Townsville - Riverway

The Ross River drops down from the Hervey Range to the south and runs right through the heart of Townsville where it empties into the Coral Sea.  Unlike the Black River near our house sit, it actually has flowing water in it, despite the very dry season in which we find ourselves. Flow is controlled by the upstream Ross River Dam, which forms Ross Lake and provides the largest source of drinking water for the region. There are also some old weirs further downstream that date back to the first half of the last century. As we have seen in other parts of Australia, the city and state have done a good job of investing in recreational infrastructure using the areas along the river to provide a network of parks, bridges, community facilities and pathways for public use. As temporary members of the local public, we were happy to take advantage.

The Ross River


Turtles aplenty


Deborah sporting a homemade sling she fashioned from a shopping bag to support her sore shoulder.


Magpie Geese


Footbridge across the Ross River. As you can see, aquatic weeds are an issue here.

A children's playground by the river with a somewhat disconcerting sign at the gate. This may be why the playground was empty.


White Ibises perched riverside.


A paperbark eucalyptus tree stretching over the banks of the river.



Video of dragonfly swarm, part one (11 sec). I've never before seen such a thing.



Video of dragonfly swarm, part two (5 sec).





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