The clever mulun tree & the sand goanna's secret


This is mulun, the quandong tree, which flowers around October. This clever tree sends off a single branch of bright red leaves to attract passing birds to eat its fruit and disperse its seeds. It helps us on the ground to find the fruit too! The blue plums are very sweet, but it's best not to eat too many as they can cause constipation.

This is also when all the reptiles are mating and laying their eggs. The pictures below are of manuya, the sand goanna, who stands on his back legs when he's searching for a mate. This is the goanna after which Lizard Island was named, and we believe its fat helps to prevent arthritis. The best time to extract the oil is just before the wet season when they hibernate. This is when they are at their plumpest.

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