tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46177398284409814032024-03-05T19:22:05.862+11:00Heather's travel notesImages and impressions from here, there - almost anywhere!Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.comBlogger427125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-19436255877761083992022-07-10T13:07:00.003+10:002022-07-11T19:42:05.555+10:00July 2022 catching up very slowly<p> We're about to head off to the Arctic to explore Iceland and Greenland mainly and I'll be posting pix and stories on my latest blog <a href="http://hwheat2022.blogspot.com">hwheat2022.blogspot.com</a> </p><p>In the meantime please be patient as I rebuild blog posts from our travels in the Arctic and across USA and Canada in 2019 as well as our travels in East Gippsland in 2020 during Melbourne 'lock-out'. I have picked up the stories from our expedition to Antarctica in 2020 and am slowly rebuilding a new blog for that amazing journey <a href="http://hwheat2020.blogspot.com">hwheat2020.blogspot.com</a> Fortunately I have all the pix still for those trip but it's slow going. Here's a little collage from those 3 journeys</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iINlCfM5b6RjCx45vqi8Jf0ZnfzP6Zpj7qpwIoYszxlo57_e_Ewd3vJnmNQtLT2W7emoUatcTlFs2s_UA4knBx-Qui9uNz77zY3B3BTHTEsWM7ky1INv6WWYBktSUofhlISkt95Ezw2HIiAbpQp1vPybAIfPwGXaevxMoJa8K1jSJzzCXR6homwt/s1800/IMG_4377.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iINlCfM5b6RjCx45vqi8Jf0ZnfzP6Zpj7qpwIoYszxlo57_e_Ewd3vJnmNQtLT2W7emoUatcTlFs2s_UA4knBx-Qui9uNz77zY3B3BTHTEsWM7ky1INv6WWYBktSUofhlISkt95Ezw2HIiAbpQp1vPybAIfPwGXaevxMoJa8K1jSJzzCXR6homwt/w428-h640/IMG_4377.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-38946474268242293322022-04-15T16:03:00.003+10:002022-07-07T17:53:03.289+10:00<p> April 2022</p><p>I have started a new blog to record our adventures over the next 2 years. Click on this link <a href="http://hwheat2022.blogspot.com">hwheat2022.blogspot.com</a> to follow us as we journey through Australia and overseas - we've got a lot of travel planned. And you can catch up with what we did last year 2021 here <a href="http://hwheat2021.tumblr.com">hwheat2021.tumblr.com</a> </p><p>Bon voyage!</p>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-33090745550570852862021-04-22T18:00:00.003+10:002023-01-05T01:58:31.232+11:00Image issues<p>NOT HAPPY JAN!!</p><p>Sorry people but Blogger has 'hidden' all the pix I've posted since July 2019. It's not just a problem for my blogs but it seems for many in the Blogger community. </p><p>For stories AND images of our travels to the Arctic, North America by train in 2019, the amazing journey to Antarctica 2020 and our subsequent 5 months traveling in Gippsland during COVID lock-down please go to my Facebook page at facebook.com/heather.wheat.925 </p><p>I have set up a new blog using Tumblr where I will post images and stories of our travels - as well as on Facebook. I'm still getting my head around this new platform but I think it will work OK - keep your fingers crossed. Go to <a href="http://hwheat2021.tumblr.com">hwheat2021.tumblr.com</a> (if you want to make comments on the blog site, like Blogger you will need to have a Tumblr account but you can still view it all if you have problems email me at <a href="mailto:hwheat42@gmail.com">hwheat42@gmail.com</a></p>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-36435796364453350272021-04-12T18:24:00.001+10:002021-04-22T17:20:17.911+10:00One last post before we hit the road.<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">"The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page". So said C4th philosopher Augustine of Hippo (and suggested by a friend).</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">So travel, travel, travel and while you’re ‘traveling’ even if it is simply around your neighbourhood, keep your eyes and ears open for frogs. Australia has over 240 known species of frog, almost all of which are found nowhere else in the world. Some species are flourishing, like the Striped Marsh Frog, but others have declined dramatically since the 1980s, and four have become extinct. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Frogs are essential to the environment. Rather like canaries in mines, they act as a natural bioindicator measuring the health of the environment. Throughout their lifecycles, frogs have an important place in the food chain as both predators and prey. As tadpoles, they eat algae, helping regulate blooms and reducing the chances of algal contamination. As frogs they are an important source of food for a variety of animals, including birds, fish and snakes. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">There’s an app which allows you to record the calls of the frogs you discover and upload them to Australia's first national frog count. But you can also do it from your desk comparing records etc etc – be a citizen scientist. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Check out Australian Museums FrogID project <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>https://www.frogid.net.au/ </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagtMr1ZSKEOn1nLh80uxua753IsZKnBAp-b2XMOOcn8PeLpdcK2IJ0XpqfnNp6-Ct0L682AoQU5UU4Ll1U6McwEcwyv4kl-2a2f3eiwg7f366n8av7-I3l3k63HAxgno77h6suf1j3-I/s796/Dweag+Aussie+trip+2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagtMr1ZSKEOn1nLh80uxua753IsZKnBAp-b2XMOOcn8PeLpdcK2IJ0XpqfnNp6-Ct0L682AoQU5UU4Ll1U6McwEcwyv4kl-2a2f3eiwg7f366n8av7-I3l3k63HAxgno77h6suf1j3-I/s320/Dweag+Aussie+trip+2021.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Ands while you’re at it keep your eyes open for fungi! At this time of year all manner of fungi are popping up their sometimes bizarre and colourful fruiting bodies. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Fungi in all their many and varied forms are essential to our environment yet we know so little about them. It is estimated to be around 250,000 fungal species in Australia and less than 10% have been described. What do we know about them and where are they? Check out https://fungimap.org.au/</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Who could be bored!? Visit the Atlas of Living Australia and be blown away https://www.ala.org.au/</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Next stop camels and the desert – wow!</span></p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-89529468425724285162021-03-07T10:11:00.001+11:002021-04-12T18:25:45.148+10:00Loving the local! <p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Leettle problem with uploading pix - groan. Bear with me. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Our neighbourhood is really becoming a ‘neighbourhood’ rather than just a place with no heart - if you know what I mean. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_1063_d058_2de_bd8e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NYyvvIaQpYREVB8VF56F_XOCSjCnZrdLf7v1OAnFLiWXhmfzGronzotnEd2VOa7X2JM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This little gem is in an old PMG building. <br><img id="id_dc69_936e_60de_16b8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v3DsXS84lAOGYOg_8Z-fPnI4xgP0Max9v2NVINhFGH1oceTSRKihzRv8JUkAwaG7DhY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>After almost 20 years living here we now have so much that caters for the locals rather than to tourists and commuters - medical clinics, laundry/dry cleaners (things that suburbanites take for granted), a terrific new super supermarket, a few other supermarkets including a couple of fab Asian ones, library, community centre and garden, and joy oh joy some food outlets/restaurants that cater for locals including a fish snd chip shop to open soon!</span></p><img id="id_f7b4_e967_c44c_68e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gcS-B5RutY4xuX-UyMGEpJLnf5AcBZIvyPvk6MKTkqqCrGBAk4SH22ppeJbJvECrPtU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial">Easy peasy food</font><br><img id="id_52a4_fff1_b3a4_ace6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ed9R3OoJv-ETzzwbouPKxoVMVwzWe5b9Uq8O9_YzAaTYrMdUuwfHnYBfHl-5-NV1YmM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">And great access to the arts and entertainments to boot. </span><div><img id="id_262_d5a_94d1_5132" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cDuWE27SXOiOMoGy8rV-OMUIfbRxuyt1QZ8vtk9nQFaICRw9-P7Mmjw-CzSh19b2g7k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>A new pop up venture treating people to free concerts - footage of performances by students of the new Music Conservatorium and Arts schools <br><img id="id_157b_2e4f_23ab_4869" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1HY-CF6BDcDozIbYr7ko20T9QozH4ktfHMlAbHmpdaDrWEiQG3U_fOU5GhbWzRXFPgY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Interesting architecture <br><img id="id_e983_9b7b_2542_7df5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/IB9HO7DRacTL164Rfc0_VHytEDh6L_4AhTq_mbE5Y7SnUJvVMJMfFGIylk-btmpqsxA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">All within 100 or so metres, easy walking - starting to feel a wee bit like New York! Really loving living on the ‘block’!</span></div><div><img id="id_a66a_c96e_6865_a049" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XdUfE-8AueIDaiUwwIHVVu8Y6klEhOO8kWRuEPHREafqGV3dlccmexwGGaKqX7trI2w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Southbank Boulevard trying to become just that - check back in 12 months fir the finished product. It’s been a slooow process but the space has lots of promise.</div><div><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-85814511420417284092021-02-23T09:11:00.001+11:002021-04-12T18:20:19.305+10:00Two more to add to the menagerie! <div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">If you build it they will come” .... I know it’s a misquote and the context is wrong but it seemed appropriate. