This is a fishy story! - Jul 19, 2025
Dear gardening friends
This is a fishy story that must be told. We got up at 4am this morning and drove to Sydney Airport for a 6am departure. It was rush rush of course, and we just made it to security screening with minutes to spare.
One of our bags got stopped, they discovered we had a fishing reel, so what we asked? Well you can't take fishing reels in carry on luggage, why not we asked?
"You can take the reels, but not with fishing line on the spools." Really? "You'll have to take the fishing line off".
They couldn't tell us why, maybe they thought we might go fishing on the plane? But my son decided he was going to strip the line off, and he couldn't stop giggling, it was just so crazy.
He got the line off with minutes to spare, we put the bags back through security, then they discovered we actually had two fishing reels. We had run out of time, and we had to donate our fishing reel.
I'm only telling you this story incase you take fishing reels in your carry on luggage. They will get confiscated.
My mate Jimmy got stopped on our way to NZ once. We were going trout fishing, they checked Jimmy's carry on bag and discovered he had two filleting knives about the size of Mick Dundees. I seriously burst out laughing, we don't even keep the fish we catch, so I had no idea why Jimmy was taking the knives.
I made a cheeky remark "God Jimmy, where have you hidden the gun". I got in so much trouble from security, don't mention the word gun or you might not be flying.
Don't mention the word Fishing reel either. Add that to the list of crazy things you can't take.
Just had a lovey time at Eumundi markets. So beautiful to walk through, I find myself looking at the trees. They are native rainforest trees with glossy green leaves. Most of these would grow in Sydney, we should be planting more native trees.
We came across a Elaeocarpus eumundi, commonly known as the Eumundi quandong. It has this beautiful coppery red new growth. It's a narrow upright growing tree that would be perfect for smaller gardens.
We met "Granny Smith" she had a wicked sense of humour. Would you mind if we got our photo taken with you, we asked? "I'd be up for a video too if you're into that kind of thing."
We passed on that offer, although her apples looked sweet and crunchy.
If you're a tree lover, then this part of Queensland will make you feel good, there's so many lush green trees growing here, it makes you feel good.
I walked down this street yesterday and it just made me feel good. The houses are close to the street here but you'd never know. They have planted Lillypilly hedges and native rainforest trees on their front boundary.
It's such a great result because they have privacy from the street with the hedges, and the tree canopy gives the upstair bedrooms privacy from the neighbour's across the street.
There is a culture in new housing estates not to plant trees, because the homeowners are so proud of their big houses, they want everyone to see it from the street.
The houses in this street I'm walking down, are over 2 million dollars, they don't want people to see their big houses, they want privacy, they want to look out their windows and see foliage.
It's a different way of thinking, they have decided to attract birds and nature into their gardens. Because of this decision they will have better mental health. The sounds and sight of nature makes us feel good.
When we look out our windows, and see other houses, and other windows looking in, we get anxiety. The birds and nature don't want to live in this environment and neither do you.
This idea of planting the hedges and trees away from your house, and on the boundary's, may be the answer to today's tiny gardens. The trees grow over the walkway and into your garden, so you don't loose space.
The roots are away from your house, which may help anxiety issues too. No it's not going to lift your house.
Come and see our range of rainforest trees, you'll be amazed how lush and green the foliage is, you'll be amazed how beautiful the flowers are.
Why haven't we been planting these trees? It was thought that these native trees wouldn't grow in Sydney because it's too cold. But with houses getting built so close together now, we've actually created micro climates so these trees can grow.
Isn't that scary!
If we plant more shade around our houses then we may play our part helping to cool these new suburbs. Turning on the air conditioning in summer is not the answer.
Happy gardening
Tim