THE WEIRD CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING TREE.

Plus a four poster bed  and levitating  fence  palings

 

Like  a drunken Leaning Tower of  Pisa , missing  tree  found  in bush  



This  story is  true-only  the   medication of  the writer  has been  changed  to protect  his  sanity. That   Magnetic Island  is  part  of resurgent  Cowboy  Country is evident ... in  more ways  than  one , as  this   strange  yarn  explains .   It  started  when  a   large  piece of  excavating   equipment   roared  out   of  a  bush area  and   headed  up  Compass Crescent  ,  Nelly  Bay . Soon  after ,  it  reappeared , carrying  in  its  bucket  what  at  first glance  could  have been   mistaken  as  the  giant  Christmas  tree  which  towers over the  ice rink   at  the  Rockefeller  Centre in  New York .

 Not coniferous  in   shape like the  Big Apple tree  ,  with a  ball  of  roots  , and   wide  branch  spread   , there  was   a   bang  in  a  living room  where  residents  were  watching TV  ,  as  it   tore  down a  power line ,  hit  shrubs   in  gardens.  Neighbours   yelled , somebody  was  heard  to  shout  call  the police . The    machine  stopped   momentarily  as  its load   hammered  a   frangipani  tree   and    jockeyed  to  clear  a  parked   car.  The  bucket  was  raised  higher , threatening another  power  line .

The  driver reversed  into  a vacant allotment  where   large numbers of Curlews  cavort , struck some trees  with the  load ,  slipped   into   forward  drive  and    disappeared  up  a  bush track , used  as   a  fire break ,  belting trees along   the  way.  The  machine, bucket resting on  the  ground , was tracked to  a  nearby  industrial  site  where  there was no  sign  of life.    The   large   tree  had    mysteriously   disappeared, despite   a visual scan   of  the  front and  back of  the  premises . 

A  police officer  subsequently   reported  that  no  trace of  the alleged  driver of  the   machine or  the tree  could  be  found .  Strange.  Alien  abduction ?    However,  in   the  best  traditions  of   Hercule Poirot and  Miss Marple, a   team  of  bloodhounds  investigated   the  bush track .  A  spot  where  there  were  numerous pieces of  small  branches   and  a circular  pattern  of   the  machine’s   tread   drew  attention .   Lo and  behold –there was the tree ... vertical ...as  if   it  was  growing  naturally .   Evident   were  numerous fresh    marks  on   the    branches where   bark   had  been scraped  off  and  broken branch  edges.

The tree, next  to  the  track , had a lean on it  and  could  hurt somebody  if  it  fell  or was  blown over .The  police  officer was  notified , arrived on  the scene  some hours later , and  took  photographs.  He  said  he would alert  the  Townsville Council and  have  it  removed.

 Over  following   days  the story  became curiouser and curiouser.   The  tree  was   found to have  either  been  pushed or  fell  over , away  from  the track .  Another  inspection ,  and  the  tree  had  vanished ... But wait a minute , there it was on  the  other  side of  the track , dumped in what is thought to be  the  National Park , at a time when  the Queensland  government on TV is warning  about the  looming  expected  bad  fire season and the  need to  reduce fuel  loads on  properties   and  about  houses .  And   recently the joys  of  National Parks were  celebrated on the island  and  elsewhere  in  the state . Chuck  another  tree  on  the  Island’s  National  Park  barbie ,  mate . Sorry  about  that Hoges .

Another  inspection of  the site  and  the  tree  had  vanished yet again - leaving behind a  trail of  ripped or knocked over other  trees, logs  on  the   track ,  several green   pandanus    nut   bunches ,  palings on a   boundary  fence knocked  to the ground    in   what  looked   like  a  wild storm  had  ripped  through  the  area.

While  this  writer was walking along the track taking photos it was discovered that the palings that were on the ground had  somehow  jumped  up  and were  leaning  against  the  fence . Spooky  things  happen  on  Magnetic island .  Then  a  utility  in which there was  a  young couple,  a  dog in the back ,  drove up. They  were  warned  about logs and  other  debris  along  the track;   at one stage  the  driver  got  out  and  removed  a  log.

Later on , the  ute drew up  close and  it  was  noticed  that there were  long   pieces of    old   bush  timber  in the tray.  Were  they  gathering   firewood?  I stupidly asked, trying to be  funny . No – the girl  said she had  always wanted a  four poster  bed  and they are  so expensive  to  buy !!! They  would  make their own .  True .  Later in the day what could have been  the phantom   machine  was sighted going up  the track.An  inspection later revealed that the track appeared to  have been scraped from the original  tree dumping  site  way along the path, exposing  broken roots  from  trees. 

Contact was made  with Councillor Vern Veitch  of   the TCC  , who knew nought about  the matter,  but arranged for  the Senior Media  Officer  and   horsetrack  caller, Tony “ Chopper” Wode ,  to send me an   email, which proved  to be  information  already  known . There  was  no  answer  to specific   questions .  Like  who shifted the tree into the National Park  area  and  later  used  it like  a kind of  battering  ram  along   the  track  when  it was   finally  removed .

 

Scraped trees , leaning fence , litter along the track.

 

On  the first day of  the saga ,  Ergon  arrived  with  a  small truck ;  later  a much larger vehicle  with a   work  tower  joined in. Ergon's examination report stated the mains had  been  ripped  from the point of attachment, the box broken . The owner of the house which had its  wires  ripped  out  had to call a private electrician   to  declare  the  reconnected  domestic  system  safe  to  use as  it is not  the  responsibility of  Ergon . He was presented with a  bill   for  $506  and  aint  sounding   like a  happy, singing  Canadian lumberjack.  We will keep you posted  should the TLC  brigade  and  others  provide   further  information. Disclosure of interest: This writer is a card carrying member of the Cowboys  Leagues Club.