Farewell to Oz

At 4:30 a.m., the tropical summer night featured stars sprinkled among wispy clouds tinted orange by Townsville’s lights, bush stone-curlews wailing, spangled drongoes squeaking, and black flying fo...

Reflections on A Year in Australia

Damp, clinging Townsvillian heat swirled around my limbs as I ran one last Australian run in the brightening light before dawn. Paths within the Ross River Parkway lay wet and pasted with flowers and ...

From Townsville To Canberra

At 5:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning, my only companions on the Ross River Parkway were birds – peaceful doves, little corellas, rainbow lorikeets, mynas, stuttering white-gaped honeyeaters, shrill magp...

Bush Portraits III

At 5 a.m., daylight began tugging away at the blanket of darkness over Townsville, bringing with it clear skies and birdsong in an eclectic collection of voices that included  the sweetly husky tremo...