Ratpack - Blackdown Tablelands - Livistona fulva

[elHoagie]

Excellent, can't wait for the pics (and the chilli...).

Col has just hit the road after a pleasant morning drive down to Mission Beach & Heinz , and Bingle Bay and Arenga australasica habitat ... also a quick stroll down the boardwalk in the Licuala National Park ,, a few fresh pics to show El Hoagie whats in store .. Col enjoyed my special road-kill chilli ,,,shhh don't tell him

[Walter John]

Blackdown Tablelands is one of the most botanical diverse localities in Australia, I read somewhere it has more species for its area than any other place in Oz.

We have been there several times and it's interesting to read that the access road is now sealed, a bit different from the bone jarring corregations of the old road.

I hope you were able to see some of the other botanical finds of the park including cycads, orchids and tree ferns.

Tyrone, there are more palms further to the west of Rocky, Livistona nitida are further west in the Carnarvon Gorge and Taroom areas.

Great photos,

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

We went searching for the elusive Macrozamia platyrachis cycad and failed to find one. What someone told us later though was that there are many to be found only 50 metres from where we stood at that walktrack lookout I posted pics of with Phil, Darren and Peter. Unlucky for us, Darren got over it eventually. We did notice many other plants, orchids and ferns etc. what a wonderful place. There were quite a few camping up the top too.

[Walter John]

why do you all look so cold except wal who's wearing an aloha shirt?

G'day Paul

Let me explain for the hell of it. All the guys live many klicks from where I live so they got up earlier to drive an hour or so to my place, hence the warm clothing, it was still winter on the day of this photo by the way. I on the other hand, had cooked some brekkie at the BBQ dressed in warm clothing too but then after the brekkie, being at my own home, I got to shower and dress again 5 minutes before we headed off, hence the ready for rocky attire.

Speaking of the BBQ on my "Jackson's Jungle" back deck:

Daybreak fellas, time to go the way that no man has gone before, a Ratpackin' to Rocky.

[Walter John]

This lizard has a story to tell, you can find out all about it in Palmpedia soon under the title "Riding with the Ratpack".

RIDING WITH THE RATPACK

"Whilst driving along in our ratpack filled Tarago van to the magnificent Blackdown Tablelands which had begun looming in front of us, our driver Mike (Newcal) saw a lizard in the middle of the road in front of us so we stopped and checked it out. I coincidentally had just started a mini film and captured the event. After we got out and observed the lizard, it suddenly ran at enormous speed under the van. As you can see we didn't find it again and we ended this film with one of my maniacal laughs. We travelled for another 15 minutes or so and began slowly winding up the tablelands road when we sighted our first Livistona fulva in habitat, man what a sight.We stopped for a second, some of us got out and thought we might back up further down the road for a better look at some other palms we missed. As we backed up what do we find ? the same lizard, he had hitched a ride all that way under the frame of the van and dropped off as we stopped. Amazing courage, stamina, toughness of this aussie lizard."

Riding with the ratpack

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi All

Sorry about the delay with the pictures , still away from home for another week, not easy to post

These are the pictures from the rock you saw me on, shows reddish new leaf and how high up the rock was

regards

colin

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Beautiful

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Lord Wal

Surveying his domain

[Walter John]

Hi Col, could you please resize your pics to 1024 x 764 ? That way I can save them with a better resolution to include in a DVD slide show.

Those pics from the hairy rock position are outstanding to say the least, well done.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Two more pictures from the rock

regards

colin

[LJG]

I think you guys are more serious about your PRAs down there.

[Kris]

wait,how can u fast forward 10 years & have a photo of it?

i am confused.you guys are on the wrong side of the planet!!!

p.s.why do you all look so cold except wal who's wearing an aloha shirt? its summertime!

Paul, Paul, Paul, Please sit down, take some more of your tablets and then stand on your head. Then you'll get the right perspective.

About Wal? What can I say???

You guys are terrefic & i love visiting our forum regularly.....

Love,

Kris.

[Walter John]

MIRANDA !!!

[ariscott]

Miranda????

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

Miranda????

Regards, Ari

Ask Scott he'll know.

[Daryl]

Looks like you guys were on a Picnic....

Picnic at Hanging Cycad...

Daryl

[Walter John]

Looks like you guys were on a Picnic....

Picnic at Hanging Cycad...

