Finally settled, the weather has also settled, and Spring has sprung again. Flowers are popping up everywhere, while other trees are budding, just raring to let themselves go. The trees we planted earlier are in leaf, the zucchini are working hard at growing up, Duchess is smoochy (or is it my love?) and the pool is eminently swimmable. Not a bad life, hey?
After more rain, rain and rain this morning, finally, the sun broke through the clouds above the valley - and for a few hours we basked in the warmth and brightness of timid spring sunshine. It didn´t last for long. As I write I´m sitting in my study, looking out over the valley. The vibrancy of the colour green at this time of year is incredible, very powerful. Cows saunter past on the track, seemingly on their way to nowhere. (Niki´s theory is: the cows are clambering frantically to higher pasture to get away from Flash Floods and secure a place on the Ark). More clouds promise more rain. In some parts of the state (but not here) it´s quite a daunting time of year, as photos in the regional Northern Star witness. A photo Niki took yesterday of Peaces Creek overflowing the causeway gives a good idea of the volume of water coursing through our immediate area. Skinner´s Creek in the valley below was overflowing its banks yesterday, but today the water has already gone down. Niki is still fervently (and touristic-ally) hoping that it will rain so much we´ll get cut off for a day.... On the upside (for those who favour natural disasters, such as, erm, Niki): we were without power for a day...
In the previous post I mentioned The Big Scrub. For those who´d like to know more about this, and especially for the benefit of Peter and Ann, Niki´s parents, who will be visiting us in about five weeks, a little bit more background to the natural environment here in the Northern Rivers.The Big Scrub was dominated by White Booyong (Heritiera trifiolata) and Australian Red Cedar (Toona australis). The latter was eagerly sought by the 'cedar getters' for its fine quality timber. The cedar getters were the first non-indigenous people to invade the Big Scrub area.
Later, the Government of New South Wales gave allotments to potential farmers on the basis that they cleared it of rainforest. Hence, most of the Big Scrub was cleared, and the surviving Bundjalung were placed into missions.
In the 20th century, interest in rainforest and conservation resulted in a greater effort to conserve the few remaining remnants of the Big Scrub. The major remnants are: the Big Scrub Flora Reserve, Victoria Park Nature Reserve, Davis Scrub, Boatharbour, and Hayter's Hill. These remnants have been subject to ecological restoration projects which involves the removal of invasive non-native weeds.
Big Scrub remnants have become a source of native foods for cropping, especially in recent years. These include the macadamia nut, riberry and Finger Lime. Macadamia nut is now grown commercially over much of the former Big Scrub area, but the main species used in cropping, Macadamia integrifolia, did not naturally occur in the Big Scrub.
(from: Wikipedia)
So ... back again on the red soil. And muddy soil, as it has been raining for about 4 weeks now and certainly ever since the day we got back (see the weather map). Miniature waterfalls are forming on the driveway, mud tracks appear wherever we walk or ride (the mower), feet squelch wherever we go. Good to be home, to be with Tess and Yarrow again and surrounded by the lush green of Northern Rivers hills; lovely to be here with my love. We went for a wet drive through the hills towards Mullumbimby today, a town a bit north of here - mist-drenched Big Scrub valleys, low clouds carrying more rain, green forests, fogged-up car windows.