| Almost like a koala, Jones had made a bunya pine his home for several weeks, building a small shelter to protect himself from the elements, getting along well with neighboring opossums, and providing inspiration for those on the ground. ``I think they were wonderful,'' said Joy Bunya, a member of the congregation since 1985 who is home on vacation from Malaysia, where she and her husband work. According to Hill, the tree's nearest living relatives are the Hoop, Bunya, and Norfolk Island pines; however, it is most closely related to extinct pines that dominated the ancient Jurassic super-continent, Gondwana, which later split into Africa, South America, Australia, and India. |
