Palms at Woodgate and nearby places

[Walter John]

Hello again from your recent Woodgate reporter. No, I haven't died, bad luck , I was there last week for 5 days and precisely 5 years ago I posted a thread on this town's palms, and funnily enough it is exactly 5 years on from 5 years ago.

Woodgate Beach is located 350 km north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (approx 4 hour drive) and is easily accessible by car via the Bruce Highway. The drive from Brisbane is easy and direct. It is 36km (25 minutes) from Childers on the Bruce Highway and 54km (40 minutes)from Bundaberg, a major central regional city, and home to the famous Bundy rum.

Having said that, let's go to the video, most of these palm pics are from homes along the esplanade, coconuts are prevalent in both dwarfish and taller forms, bizzies are happy here by the sea and Hyophorbes absolutely love the place. For further pics/info go to the Travel logs section of Palmtalk.

[Walter John]

Bring it on, you can imagine I was in heaven.

One for Kris

Blue on Blue

We would walk past this Livistona on our way to the hotel, dodging the roos on the way. Love the trunk colour. Many Livistonas were left alone like this guy.

[Walter John]

A wonderful moment from my ratpack style palm investigation/research/observation occurred along the esplanade when I noticed a variegated "Foxy Lady" palm in someones garden. Now most people were away so I didn't have anybody to ask about taking close up pics, but this day, as I got closer to this special hybrid, the home owner starts walking out on his balcony, I saw him in the corner of my eye and said in typical ratpack lingo "gedday, just taking a pic of your palm if that's alright" and he says to me in an american accent "do you know what that is ?", and I says "sure do mate, that's a lovely foxy lady palm". Next minute this guy, who I later met as Tom (former San Diego resident I might add), calls out to his partner with delight and says "quick, come here, this man says he knows what your palm is".

This will take ages, to cut a long story short, the owners had been looking for over two years, yes, two years , to find out what the palm was. They had sent photos etc to botanical gardens with the same answer, "I dunno". Along comes ratpacker researcher Wal and their long search is over and in their words, I had solved one of life's great mysteries. I told them it was a hybrid between Veitchia/Wodyeti etc.

Let's go to the footage,including proud owner and some of her palms in her garden as well.

Spotted

Hmm, looks like a foxy lady palm to me, why it sure is I was thinking.

Proud owner

more from her garden

nice chunky solitaire

Grandis looking grand

[Walter John]

Next, how do you like your Hyophorbes, dressed or undressed ?

back later today, off to Brissy to see some family...

[BS Man about Palms]

Good work, SuperWal!

[Cycadcenter]

Hi Wal,

Most of the Palms around Woodgate were supplied by a collector who used to have a place on the second street back from the beach, He traded palms with various growers around Brisbane including Stan Walkley from Plantation2000. I think his name was Rex but don't quote me on that.

He later moved to Childers and had a place near the Golf Course on the Left just after you cross the tram tracks. He had quite an collection of plants there, palms, bamboo cycads etc and was hybridising gerberas. He was VERY old and had trouble getting around when I met him a couple of years ago. Not too sure if he is still around.

Anyway, that's the story of the origins of the Woodgate palms.

Bruce

[Wanderanwills]

Good work Detective Wal, Woodgate does look very relaxing.

Regards

Stephen

[Daryl]

Those pacificas look great Wal....better than the foxies they're keeping company with. And good work on the Foxy Lady ID!

Woodgate looks like one of those little unspoiled towns that are so relaxing...makes me want to go away for a few days too!

Daryl

[aussiearoids]

George Rex was a real character , I met him many years ago at weekend markets in Childers .

I got my first foliage Anthurium from him , it was Anthurium podophyllum . He had a very wide range of interests . He used to organise bus trips to Brisbane for Orchid Shows or to visit large specialist nurseries or open gardens .

[Cycadcenter]

George Rex was a real character , I met him many years ago at weekend markets in Childers .

I got my first foliage Anthurium from him , it was Anthurium podophyllum . He had a very wide range of interests . He used to organise bus trips to Brisbane for Orchid Shows or to visit large specialist nurseries or open gardens .

Yes,

That's him, Got the Rex part right. Not too sure if he is still alive but I will check when I'm back there in a couple of weeks.

Bruce

[Peter Pacific]

Hi Wal, nice palms, looks like you had a good time. In post #4 you asked if you liked your Hyophorbe's dressed or undressed. I know it was rhetorical, but today I was in the garden and, since I haven't been to the city in four weeks, have been pruning every brown leaf I see and then some. This morning I had one helper clean my bottles! I probably wouldn't have done this if I was busy doing something else but it's done. What about it palm talkers? Hyophorbes...dressed or not? Peter

I loved seeing the Foxy Lady, mine died.

[Walter John]

Those pacificas look great Wal....better than the foxies they're keeping company with. And good work on the Foxy Lady ID!

Woodgate looks like one of those little unspoiled towns that are so relaxing...makes me want to go away for a few days too!

Daryl

You'd love it Daryl, winter's best, less people around, potential ratpack territory but more for the family to chill out. On that Foxy lady, I understand it was purchased within a group of Macarthur palms for just a few dollars each, what a score.

[newcal]

Nice pics Wal, i'll have to get up there soon and have a relaxing break .Cheers Mike Green (Newcal) ps is accomodation affordable?

[Walter John]

Next, how do you like your Hyophorbes, dressed or undressed ?

back later today, off to Brissy to see some family...

