About Glasshouse Mountains

 The Glass House Mountains are a group of eleven hills that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The highest hill is Mount Beerwah at 556 meters above sea level, but the most identifiable of all the hills is Mount Tibrogargan which from some directions appears to be a face staring out to sea. Mt Ngungun is a sub volcanic mountain. This means Mount Ngungun is a sub volcanic rock also known as a Hypabyssal Rock. It is an intrusive rock that is emplaced at medium to shallow depths within the crust, and has intermediate grain size and often Porphyritic texture between that of Volcanic and Plutonic rocks. Mount Ngungun and the Glass House Mountains are located near Beerburrum State Forest and Old Gympie Road. From Brisbane, follow the Bruce Highway north, take the Glass House Mountains tourist drive turn-off and follow the signs to the Glass House Mountains. The trip is about one hour and eleven minutes from Brisbane. The Volcanic peaks of the Glass House Mountains rise dramatically from the surrounding Sunshine Coast landscape. They were formed by intrusive plugs, remnants of volcanic activity that occurred 25-27 million years ago. Molten rock filled small vents or intruded as bodies beneath the surface and solidified into land rocks. Millions of years of erosion have removed the surrounding exteriors of volcanic cores and softer sandstone rocks.

We can actually see some of these peaks/plugs from the house we are minding.

Snow in Queensland

December 2016

This is the cuplrite - Miss Macey, an 8mth old Labradoodle. Looks like butter would not melt in her mouth - hahahahaha

No just dacron from a fancy bed cushion. The only door the homeowners had not closed when they left to head to the airport on Dec 12th was their bedroom door and you guessed it the naughty Miss Macey had been having fun - I was not impressed. And as if that was not enough in all the excitment of us arriving she peed all over the lounge room tiles. So not only did I have to clean up dog pee, but then had to vac up the bloody dacron. Guess who got a smacked backside and put outside. After Brian left I finally finished cleaning and unpacking around 4.30pm, I was buggered.

 

And then a few days later she attacked one of the little dogs bed - grrrrrrrrrrr

And still it goes on next was her own bed - arghhhhhhhhhhh

And lastly my new jandals, thankfully she never chewed right through the thong, Brian was able to use Araldite to fix it, so far it's holding - BITCH

And off to Glasshouse Mountains

Took Chris across to start the Glasshouse Mountains house sit, arrived around 1.45pm to numerous barking noises!!!!!!! when we eventually got inside (long story will tell in a post ) what met us was dacron stuffing all through the main bedroom and lounge. The naughty Macy had been busy chewing up a fancy pillow off the main bed. Yep she is a chewer, she is very naughty,full on like a tornado we think she is around a year old, she is a labradoodle. The two smaller dogs were fine just making alot of noise. After we had unloaded the car and had lunch I made my way back to Buderim the son there is taking over from me on Monday 19th.

Below photo is the naughty Macy 

 

 Below photo from left to right "Lord Nelson in the green bed and Miss Mindy in the cream one

Peppy Possum

Managed to get some great shots of the possum the other night before Chris left.

 

 

 

While Out Walking

I came across a few of my favourites the ever so beautiful Frangipani, the smell of the cream/yellow one is stunning it reminds me of our few trips we have made to Rarotonga, the pink one has an ever so faint smell. The good old Black Eyed Susan is flowering well with the warm weather.

 

Royal Poinciana

If asked to name a single tree that's helped shape the character of Brisbane, it would be the magnificent poinciana Delonix regia. In years gone by it was traditionally planted as a street tree and now enhances a lot of the city’s older suburbs.

The poinciana is native to Madagascar, and in Brisbane the bright orange flowers herald the coming of summer. They also signal the start of the storm season.
 They can grow up to 10 metres, but mostly only reach between 3 to 5 metres. However, their spreading growth habit, which can be up to 10 metres, means the poinciana is not a tree for a small yard.

 

Illawarra-Flame-Tree

Redheads Rule!

Growing along side the Red Cedar and also thriving in lowland rainforest habitat is the Illawarra Flame tree.
The flame tree is adapted to the warm, moist rainforest environment but in dry years or after frosts, it may drop its leaves.
A few months after the jettisoning of the leaves, the tree fulfills the promise of its name, producing masses of bell-shaped vivid scarlet flowers. As the name suggests, it grows in the wild from the Illawarra area of southern coastal New South Wales north into Queensland.
 These trees support and feed a wide range of native animals.

 

Crazy Miss Daisy

She may be old however she can still frolick around when she wants to, its such a touch life

Misc Photos

A few plants, flowers, birds and possum.

These first three are Allamanda's

The white one below is a Bleeding Heart plant

 

 

Chris moves out this week

And heads over to Glasshouse Mountains for 4 days on her own, until I arrive on the 19th. We are splitting for those few days as it enabled us to get both house sits, especially as we needed the Christmas/New Year one. We have been out a bit catching up with old friends and workmates as being at Buderim is very central for getting around. We caught up with some old neighbours from Sippy Downs - Sorbonne Close days, we met Judy and Andrew up at the Buderim Tavern for lunch (snrs $14.00 inc dessert we had pav), then Friday we caught up with Kezz from Fort Knox Storage days (she works in the office) she told us some horror stories from there seems we got out of there in the nick of time. Yesterday was Helen Waldrons birthday and we had afternoon tea here for her. So we have been a bit busy. Here's a couple of photos of the sunset from Friday night, as we are on an elevated section it was a great sight.

 

We Have Daily Visitors

Each night an Australian Brushtail Possum comes to feed on any scraps, these are the same as the NZ version, only here they are protected.

 

 

And also the Lorikeets and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos (your friends Arnie - Rory)

 

 

 

Buderim House and Grounds

Yep it's a large house on a small section so not alot of gardening to be done, all we have to do is the odd bit of watering, feed the dogs and wild birds//possums that come at night to the tree to feed (have not got any photos yet they take off when I go out) the little bit of lawn that needs to be cut and the pool is maintained by a pool company, so a very easy house sit. I leave on the 15th for Glasshouse Mountains and Brian come over on the 19th. The homeowners son and his fiance will take over from the 19th until his parents arrive home at the end of December. To have the dogs looked after in kennels was going to cost over $2,000 so cheaper to have us look after them.

 

 

 

 

Dave Waldrons BSA

Graeme/Terry you might be interested in this. David has restored this old BSA it is a 1931 model.