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We have welcomed 2 new bird species to our garden in the last two days - a Little Raven and a pair of juvenile Magpie-larks AKA Peewee, peewit, mud lark, Murray magpies, and other names. We had heard them calling in the area and last night there they were come for a visit. One of our juvenile currawongs popped in for a drink and forage too. All in all, we had 5 different species all ‘playing’ </span><span style="font-family: arial; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">together nicely on our cosy terrace. Over the years we’ve had 14 species visiting us plus half dozen or so FIFOs. Not a bad count for inner city sky rise pad!</span><br><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;">Plant the garden, bring the insects and the birds will follow - and leave some litter around for scavenging insects and for nest building material. What a joy it is in a sky-rise city garden tea la la ..... 🎶</span></span></div><div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></p></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-27510042402336872922021-02-17T11:40:00.001+11:002021-02-17T12:14:24.601+11:00Summertime in a city ‘sky rise’ and the living is easy ..... <div><img alt="" id="id_2b_bb9d_a11a_91c8" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BjWrWJmBydzcawQeCW0w3zBwkS5qE-9YyWyZp23Masc6IXs3-Cg2A9p9t9q3xUE" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Let me tell you ‘bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees </span><span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; text-size-adjust: auto;">🎶🎵</span><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"> .... our terrace is a joyful place. We’ve slurped up the heavenly pulp of passionfruit from our vines and sucked the golden pink lusciousness from our figs - with more on the way. </span></span></div><div><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_b432_512c_4ea7_2f3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DZQgSeFhygwNSvdTjaJhphGHPmB7iJ8hRGt0BRPNeOTGUvU260L0ikSsJpT_w8" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">There are not enough figs ripening together to make jam but we’re really enjoying them daily. The plum trees are going gangbusters but the tomatoes are being a bit slow ripening. </span></span></div><div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_ccf0_1d29_99b9_75c0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GN60QZhOnrMV7_jtBD1jj3DQ_rJbUhkPLTq9ZXkGnY6Tud013mm_sETJVkb_GSc" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Our second grevillea has now been planted (in the corner) and now we wait. Hopefully we’ll get other bird species visit us once they flower.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_59bd_f218_e793_2b02" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gHiRk3kfZq0mUxVYqhjGo45zc1w-8d-pGYNf9f3zB0cLSzYOQfvjPQsNlKG0WaY" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />We spend many delightful hours - or so it seems, watching the birds and insects that visit our garden. And we are rewarded many times over. A couple of mornings ago, we were treated to a wonderful dawn chorus. A juvenile Pied Currawong came in for a look see, a bit of a forage, a drink and then started calling his ‘brother’ to join him. We watched for about half an hour as they talked to each other. Their song must be one of the most beautiful, a glorious melodic caroling. All the while the sparrows were quietly muttering in our tree and the doves fluttered about just making sure their territorial rights were protected. The currawongs are back daily to drink and bathe and forage. So beautiful and so far they haven’t scared off the other birds. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVxv22_Q4YcMTHY775HP1JDXZoVBKHrb1yY91YlBlRrvKX1JYYh9E5TKDxM3_keRZ754f1sl8ZtB0Q3W1AVA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-28571802059353690642021-02-08T19:09:00.001+11:002021-02-13T16:34:02.709+11:00City of bridges ..... and growing <p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Still on our quest to see and cross the many bridges that cross-cross the Yarra around Melbourne. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">While we’re on the subject of bridges, I found that when European settlers first arrived in Melbourne in 1835, there were no crossing points over the Yarra other than at The Falls or by boat. (The Falls separated the salty water of Port Phillip Bay from the fresh water upstream around where Williams and Queen Streets are today). Within a few years enterprising people had set up a punt at where Punt Road Bridge is today - the name!! Hot on their heels was the construction of the first bridge at where Princes Bridge is today the big push was by Swanston Street traders; it was a wooden toll bridge.</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">But I ramble, here we were heading downstream to take in more of Melbourne’s staggering 15 bridges. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_ab42_a4b5_6a63_ad71" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RXpVb6Gg18bwh3jWnPQXnwR6uI6rRaU7XxDXm2JrAmZWp2DY2M1nnb2O0X0y9Io" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ac9a_3c_d775_a0e4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/I0pceb4DK7o8bh0GV6O88mtZV5TXMoGSnzU_ypKr7pos_lBJCgVRgfq2jzTp7jk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Spencer Street Bridge built 1930s and nestled not far away the Polly Woodside is hunkered down. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_2168_8a48_17a3_b8d6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ky_ZE9uCPr8uHngsBMeZB_AdXePITaBMfQ1W1AZuRwfXfZZgUpj1afYwcMSDXE0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Seafarers Bridge a pedestrian bridge - 2009</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_54ee_c35e_c11d_e31d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/U9M9Ld4zqHK0d7APQYvERfYfmvK6a5Pqg5_qpqmuusxznc5I83D9hqxJ1g3XB9A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Charles Grimes Bridge in the distance 1970s, reconstructed 2001. It was named after Charles Grimes, a NSW surveyor general who was the first European to see the Yarra River it seems.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_e507_caea_b12e_9483" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/dEG5TjKkyObKKaFJ7HmfJ3JuLraE9cMHeuCdu5-s85bsh0NW-D8nOKbRdr-sLqY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This is an extension of the Jim Stynes Bridge, a pedestrian bridge - 2014 which links Docklands with the CBD and winds along the river’s edge </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_6a12_b80_f617_a516" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/86uBuu-7xg5JE7HG2WevTp_Z6tDQx1Wr1xvGnrRMLZlUiE0OdwHOfsDcwnKYHdo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Webb Bridge also pedestrian - 2003</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_9c71_b2e_17da_5b4d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KcvcY2L9gaBaGKiOZraMyVA3tp6PK4v6pcwTyKzS8fkuzJp7Q5wSFwM56uwbwF0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;">Away off sending pylons high into the sky is Bolte Bridge (a part of the tollway) - 1999. It is the newest vehicle bridge (Melbourne’s oldest bridge was also a toll bridge)</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Further downstream, much further than we’ve walked to date is the almost infamous Westgate Bridge which after much tragedy opened 1978. <span class="s1"></span></p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-18505060747035299232021-02-08T18:43:00.001+11:002021-02-09T07:17:55.566+11:00Still exploring the Birrarung .....<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">I’ve discovered so much as we’ve walked in local neighbourhood - really just being tourists in our own town I guess. I read all the signs, take a shot then trawl through the internet winkle picking for more information. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_a74e_d6ab_24e3_6344" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pv1wkUC1jdD5dyz6quGy2dHAJV4i0sFn_AQFP580Z2naEugV7fS7tnRGtjI8THU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Looking across to Birrarung Marr to the cityscape. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_cf5e_4f47_9624_a4d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bDyYtDmM1x0rqUdGjHdqjsRjpf0CvZRIVfT5LULtIw3Te4fTEDo5iXqNw3AyhN4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Heading upstream from Princes Bridge the paths are leafy and cool some of the way. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Most of the year the river is busy with craft of some description - leisure and sport. And so it has been for well over a century. In 1904 the Alexandra Gardens, over to the right, was opened and ever since this precinct has been a place for entertainment and leisure. The annual Henley-on-Yarra rowing competition which started in the early 1900s was a nation-wide affair and drew huge crowds; in 1925, over 300,000 attended the regatta. It was a highlight of Melbourne’s Spring social calendar; the same regatta is still held annually over a century later. In its heyday, the river’s edge would be crowded with decorated vessels - double-decker, ferries, canoes etc. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_a179_d8e8_4345_8a4" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/m18-8r1Cpl00znvX4vy1_H9-aomaSQdRueZ2etreS9J41GIpebpq7qN2IW14Td8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>At Kings Domain Landing, a coffee-vessel is moored drawing in passers-by with its rich aromas. