Does this sky remind you of the scales and markings of a fish known as mackerel?

These skies have been a frequent sight over the Channel Country in the last 2 weeks, and this cloud formation is an indicator of moisture in the lower atmosphere. This formation is a common sight in winter and there is an old rhyme that does "Mackerel sky, Mackerel Sky. Never long wet and never long dry".

The Mackerel clouds can lead to some amazing colours in the evening sky, and we have been privileged to see these wonderful sunsets most evenings of late.

The Red, Blue and Green Beckons!

The rich red dirt, vast blue skies and green vegetation of the Channel Country beckon. The Western Rivers Carer will be out and about over the next week having adventures. I promise to share lots of interesting insights and images once I return.

Overcast Days Bring Outstanding Sunsets!

Check out some of the fabulous sunsets we are experiencing in Western Queensland with these rolling bands of overcasts days. And tomorrow.......I will share with you my secret for truly enjoying the full sunset experience.

The High Water Mark - Even Higher!

Look up and be surprised! Next time you are out in our fabulous Western Queensland countryside, look for evidence of how how the water in the recent floods actually rose. High water marks are marked by small piles of flood debris made up of sticks, twigs, grass stalks and leaves.

Fat Cattle

There are lots of sleek and fat cattle contentedly meandering around the Western Queensland countryside. However, there are not as many cattle as usual to be seen grazing, as many property managers are yet to restock after a prolonged dry period. These cattle feed naturally on the pastures provided by nature,and truly are organic.

A Scrumptious Buffet

Check out the lush green herbage on the river and channel country at the moment. If you were a cow, this would be a scrumptious buffet.

Thanks for popping by.

The Boom Before the Bust

The Boom Before the Bust

Throughout the Channel Country of Western Queensland, there are thousands of temporary gullies, channels and braids filled with shallow water snaking their way across the landscape. Each of these miniature water ways supports a variety of insect life, amphibian life and fish. These creatures all form part of the food chain that explodes into action after a flood event.

If you look carefully at this photo, you will see schools of little fish. Sadly, these water ways will dry up within the next few weeks, and the insect and fish life will cease to exist. And that, my friends, is the bust part of the boom and bust cycle.

Thanks for visiting the blog of the Western Rivers Carer.

An Easter Tradition

An Easter Tradition

For many families in the Channel Country, 'going yabbying' is a holiday tradition. The many channels and gullies have an abundance of water in them this year, and the blue claw yabby catch was most rewarding.

Noogoora Burr

NOOGOORA BURR

With the fresh runs in all the river systems, there is a mightly fine crop of Noogoora Burr growing in Western Queensland. Noogoora burr is considered a weed, and is poisonous to livestock if eaten when a small plant. It can grow up to 2 metres tall, and recent weather has ensured that it will blossom to its full capacity.

Noogoora grows clusters of burrs which contain seeds. The burrs dry off to a brown colour, and have incredible sticking power. They cling remarkably to socks, clothing, wool, cattle, hair, machinery...........and also float rather well down the water ways. Hence, its spread alongside water ways.

It is a species that has adapted rather well to our boom and bust climate. Each burr contains two seeds. One seeds germinates in the first year of growth, and the second one remains dormant until the next good season. How amazing is that?

There are great clumps of Noogoora currently to be seen in Western Queensland......and most landholders aren't overly proud of their magnificent stands of Noogoora. It really is a weed and a pest.

Thylungra Waterhole

Check out the top photo of the magnificent Thylungra Waterhole in the Cooper's Creek catchment, between Quilpie and Windorah. This photo was taken on the 24th June. The Western Rivers Carer stopped by the waterhole on the 10th November, 2009 and took a photo from the same spot.

Our spectacular channel country waterholes rely on our monsoonal troughs to come through each year, to provide us with summer rain. The Australian monsoon season typically starts in late December, and ends in March, and it is known as the 'wet season' in Northern Australia. The strength of the monsoons can vary from year to year..............and it is this variable that determines the boom and bust cycles of the Channel Country rivers, and associated waterholes.

Here in Western Queensland, we greet the arrival of the equatorial trough that generates heavy rain with much enthusiasm. Could those full clouds in the second photo be an indicator of a great wet season for 2009/2010??? Thanks for stopping by to check out Thylungra Waterhole.