couple of nice buildings.
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[drron]

Today is my last day in Tassie and it is a public holiday - Recreation Day.I decided to go for a walk up the Mersey River in the Warrawee Reserve.This used to be one of the best places to see platypi but no longer.It was a beautiful morning with great reflections in the river.
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There was an old flying fox crossing the river here but now it is brand new with locked gates.Probably for a tourist operator.There is some evidence of the old one.
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Where the river levels are measured.
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[drron]

The old track along the river was a wide well made track.Now it is quite narrow.
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A part of the old track.
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The old platypus pond and a seat I used to sit on and wait for one to appear.
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Note the lack of an outflow,there is also no inflow.The pond is now fairly lifeless.

 

[drron]

The pond and the end of the track and road.
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Now a pedestrian bridge over the river.
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Across the river is where kayak runs finish apparently.
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You don't say!
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[drron]

The whole hillside is now a maze of mountain bike tracks.
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This used to be a beautiful picnic area with a toilet block,several shelters and BBqs.
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And now the old track on the other side of the platypus pond.
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Along here was a shelter and deck to view platypus.
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All that is left.
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And the tree I hid behind when I saw my first platypus here in 2007.It was a lot smaller then.
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[drron]

The smaller pond where I used to sit on the back and nearly always saw a platypus.no way that is happening now.
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Tall timbers.
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The opposite bank undermined by the 2016 flood.And the heron couldn't escape a photo.
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Mummy and daddy mallards.
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