I love a sun burnt country....

I've been sitting at my desk engrossed in system testing, and looked up to see the fire in the Mt Hotham area had taken off. (Have a look at the "Mountain Cams" in the link). We really are a land of contrasts - floods in Queensland - fires in Victoria. A very trying time for those effected, and it really puts my daily issues into perspective for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess what I found in the garden......

I was on my way to hang out a load of washing today, and look what I found. He (I'm assuming the Echidna is a he), was looking for ants under every rock around the garden edge. He was quite happy for me to follow him around the garden, before he headed of to the neighbours back yard.

Fire ready......

Is it hot where you are? Do you have a "fire plan"?

 

We are about to have our 3rd day in a row over 42C, and the Victorian  CFA warnings page is constantly open on the computer. We've also down loaded this fantastic app to our phones, called "CFA Fire Ready". Very impressed. It uses GPS to locate you, and links back to the CFA warnings to show any fires in your area. It gives you the distance the fire is from you, so when I read that 22 CFA trucks attending an out of control grass fire 12km away, I couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. Thankfully the CFA had it under control very quickly. Those caught up Tasmania fires haven't been so lucky. 

 

 

In the clouds.....

Can you see "her"? There she is in the upper right.

 

Some times my imagination runs away with me, and I can see all sorts of shapes in the clouds. This time I didn't notice the profile of a woman, until I looked at the image. I can see her upturned nose, her delicate ear, her hair line and big grin as she looks towards the sunset. What do you see when you look at the clouds?

A new morning for a new year...

I haven't been able to focus on blogging in recent months. There's just been so much else going on, that something had to give. So why come back now? Well, I put together a calender as a gift this Christmas, that was made up of some of my blog photos. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed photography and sharing the images with you. So I'm making a new start with this shot I took this morning, when the house (and tent) full of visitors were still sleeping.

Happy New Year to you, and may the new year bring you love, joy, and peace.

Heading home

The road trip home from holiday is always a feeling of mixed emotions. But the main one is I DON"T WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK! As my mother says, "you need to earn the money so you can spend the money." Sad but true.

 

Anyway the trip home took us through Bathurst, Orange, Cowra, Young, Junee, Cootamundra, and Wagga Wagga.

 

The country side was just so pretty with the Canola crops and the Paterson's Curse in flower (beautiful for a weed), and the various shades of green from the hundreds and hundreds of acres of crop. It would be amazing to see from the air at the moment.

 

Below - Sorry for the bug splat on the windscreen, but its all part of the road trip experience. Love the contrast of the yellow Canola against the gold of the hillside.

Below - One of the great things about travel is picking up on the regional peculiarities. What is it with NSW country towns and "gangster parking"? Their all set for a quick getaway.

Below - I love the way country towns try to advertise their claim to fame. You know " Home of the .....(insert person / animal / vegetable / event here)". In Young it's "Cherry Capital Of Australia" that welcomes you to town.

How long can the holiday glow last?

Blue Mountains Escape

After spending a day in Sydney centre and harbour area, we decided that there really wasn't anything that we "just had to do" in Sydney. So we headed west.

It's so easy to see why the early explorers were hampered by the Blue Mountains escarpment. It really would have been a massive barrier to overcome.

To be honest the first impressions of the Blue Mountains area was not great. There is road works going on all over the place, so the noise of machinery is everywhere. The tourist dollar is obviously the main income source, with every opportunity taken to sell you something. Once upon a time there would have been individual villages along the ridge line, but now they just merge one into the next.

Top - The famous Three Sisters in Katoomba was interesting, but the enjoyment was definitely impacted by the loads of tourists. Yes I get the irony of this comment. I was one too, but it is really hard to appreciated the wonders of nature when all you can here is human chatter, calling out, buses, cars etc.

Bottom - This is what was directly behind me when I turned around from taking the top shot, and this was late in the day!

So with some trepidation, we continued along the escarpment to our accommodation in the "village" of Blackheath. It was a last minute booking made through Wotif that we made before leaving Sydney, and was a total unknown.

What a find! Mounts Boutique Hotel is a small private hotel, with the most comfortable bed I've every slept in. The people were really friendly and couldn't do enough to make us comfortable. We also ate at the Italian restaurant that is part of the hotel, and both really enjoyed our meals. In fact we were so happy to stay here, that we booked in for an extra night. The photos below give you an idea of the feel of the hotel, our room, and the garden. There is also a park right beside with a playground for the kids.

Once we had booked into the hotel, we went exploring Blackheath. So glad we did. The day had started off with us feeling a little less than impressed with the Blue Mountains area, but after taking a walk around Blackheath, we started to warm to the area. Unlike Katoomba and some of the other "villages" closer to Sydney, Blackheath had the feeling of being a real community rather than just a "tourist destination".

