BLOG
CONTACT

Click for more >

handholds, wirris, vines, goolahgools & fungi

the wirri holes - native bee honey source

V.old wirri for honey extraction

wirri holes to access native bee honey

handholds Kraka

self pruning - cladoptosis ?

handholds 2 Kraka

handholds or resource holes? TB

wirri with stick for honey extraction

gugumadharraa vine in old scar

Parsonsia eucalyptophylla on whitewood

gargaloo - the black yam

old wirri scar perhaps

whitewood TinT in a wirri tree

wirri I reckon Tb

wirri or small coolamon?

wirri hole or small coolamon?

vines up a box tree

handhold scars ?

wirri hole for honey extraction

perfect wirri hole to access native bees nest

honey extract holes & lizard

wirri hole to source honey

v.old Parsonsia eucalyptophylla vines

gargaloo - gugumadharraa

possible faded axcut hand/toe holds

wirri eyes Keero

old wirri scars for honey access

handholds or sugarbag ?

old wirri hole Moonal

hand/toeholds for climbing

weird wirris or what ?

tiny wirri for honey access

vines galore Boonery

limb shedding or resource chasing or hand/toe holds?

internal vines Bimber 1

old vines in Bimber 2

vines in Bimber 3

self pruning ( cladoptosis )

lowdown wirri hole N

self pruning for drought?

old wirri hole Feedlot 2

old Wirri hole Feedlot 2

gugumadharraa/gaagulu

dead gargaloo vine Brig.

hand/toe holds WB

vines and scars WB

wirri or small coolie WB

hand/toe holds or what ?

faded hand/toe holds or grub search

Gugumadharraa yam

handhold axcuts ? WG

dunno what caused these holes

hand/toe holds WB

wirri hole & firestick N

sweet teardrop wirri HP

Wirri +honey/wax residue?

twisted old gargaloo

axe cuts for toe holds? WB

resource/toe holes ? WB

climbing scars ? Goori

multiple handholds ? G

hand/toe hold coolamons

donut scar - old wirri maybe ?

old wirri hole in Kraka

old wirri in Warrambool

fallen sugarbag/handholds

big wirri or small coolie

old sugarbag tree M

wirri hole Merrywinebah

handholds & strange bark

hand/toe holds in Goorie

wirri holes/woodgrain TB

RT handholds suspended

BR hand/foot holds

nepine vines on rosewood

climbing scars? Goorie

wirri scar Wallangilla

wirri hole Wallangilla

wirri hole for honey or small coolamon

NB wirri hole - native bees

vines on Coolabah G

NB Nepine ( ngaybaan )

GY Gugumadharraa

wirri hole ( native bees ) N

Capparis lasiantha

native jasmine - old

old wirri hole - native bees

bush banana Marsdenia viridiflora

RT native bee wirri hole

G wirri scar close

RT hand/toe holds i think

RT naypan climber

RT bottomless wirri scar

RT old dead vines

G infinity wirri hole

G Naypan/Nepine climber

BH V.old wirri scar

BH hand/toe holds

G ngaybaan-Nepine vine

G ngaybaan vine on burn

fireplace tree with young vine

gargaloo vine at old camp

Nepine (Capparis lasiantha)

bush banana I think?

wait-a-while/ nepine vines

yam vines on boonery 2

Nepine-Capparis lasiantha

FW unknown climber- nepine?

Vines in Priest - the rainforest returns..

Marungle hand/toe holds

gaguulmadharraa - Parsonia eucalyptophylla

Vines in Stud at peach bush cluster

T Native jasmine vines

wait awhile vines on an old whitewood

old hand/toe holds Goorie

RT old native bee wirri

CS hand/foot hold scars maybe?

