Flights of Magpie Geese have been seen flying into Townsville from the parched interior. One group of 17 was spotted heading for the Anderson Botanic Park with its abundant water supply.
A short distance away, the Giant of North Queensland Sustainability, Billy Bombax , his happy human face removed , limbs lopped , suffering from a fatal arboreal disease , has been fenced off , a strangely worded sign saying he is just asleep, awaiting maintenance . We understand he is going to be cut down and that the human face he once wore will be installed on another nearby tree. There is an interesting story here which the local media may pick up next year when Bombax ll rises Phoenix-like from the woodchip pile back into life. Meanwhile, asking reporter like questions about trees becoming diseased, dying and being cut down elsewhere, including Magnetic Island, is tipped to result in some real know your own patch journalism .
