Basking in Nature

I recently had the opportunity to ‘get away’. Some people think I’m crazy when I tell them, but yes, I went camping by myself. No I didn’t get bored, I wasn’t scared and I wasn’t worried about the many things that could have gone wrong. It was 4 days and three nights of bliss.

I love my computer and the many wonderful things it can do, but no achievement by man has come close to the efforts of Mother Nature. She combines a million factors in balance and no where is the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth more apparent.

For some of you the perfect holiday may be sitting beside a pool on a deck chair ordering a few fancy drinks. And don’t get me wrong – that would be lovely too, but let me tell you quickly about the Bunya Mountains.

The Bunya Pine tree is huge. The pine cones are as big as a football and way 10kg / 22lbs. It’s wise to take notice of the signs that say, ‘Do Not Loiter between December and March’ because they will do serious damage.

And as I walked through the ever-changing foliage that a sub-tropical rainforest provides, I sat for lunch overlooking the pastures that ran to the horizon and read the back of the back of the National Park map. The Bunya Pine was a favorite food of the Dinosaurs!

As I sat in meditation that fact sank in. These trees had covered these lands for over two million years. Now when man first walked the earth is debatable – but to put it in perspective, we only started counting 2009 years ago. Just think what we have done to the earth in just 0.001% of the time that these trees have been here. But then I read further. The dinosaurs loved to munch on the Pine Cones, but the trees were here before them. Try… 20 million years before!

When the tectonic plate under Australia joined South East Asia, China and Russia, the Bunya Pine was one of the most prolific forms of foliage covering the Earth. For 20 million years they stood tall and proud – helping to create the balanced environment we enjoy today. Then the dinosaurs came and went, and then man came…

The Bunya Mountains National Park in South East Queensland, Australia, is the last refuge of this amazing tree. As the early settlers made inroads into the new frontier… (Australia was discovered by the English in 1788 – though Native Aboriginals had lived here for over 40,000 years in relative harmony with nature) …The Bunya Pine was an excellent source of quality timber. Entire forests were flattened in the name of progress, and sheep and cattle were left to graze where mighty rainforests once stood. With reckless abandon and no thought of preservation, the landscape and wildlife habitat was decimated. The only concerns of the times were the basics of having shelter and food.

On my third day I did a 22 km walk. The trail transversed and scouted a plateau. The vegetation was continually changing to suit the conditions of the available light and moisture. I would duck my head under a branch and look up to a new forest. It was continually amazing… Until I rounded one bend to the unfiltered bright light above. The trail popped out of the damp, lush forest, into a baron sun-burnt paddock. My heart sank. A little tear glistened in the corner of my eye.

What had we done! How could a paddock with a hand full of cows be more important than a thriving rainforest!? I looked to the horizon and realized that at one stage not long ago, the rainforest would have stretched farther than I could see. The Bunya Pines, which had been prolific for 22 million years, were now just a few scarce specimens clinging to the top of a rocky outcrop.

nearly at Meditation Paradise

My meditations were indeed insightful on my vacation. Some gave thoughts of the perspective of existence and the fragility of our planet. I thought a lot about time… comparing 20 million years to my lifetime (not even a breath). But with 4 days without disturbance or chore, gave me the opportunity to look deep within. Sometimes I meditated to connect with the energy of nature, and then to ponder the marvel of live, human development, and of course, to clear my mind. It was an amazing experience I had to share with you.

On the way back home I stopped at a community run museum. It housed antiques and equipment from yesteryear. I met a 90 year old lady who was just a toddler in the photos on the wall. Her father was a pioneer. I could tell how proud she was of his efforts. It gave me the opposite perspective of what had happened to the forest. The early settlers were ingenuitive and determined, resourceful and skilled. They created lives for themselves and futures for the generations to follow.

Environmental conservation did not get a mention when discussing the quest for survival in a wilderness. I love nature, but also love human passion. I actually drove past the museum, and was prompted to go back. I didn’t know why at the time, but that stop over gave me a different perspective on my recent meditations and revelations, and was a balance that was needed for me to find peace within. Let’s live for today and tomorrow, having learnt from the past.

The Bunya Mountains will be in my heart forever. It was a magical spot that gave me an amazing experience. If you would like to contribute to the community, leave a short note below telling us about a place in the world that has changed your life.

All the Best, Nigel.

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