We wandered through Victory Theatre Antiques. It's a great idea, where lots of different antique dealers have a "shop" in the old theatre.

Left - There is something for everyone. Maybe it is the age we are, but we both found things that we new from our childhood.

Right - I thought of Claire over at Sweet Birdy Love when I came across this nifty use of old blankets. I did have to look twice though when I read the price tag. Would you believe $65 for the cushion!

Before heading back to the hotel for the evening, Mr noticed a sign to Govetts Leap, so not knowing what to expect we turned off. So glad we did. We were the only ones there, and it was really beautiful to have the light of the setting sun hitting the rock face.



So after what started out as a day of being less than impressed by the Blue Mountains region, we had changed our mind. I think it's all about taking the time to get away from the main tourist attractions, and just explore a little.

More tomorrow.



Exploring Sydney

So Day 1 in Sydney was the most perfect day you could ask for. Beautiful weather, fantastic scenery, great food. You get the idea.

Top Left - We spent a couple of hours at Hyde Park Barracks in the morning. I've been researching my family history recently, so to walk around the Barracks and read it's history really helped to put some context to what I had been reading. Well worth a visit if you get to Sydney.

Top Right - We headed down to the harbour, and walked through part of the Botanical Gardens. I couldn't resist the contrast of the statue of Captain Arthur Phillip against the sky line of modern Sydney. Wonder what he would think of the what has developed in 224 years.

Bottom Left - Our hotel was at the top end of Hyde park, so we stepped away from the traffic and into the lushness of the park. There was a photo exhibition hung for public viewing, and was a real mix of images. Something for everyone, including the little boy that caught sight of "his bunny" pegged to a clothes line in one image.

Bottom Right - This is one of Mr's shots. After spending the afternoon out on the harbour we wandered around The Rocks, and the bridge just sits commandingly at the end of the street.

Top Left - There is so much activity on the harbour. Just hope everyone who is in command of a vessel know the rules! We didn't want to do the "touristy boat trip thingy", so took the ferry over to Manly for a seafood lunch by the ocean.

Top Right - There were groups of climbers up and down the bridge all day. It seems to be "the thing to do" when in Sydney.

Bottom Left - Another iconic Sydney image, and it really is an impressive building. So unique.

Bottom Right - Sailing past the harbour heads, I was reminded of sailing though them on a cruise ship in the late 80's. I didn't have fond memories. That was when I found out I get sea sick!

So could I live in Sydney? I'm not sure. If I could live on the harbour, then maybe.

More tomorrow.

Taking Time Off!

It is so easy to get caught up in the rush, rush, rush of life. So I decided it was time to take a break from blogging and spend time doing other things. So with inspiration of taking a small holiday (another sort of "break" I guess), I felt time was right to jump back into blogging.

 

Mr and I haven't had a "real" holiday for years. Being self employed, it's hard to set aside a block of a couple of weeks to pack the bags and head off somewhere. I keep telling myself that when this contract ends, then I'll take a really good break! So we've made do with road trips and weekends away.

 

With school holidays here in Victoria, Mr and I decided to head north to Sydney for a few days. I've only been to Sydney for work, and never had the chance to do the touristy things.

 

So we jumped on the Hume Highway and headed north. The highway drive can be pretty boring, and rather than support the multinational giants that dot the highway stops, we head into the towns if we need petrol, toilets, coffee, donuts (you get the idea).

 

Top left: Holbrook is a totally land locked town, so it makes me smile to see HMAS Otway sitting proudly in the middle of town. It's a popular stop, and the kids (both old and young) just have to climb on board.

 

Top right: Goulburn was celebrating it's annual Lilac Festival, and this was the dog show. No fancy breeders prancing around a show ring. Just a group of kids with their four legged best friends, having a blast. Just what a community festival should be all about!

 

 

 

Bottom left: The architecture in Golburn is really interesting. Being the first inland city settled in Australia, there is a wealth of colonial architecture. With the boom of sheep and wheat, you can see the building development that took off at that time too.

 

Bottom right: Between Golburn and Yass, you can't miss this bank of windmills. Solar energy,  wind energy, wave energy - why don't we make more use of these in Australia? I don't get it!

 

So after 6 hours on the road we made it to Sydney, but more on that tomorrow.

The week that was

There has been another trip down the freeway to Melbourne, but this time Mum took the opportunity to come along and catch up with friends in Melbourne. We spent the evening with her friend Lorraine, and she has set me a task. She wants to copy this stitch, but we really struggled to come up with how it is done. It has a very three dimensional effect. Any idea how to recreate this stitch? Hope someone out in blogland can help.

The latest Kosciusko cushion has been completed and delivered.