RT old dead gugumadharraa vines

RT distorted wirri with slot to drain honey

ngaybaan/ nepine

KW wirri hole (native bees)

handholds/ footholds in Cumbul

old nepine vine in Stud

Marsdenia viridiflora - bush banana (gaagulu)

aka Marsdenia or Leichardtia Australis

previously unknown vine - Parsonsia lanceolata CB

Parsonsia lanceolata vine close up

Parsonsia eucalyptophylla - poisonous yams

bush banana ( marsdenia viridiflora )

old nepine vine & scar

vines growing out of a coolabah

These indentations are caused by vines

Parsonsia eucalyptophylla found around old camps

Native or Desert jasmine - perfumed flowers

dead vines propably Nepine

nepine - Capparis lasiantha

gargaloo vines on a redgum at camp

McD unknown vine at billabong

gargaloo growing inside a boxtree

bush banana - Marsdenia viridiflora

native jasmine in box tree crotch

handholds or canker scars?

climbing scars?

gargaloo vines embedded in ironwood

Parsonsia eucalyptophylla in Acacia excelsa

Nepine vine getting ready for a bumper crop

nepine - capparis lasiantha

2 sided wirri hole - native bees nest

native jasmine/ Jasminum lineare vine growing in boxtree crotch

old gargaloo vine

native bee entrance/ exit s from hives aka wirri holes

old native jasmine vine in Avon

wild jasmine smelling divine atm

somebody climbed this ironwood making hand/ toe holds

.. with a stone axe. The higher they went the closer the cuts

Nepine vine growing out of a box tree scar T

Old dead Nepine in a clump with butter bush aka gumbie gumbie

native jasmine - graceful & fragrant - always around camps

wirri hole Tungra

wild jasmine aka desert jasmine

someone climbed this tree a long time ago

gargaloo old & new (Parsonsia eucalyptophylla)

gaagulu (Marsdenia viridiflora) - seedpods & tubers eaten

gugumadharraa - Parsonsia eucalyptophylla not edible

this is a Supplejack - starts out as a robust vine

this looks like a wirri - old native bee resource hole

gargaloo vine on old scar tree

very old Nepine aka Capparis lasiantha

Probably the oldest Nepine Ive ever seen

wirri hole - native bees

coolabah handholds in Warrambool

gaagulu vine aka bush banana ( Marsdenia viridiflora )

more gaagulu in the sanctuary & Cubby for perspective

gargaloo vine planted in a box tree at the well camp in Stud

a close up of the gargaloo/ box junction

old vines on blackbox down the Ginghet

hand & foot holds on a fallen box tree along the Ginghet

a different view of the hand/ foot holds

Desert or Native jasmine - camp scents

the biggest/ oldest nepine vine Jen & I have ever seen

here is the base of the nepine - like monstrous spider

very old native jasmine on a quinine tree T23

this jasmine vine has been strangling this quinine for a long time

this is a VinT (vine in tree) - native jasmine in box

we dont count these VinTs as TinTs but I suspect this 1 is cultural

old gargaloo up a dead pine tree in Avon

up up & away - hand/foot holds along the Ginghet

gaagulu - Marsdenia viridiflora was an important food.

gargaloo vine another campsite give away

wirri hole - native bees nest

Nepine thru Pine at the Marra ck paleochannel

the pine has been split so the nepine (Capparis lasiantha) can grow thru

wirri - native bee hole

gargaloo VinT (Vine in Tree)

this nepine vine is very old - my hat rests on the dead tree its growing on

wirri coolamon - native bees

Nepine in dead eucalypt - possibly planted there

old nepine vine Cumberdoon way

old gargaloo vine on a classic coolamon tree

wirrii hole for native bees

old wirrii hole - native bees dont get varroa mite - YAY

gargaloo vine growing around & thru the box tree like it was butter?

Supplejacks start out as vines & like a semi-arid zone strangler fig.

this stray branch has a blunt burnt end so its a pointer/ directional tree

native jasmine growing inside old boxtree. Note the stone axe cut epicormic shoots

I think these are old shallow hand/foot holds on this fallen log

this big old coolabah in Antigar has many different scars

but this one is a wirri hole - the entrance to a native bee hive

gargaloo vine in the sand slice

pine tree covered in native jasmine & smelling delicious

native jasmine in flower

gargaloo vine in an old scar on the neighbours sandslice

old gargaloo vine GNR

these are wirri holes where native bees live. Their honey was harvested regularly

gnarly old fella with wirri hole & closed coolamon - dot'n'dash

rosewood & supplejack entwined - supplejack has a vine habit initially

Nepine on box - very old

Gargaloo vine makes a comeback 6 years after it disappeared

Marsdenia viridiflora vine aka gaagulu - edible pods & tubers

Old nepine growing on leopardwood near the GNR

VinT (Vines in Trees) - gargaloo in box at Stud camp

another old gargaloo VinT (Parsonsia eucalyptophylla) Stud camp

VinT on coolamon scartreee at Stud camp - why so many VinTs?

