Not far from the old locomotive I featured a little while back, there is a pretty little park. A walking path leads you by the creek that runs through part of it, feeding a small waterfall and pond. The trees are thick and lush, in season the ginger bushes are full of blossoms, attracting bees and nectar eating birds. There is a playground for the youngsters and undercover facilities for a BBQ or picnic lunch.
The pond used to be the swimming pool for the town, and one elderly man I spoke to remembered having swimming lessons there.
Recently, the pond had become choked with weeds, and the platypus family that could be spotted from time to time, and the turtles, apparently had left to travel downstream to a place where they could survive.
About a month ago, there was a flurry of activity, with the pond drained, then heavy equipment was brought in to clean away all the sludge, and to shore the sides with large boulders.
The outlet valve at the far end of the pond was then closed, and it began to fill once more.
It is a treat to see the waterfall running again, and to admire the reflections of the tall gum trees in the water.
Yesterday, there seemed to be an unusually large group of people at the pond, pointing at something, chatting excitedly and laughing. What was happening?
I grabbed my camera and ran down, and found out the cause of their amazement. Who would have thought we’d ever see this on Platypus Pond?
(Thanks, Grock!)
Hello World 
Gosh. Someone must have been reading our mail, Yvonne! How amazing ~ gondola aside, I’m glad they’ve rejuvenated that pond and hope the platypus love it. Maybe the turtles will even return!
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I hope the platypus family returns! (That’s my sneaky way of not having to decide how to make ‘platypus’ a plural word.) I’ve sent you an e-mail to explain the appearance of Antonio the gondolier. đŸ™‚
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