The botanic gardens at Mount Tamborine are one of my favourite places. Sitting on an old wool blanket, under a tree, Dave and the children feed our picnic sandwich crusts to eels. A thermos of tea. My Composition book, and a cool, beautiful day. Mountain weather.
We walked to Curtis Falls first, amidst the damp undergrowth, towering vine covered trees and the ring of a thousand cicadas. Just the walk, just the noticing, just the moss, beetles and gnarled roots would have been enough. Yet there at the end of the walk rises the waterfall. A wall face of rock, interrupted by the flow of water and defiant plant life. Ones eyes adjust to the shapes and tones beneath the water and begin to pick out an eel, another eel, a catfish. But no platypus. I'd love to see a platypus in the wild.
Exploring, laughing, relaxing. A beautiful way to spend a public holiday and the last day before the first day of school.
All the best to all the others parents out there whose little and big ones are starting or returning to school soon. Thinking especially of those whose little ones are starting school and those who are starting new chapters of their lives with the likes of high school or university.