This vine is Parsonsia lanceolata _ thankyou Sandra Winsor for the ID

GG - Ive only seen it once at Gingie but its since died off - will be back I suspect

Amyema quandang I think

the only Myall Ive every seen sporting a Lysiana subfalcata mistletoe

I reckon it was grafted on & glued there - mistletoe bird didnt do this!

banana mistletoe - flowering & fruiting

I ate all these mistletoe berries while mustering - bush tucker is good

looks like nepine but isnt - narrow leaf bumble tree

this gargaloo vine has been planted in this boxtree - patch of VinTs in Stud

gargaloo on wilga perhaps?

nepine vine growing thru an old rosewood - ring creation

ringtree creation 101; thread vine thru tree, wait 50 years or more

Marsdenia viridiflora (bush banana) on leopardwood tree

bush banana - edible pod visible also has edible tubers (giban)

nepine vine growing up thru dead whitewood - protection

Whitewood Water Wells (WWWs) are often this bent shape

WWW in Merrywinebone - classic removal of 1 trunk type

still water retaining 4 weeks after last rainfall - probably not in summer

Will be putting all WWWs in this archive from now on ..

Gingie rd songline WWW - I need to plot these WWW asap

water may drain in from the front & back of this songline WWW

still holding water 1 month after rain like all these WWWs

this WWW has more branches than usual?

whatever the design features this whitewood is still holding water

this WWW is more like Ive come to expect

1 trunk has been removed and the tree tilts slightly

Theres water in them there whitewoods - who'd have thunk it?

classic WWW - this whitewood holds the most water

there's a lip for drinking out of as well - found along the songline too I think

these wells need cleaning out .. any volunteers?

this WWW also has a prototype branch ring

the water is harder to access - might have closed over time?

this songline WWW is a better design but its dying unfortunately

will still hold water for awhile until it eventually rots away

you can often see a brownish stain on the WWWs

still brackish water in this one but the whitewood is closing up

sometimes there are more than one drainage holes

and sometimes you can still see the old axe marks on the trunk

some WWWs have separate water inlets & access points

some also have prototype rings and water wells

some WWWs are low down on the trunk

possibly not only for human usage? Game traps?

some low WWWs look also look like a ringtree

from the reverse side - is this deliberate or branch tear?

like the TinTs - guess i will have to work this out myself too

This WWW has charcoal inside not water ??

Did they light a small fire inside to seal the well?

Will anyone help test this charcoal? I expect deafening silence ..

WWW but I cant remember where I saw this one

still holding water 5 weeks after rain - useful!

I think this WWW is along the Gingie rd songline

also think I can see internal stone axe marks but didnt have my specs

there is the water in the well 5 weeks after rain - important 4 travellers

WWW of separate inlet & outlet design in Shed paddock

this gali - birraa is holding water 2 days after 25 ml

more typical inward drainage design same area

plenty of water in this one but its only just rained & its cold

another inward draining style WWW - same place

deep water storage in this gali-birraa (whitewood water well)

these single small hole types dont hold much water

possibly used to lure prey but expect they would dry out quickly

another small hole small capacity WWW - enlarged over time perhaps?

the water would rot the soft heartwood & the 'well' could be enhanced?

wirri hole with nepine vine growing out of it. How did they do that?

another low wirri hole - native bees nest

dead vine in burnt out scar - possibly gargaloo?

Parsonsia lanceolata- anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial

nepine growing in box crotch - cultural plantings GG camp

this box trunk has fallen/ broken but I think these used to be hand/footholds

Im going to try & get some seed off this Parsonsia lanceolata

when an old tree falls the hangers-oners go with it prob. nepine

Jasminum lineare twinning around the leopardwood/ whitewood 'kiss'

or even held together with a vine like the wild/ desert jasmine

2 different www's both dry but I think they used to hold water

whitewood water wells - holding water 3 weeks after rain

this one is still holding water as well ... Boonery

This one is holding water 3 weeks after rain

so is this one - Indig arboreal engineering

dual WWWs - both holding water 3 weeks after rain

this is the www on the left after 3 dry weeks

here is the well on the right - side by side gali birraa

this goolahgool is dry - I think they needed maintenance?

