Happy Sounds - A Serena Nature Sounds Podcast

The north eastern corner of the Australian state of NSW is home to a primordial remnant of Gondwana Land's original rainforest. This area, sometimes called "The Big Scrub" was once a vast subtropical lowland rainforest fed by the rich volcanic soils left over from the ancient Wollumbin Volcano (or what white settlers called Mount Warning). The forest was largely destroyed starting in the 1840’s by the timber and then the dairy industries. Today the original rainforest exists only as isolated remnants scattered throughout the region ringed by the extinct Wollumbin caldera. It consistently rains around 2,000 mm/yr in the Big Scrub yet there are extended periods of sunshine (often on the same day as the rain). The rich, red volcanic soil and mild, largely frost-free climate compliment the rain and the sun to create the ideal conditions for the earth to manifest itself in all its variety and glory. This recording was taken at dawn along one of the ridges created by Wollumbin's last eruption 23 million years ago.