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_5899_6fa0_575d_3f83" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Bg4Eoo-pF5DF5MA6M8XhQmVd57HtPuysz14brX_Aw_nXmpM7Oit-xTgYjyk1CFE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6e21_1398_b44a_6f2d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JPsiDjJ-2xdlYOZMfH8PrQE8HJwOL8yvdi9_p3Hdyk7xjBxv8lKuQ5ukdwI_0xw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The Morell Bridge, a favourite, was built in 1890s and was open to vehicle traffic until 1998. Around that time major restoration works were done as serious cracks had appeared. Decades ago </span>when we lived on Punt Road, <span class="s1">we </span>regularly <span class="s1">walked through </span>Gosch’s Paddock and across this bridge to walk along the river in the evening. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_cf52_329a_514a_247b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UcqVIkw_rnDcQE3-OyQ_zNuiJ12PW0TF-nwq7Fzuxnm5zkWPerH5LnLr3vP0yeA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>We’ll talk about punts later!<br><img id="id_56a4_88f2_fd00_ee0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vVJkvdJH1lzwouKOFF-o1c6B_ktyJGtdHTRGtJ-QL8UFFOLiLXA2LWplEmX279o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Jelly-bean picnickers scattered across the lawns - so colourful. <br><img id="id_a42e_ea6e_7461_d494" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/d04Fie_ddEguU7-dd3SLdZS2puWulDWvs9ygoKMzUoPG0NLSM4R_tw5OoNa6mgs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Stark contrasts - the newest tower in Southbank </span><span style="font-size: 17px;">yet to be finished and dear old government house 1880s. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_1986_eaab_552e_890e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3TYcj2TRqUXw2aSoZbj8NDtdRb-ac7V-I0YelCuQB9Pe1HmHtUwi5EaZh-VZn-4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Sweeping lawns linking hands across the Gardens are a total delight. For 9 years we held our annual BYO everything including friends picnic on the Tennyson Lawn under a huge old spreading oak tree which we called the Dweag Tree. Sadly it is no longer standing. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_a914_3e0b_f94_2339" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BW-m9KdKMZOiLiMKPwh2qfNTo0K7XQJ40dkM3jPVL6JJFDsBU-NdvGl3_yyIlxw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>We ended that walk wandering through the Botanical Gardens and along Melbourne’s iconic Tan Track. <b>The Tan </b>was<b> </b>built originally to exercise horses. Now it’s the place to be seen ‘exercising’!</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_8020_20bd_af3c_31a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3gaV25vYTHWFMjcjwfnGB_AYtv4pRqef8DPKRJ8x0ojezn82FX9Ae372ZhKW2wk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The Observatory built in the mid 1800s, was once home to weather forecasting, time setting, setting weights and measures standards plus a number of other essential functions. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">What an amazing precinct!</p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-40639315690229777802021-02-08T15:48:00.001+11:002021-02-17T12:37:46.600+11:00It’s all about the birds and the bees ....<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img alt="" id="id_f114_a7b3_3f31_ed00" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2YgyqtC4YgA-GBffdDdFn32_Y0axDGrtLNpTI7zE1xlQrE-Q7JL-260ONa0EWHg" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />Look at those delicate wings. Almost transparent yet with amazing strength and resilience. <br /><br /><span class="s1">Bees I just love them </span><span class="s2">🐝</span><span class="s1"> they’ve given me a lot of joy watching as they hover around the oregano plant which is laden with tiny white flowers. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzAl7tq9bT1xp19PYJqVKlkyMsNUA9mygiSsd4Eniz19IRTnUF7lrbfCjz_3c-F5JHYwH-TuEeGJPMrYrDsXg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />With a garden full of bright, larger flowers you’d think they’d be all over those but no! There’s always at least one bee hard at work among the oregano flowers, after the nectar I think rather than collecting pollen. <p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span class="s1"><img alt="" id="id_f61f_81a5_1fda_ed0b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/A4so32B_z4fqRPNfFDFOM2r4Oa_MXmN-kxAfE4bORPp-cltaejmIWyx8g9r6wUs" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_31_27c_fe81_b20b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/do8xdy3mzaCB8sDDGSwoL3k5nIsqT0FUVkYyhKAbFXtYpY5UYibV-gaumNWiQpc" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_7d81_153e_7c60_7e30" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Bt_EjifOqMTfd8S3WMnQT4yBa3gAB6bqfmQgWRWDfgAkKqG3f4DG3hitQKvhHkc" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img alt="" id="id_c52b_3a4c_5676_5fc0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yiyFSD3JzbmbBNwsr5cIMMTFjGwYgUw0YTx6J6VZh7qbYCmjRUupytxiqCKdzbM" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />The hover flies get into the act too and both are regular visitors to the water bowls. They seem quite fearless. </p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_fd96_3144_7e90_5757" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vl_51VSTbYFRzR296zaXZJYu6aBYq12gz9i1pCNkrtRuar063RzwvGChmvurtck" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />Lindsay removing another tree to make way for a lovely bird-attracting grevillea. A hybrid which is supposed to produce big red flowers most of the year. We’re aiming to make our wee garden more and more bird and insect-friendly. I’ve already planted another grevillea which flowers most of the year. The veggie space is being reduced - sorry veggies (because we’ll be away a good part of the year).</p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-28638287845283118092021-01-13T12:02:00.001+11:002021-01-13T12:51:00.892+11:00December-January exloring local: walking the Birrarung<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_f2a9_4051_2eef_2372" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mII64oxpkrre6zd_lUq-TtrafIOE2CH8N5N5FjDO7UbIxxp-a6fwYWcPNlauk9I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><span class="s1">The banks of the Yarra River are one of our exercise circuits. The River, the Birrarung, flows past Naarm (where Melbourne City now squats with a great sense of ownership!). Naarm is the traditional land of the Wurundjeri people; in the Woiwurrung language ‘</span><span class="s2" style="font-style: italic;">wurun</span><span class="s1">’ means the Manna Gum which is common along ‘</span><span class="s2" style="font-style: italic;">Birrarung</span><span class="s1">’ and ‘</span><span class="s2" style="font-style: italic;">djeri</span><span class="s1">‘, the grub which is found in or near the tree. Wurundjeri are the ‘Witchetty Grub People’. When I walk by The River I like to let my mind drift back to a time before European settlement. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Our morning walk takes us around seven of the 9 bridges that span the Yarra River from Punt Road Bridge (the site of a punt service in the mid 1800s) to Spencer Street Bridge.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_ecf0_d10f_350b_de43" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4CAggVtWn03FIZh7x6LFLD_cq1-AEqedUwdKPTFFVGLEhyRpWBjJKAXrxPUBugE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>David Greybeard the first chimpanzee to interact with Jane Goodall sixty years ago. Artist Lisa Roet created this intriguing inflatable 'sculpture' in association with Jane Goodall Institute Australia. The sculpture will tour to 6 countries and 4 continents to help raise awareness of habitat and species protection.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_adb3_9322_b5a0_4dcf" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HXRllChLCKu7Du5SwNYdFW4P_dXY4gd1AryEZVv0Ugfhuo6bDsMf6JqYDbcPhno" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>There are many quirky scuptures along the banks of The River </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_396b_76f1_c4e3_8910" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DH1vVndGO-MdbZFEjR3aoVEVoRjTcdgGtD_7DiPBb8dyBEmefbmscOpns3FkNUw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This one is one of Deborah Halpern's, the artist who created the 'Angel', my absolute favourite.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_bc56_f47_2133_ffb2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/J19BtEVzJbwQfIoTs8NnI4hnMQEfB0I4RUtH9BU4znjZJGcafis5a1wJM-VYWg4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>And here she is! My favourite, 'Angel'. I could spend hours looking at all the images the artist has worked into the ceramics.<br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_de92_ec8e_ebdd_ad8c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/lzexAlhPxemHuJEBTsqAr2sGKyMX0BOWcdvrpG930LAJDjeDGNtBbMwDpUeY0iE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Dervish in oxidised steel</span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_481b_5812_9002_a4ad" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jH4i_mHMqvt4g692Us-fYI2-8P2hrKqJ0KMm2M0oSbJ2vKvTtOrS_vKgIWbUBnI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Shearwater (I'd call it red-tailed cockatoo!)</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_87b7_dd93_f25a_2110" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AYs_wWypohCani9YxzlIdO3dir9ivnl7ci79lJwghiXsVB6Zw6zvkAK7ABWoQxc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>'Sukkah' is a relatively new, temporary work of public art installed in Birrarung Marr (meaning beside the River of Mist, depending on who's telling the story).