Walking the canopy

The rain had eased to a scud - what I think of as Irish drizzle - but the temperature was under 20C. Although there weren't many people around, the conditions were a joy. Just right for a walk out along the boardwalk followed by a sway through through the tree tops - more like tree middles, actually.
Each of the boards in the swing bridge has been sponsored,so that is the little white plaque.


Through historical accident, O'Reillys is privately owned land surrounded by National Park. Eleven Irish cousins from the Blue Mountains west of Sydney took up the Queensland government offer in 1911 to start up dairy farming in these here hills. That was not a goer, but catering for bush-walkers and nature lovers was.

The trees are festooned with elkhorns, staghorns and birds' nest ferns. There is a myriad variety of bush orchids along limbs of trees at all heights. Old-man lichen sprouts from permanently waterlogged branches. More on the fungus, birds and trees later in the week. Not to forget the waterfall.