some WWWs have a overflow water stain on the trunk

these twin WWWs are dead & empty but I think they used to hold water

modified belah trees can also hold water!

another empty gali birraa - no maintenance

this nepine? vine is so old that the whitewood scar has closed over it

wild jasmine VinT - guest or naturally occurring?

a close up view - talking about vines & bushes in trees next blog

native jasmine VinT in chainsaw cut hollow box - who when why?

this Gali birraa is still holding water in that bent trunk

another name for the Gali birraa is "Goolahgool" Thanks Sandra Winsor

from Katie Langloh Parker - 'Australian Legendary Tales' & 'The Euahlayi Tribe'

the Goolahgool were box or iron bark according to Langloh Parker

here they are nearly always whitewood with a rare bimblebox & belah

I think this is bush banana/ native potato vine - 2 views of a rare VinT

QLD VinT (Nepine/ngaybaan/ Capparis lasiantha) in Bimble box/ Poplar box

this vine in tree at the sanctuary looks like wild jasmine

but the leaves are slightly different - does anyone know?

this threesome is very old - box, rosewood & nepine

possibly the old box used to contain both the rosewood & nepine vine

nepine vine aka ngaybaan aka Capparis lasiantha

2 views of a WWW aka gali-birraa aka goolahgool

another one - with long suffering perspective kelpie called 'Cubby'

this old box has been dead awhile but it still houses a vine

looks like a peach bush but too few leaves to call

this old scartree also houses a vine - nepine aka Capparis lasiantha

we call this 'wait-awhile' because the spines grab your clothes

this nepine is also living in a hollow box - the jury is still out on VinTs

this might be a dead vine inside this old box tree scar

this supplejack (juvenile form) has grown up inside the scarred box

not a VinT as it grows from the ground not inside the box tree GG

this www or goolahgool is flowering is heart out too

wild jasmine in full flower & smelling divine

gargaloo vines at Marungle swamp - like an orchard

whitewood tree trough

some sort of box tree well or trough - experimental goolahgool?

wailwun wilga in blackbox TinT with Fomes fomentarius fungi

this fungi is a powerful medicinal used around the world - google it

this Fomes formentaris fungus has died & dropped off the TinT

the FF fungus seems to be dying on this wilga in blackbox TinT

here is another wailwun wilga in black box TinT with FF implants

<5 ks away from the other FF implanted TinT - what are the chances?

they used Fomes formentarius implants on Kamilaroi country too

originally placed all around the scar, many have died now

For decorative purposes or were the people telling a story on a tree?

you can see from a distance there were 2 similar scars

this reminds me of the story of the 7 sisters & the scar is the moon

dreamtime stories created on the trees - wot U fink?

I love FF fungi so much I have spent hours bringing them over from the WofW archive

Formes formentarius aka horseshoe or tinder fungus

it grown on many species - shown here on a needlewood

sometimes the FF has different colours

this is the most common fungus & I think its Trametes coccinea

Ive been told at a Narran lakes open day, it was used as a teething rusk

here it is breaking down a fallen ironbark branch

I dunno what this fungus is called but it has a very hard top

this one is softer but not like any toadstool I have seen before

this one is hard as well - possibly Ileodictyon gracile?

this one looks like discarded orange peel - think its still alive

here it is again on a fencepost - likes dead timber

possibly Phaeolus schweinitzii ?

Its years since Ive seen this fungus & I have no idea what it is

Sandra Winsor alerted me to this little fungus found around old wailwun camps

this waterfall effect fungus maybe a Mycena variety?

here it is again breaking down a dead tree

this may not be a fungus as its very hard? resembles female genitalia

this is a puffball fungus possibly Scleroderma sp.

these fungi are hand sized - I wish Id brought them home to preserve

Hexagonia vesparia - top side

Hexagonia vesparia bottom side aka honeycomb fungus

location, location, location - this FF is a camp fungus

these are too - worlds 1st Mycologists?