</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_725c_75d_5447_1466" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bALYUpBTjqVAbhUafvj6o_BROmTIEdrGdct5BPziYmYSTKKRv8YykYmKRQdqMzk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_257_c2b0_ed20_1fd" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OgLlQLDJVMQZxjO6j-eJH280XSTg0PuFMHeR0bEb9zwEHxUny_SV1Sh32yXD1fc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Like all large cities on rivers this could be called a river of bridges. This is looking under the Prince's Bridge (the third iteration) towards what many of us call the Skipping Girl Bridge because at some point there was a animated neon sign of a skipping girl advertising Skipping Girl Vinegar - it's a long story. Beyond that bearly visible are the Sandridge and Queen's bridges.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_570c_9dad_c894_afdb" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kTwtc7g_qXDiL7j6CHaYO0H9oZqJskbH0yHcNQFs4z_a3lzjWfTRC4reScxq30U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Spencer Street - the first pile for this bridge driven in 1927, had to go very deep to reach bedrock. At 20 metres below sea level they struck a red gum stump that took three weeks to remove. It was dated at about 8,000 years old and appears to have lived for well over 400 years. But the important thing in this photo is the red helicopter! On my bucket list but where to go? hmmm ... somewhere exotic.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_b86b_48ca_1010_6be6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PvhedTxc1PFzwuZ51c83t8_GDqv79lnPcllCEMSo7V8LYP-Rzs6rpuWG9tYfZ9A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This is one of the 'Travellers' sculptures at the south end of Sandridge bridge.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_d53d_129c_69b6_225c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/c51gdOf6M0fIM34X6rPRtfiHUZ35WVu0unEJnTU8O4y1Ve3nUkGzfX7JUhj5ahM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_80da_bbe7_7cd7_59f9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D67v1yszYIt3irkvjl_e8zgZ8w22XqxYCWGjzzfrTw8i8yp63WXr_Lbz93aBs14" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1ac1_23c2_8d6d_1d88" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cWenThrJ2pD8bo4paoFbnoiSCRV88q5gxj0ahwRKBjhrUDZiHmW7X7rUqohQVvA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><span class="s1">The Sandridge Bridge built in 1850s was the first steel bridge over the Yarra and linked the growing metropolis to Port Phillip where thousands of immigrants landed. The bridge was redeveloped 14 years ago as a pedestrian and cycle path and features public art 'The Travellers' most of which move along the bridge (you have to be lucky to spot them moving though). The sculptures were intended to depict the diversity of people coming to Melbourne. Along the length of the bridge were glass panels each one dedicated to a country from which people had emmigrated to Melbourne. The bridge was vandalised when 'someones' used a sledgehammer to smash 46 of the 128 glass panels of the </span><span class="s2" style="font-style: italic;">Travellers</span><span class="s1"> exhibit.</span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_d023_63_8c5_3173" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KmMaX9b9o9mVCgNvbrIGr9LFW5TIKbfo1hMpjR5Za_tWKu5cmB7YIvjTqz7ySjQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c524_e943_878d_787f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9jodJ-JM5KLf8vzLvsBSZTbJ-8QrF5TLP_SE0hKvenO8bI9Z4fjxumG3TvK3FAc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Enterprize Park beside what is know as the Turning Basin, commemorates the spot where the first settlers aboard the ship Enterprize went ashore on 30 August 1835. Today, it is the site of the Scar Project, a collaborative installation by Aboriginal artists who used original wharf poles from Queens Bridge to engage with the tradition of tree scarring. It's wonderful but I don't have a pic yet! What I love are a collection of five carved-wood figureheads represent a dragon, woman, bird, man and lion reflecting ethnic and cultural diversity of those who used the Turning Basin during the early years of settlement. This was Melbourne's first port.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_c5aa_5406_a93_f427" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PbjGVD5QsMdIL1_NU6KwAl89VR6_OwyinnNWF2-w6P2ExNQXeSndHOza-dTvjAA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>I love these bees! a colony of giant golden shining bees hover on the side of the Eureka Tower, on the Southbank. The artist used these lovely creatures as a gleaming metaphor for the hive of frenetic activity and harmonious high-density city living. He could be right!</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_8e3_6e78_1b12_1f82" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ER96u7gEFEHBYxG8fHoh1ix6ypUfwutYU5EO49jNAZdeG4X1BPPDRU5a_pOCDlA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This is an appetiser for inner Melbourne’s 'public' artworks. I adore this bronze angel, such attitude! More later.</p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-25567933665932320382021-01-02T15:55:00.001+11:002021-01-12T16:03:22.898+11:00November 26 plus Home Sweet Home!<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Hooray our wee garden survived our long absence in spite of our cobbled-together irrigation system and masses of snails - and no TLC! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>What we came home to was actually a bit of a jungle. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img alt="" id="id_f946_2e31_e80b_38cb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CsesfmTi3feUv7BAjAeUXBeODcoWthXcy09S5TrxnvowMHvTFiBh_DouupzIPys" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_a42c_ee3e_8ed6_66a6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KkQtC-nOiBLo1kDqah2dg8EsAtuBLDsngKH7NG1O5jzLxHesb1YCZTa20CWUXZM" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_1077_d09e_64bf_882b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pKfn_aq8MvCkOGkETGsmsdEQ3B1lRPPtDFSR4SlnPi4Z4k7s_z7gMmiJ7OltPnY" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">We gathered as many of these</span><font face="Arial"> </font><span style="font-size: 17px;">hungry little gastropods as we could find and in the garbage they went. Some tried to escape up the wall - I hate killing them but ..... maybe I should find out how to prepare them for a tasty entree! </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_b3c8_64b8_d855_33f3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S_HhFQQKKtRG_Di0vjF2xshaNmW7l4BwFv6yw6Hnm8UzQfnyV-iul9URcnapbE" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />We’re actually still finding a few carrots hiding in the garden. . <br /><img alt="" id="id_bb1e_a22d_51dc_7884" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YlvL6MEH26uiG8V4Jbxh8PTx9xmYPF1PiNFR6hDKRnPZqwlpUhWWa8zWmR_kD5A" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />After clearing away dead stuff plus bags of errant passionfruit trailers which had grown out of the root stock and were clinging lovingly to almost everything, under all that tangle, low and behold we found some welcome-home pressies. Pretty sweet peas (Lindsay’s favourites and which have put in quite a burst of growth since we’ve been home), bunches of carrots, armfuls of silver beet (in spite of the snails!), masses of herbs - AND a few passionfruit plus more to come judging by the presence of a few flowers. The gorgeous pale green orbs had to be hauled back over the ‘fence’ because they were dangling over the footpath 5 floors below. Wow!! Clever garden.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_7b8a_689e_679d_e32c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/O3Fmvz9F2k3DcrfwA8cE-Z4wn8E7qT1PrVdaJ5Xpbhs6q9CvlFpzQPdb6wbXsIM" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />In the side garden, it was rather a mess, fragrant and pretty, but still a mess because the trellis, with its luxuriant perfumed Chinese star jasmin attached, had become detached from the wall (the glass wall of the terrace). We were chuffed however to find some broad beans (enough for a meal and the rest only good for seed stock) and a couple of dozen baby figs (now there are 5-6 dozen)! Under the thick blanket of Chinese jasmin and trellis, I found both the native Billardiera scandens (apple-berry), a passionfruit vine (which I had rescued from the community garden) trying valiantly to wave long trailers of pretty leaves and tendrils, and our one and only precious Helleborus (winter rose) still hanging in there. We have installed a new trellis since and the vines are all firmly fixed back in place and are looking OK. </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_9b4d_99f6_be90_8519" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/CJ6kN1DfmcDspq-7Lx6hgYSwbJDhNZ1fBG6wLjJLJ4P7hvSTDNCLhKYqBs2LWFA" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_c613_f609_4a87_5f3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/H35a7DbzPtXyWLEHloMjJiFFsdahlayGNZt03Zywb-9g1yRIHM5Pua7-oUURtKc" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />It’s a tiny garden by almost all standards but after storms, winds and sizzling days we were tickled pink to find it so ‘healthy’ and edible. We've planted a few veggies but we will be on the road again in less than 4 months (fingers crossed) so have restricted our planting to flowering plants for the bees and other insects and those veggies we can harvest before we go. Now it's time for some serious training in readiness for our next adventure!