Sit Down With Sam

Hi readers

I have returned from a wonderful weekend away with Jakita at Paluma Ranges National Park and, I must say, what a beautiful spot.

From swimming in the creeks and waterholes to wandering the tracks and taking in the vistas, it made for a refreshing weekend of exploring a beautiful part of the country that’s essentially right on our doorstep.

We observed a wide variety of bird life with a highlight being sitting on the balcony of a quaint café in the village, eating shepherd’s pie and drinking sarsaparilla after a big hike and watching yellow-faced honeyeaters, new holland honeyeaters and green catbirds flit through the backyard – some of which I had never seen before.

Swimming under the bridge at Little Crystal Creek is a truly unique experience, and, after recent rain, the water was flowing with some mighty force.

The water at all swimming holes felt cool, fresh and clean and was especially refreshing after hiking the trails.

We enjoyed our stay at the Big Crystal Creek camping ground, with the creek a short walk away and the shade of the trees providing a relaxing homebase.

We made a point of taking in the stars each night and, boy, did they put on a show.

We made our way up to the Frosty Mango, those signs just too appealing for us to say no, before heading up to Jourama Falls to find that part of the national park, unfortunately, closed.

There was simply too much to cram into one weekend so I will certainly be returning to Paluma soon.

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