Now, This Is Golden Balls

Even Queensland has some grey mizzly days and today was one. Having set the alarm early so I could head up into the hills seeking a sunrise, I ended up having a coffee in Maleny at 6.30am instead.

Today's blip comes from the humble source of a supermarket car park. There was a raucous noise coming from this glorious golden tree, the Golden Penda Xanthostemon chrysanthus. There were maybe 20 or so Rainbow Lorikeets going crazy for nectar but they were clustered tantalisingly near the top of this 20 metre tree. As I approached a frantic buzzing from thousands of bees joined the screeching of the parrots.

The Golden Penda is a wild and endemic tree to Queensland though is also found cultivated in gardens and parks with a sub-tropical climate.