</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><img alt="" id="id_f295_27cb_2ba5_e290" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Qptml0ZlgEeUhGUuNX7qky21c_QnqZovhZ5ApKM-Vu6kICwHSHssqrYiPfRJ0tY" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />While on the road I managed to get in some knitting and crocheting for KOGO and I am still going strong finishing a vivid jellybean-themed afghan rug for the bed in the caravan (12 or so more squares to go and then the ghastly task of hooking them all together - not looking forward to that but ....). And of course I’ll be packing kilos of yarn when we head off in April for another Australian Odyssey. </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-25513772907908087992021-01-02T15:23:00.001+11:002021-01-02T15:37:50.737+11:00November 22-25 Squeezing out the last drop!<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Before heading south to our home in the big smoke we spent a peaceful rather glorious day driving through the Mitta Mitta Valley - that was after a delightful brunch with friends in Bright, our first experience dining in public since June! </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_62a2_9c7d_dff1_6c28" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/y4XtFup6mDX64Ip_Pu82vxPxzTBKdvxJaXwpxm--DeMaGR-hf2fvYyY0rBxShfs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Of course once we could pull off the road, I was off into the heath looking at the pretty flowers, who wouldn't be? Lindsay was too. I was fortunate to have just touched one of the plants rather than stick my nose in as I often do because I disturbed what was probably an Australian native bull ant (they're actually wingless wasps). Boy did it hurt - for hours and I had a little lump for days. Sometimes the nose knows what not to get close to. Just imagine had I put my face into it. Double ouch! </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_2cda_3da6_194b_48d4" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1-KWgnf1k85b8AuOiYtmkIN0HpjW7T8GzUIKFcT2LR8Y8Shyt29HIp8r0kCHA5o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Our drive back to Clack Clack took us through the high alpine fields near Falls Creek and passed this expanse of still water, Rocky Valley Dam. Being up there was like being at the top of the world. Then it was northward along rivers and streams which wind their way through narrow valleys. Quite superb.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_d83f_a2ea_e7a6_c6a1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VcIIThfjTZUJLbax9nNl8OkPEEkUGvoSCr3A1fJgwn6ZVEdU5cEOpaFXUbL4Gl8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This is Lightning Creek an idyllic little spot and a conservation area for the critically-endangered Spotted tree frog. This small creature is restricted to a small number of NE Victorian streams including this one. They like boulder streams with lots of rapids and rocky cobble banks fringed with native vegetation - I’m completely simpatico with these little guys (not much bigger than a mouse).</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_9329_1b9d_4a38_b240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VrBkOE2xD_KQyqwc4G4DNXB1EcVT-dbUDSYw5sOCfajTnujbUlN0A_g2lEd2ke0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Tranquil lakeside caravan park at Chiltern which when we arrived, was filling fast with people lining up to cross the NSW border the next day, or indeed that night once midnight struck. <br><img id="id_69fa_ee81_cc21_4e0c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GYpENGZnRj1BiGJhChpBOpKYlvEDw2PzP1eRN4q63t9Yw1acUjOySwuFzAkQcBg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 648px; height: auto;"></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">All good things come to an end and it was time to hit the road for home. Pointing our rig south was not without with many mixed feelings - it had been an amazing strip full of surprises and wonderful discoveries however .... On the way we stayed in the quaint hamlet of Chiltern, home to the World famous grapevine - the oldest according to the Guiness Book of Records. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_e52f_c143_1931_1c82" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zHP1uZSuF-mhsj-B4A-OjUkLm4pwKiw9aBRVHFddsSWZIkJlIzmIgLuTRjeNT_Q" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Last night of freedom (away from the big smoke) we stayed in a delightful caravan park on the banks of Broken Creek in Numurkah. <br>From there we visited friends and had a long awaited visit with grandchildren and great grandchildren, and a catchup and lazy dinner with our eldest daughter and her partner. What a trip!</p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-14310101720103033052020-12-26T18:01:00.001+11:002020-12-28T09:46:32.910+11:00November 15-21 a circumscribed Cook's tour of the Upper Murray<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_ee9e_d87c_9c2a_32bd" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/J_i-_1O-rsQiKgEX9lAmfHUgxxyYj9q41bdxo3e4H_gROv3zMY4O76R_u_bckCY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Wonderful scenery wrapped around us as we walked part of the 7+km trail into Corryong.<br><img id="id_c704_ab67_3eb0_12cc" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/e77_CXPnc-TEij4FHh2cjfSIBWTxjTDuSPLeIGB0BLxDQXEWVoI_6dh0hxhyVDw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The trail was Avery exposed and certainly not something to tackle in the middle of the day. I hasten to add that we didn’t make it all the way into Corryong - surprise. It was too hot and boring- yes I did say that!<br><img id="id_de12_68c2_35e5_24c3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/RUPW7zs6inYBw9__YNU_dTdIMxd7zzqILozHP2zl4hhkfmGz_vVQ0W469a5d0Xs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Delightful historic race track at Corryong complete with banks of roses at the finishing post. One could almost hear the crowds cheering and corks popping. <br><img id="id_f7d9_7284_57ec_3bcd" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qaNnTG3QkX3WMCFpH3Lj5PHJQjSQub3QVpcDrokfiaLuNSRSiNiH2G4iCja2yJc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>We aimed to follow the Murray as far as we could but of course it headed over the NSW border. Yes I know it forms the border with NSW but it only reaches so far. Its source is well and truly in NSW as is the soure of the Snowy but we didn't do badly for all that. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_1ce1_46d7_7f04_e95a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/npLiqg6qGluunFWqJfydmQ3Yl4dDIsmeEVF5lnR5z4O1AT-MGLLBcTSfPvo4zYk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br><font face="Arial">We got as close as possible to the border!</font><br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_9ca0_85e2_b449_405a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HIjh1urJPupfZC7zo2pVxPNPbZfPkjytd1mgBMuS4jybkD8lXjY7Clvf3fuWFNQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>Expansive views over farming land to the river in the distance.<br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_d3bb_9fa8_2f_7370" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7PH22jhA2yxCEJfBL3pLW988RLJyAL14ADL5sOsXq4IZT-DJBw62XLnZCdnt4YI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>We tried to get into Mt Mittamatite State Park but with no luck - closed. <br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_99f5_987c_d4fa_7c32" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WFz2tGSI52RZg_nzf137sCPbFBI6Ec-aZk4Ybvk0aef-77Sm0o3eydl26D7Ufq4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>There are numerous sculptures along the Great River Road which hugs the Murray (as much as it can). All the sculptures represent significant creatures to the traditional owners. <br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_aee1_b01a_bfb3_1296" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AhTydCAaR5363jBElPBt9Q9fs_i7bV9Acy0mq5S-aQ8vJ28KRF9Lq1cErYsYNnA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>This is the <span style="font-size: 17px;">Biggara bridge and of course over the bridge is NSW. We were a bit lost as we tried in vain to follow the river. We either ran out of road in farming land or lost track of where we were going - almost. </span><br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_cbe6_b0c9_6a7_f0af" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6Q2iPPmiFIGm3xSIMCePEv8nuxlqfrAD-OyzONSF3NKOGsSNa0VjXavzYqOmVQU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>The Murray had so many different faces. Here it was a rather gentle flow fringed with tangled trees and bushes. Quite lovely. <br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_f4f4_ff20_8bec_8afa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SS8iZQA1gM39F_QvY6dhXwF3VouDCq6kxqzJs9nVEPx1vtcIIxslD53qZ6LRLC0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>Ah the summit of Mt Lawson. It was not a long walk but got to be steep and rocky. I just followed my leader until it got a bit precarious for me - nothing to hold onto, except the massive rocks if you fell over. And it was a long rocky descent <br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_27dd_a78e_1512_b417" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/D-VHiuOgFw6OROORBrZhvHnRH-O3MW0pQofZw-pMPiuX7YUcJbUnLGxMuuiSLUo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br><br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_23f9_b09_ce94_d205" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xzAXTd340Yhu81ZwS44GUZ_lcyXTgAIgpab7K7x5dQDoQKmfBJXfe6UB9cL2Yk8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br>We were lured to this spot by the promise of a spa. Well turns out it was there but I didn’t make it as the track went on and on and on and then up and up. Lindsay went all the way and declared it dangerous. Me? I just waited but turned out I was standing too close to an ants nest. Ouch!