There was a detour on the way home from Melbourne to catch the sunset from the ruin of the Ovens Goldfield Hospital at Beechworth

And time to enjoy the Bottle Brush from Mum's garden. I love how so many of the Australia natives flower in the colder months, when the exotics are at there barest.



The week that was

There's another "kosciusko" cushion under way, to fill an order.

When I was wandering the neighbourhood looking for our missing cat, I found this fantastic fungi growing on a dead log. (Horrie did eventually came home in his own sweet time). Love the colour blending, and just might have to use this for a little inspiration.

There was a little birthday present purchase to myself, from the local second hand furniture guy. Plan is to use this for storage in my "work room".

And we now have toasty toes thanks to Mr's efforts at insulating under the floor boards (but I do have some pretty filthy washing to do).



The week that was

The week has been about "feeding".

Feeding my body with a birthday lunch by the Ovens River"

Feeding my creative urges with a little shopping at Sackville and Lane.

Feeding my soul with sunsets over the Ovens Valley,

And a trip to Huon Hill lookout.

The week that was

Woolshed Falls were spectacular after all that rain. Notice the guy half way up. He had a camera on a pole and was leaning over the edge to take photos.

Horrie had another lot of surgery on what is left of his tail. Think we may need to change his name to "Bob".





More cold foggy mornings.

And cloud filled sky.



A Photo A Day

12.07.12 - 6.30pm Beechworth

On the way home from Melbourne yesterday, I called into Beechworth to pick up some dinner. While it was cooking, I had a wander around the very empty town. So different to a busy Sunday afternoon full of tourists.

A Photo A Day

10.07.2012 - 8.30pm Williamstown

I've been fortunate to spend the evening with my niece Melissa and her friend Coby. Talking about future plans for university and living away from home, takes me back to when I first moved to Melbourne for university. A dramatic learning curve, but so grateful to have made the move away from the small country town environment. I wouldn't have made the life long friends I did, or have had the drive to travel the world. I have to say I'm a little envious of Melissa & Coby. They have so much to experience and look forward to. A really exciting time.

A Photo A Day

08.07.2012 - 12.30pm Murmungee lookout

I'm cheating a little here, and posting two photos for 8th. Unfortunately you can't see the snow in these pictures, but in the distance are the Falls Creek and Mount Hotham snow fields. The Murmungee Lookout is a favourite launch place for gliders, and I can see why!

A Photo A Day

Life has gotten in the way of blogging this week, so I'm bringing things upto date with one big post.

05.07.2012 - 7am - East Melbourne

Looking out the apartment window, I was reminded that we can still have fog in the city centre.

06.07.2012 - 2.30pm - road to Mansfield

I left the office at lunch time, and we took cross country road home rather than the freeway. The view of Mt Buller was fantastic, and this really doesn't do it credit.

07.07.2012 - 4.30pm - Home

After getting home from dinner out, Horrie meet us at the door with a substantial tail injury. I hate to think how it happened, and what would have happened had he been trapped outside in the -4C overnight. So after a trip to the vet and some further amputation surgery, he has the new nick-name of "Stumpy".

08.07.2012 - 8.30am - Home

Another freezing night! The structure of the ice forming on the car roof, makes it look at "hairy"

A Photo A Day - 03.07.2012

3.30pm - Under The House

Oh the joys of renovating an old house! Not the most fun way to spend the school holidays, but Mr has started adding insulation under our floor, and even though the house is elevated he can't stand up straight. A horrible job to do, but it should make a big difference.

With the overnight temperatures below zero at the moment, it is the perfect time to do what we can to keep our toes warm.

A Photo A Day - 02.07.2012

10.30am - My Garden

Do things creep up on you, or are you more in tune? The growth on the Twisted Willow at the bottom of the front garden sure crept up on me. With the end of the drought the growth over the past two years has been steady, and even though it had started to block out the view, I wasn't really aware of just how much! After a visit from the local Arborist, the tree has had a winter haircut, and I can now enjoy the view up the valley again. Well worth the cost of getting a professional in to do the job.

A Photo A Day - 01.07.2012

11.30am - The Farm

Where does your food come from? So often the food we buy at the supermarket is so far removed from the actual "production", that you could be excused for forgetting how it really gets to your plate. I was reminded today, when I watched the butchering of a steer. (Thankfully I arrived after it was killed. Not so keen on that part).

 As the daughter of a farmer, I'm disappointed when I hear people not being aware of the true source of what they eat. I was floored to have a conversation with a 30+ year old colleague that didn't realise that the eggs we eat are the same eggs that chickens hatch from. She assumed there were 2 types of eggs!!!  If you are interested in learning some more about where your food comes from, take a look at Farm Day, and spend some time on a farm.