FF found with the Tyrolean Iceman (5,000-year-old body preserved in the Swiss Alps)

It’s thought the Iceman used the tinder fungus to start fire

what were the Kamilaroi cousins doing with Fomes fomentarius?

whitewood water well or goolahgool collects insects as well as rain

Sandra finds Fomes fomentarius in belah trees at Ginghet reserve

patch of belar at the old tennis courts have healthy Tinder fungus

4 species host F.fomentarius - bimblebox, blackbox, needlewood & belar

this is the bimblebox Tinder fungus Sandra saw last year at Ginghet reserve

the guest has died on this G.R TinT & so has the Tinder fungus

this is the hole where the Tinder fungus used to live below the dead guest

here is a close up - dead F.fomentarius always leaves black marks

this is the hole left by dead F.fomentarius on a belar tree

this is the fungus that is now growing on that same tree above the scar

here is a close up - is this fungus related to the Tinder fungus?

the reason I ask is because this fungus is also found on a BBB ringtree

this ringtree also shows the dark marks from F.fomentarius

& if you look closely also the flat brown fungus found on the TinT

I have collected some fallen Tinder fungus from this wilga in box TinT

I think it has fallen out of the black hole you can see here

I will send this & 2 other F.fomentarius samples to 'fungimap'

very old nepine vine at BBB bridge camp

I think these shallow axe cuts maybe old hand/ foot holds GG

water holding whitewood aka goolahgool showing water staining

this hole was left by the fungus Fomes fomentarius

this is another 'shelf' fungus but not Fomes fomentarius

I dont know the name of these awesome ground dwelling fungi

but they look like something from a sci-fi movie in miniature

another funny fungus for you ...

Its rubbery to touch with dusty pink gills

in this collage you can see the fresh young fungi & 2 older ones

Parsonsia eucalyptophylla - always associated with camps even if poisonous?

more conks that may be Phellinus robusta not Fomes fomentarius

Their favorite tree seems to be the needlewood - Hakea leucoptera

this fungus is less extravagant but also associated with TinTs

fungi gone mad - must be the season

fungi oozing through decaying log

thick old gargaloo vine in Stud paddock swamp

2 views of a nepine vine BBB rd - had some help I think

wirri hole where native bees came & went Gali gurranaar

here's another one - native bee honey was medicinal as well as yummy

classic whitewood/ birraa goolahgool - this "well tree" is still full

nepine vine inside an old box in the ridges - not ntural

No not dusty clay oven balls but puff ball fungus - awesome eh?

gargaloo - the tuber is said to be both poisonous & thirst quenching

wild jasmine can be found as a VinT at the camps

Ive sent this fungus to China for ID - long story

gargaloo climbing a wild lemon (Pstdrax oleifolius)

2 views of 2 very different fungi - only 1 has a name

same mystery fungus but dead

different shelf fungus this time

I sent some of this unnamed fungus to China recently

not this one thats living in the crotch of a full face double scar in the ridges

these are old fungus scars on this box tree here

this whitewood goolahgool has rotted out near the base

internal nepine vines - VinTs are not natural

fungi scars - caused by an as yet to be identified fungus

this VinT could be naturally occurring

but not this one ...

whereas this dead VinT could be either cultural or natural

fungi on box along the neighbour's Big warrambool camp

2 views of an old whitewood goolahgool that rotted out years ago

possibly not for holding water but some other purpose

different hard fungi species - no ID available in Australia

trough style goolahgool - for their dogs or for their prey?

these are the rainwater inlet holes that used to fill the 'trough'

Ive seen some weird fungi before but this one is extremely odd

fallen trunk with wirri hole - native bees

2 views of a whitewood goolahgool in Wallangilla

should get test results for this fungus soon ... cant wait!

VinT nepine in box or coolabah in feedlot swamp

2 views of a rosewood goolahgool - water stained but shallow

2 views of a whitewood goolahgool - more capacity here

I dunno the name of this vine but its been at Number 1 for a long time

so has this Fomitiporia robusta fungus across the creek - very suss

native jasmine VinTs looking like pot plants

this is a seriously old vine grown for its lovely scent I think

here is the top jasmine totally filling the dead eucalypt tree

looking for something inside the whitewood or climbing it?