<br></span><img id="id_405a_985f_f858_a79c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wbEQ-8PEe-S4St3HPWUdOKk5piIZXgZK1t3iVQh-5mFeH8xa_cF7pgZGr1WUzOc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>We have learnt not to trust signage as far as distances go. I think most of them are ‘as the crow flies’<br><img id="id_185f_3013_8129_f278" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ow7e7SgiH5kfuZquIZOQnvd-43UvQaYG4JYzLWybZEah7SbChK8silia7DQaNPY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Burrowye Creek in spite of the ‘path’ issue was tranquil and lovely. <br><img id="id_6a4f_7602_84aa_dfa0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WToHOCgyh8qJzVpMBGV8EImCFgSSEPNxNHtftbM0fI1T_RywIIvCuxsamfJTLVM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Of course I always managed to find interesting plants and bits and pieces as we walked. This is a delicate pink trigger plant - these flowers have all had their triggers set off - wind or insects. <br><img id="id_77ca_4d64_a2fc_8e08" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3mzMT7XD6j_RaNq9R5u8SflSuUT1KyPnZoDggJu3lFCgkmUXSiiKsMZg_MiMxF0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8d1e_a041_15c1_b895" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/07Qjw9e0eGo6bn7isKZivxU_Ff3lJr0xXiWdkJy0_CmOFuxFauKYq-XY-m-GViY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The view from the lookout was rather spectacular <br><img id="id_5480_620f_bf4b_f0b9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/P8w0arM4h2JnMQ41glPRew65s0cRJSZ-7Y2MM63nQRmMvOsGaypWJvCjCAX_-4A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Quaint log hut. This we found along the track to a waterfall which I didn’t make Lindsay said it was a shocker of a track and around the waterfall very dangerous. Sometimes it’s safer to be a whimp!<br><img id="id_e201_2420_eb02_d1ae" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/m74j4u_mEwvC3qzc9iJ6wkKH9gzIqilFaqgGzojYy2Z3FHP8ehSiEPxCpJx4LEM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Looked like the hut was still used.</p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-42148084264330381722020-12-26T17:33:00.001+11:002020-12-26T17:50:28.135+11:00November 13-14 The road north<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_4e83_ea35_99b8_6607" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Fg50Mcc3VBeZAglzhd-kGXA_0ew7ffAhTLNxzFChtGV-7MbBtWL7RKxNH00qc_w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br><span class="s1" style="font-size: 17px;">Feeling quite replete after 7 weeks exploring Far East Gippsland, we headed northward </span><span style="font-size: 17px;">at times hugging the Tambo river (above)</span><font face="Arial">,</font><span style="font-size: 17px;"> to a tiny dot on the map in the Upper Murray region - 'Clack Clack' (Colac Colac). The trip took us over the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and through the Alpine National Park with an overnight stop in Omeo, a totally delightful place nestled in amongst mountains and alongside the gorgeous Livingstone Creek. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_332f_1482_fded_b0fa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7EMR5wKdxUVpJ1z1u36i0AXoh6g7AilQLAi4SkGiL_2EEepsXRABsEjJHm804OY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Beautiful grassy expanses. <br><img id="id_4aea_4a58_d17d_b5e2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QvSRBBFKiNzbzUEjLKy5DKABqK_PqdNj5h2P2s6m2GN25R7o3VlwBvptbtSydto" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Livingstone Creek <br><img id="id_4a7b_d3cc_bf58_eaa6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sOF8w9J963-AXs7ObyhqAOrd8qMo7nHBq-04FY9hQFd8L8wWzkkasJ47BpNELD0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The site was perfect complete with food van which operated every night; you could even buy beer or wine there. Why didn’t we stay?<br><img id="id_1777_517d_ffbc_5500" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Dso8wthfcm8a3Mimk6mzBu-wtq0iXv9W-7A09TlOXL56MKmOoMzKtW6PslTrNVo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Old on-site caravans were painted poster colours. Kitsch but fun. <br><img id="id_52de_5301_8cfb_ba42" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ta8J7lvIXT9mahH5LsrqisET60c5R4sqnlmijxCKeLbR-mKJMbJXMnhjOk4eAqA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Terrific idea for a fence. <br>We wished we had planned for a longer stay at Omeo but we had a booking further north. (That's not our usual style but with Melburnians then allowed to travel and the NSW border teetering on the brink of opening, we thought it wise to snag a spot.) Omeo is a place we will definitely return to but not at Christmas or Easter when it attracts 100s of campers.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_b96e_fc0b_2e63_c3b9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YGqw2s8tDdyfJE0KsvapGPc3UmZhKdYyd5oRhGb4CRQ60-GbxU5AhRyJdbPZdRk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Golden pea bush festooned the roadside as well as yellow buttons and white daisies. Rather idyllic. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_dac6_4f66_3e8d_5ff0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bNQoKRnl-TvAhWZVJp2G1vSb9AFNsIEeoyvQeRZZ4alrVJW4R_TJ-npDZzpGk4w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Great little camping sit by a stream and not far from the tailings of an abandoned mine; once there was a lot of mining in the area. <br><img id="id_2a27_f104_3f38_57" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LAm_ZqJXAVVHzqKYTeDAEjPZ3IWWbeN4UftYWuu5befl3ZzaFvLAIjH-ddrQ6EA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The drive through the alps on the Benambra-Corryong Road was quite delightful; along winding roads up and over mountains, through isolated gullies - as we drove we thought of what it would have been like as fire swept through as it did. There is no escape! The drive, with van bouncing along behind, was a little challenging at times as the road was steep, windy and dirt most of the way, but our brilliant driver and mighty car saw us arrive safe and sound all in one piece at our destination, Clack Clack.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">We had intended to stay 1 or 2 weeks to explore the area so we headed into Corryong, 7 Km east, to get maps and info about the area. Unfortunately it turned out that like much of East Gippsland, a large number of the National-State Parks and Reserves in the Upper Murray region were still closed as a result of the fires that swept through there the previous summer (Parks Victoria have a lot of work to catch up on before the height of summer descends!). And of course the NSW border was yet to be opened and much of the area is cleared farming land so we were a little limited in where we could go. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>However not to be beaten we set off to explore as much as possible. More anon .... </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_ab52_576b_dd94_84ce" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AmIm0YAU2PR3zXsOWmig4ogkTFlrt7eHcqF2ewqoWA1D-hK92yN6HGad-Ym0nhM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The Clack Clack caravan park was quite grassy with lots of trees. Good to be able to cook outdoors but a couple of days after we arrived we gradually became surrounded. And I mean totally surrounded by a group of five vans travelling together. They seemed to think it was ok to walk between their vans through our site. The park manager could have easily have found a spot for them to be together without us being in the middle! Poor planning on their part (we had booked well ahead and I’m sure the group had too). </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_e2ef_8d0_32e7_1ddc" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/mV5sOIDkYJSh9kaP2wqDSGA2pYJU5dzDbs1YUBOC0m1mTY7vdy_oifJSbmvqDtc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Depending on who you believe this is either Corryong or Nariel Creek depends. It was a raging torrent beside the caravan park. </p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-50888572601157660392020-12-24T18:15:00.001+11:002020-12-28T16:33:30.091+11:00November Smoked trout and capers on sour dough!<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">That heading is apropos of nothing at all except to say you can dress up any outing to make it enjoyable, a bit special.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">We set off quite a few days to explore back roads only to be thwarted by closures or very bad road conditions - but we always found something, a sun orchid or other treasure to make it worthwhile. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_ea7d_4292_628f_ce58" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/o0Lb2_fhPR9lClvIbFBfONP8WDj9PPdoq1ue1IjzuN5P0v6dsV6dcRjQCD87IXA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Glorious blue sun orchid. I love the shadows this flower casts; you get a tiny perspective of the 3D structure of its working parts. <br>We have also taken a number of walks not far from where we have been based; it’s amazing what you find in a country village and surrounds. It is simply a matter of seeing through new eyes or looking at the detail of what sometimes stares you in the face. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_9c93_9e36_21aa_1f22" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fsgyaZUXImpkRFSM5gHLBRi8_O_kcmugj_bifD-EbQWfSChjQkVFR7hcS63RfWc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Look into the heart of a rose or other flower - it’s like entering a different world. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_1309_818e_e574_9622" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/yhs62AdUOlFbZ13Bz4Mi6-onQqhP7XLf3vHD0EKn66lC13BBgEtQgWt29T9Fea8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>This little guy parked long enough for me to get close up (the next day a Bogong moth settled in the same spot - outside the ablutions block).The dragonfly has inhabited the earth for almost 300 million years; there are currently more than 5000 known species.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_2108_659f_20e_cbff" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JIwgX63hWxQZYkBgVn_j7C6zVwboqpK58wpR0oC0jQx_Qkr2ACCyfagiaulg8c4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_277d_4c1b_9e8f_d66e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vMeJFCNLs1HYPPgsK4h0kGajdjApBbuj9cN3zgTQKHM0WXW2nzMc3OsG5UvuWBk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b9e_a1c2_8262_8c52" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/lTtTKPgbB7fh0zZmdoUooO4yaZsIouzbi1cu-nv3UEWqI8F_i9t8OznoRyb68uY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Look at that face!<br><img id="id_cde0_5279_bec4_cd76" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/p1iDvlBMsZPTmICZFawD3oiWmF28TiIIPY1dcgW5VYwkIF36cZwP7t2kja4v8u4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>A common little flower but look at its simple amazing structure. All enhanced by the wee insect and raindrop. <br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Look closely at plants and see insects at work. Inhale the scent of fragrant herbs. Read the interpretative signs and story boards and so much opens up to you. For instance a river-side board told me that in Autumn the local aboriginal people of the Lower Snowy once notched the trunks of Black wattles. The resultant balls of gum that formed were eaten or dissolved in water with flower nectar to make a sweet drink. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_680e_8c2_2c1a_cea7" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/M8Yh9WuzqBlizNnaHyWJmb3Viswko-qtZ5-DGlvJz9TBWhJ9xoV1GKPIMKM1ZDc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br><font face="Arial">The Black Wattle trees weighed down with fragrant blossoms crowded the river bank.</font><br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_d328_5b9d_73a5_e2b2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FV2eZX-4eKNPdu6pVohpNsmf_ele7NPHaPZO3MXvG6gocEbx2bToRQFvNqtBaR8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">The river was covered in fallen blossoms</span><br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px;"><img id="id_ed21_85b3_e17f_d44c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/e7Tdz6T2P181-T_LCND_Lu1PCNU3WgsMXUfOEgDU9jglXhspgK8oIk18_VRDJTY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Our path was strewn with wee fluffy balls of powdery spent blossoms and the air was heavy with the delicate perfume of the Black Wattle.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">While we’re on the subject of nature’s wonders, did you know that although you rarely see them, our cute little echidnas occupy a greater range of habitats than perhaps any other Australian mammal. They are one of the oldest surviving mammalian species on earth (they evolved 20-50 million years ago). </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_42f3_4_812d_2812" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6Qnqlq4LurzT-twqJNdH8SnbWQsOyi4adio5RQDW6F6eEcz_kNfjXO-Mn_1Y5OQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">On a walk alongside the Snowy towards Marlo we learnt that the riparian (riverside) temperate rainforest zone of the lower Snowy was all but destroyed by clearing. It is now being restored by local communities.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><img id="id_8dba_29ae_c731_8557" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kDa-m3HAa456wmcpB7JjXKpZvp4rKpcxA4KDAcWoYCVwIqmxEYUNlIlEQ0btgGo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Imagine designing this.</span><font face="Arial"> It’s quite</font><span style="font-size: 17px;"> breathtaking. . </span><br><span style="font-size: 17px; width: 600px; height: auto;"><img id="id_979d_2ee9_b3e7_5083" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BAZa0psbTf-TKbS95cJzMkcVjQBlxv_H4-wTp4SDdl3LoxaKiaowjxFEYMIeDYA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"></span><br><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_b987_bcb1_5e18_529b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7rJ3VP_fCSuT6wKZWNCUNDOGN0SXG039tRNEj-3pDxWx7hB38PaJkK484BpyVc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>All exotics but all very beautiful. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">A couple of blocks from the Main Street of Orbost we discovered a delightful garden planted with all manner of plants designed specifically to offer a sensory experience - fragrance, texture, taste, colour to delight the senses and attract birds and insects. We harvested some herbs and a little chard for our table. Quite delightful. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">The garden was dedictaed to Grace Jennings Carmichael once a resident of east Gippsland. She was Victoria’s first aboriginal poet to publish a book of verse. She was considered a forerunner of the true poets of Australia. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_427a_6447_eb37_bb32" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qqoGlYYgSGPjRiFg39VeWBJm1_euJgcVI96hp2wG-NXqC4fuRBVL99J8XWcWXH0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>These plants, xanthorrhea, are commonly known as grass trees. They are ancient and believed to be one of the first flowering plants to have evolved. Taste the sweet droplets nectar of their strange wee flowers (seen in this pic); the birds and insects love it. It was once used as a sweetener by the aboriginal people. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_6e2c_263b_51e7_db53" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WeSEOmOCfHoOj9HKeH6bH2Y-kJ6a8a3JnXWfa02vdP4Snsqewu-CCE6ljTBKyAc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The silky soft bark of the paperbark tree was once used to wrap babies in. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_9d34_faaa_7c8e_bfe7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qAvHXHFzgu-3N4etzBye7rtHl8lRt0qf2v2k0gpe6f2YvoE42PRIwFnk7dsuWO4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>The stamen of the Thelionema caespitosum - tufted blue lily, wave enticing flags to passing insects but it’s the colour which first heralds a feed. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_4890_8739_ab8e_bd54" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/05v_EIFBHNBjITOy1Wsh7n1POm8f8DPQru1ucbryaRrQlCRF5VPk1xxxVNIBONM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>These are grass stamen. See the similarities? People often claim that grasses do not flower. Wrong! They lack pretty coloured petals because they do not need to attract insects, they are wind pollinated.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_902c_bd2c_d022_828d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p6jl5KGza_Avo6Azabs1M3uhsUkmp2E9hqorbCaQJ16OJ5SVXaVIPO3daOmc8Sg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;"><br>Narrow duckweed, <i>Wolffia angusta</i>, on the billabong near the caravan park in Orbost. Incidentally ‘billabong’ is an aboriginal word meaning ‘dead river’. This rare plant is the world’s smallest flowering plant; its upper surface is less than 1mm. It floats on the water surface and has no roots. It has been found at only 2 other sites in Victoria: Newmerella just a few Km away and Camperdown in western Victoria. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">It’s an amazing world we live in. Open your eyes and drink it in. Please. </p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-84251728817790659682020-11-24T10:58:00.001+11:002020-11-24T17:32:30.181+11:00November 10 Snowy estuary revisited - the other half <div><img id="id_94eb_2c8c_111c_71df" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/F7UKE6PrsOsjtoQzFyBVjP4GBTXVTIABhsH1tDLeo3A_YLNU9ea1wMTAi9yUsvk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Under deep cerulean skies! We finished walking the estuary of the Snowy. What a delicious day it was - sun and sand, lapping water and ocean breezes albeit strengthening as the hours wore on. It was low tide so the vista was totally different to the first half of our walk four days earlier. </span></div><div><img id="id_7a12_365e_5b19_eff0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/05Grj2tLP8hFCQgwCiLtcZUtnijavMfbh623tBbGlk1wBNMAPMGUS8384wtux5o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><font face="Arial">Mud map of the estuary walk</font><br><img id="id_5eb_c0b_6b85_8e68" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9u70nih6MLbMj-W-tb9-6qoXRg12gPYtZNwhegeIsfvEu3PFQaS-FVoF1-ZJWtA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">On these two walks we’ve passed through banksia woodlands, salt marsh and critically-endangered littoral rainforest. It’s a precious and fragile environment as is the snowy itself. Since the 1990s the flow and health of the river has been the subject of an intense environmental and political debate. Such a mighty river - we need to protect it. </span></div><div><img