Talk of the Town(sville).

I have been volunteering on projects around Townsville.  The volunteer accommodations are in a Queenslander house.  Such houses are raised up (usually by a full level) on stumps to allow for better air flow and cooling of the homes.  Townsville is the unofficial capital of Northern Queensland, as it has the largest population (~190,000).  One of the most noticeable features in town is Castle Hill.  At 286 meters high, it’s just shy of being labeled as a mountain.  You can drive to the top, but there are some hiking trails.  Lots of locals run or trek up the hill as their daily workout.  It’s actually pretty impressive; I’m going to try that run myself.  There is 360° viewing at the top, but here are a couple of shots looking toward the ocean.  The volunteer house (in North Ward) is in the first photo as it is 3 blocks from the Strand and the ocean.  You can see Magnetic Island in that photo and the city center in the second.

Fifty years ago, the “saint” appeared on Castle Hill.  It was originally painted as a prank by local university students.  The painter was lowered down from the top in a tire.  There is disagreement around town as to whether it represents art or graffiti or if it’s an Australian icon.  Regardless, it seems it is here to stay for awhile, as it is highlighted by spotlights in the evening.

One of the advantages of this volunteer work is that I have the opportunity to see and learn more about the local flora and fauna.  The tree-nesting green ants (check out their light green bottoms) build spherical nests in trees.  They weave the leaves together with silk produced by their larva.  They are highly protective of their home and will bite the unsuspecting volunteer.  If you were to kill the biting ant, the rest of the ants will attack.  Our team leader is highly amused when volunteers come running out of the woods, frantically removing their clothes in attempt to stop the ant bites. 

Yesterday, we ate our lunch at the top of Mount Stuart.  Up there, we saw the uniquely Australian grasstrees.  They are very slow growing but can reach heights up to 3 meters.  They have a lot of different traditional Aboriginal uses, including (perhaps most obviously) as a spear.  Grasstrees are protected by law, and you need a special license to grow and sell them. 

Oh, hi there, wallaby.