This is the first time Ive seen the Fulvifomes sp. fungus in a Guri tree

That makes 6 species the fungi grows in - 3 eucalypts + 3 scrub trees

It must be important to have these mods around it. There is no water here

TinTs & Fulvifomes fungus - the unknown connection

some goolahgools are also ringtrees in a masterclass of botanical engineering

2 views of the little ring & water mark inside this goolahgool

some goolahgools hold water in 2 trunks

& some goolahgools irrigate vines! Also keep the fruit away from the ants

tripod type whitewoods hold water when 1 trunk is removed

even with all the trunks intact they still funnel water inside

some goolahgools are home to lizards & birds

& some goolahgools have charcoal inside

& some goolahgools have limestone inside!

but mostly they are designed to hold water

this design is common & effective but dry now after months of no rain

this goolahgool design is the best rainwater collector I think

see how high up the watermark is?

of course, back in the day they would've been maintained not leaking

possibly not wise to put hand in to check for moisture ...

2 views of a goolahgool containing charcoal - cooking?

2 views of a nepine vine up a belah tree - VERY SUSS!

I think this goolahgool was created by removing tripod trunk?

not sure about these 2? need to go around after rain to see if they're holding

rough type of goolahgool - prototype perhaps?

inside & out of a deep goolahgool in Boonery paddock

old goolahgool in crop paddock

this goolahgool has also had a branch lopped to feed sheep

2 views of a whitewood water trough in Moorie.

goolahgools tend to rot out as the wet interior attracts whiteants

the teardrop inlet here leads to a narrow water storage - less evaporation

2 views of a goolahgool with 3 trunks for water collection

goolahgool prototype with stone axe cut branch removal

this goolahgool with prominent axe cut burls is long dead

another double entrance goolahgool with deep storage

whitewood goolahgool prototype oozing sap

this nepine vine is very old as you can see it wedged between the trunks

this one is even older & has been planted inside the belah I think

here is the top half of this belah with the nepine going way up

whitewood goolahgools in a patch of whitewood goolahgools

2 other goolahgools here - 1 old & 1 with water stain on crop edge

+ this one with indented drainage & possibly a wood plug?

I wonder if this whitewood trough still holds water?

most common design - from the worlds greatest botanical engineers

another goolaghool with ring easily seen from a distance

big old rotted out goolahgool collapsed at the base

goolahgool of limited capacity - needs maintenance

adjacent goolaghools no longer holding water

simple goolahgool in Boonery paddock

another goolahgool with a ring on the side

or a ringtree with a goolahgool on the side? Whatever you call it - this is the most advanced example of botanical engineering EVER

old goolahghool falling victim to borers & whiteants

Is this a less successful attempt at a ring & goolahgool combo?

classic goolahgool design - but how do you get the water out?

the bottom of the goolahgool may be reinforced?

or a hole at the bottom to irrigate the vines? Self irrigation - way to go

I think nepine vines can also burrow thru a soft barked host like leopardwood

another self-irrigating whitewood but no vines in sight

this one is covered in nepine thats strangling the tree

simple whitewood trough possibly uploaded before?

goolahgool for birds, reptiles or possums by hollowing out the tree?

water troughs to encourage game? Do they hold water?

this Fulvifomes fungus prefers needlewood

goolahgool after 9 ml of rain - looks like it would leak but doesnt

perfect goolahgool capturing-fixing-storing CO2 as CaCO3

2 views inside dry goolahgool - CaCO3 only on one side

2 views of highly modified goolahgool with axe cut burls

another 2 views of same tree with a mini-me in branch 'pocket'

this goolahgool is more of your classic water holding design

another 2 views of a typical goolahgool after 9 mls

goolahgool with ring & lichen patches - prob. holds water all over

ever see a stalactite inside a tree? me neither - 2 internal views

this goolahgool-ringtree holds water as you can see in these 2 views

2 views of another trough style goolahgool. Not big capacity

high goolahgool - full of CaCO3 I think by the look of the spill stain

another ringtree goolahgool holding water - surprise surprise

intake hole with modified drainage carve out

this old goolahgool is dying - when falls the CaCO3 will spill out

this style of goolahgool might be the most efficient -more run-off

old goolahgool beside old boredrain - only one holds water now

shallow goolahgool - possibly naturally occurring?

another ringtree holding water or a water holding tree with a ring

2 views of natural looking goolahgool starting to fix CaCO3

trough style goolahgool collecting water in Goorie

here it is with a group of goolahgools - called "goolahgai" perhaps?

