Tripple pronged Cactus along the victoria highway

Submitted: Friday, Jan 05, 2018 at 07:31
ThreadID: 136055 Views:3186 Replies:3 FollowUps:8
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Explorers, many years ago, i recall travelling from Katherine to Broome along the Victoria hwy, and seeing cactus and rocks much thesame as from the old Roadrunner cartoons. My memory had them at Gregory National Park and Timber Creek.
A recent trip to Gregory NP via Top springs thenTimber Creek, and Kunnunurra failed to find any trace of the area.
Has anyone noticed this terrain whilst travelling the Victoria, and can point me in the right direction????
Regards
Andrew
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Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Friday, Jan 05, 2018 at 13:22

Friday, Jan 05, 2018 at 13:22
Cactus is not an Oz native plant. They all hail from the Americas.I hope the reason you are no longer seeing them is because someone has discovered a biologic control to get rid of the stuff.
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Reply By: Dean K3 - Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 10:46

Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 10:46
Your probably thinking of Prickly Pear which as mentioned previously is a introduced pest of national significance - along similar line as cane toad.

Recall seeing the bugger as a kid out leonora laverton way late 80's on our way to uluru kata juta via central road warburton etc.

Biological control was found from memory a little bug/beetle which did the job nicely without the issue of cane toads introduced in the 50-60's

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Follow Up By: equinox - Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 13:56

Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 13:56
You can eat them if you're really hungry - bit chewy

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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 20:07

Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 20:07
Actually, in a place called Hurricane in Utah USA, we stopped to buy icecream from the Trading Post - we chose the "prickly pear" flavour after the lady told us they made it there - and for sure there was cactus everywhere. It is simply divine - so if you ever get a chance, do try it.
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Follow Up By: Hoyks - Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 22:36

Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 22:36
Cactoblastis Moth is the one that got stuck into the Pear.

I drove the inland route from NSW to Townsville back in '86 and the paddocks looked like forests of pear, so thick there was no way you could walk through it, let alone put stock in there.
5 years later I did the same drive and couldn't believe the impact the bugs had had on the Prickly Pear, a few isolated bushes where there had been impenetrable thicket.

Certainly a win for the Ag Department.
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Follow Up By: Candace S. - Tuesday, Jan 09, 2018 at 17:37

Tuesday, Jan 09, 2018 at 17:37
Speaking of Utah, Michelle... I remember reading your wonderful blog about your Southwest trip. What happened to it? Hopefully it is still up and I'm simply overlooking it. I have visited all the same places so it was fun to read about your experiences. :)

As for cactus in Oz... I'll try to avoid importing any when I visit! :) And just as important, avoid taking home the beetle or bug that likes to eat it!!
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Tuesday, Jan 09, 2018 at 19:56

Tuesday, Jan 09, 2018 at 19:56
Thanks Candice - oh dear for some reason they have changed status and are now hidden.... not just that trip but heaps of our old blogs. I will have to investigate this and get them back up - thanks for letting me know!
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Tuesday, Jan 09, 2018 at 20:14

Tuesday, Jan 09, 2018 at 20:14
Candice we have fixed the problem with our missing blogs so here is the link to that day in Utah the day before our Zion National Park visit when we had to travel to a town to Hurricane and passed through a crazy town callled "Virgin" whose main feature was a crazy-looking Trading Post with odd buildings and prickly pear cactus out the front -
here is the blog for that day -
https://www.exploroz.com/Members/82.875/9/2011/Bryce_Canyon_National_Park.aspx

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Follow Up By: Candace S. - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2018 at 11:32

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2018 at 11:32
Thanks, and I'm sure others will enjoy seeing them as well!

I'm familiar with Virgin and Springdale, though I don't recall ever actually stopping in them, so you are ahead of me there. :)

I see you, like me, learned the hard way: When you book hotels via those "third-party" sites, call the hotel directly to verify they actually have the reservation! Sometimes the information doesn't reach the hotel, for some reason.

Oh, and I am also a big fan of Trip Advisor. :)
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Reply By: Member - silkwood - Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 19:54

Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 19:54
I think you may be referring to the Saguaro Cactus? Most have been eradicated as they can become a pest. Not as invasive as prickly pear though (you can eat the fruit from both plants- though I've never tried the Saguaro).

http://lemerg.com/798105.html


Incidentally, wine and distillate made from Saguaro liquid was (is?) a very popular drink amongst the native Americans! Goes to show- the only weird community is one which doesn't use drugs!
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Follow Up By: Member - DOZER - Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 20:10

Saturday, Jan 06, 2018 at 20:10
I think you hit the nail on the head Silkwood. They are not there now, so they must have been removed. It was just the same as Mexico buttressed rock country with the cactus and all. ??
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