Okay, I posed this question for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I saw many wonderful Hyophorbes in Woodgate and nearby places where some were cleaned or half cleaned of old leaves, looking either dressed or naked, sometimes just topless. The area must have just the right climate, the right sandy soils etc. Secondly, I used to prefer to see H.lagencaulis (bottle palms) in particular, naked, cleaned of all old leaves and bases, but after seeing some of these fully clothed, right up to the neckline, I'm not so sure any more, let's go the pictures of these fantastic palms. This will make you go out and grab some Hyophorbes for sure, if you don't already have any.

So after seeing all the following posts, let us all know, like Peter, how you like your Hyophorbes to look

Let's begin in Woodgate itself.

I posted these guys 5 years ago, I asked the owner if I could take some close ups, he said "take as many photos as you like", there's two or three bottles amongst a large number of spindles.

[Walter John]

In closer at the abovementioned group.

I couldn't bring myself to touch it.

[Walter John]

One more in Woodgate, topless only.

Here's some on the Burnett Heads/Bundy road.

Look at this amazing line up, fully clothed. Next to a sugar cane plantation with some Caryota for company.

[Walter John]

One more for the Hyophorbe debate, a spindle in board shorts and a very tall model starkers. let's here your views, and remember, taking the old leaves off can be a pain in the you know what. Tomorrows post will be my "best in show" awards, stay tuned .

[Ntheastpalms]

Nice work Wal

Woodgate is a place I should visit next time I venture north. I reckon that the tall starkers spindle is the go.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Ntheastpalms

[Peter Pacific]

Hey, Wal, here's a couple of pics of the cleaned up Hyophorbes. The trunks go smoothe eventually anyway, I'm just helping a little. Peter

[paulgila]

wonderful pix,wal! great job on that ladys american accent,too!

[Peter Pacific]

One more...

[Walter John]

wonderful pix,wal! great job on that ladys american accent,too!

It was the man , you're just looking at the pictures again

[Walter John]

Palm awards from around the area.

Best Bismarkia planting goes to this wonderful triple in Mount Perry. Three in a row, fairly close yet maintains an awesome appearance.

Craziest planting goes to this Triangle planting in Woodgate which must block out the view of the Pacific ocean, what's doing there ?.

Best mix of palms and plants goes to this Woodgate resident.

[Walter John]

Best formal Royal palm planting was very hard to choose. I've gone for an outsider, this is the old court house in Gin Gin, now an arts and crafts centre.

This Acoelorrhaphe wrightii at The Bundaberg botanical gardens gets my bent/twisted trunk award.

Best crown, Liviston decora, in habitat, of course, yes I'm biased.

[hanapalms]

The Hyos are beautiful with or without!

[Walter John]

Lastly, the best on show, the grand award goes to this Cocos nucifera planting at this house (which is for sale) in Woodgate.

This is the beach side of the home.

[Walter John]

This is the beach in front, I want to buy this badly, you know, for the sake of the palms.

looking south

looking north

Please donate to this worthy cause, "Wal saves the palms", and I'll even live their to protect and maintain the palms every single day of the year, here, I have a trustworthy face, please donate, you won't regret it.

looking at you kid

bye from Woodgate, see you soon.

[BS Man about Palms]

Thats the face of a happy Wal..........

[Rafael]

WAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for those amazing visuals and words! And for all the serenity you inspire!

Maybe my donation to that cause is, not too late, to land overthere, with my kids, and to build my own place, if they like it!

[John in Andalucia]

Cool topic, Wal! I love all tourist board /rat-pack-style coverage. Thanks also, for all the sincerity and insanity you invoke. I wonder if the former owners of that beach property moved elsewhere? I just can't imagine them saying, "It's not what we expected".

[Walter John]

Nice pics Wal, i'll have to get up there soon and have a relaxing break .Cheers Mike Green (Newcal) ps is accomodation affordable?

Hi Mike, there's the Woodgate hotel/motel, a B and B and a camping ground. We stayed at the B&B 5 years ago, I highly recommend it, here's the link Woodgate B&B. We were fortunate enough to stay at a house owned by a work mate this time round. Unbelievably, the owners of the foxy lady palm happen to rent out rooms underneath, I don't know the prices but I can find out. That would be ideal, great people, right next door to the bowls club for an afternoon shandy, the owners love palms and have a foxy lady as reported, you walk across the road to the beach, they are visited by kangaroos in their yard, an ideal location.

Here's their backyard mini palm jungle where you can see through the palms (right centre) a bowler on the bowling green. I have their card and number by the way, we'll talk.

[Don]

I really want to move there. they surely need a good boat mechanic and my palm collection would grow tenfold

[Walter John]

But wait, there's more..

Here's some palms on either side of where we stayed.

Firstly this dwarf Cocos nucifera had fruit so low, a child could reach and pick the coconuts. I didn't have a child with me at the time, so I had to leave them on the tree.

On the other side there was a strip of natural bush including a half dozen or so Livistona in various stages of growth. This guy was opening a new leaf in a glorious bright lime green colour.

[Walter John]

Nice pics Wal, i'll have to get up there soon and have a relaxing break .Cheers Mike Green (Newcal) ps is accomodation affordable?

We stayed at the B&B 5 years ago, I highly recommend it, here's the link Woodgate B&B.

Here's some pics of palms at the abovementioned B&B. I went to see the owners, real nice folk, they weren't home so I did the usual ratpack research hit and run.

There's a couple of fine Carpentarias there, here's one of them.

And the pride of place is there gorgeous Bizzie which is slowly devouring the building.

[DoomsDave]

Wal!

Those are great Hyophorbes!

They barely survive here . . . .

[Walter John]

Wal!

Those are great Hyophorbes!

They barely survive here . . . .

Thanks Dave and I didn't realise that about Phorbys in Cali. Might be why nobody from yonder has cast an opinion on the clothing aspect.