Daryl

We were only gone for 30 minutes Daz, we didn't locate the elusive platyrachis, but stumbled onto these instead, and there she was, Miranda herself, hiding under the umbrella all that time. Phil said we better not hang around and not to mention this to anyone, that's why I didn't say anything till now. Maybe it was a mirage, I knew we shouldn't have picked those mushrooms.

See what happens while waiting for the others to post their pics.

[Kris]

[Daryl]

Here's another photo I found of the ratpackers capturing the view from the top...

Daryl

[Daryl]

Here's one of the tallest individuals we saw. This palm had over 20 metres (65 feet) of clear trunk.

Some of them were growing in this rocky creek bed. Obviously they like the permanent moisture under the rock.

Daryl

[Walter John]

Seeing healthy young plants in the area is always a good sign for the ongoing conservation of this majestic Livistona.

[Daryl]

Shame about the Liv in that last photo..taken out by the tree...

[Walter John]

Here's one, there's one, here's another, they're everywhere, they're everywhere.

What a palm, what a place.

Pete doing what Pete does

[Daryl]

Here's one, there's one, here's another, they're everywhere, they're everywhere.

What a palm, what a place.

Wal, that really shows the Ratpack in action!

[newcal]

The whole tableland area is sandstone. Here is a nicely weathered boulder with a L.fulva for company.

Cheers Mike Green

Edited September 13, 2008 by newcal

[Walter John]

The whole tableland area is sandstone. Here is a nicely weathered boulder with a L.fulva for company.

Cheers Mike Green

Great pic Mike, I must have missed that, I can't recall that rock, very "miranda/picnic" though.

[Walter John]

Here we have evidence of fire. These fulva probably appreciate a good scorch.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

another with evidence of fire

regards

colin

[palmtreesforpleasure]

their silhouette is stunning when viewing them.

regards

Colin

[JasonD]

What species of Eucalypt is the very smooth, thin one in the pictures? I'm reminded of E. citriodora.

Just fantastic photos -- thank you!

Moving on along the road...we drive past the township of Dingo and turn left into the park. The surrounding plains are very dry and not exactly lush...

As we drive closer, the tablelands impress with their size.

Almost there...

Fortunately the main road into the park has been sealed with bitumen all the way to the top, making for easy driving. Half way to the top of the tablelands we rounded a corner and got our first glimpse of Livistona fulva...

That was just a little taster of what was to come a little further up the road...A lot of the palms were starting to flower.

The population increased and became much more impressive...

[Cycadcenter]

Just saw this topic appear again so I thought I'd add a few photos of one of our trips there back a few years ago.

Blackdown Tablelands from a distance

Bruce

[Cycadcenter]

And some more...........

[Cycadcenter]

And more.................

This is up on the tableland part and shows the Macrozamia platyrachis

More platyrachis

There are a few palms up on the tableland area of the park

Wonderful place to visit

Bruce

The Cycad Center

[Walter John]

I don't recall seeing your pics before Bruce, excellent. No harm in bumping up an old ratpack habitat thread I don't think.

[PALM MOD]

Testing 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Wal's post, immediately above, did not bump the thread. But this did. I'm guessing he might have posted during a critical part of the upgrade.

[Nigel]

Fulva in flower is a wonderous sight due to the familiarity of the colours in the landscape. All the colours seemed to match as if a hired professional decorator designed it so.

Under the crown

I hope you guys didnt let Wal take a chainsaw ,that flowering Livistona looks very messy dropping flowers everywhere......

[Walter John]

Fulva in flower is a wonderous sight due to the familiarity of the colours in the landscape. All the colours seemed to match as if a hired professional decorator designed it so.

Under the crown

I hope you guys didnt let Wal take a chainsaw ,that flowering Livistona looks very messy dropping flowers everywhere......

Nigel, Nigel, Nige, mate, maayyyte, come and sit down over here pal, here have a beer, you comfy ?..good, nice day for it hey ? Oh look at that, did you see that ? , what was that ? Was it a fox ? It couldn't have been it was flying.

[Nigel]

Nigel, Nigel, Nige, mate, maayyyte, come and sit down over here pal, here have a beer, you comfy ?..good, nice day for it hey ? Oh look at that, did you see that ? , what was that ? Was it a fox ? It couldn't have been it was flying.

Hahahaha ........ pleeeease gimmee a tinny Wal. Awwwwwww aint they cute

[Moose]

Wow - Wal thanks for the link from the Fulva Gold thread. Love the habitat and Rat Pack photos!