[12 June 06]
Mt Tambourine is a great place to visit, we've have been here many times in our childhood, but its been a few years now since we really got to know it, now we want to experience it in a more mature light. So we make a pact with each other to experience all it has to offer. Starting with Palm Grove.
It's as you can guess, a grove with many palms, it is almost entirely dominated by them. I've often though that with the addition of gunfire one might mistake themself for being in Vietnam, as the path winds to & frow through the maze of palms. At the beggining of one path the side consists of a cliff of boulders. The track has a few surprises though, like the spikey plants you encounter along parts of the track.
An impressively large Strangler Fig. [NOTE: The seed is deposited on a tree branch by a bird through its dropping, from (strangler fig) fruit it ate. The seed sprouts & the droppings provides its first nutrients, soon after which it embeds roots into the branch of the tree. Sucking out any nutrients it needs, this paralytic plant winds its roots down the trunk of its host until it reaches soil. Then, over many years, engulfs almost the entire tree & embeds firm roots into the soil, essentialy "strangling" it, by devoiding it of nutrients. The original tree dies, and what is left is a hollow root like tree towering over the forest. Amazing isn't it.]
And the oddities of nature that the keen eye notices.
Although there are no extra sights to behold along this track i still found it pretty good & of a reasonable length. Unfortunatly the end section of the track was closed when we went, better luck to you. And upon completion of the walk, one can go to Gallery Walk, the main strip of Mt Tambourine & enjoy a well deserved Devonshire Tea, yum.