here is another in that group starting to look 'chaulky' inside

another goolahgool here holding water but no visible CaCO3

another classic goolahgool, empty before the rain

goolahgool growing grass while it waits for rain

I reckon there would be plenty of white matter inside this one

this one has the central well design as does the one in the background

birds of a feather flock together - 2 adjacent "goolahgai"

separate inlet-outlet type of goolaghool - for the chalk?

this pic taken the day before the rain - would have water in it now

goolahgool with prototype ring - its the look that counts

pregnant looking goolahgool with chalky water stain

goolahgool with overflow and scrub cut branch for stock feed

unsung environmental heroes quietly fixing carbon west of Walgett

natural or cultural? Did they deliberately create chalk for body paint?

cultural I think - white ochre for pigment & traditional medicine

white ochre ceremonial body paint could have come from goolahgools

3-400 ks to the nearest quarry from here at Ashford or Wellington caves

Why not grow your own limestone inside whitewoods?

typical working order whitewood goolahgool but what was its purpose?

to provide water or to accumulate CaCO3 to mix into white clay?

we will probably never know - like the TinTs there will be no research

whether the purpose was water storage or CaCO3 accumulation

these whitewoods deserve research & recognition

the goolahgools would have been modified from a young age

mankind copies nature throughout history but these ancestors did it better ...

here in the landscape for some time yet - but I wont be here to show you

Where the bloody hell are you?

Nepine vine growing up thru old rosewood - opportunistic?

goolahgool with ring to tell you its holding water

As Ive said before - the smartest ancestors in the world

same again except this one has rotted out over time

no ring but the shape gives it away - leaking with age

2 goolahgools with the more typical design in foreground

the heavily modified goolahgool + inside view

2 views of the massive vines on Number 1 - native figs I presume?

2 views of old Nepine vine here - older I think

2 views of another strangely designed goolahgool

2 separate goolahgools of the more classic style

this simple design seems very effective even - before the recent rain

many goolahgools seem to have inlets & outlets to prevent the rotting?

this goolahgool has had a limb so sheep can eat the leaves in drought

2 unrelated 'gools'- the 1 on the left is a work in progress

whereas this one is old & deep & starting to decay

2 views of a classically simple 'gool' thats been pre-bent

2 similar goolahgools not far apart in Bottle camp

if this 'gool' was the result of branch tear the limb would be on the ground

a trio of goolahgools to save space in this archive

I will find out more about the weird & wonderful world

of goolahgools next week when I cough up $418 for the CaCO3 test

the ancestors who put rings on goolahgools had the answers

but they are not talking - or are we not listening?

but they sure had a quirky sense of humour

this one seems a bit over the top but it will hold water

2 views of a group of goolahgools in Avon - goolagai?

pot belly type made obvious by the water/ calcite stain

2 views of an old climbing fig vine by the creek at Number 1

after the rain in early June the goolahgools filled

this one has broken open but I think a possum is in residence

this drainage channel was carved into the trunk

same here but accompanied by branch removal I think

pair of goolahgools or goolahgai in Bottle camp

dog's eye view of bewitched goolahgai clump

bet this one is full of 'caliche' - 'calcrete' - 'calcium carbonate'

this one not so much as its a younger tree

still holding water I think - pic taken before the rain

think this is a ringtree-goolahgool combo but quite old

complex goolahgool with a branch dropped for sheep feed

some lovely Number one fungi to finish off this archive

not of great scientific significance, but interesting to me

these wood feeding fungi especially

the 1 on the right is similar to the fungi involved in TinT creation here

this crazy combo is also a goolahgool & a ringtree.

typical goolahgool with water after recent rain

nepine vine on & inside an old rosewood

2 views showing the nepine entering & emerging from the trunk

goolahgool with small ring to advertise the fact

nepine in & nepine out of whitewood - 2 views

goolahgool ringtree - but whats inside - water or kaolin?

water trap for large game - goolahgool trough

interesting style of goolahgool - obviously works

another goolahgool in the making - is that possum or cat poo?

cool goolahgool design - bet it works a treat

VinT in woman's place Avon west. Nepine in Rosewood

strange design for a goolahgool? Inlet & outlet on different trunks?

Copyright ©2026