We have been out with the walking group today and luckily the weather held off until after the walk and the barbeque which followed. We have had a thunder storm this afternoon though.
I didn't take any photos today as the stretch of waterfront paths we walked were local ones and I think I have photo'd out this stretch of the waterfront.
I took this photo a couple of days ago while on a walk not far from our house. This stretch of the waterfront has a 'cumbacci tree' in front of one of the properties.
A local chap collects soft toys which have been left on the beach and displays them on this tree stump. It has been here for a few years and there are always new toys being added.
He has also written the following story to go with the collection of toys and the story is written and pinned to the other side of the tree stump. It reads as follows:
THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE "CUMBACCI" TREE
Many people mistakenly think that this tree derives its name from the genus "bacci", a tree from which bark, infused by years of koala droppings, is striped from the tree, rolled and smoked.
In fact, the "Cumbacci" tree derives its name from the events of long ago when fires raged and developers cleared land in the local area for dubious reasons, such clearing caused panic in the birdlife, wildlife and greenie populations. Juvenile birds and animals were abandoned and left to fend for themselves. Greenies went off to faraway places causing havoc wherever they went.
A local tribesman took pity on a young bird which had not yet fledged. He took it into his hut and tendered to it and fed it. He gave it the name "tweet". After some time it seemed to the tribesman that the bird was old enough to begin fending for itself so he took it to the front of his hut. somewhat reluctantly, and with the encouragement of the tribesman, the bird flew away.
Sure as he was that the bird would return, the tribesman sought out a wonderful log and he hollowed it out so the bird would have a place to return to. He placed the hollow log in a tree and waited. He visited the tree every day and was heard calling "Cumback, cumback, cumback". He waited a long time for the bird to return but it did not.
Eventually he chopped the tree down with his handmade costco axe.
Another member of the tribe, noting his fellow tribesman's sorrow made up an effigy of a bird using feathers that he had gathered from the local area. He placed the hollowed log on the stump of the tree and he placed the bird that he had made in the log, hoping it would please his fellow tribesman.
Other members of the tribe made up other brightly coloured effigies and placed them around the tree stump in the hope that the colour might lead to the return of the "tweet". The local tribes people gathered in ceremony around or near the tree (usually most weekends around 5.00 pm) with local brew and delicacies, hoping that their offerings might bring about the bird's return. Late at night, when the tribes people returned to their huts you could still hear that tribesman calling "Cumback, cumback, cumback".
The "Cumbacci" tree was regularly visited by distant tribesmen (whom the locals referred to collectively as "sillybuggers") who took pictures of the tree on their tablets.
Sometimes even now, the voice of that tribesman can still be heard late at night yelling "Comeback, comeback, comeback" but he now seems to be saying "Comeback - my shout" which is probably the modern translation of the old language.
Mother nature had also tried to warn the tribesman that with the threat of the rising waters and the potential for food shortages, he should not have let the bird go in the first place. He should have eaten it.
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PS We have a lot of eccentrics living in our area, ha ha.
And the bird never came back....shame! Instead the tree is home to all these left toys...a nice follow in really. Thank you for telling us this lovel story. I reckon all the guys neighbours were very fond of him to go to all that trouble to try & persuade the bird to 'cumback'
