Back we are at last, to what seems always to be chosen as our final destination in Australia, O'Reilly's magical guesthouse in the subtropical mountain rainforest south of Brisbane, Queensland -- where bright parrots rollick through the trees, hoppy pademelons keep the grass cropped short, and in the evenings a crackling fire welcomes guests to the library, where sweet-smelling wood burns warmly and it is comfortable to sit in a deep leather chair and nod over a favorite mystery novel.

We love O'Reilly's, and were very glad to return for more rainforest adventures in this unique place of stunning birds, strange plants, and views beyond compare.

This is the only guest establishment where we have felt as if we were truly guests of the family. The food is to be spoken of with awe, and one can have a view of bowerbirds with breakfast. Parrots fly screeching overhead, and the satin bowerbird builds his strange and beautiful bowers along the paths at the edges of the rainforest. Species of birds live in these mountains, that are found no where else on earth -- and indeed, this is a kind of fairyland, where toadstools glow green in the dark, where possum eyes shine like rubies from the tree canopy, and where everything is protected. Above, a giant strangler fig pierces the sky. We love this mountain rainforest, and hope it lasts forever.

Bowerbirds are close relatives of birds of paradise. The Satin Bowerbird has the most beautiful blue eyes. He builds a beautiful bower of twigs and ornaments it with all things blue, and a few white ones, too: parrot feathers, blue berries, and now, bits of blue plastic -- and waits for a female to be attracted to the bower. If she enters, he will mate with her, and then Mrs. Satin will go off to make a nest and raise her young alone. Mr. Satin will spruce up his bower and wait for another lady to drop in. I had read about bowerbirds as a child, and am always thrilled beyond words to see them!

The Satin Bowerbird is not the only bowerbird in this forest. Very much in evidence is the Regent Bowerbird. Mr. Regent is perhaps the most beautiful bird I have ever seen. His colors are so bright that in nearly every photograph, the gold bleeds out into a halo because neither film nor chip can capture the extreme contrast. As a final mark of beauty, Mr. Regent sports a scarlet mark in the center of his forehead. Mrs. Regent is more sober, with brown feathers edged in black. Here they are eating honeydew melon from a feeding cup.

Parrots and tropical rainforests go together like coffee and cream, and this mountain rainforest and its parrots are no exception! We love parrots. The Crimson Rosella occurs here in numbers, and a few are bold enough to alight upon one's shoulder looking for a handout. The same holds true for the lovely King Parrot as well. I don't think I could ever become used to seeing parrots come down from the sky to land close by. It's as if the rainforest is decorating for Christmas!

Could you resist this face?

Here is the reason why the grasses at the rainforest edge is so short! The pademelons eat the grass down to the roots with their sharp little teeth. These miniature kangaroos can be seen in the mornings, finishing off their nights of grazing. Sometimes a little joey will jump into its mother's pouch before she hops away.

We stayed in a mountain villa, a most beautiful small home perched on the side of the mountain, looking across the valley at more rainforest. We shared the window seat, and often sat there reading, writing, or -- most likely -- looking out the window as we tried to identify some small bird perched in the trees outside! I always keep a journal on trips like this, and here I am at the table with a cup of tea, the bird guide, my notebook, and my journal, putting together the tale of that day's adventure.

The mountain rainforest is a great place to see ferns. Tree ferns are perhaps the most exotic fern of all, and the one I would most like to grow in my garden (fat chance!). Basket ferns, with their unusual undivided leaves, are common, and are often found high in rainforest trees. Look closely at the photo below and you will see a basket fern way high up.

A very modest goal for myself on this trip was to eat a Violet Crumble candy bar. This was an easy goal to reach! Why, I'll bet anyone could do it!

Below you see breakfast. We are having fruit and a big dish of oatmeal and sultanas. That is not an egg in the middle of my oatmeal and fresh cream. It is half a peach! After breakfast each day, we grabbed those binoculars and went out looking for whatever we happened to encounter in the forest.

Even the tiny birds of the mountain forest are spectacular, as you can see by this little Red-Browed Firetail that is part of a flock pecking at seeds spilled when we were feeding the wild parrots.

We love just walking around in this beautiful mountain forest. Everything is lovely and interesting: trees, vines, fungi, mosses, spiders, possums, birds -- everything! Our bird list for the past few days has such fascinating creatures as: Owlet Nightjar, Eastern Whip Bird, Grey Shrike Thrush, Wonga Pigeon, Yellow-throated Scrub Wren, Logrunner, Eastern Yellow Robin, Green Catbird, Shining Bronze Cuckoo -- oh, my, what experiences!

But all good things come to an end, so reluctantly we pack for our journey down the mountain and into the city of Brisbane. A night in Brisbane, a night in Sydney, and an extended plane ride -- and we are home at last, at our little place in the west, furry with Shelties, swept by dry desert winds. We see the gleam of copper that is our roof and sigh. We are home. But -- we will return to the land down under. We have enjoyed having you with us.