U3A Writing: Memories From The Coffee Table
Ilsa Erber is reminded of the familiar path to Tullawallal, a place of many trees, in Queensland's Lamington National Park.
The photograph in the coffee table book is of a path I have trodden many times ¾ the path to Tullawallal in Queensland’s Lamington National Park. ‘Tullawallal’ is an aboriginal word meaning ‘many trees’ and, as much of the park is covered in rainforest, there are indeed many trees. But those at Tullawallal are special.
The path in the photograph is covered in leaf litter, and I remember how soft it feels underfoot ¾ as soft as the most luxurious carpet. The track is bordered on the downhill side by low moss-covered rocks, while on the uphill side lush green ferns grow, ready to brush the legs of any passer-by. There is a bend in the track here, and tree ferns grow straight and tall, so tall that one cannot see the sky, and the only evidence of the sunshine above is the dappled shadows on the path.
It is at this point too that the first of the special trees of Tullawallal appears. It is an ancient Antarctic beech tree with moss and lichens clinging to its gnarled roots and branches. Studies of fossil pollen show that in prehistoric times these trees grew in the Antarctic when climates were milder than they are today. Nobody knows exactly how old these trees really are although many people tend to romance about their age.
At the end of the path there are some strategically placed rocks, and by climbing these one can sit among the wise old trees and dream. It is easy to feel yourself back in prehistoric times when these trees were just saplings. Perhaps there is a group of aborigines just beyond this clump of trees on a day visit to the area, for aborigines did not live at this altitude but down on the coastal plain where the climate is warmer.
There is abundant water not far from this spot, and small game is plentiful as are the nuts and seeds of the rainforest plants. A nearby cave would make a good shelter for a cooking fire. But at night when the temperature falls the aborigines will return to their shelters on the coastal plain, where it is warmer.
If you sit here quietly you can feel past inhabitants all around you, and to bring you back to the present you can hear the chirping of many small birds and the whip-like crack of the whip bird followed by its mate’s answering cheep. On a windy day you can hear the soughing of the wind in the trees, but here, deep in the rainforest, all is still and calm. This is truly a place for contemplation.
What memories this photograph has evoked for me!
