Boabs

A Boab tree in western NT during the 'wet'. 

There aren’t many places that one gets to see

The weird, wonderful ways of the cool Boab tree.

But Africa has them and scientists say

That Boab seeds made the long journey one day

To Australia!

Some are tall, some small and the story that’s told

Is that some of the trees are a thousand years old.

And just like a few of the old folks I’ve met

The longer they live, the fatter they get.

In north W.A. and northern N.T.

The Boabs are scattered as far as can be.

There’s two seasons up here, the Wet and the Dry

The trees lose their leaves when the tourists come by.

And once the rains come, and the trees get a drink

They go green and a little bit whaco I think.

Their branches reach outwards and upwards and down

They look like they actually grow upside down.

Some call them Boabs, and some Bottle Trees.

Here in the ‘Outback’ these wild Kimberleys.

Some of these 'old fellahs' are as much as 1500 years old! 

You can eat them, parts are actually sweet

If you’re really quite hungry, need something to eat.

They used them for jails to put people away

Just for an hour a week or a day

But now we just look at them, together and say

Australia!

At the end of the 'Dry'.. just beginning to get it's leaves back