id="id_d0be_152d_b34e_64ba" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/8HSps2-Attmz22K4DR3ZQiM-DgfseqqpM3nvG4ISACvTPVtnEqxri2j3uxfpc5s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>What goes down! But we had to get down off the escarpment. <br><img id="id_a1e8_8a32_f78c_26a3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/avcOomT9Qh2ExpsB5NEx2o2g70wr8Pl0JkUbMm-FSj4p1nUWVYE7tnRBBmgFyro" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Across French’s Narrows <br><img id="id_d68a_987d_4a71_f5f1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GOZg-vUceiSkU_JhrQrO5FpuS5NVp24d_dm2VlM5IdkWZWd3QSvqkus7CVj2c0I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6f77_510e_9736_f090" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1_x8qQVl4rmqCse05TR_oohTlt76tEVGcTSpoWbO4g_6pnMdoczBFsAn6voMRks" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Tall sand dunes protected the backwater of the estuary from the wild Ninety Mile beach. They are vegetated with saltbush, spinifex and pig face. <br><img id="id_5549_41d5_e99e_dae4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eSl8FnQo6umiGKWUqEkB3fqIp3A29DwuBwEGZ306UBOrioBeD1OJ2AMq46Vu6t8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Ninety Mile beach on the left and the estuary on the right. <br><img id="id_88d8_5700_1024_76c7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fh1XF0wzvmn5A5HmoXQf0lDwy2VkErGIVlWw1EJCgn9vgjAUd2lUGr5lqJ3Q9JU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This Banksia man opened one eye as I passed to check out the intruder. <br><img id="id_d04_b5ec_3bad_14a5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_mjkB6EsWM3LekZjFU-MsU-Tu6n-0v-DhnXbZAidohK99Z4hJao0v_XNrCQtgjs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Part of the walk is boardwalk, other parts are mattingover sand and the rest was bush or beach<br><img id="id_e166_aea_c8dd_4643" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DPODyNJcuLXB9_jh_z9XEjYywDIYOqeE0YEKdc7hGMUsHTKpEfgK-GdnTJrF77Q" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Lots of pretty creatures accompanied us on our walk <br><img id="id_420b_fe39_7a1c_a362" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SRJSK4ur1YLmZuaz8az1CrnexQjPj3x2SMx0-o0LdtBEMLjH3awser8kET1yNq4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Myoporum acuminatum, commonly known by a number of names including mangrove boobialla. It’s one of the figwort family and is endemic to eastern Australia. </p><img id="id_47c7_34dd_d311_134f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XvtbwETnD-f4QYerDLl6ZR4bAVOPwlO2iFemLuYeRCBhKJjR7sz1ljxw1LQ5288" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>A heath plant of some species I think<br><img id="id_84d2_1b3a_879f_f408" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/IapJynqOO4f0iGFPNIQ4kuP4hg5rECE59WyIGxDbNRvPaRxf6WoypRfdUSqKjUE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We squelched along the sand to capture as much breeze as possible. Glorious days but getting hotter. <br><img id="id_9224_3c5d_277b_d8b1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pcT9bX1AO9vw6U-QIwSEi4RM7tqn-jYf-vH18Z9Flgs_qI3PKdkcEZU8pWB8efU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This opposite the mouth of the Snowy was our turning point on both walks - last time the water was lapping at this tree. <br><img id="id_7580_bc1c_9ad5_4a9d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/URaUxG6ISM74VHta9SgSjOISf93mu2u399Vrty-0y7R2yibQ7p8n9arm_XUYJls" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>I spotted this poking out of the samphire. It looked very bamboo-like. I imagine at this tender age it would be edible. <br><img id="id_eae4_e6c3_af48_31fd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jSEEhs9FDW9lJyOs3CSsWW30oJRX52I-UBHzfgNGCR5Zn5pHDMd2sc2Xk1nbcuE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>An Oyster Catcher looking for tasty morsels where last time this was all under water. <br><img id="id_a421_a0ce_2906_b59f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NODXcBjqjm_6GwFVlOSDRvxvbGJy9DuttUU0hq-6JM_Y4xp7X0YK0asD2qfK5-s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>A cute beach cubby<br><img id="id_1699_f609_131d_a4f6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KbUFYLLAQgrcNKA5S8WM_Lv3-ycqJxtHmsvlN7-e3mILOVaANzXHZFRLRJ9E5Hk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Pretty native geranium<br><img id="id_d39c_b4c4_f50a_d6d3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/skLNtAppufzSoJ78ftSbRfo5EY4zBuO77zkVO9_DGhGw7gI0bR5CMExYHT5e158" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We saw lots of flowers mostly small as they have to withstand strong salt winds. Native geraniums, wee pale-green bells of the appleberry, coast beard-heath. And this is dainty pinks of sea rocket.</div><div><img id="id_9e43_370_7f98_b9fe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vtfWz_cZ4DMrN7hwu1Bd1sKSIyl_nBiqYLVEH9_8yY7SI5QmOLNw4dEIL4wYNTk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Marshy edges were interest places to scan for plants and insects and other creatures<br></span><img id="id_28fb_9852_78c_2250" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AezFSpEiVqxznEmAoTYlhoSfF9tOSF89ILCovA41vQ8_5SUOLE0APOgoGzqJCJE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We saw a few bright pink trigger plants along the track on our way back to the car (we return via the track rather than on the sand as we were a little weary. <br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We’ve tasted the merest pinch of its wild and remote journey from the slopes of Mt Kosciuszko to where it empties into the sea. Through gorges, churning rapids and broad confluences with other rivers and creeks which join its headlong rush to the sea. It’s a might river. </span></div><div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br></span></p></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-79053482539230337142020-11-24T10:36:00.001+11:002020-11-24T10:49:11.661+11:00November 8 A wonder-filled, gorgeous, gorge-full day! <p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">It was indeed a day of gorges cut through the landscape by either the Snowy or one of its tributaries. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_241f_9eed_b46c_bb74" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hZf5b0SHgKMTBf9Iggr1fmxA_mOSE3v2Gyk__3I0Z3eCgycFohPFrh07_waJvaQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e2fe_72d9_70c9_9916" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/03ezfgQMWfsY2zrmehtxYuC9PCtZSv8nZT9THBwJIaWzYTe1CGjatfkEdb4f3Kw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7be9_d817_574e_8a96" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/O6BwGFx7OfZKDwfTq4zk5WYBKpqfWlcVSLUzj-UC6oS2oYIth5yiYygYZVv32A0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>First we made a chance stop along the road when we spotted W-Tree Falls off to the left. We climbed over the safety railing and walked to the falls for a look see and I was soon looking for Streaked Rock-orchids. We searched around rocks and boulders but nary a one did we find but we did see other lovelies - leathery ferns and Violet Daisy bush. We were in the Mount Dawson-Plum Gully warm temperate rainforest. Quite lovely. The W-Tree creek - yes that is its name, flows into the Buchan River and eventually reaches the Snowy. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Further upstream we pulled off the road to walk to the Tulloch Ard lookout (fascinating name which I think means the high hillock and evidently was the Clan MacKenzie's war cry and slogan). This overlooking the Snowy and in the Snowy River National Park. The NP is awe inspiring encompassing some of Victoria’s most rugged and remote country. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_6d57_56c6_563c_2268" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ETbHYOuSJSJt_vr6R91H9GztLn_ELwaUNRbdmCamujEYsw6do6FiCdM7ajZGJe8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Mountain Grey Gums, Messmates, pepper gum, wattles, bush pea, ferns and vines as you descend to the Tulloch Ard lookout</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_43cb_4e41_5ae9_7ae5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/voBu8ts16rIKzzKhMrUc3UVIPrt-89355aVbdDEQHseW7NP3x2yFg15wFwDUtq8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This mammoth tree is showing healthy regrowth. <br><img id="id_1b3a_291d_68d0_def0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iypN6oKAqIsFvGXO6NrTXpGF297rl0i_kajf6_eoMmFsmbnLnRWA3YZRHoTGQNo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">On the lower slopes where it is more exposed to drying winds and sun, Red and White Stringy barks, Silvertop Ash. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_a701_97fc_b3_d26a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Va144wHTpEf65y3TaXII9zEOPMDzebiVLnj-W7c0wMBD_O7YwwVAp9LNpemEvkY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The view of the river valley was breathtaking <br><img id="id_3372_19f0_cc9_a635" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nMOozLHt6d9p81fZyGaHClJS4gmqepAiX_8UGAKeZpPkCXfv7phLcEYGVTbP8NM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Burnt out forest on the other side of the valley</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_c86f_7db3_ab10_5a89" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lTQ5_01zditlAiams-0Zcop_-Iyo7v7_tWatqRoVzIiXq8WWqRbCVb3UjtWcs1U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>A steepish track took us down to a absolutely stupendous view - that’s right ‘down’ then we had to walk back UP! But we were ‘up’ for it - but only just. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_71e6_32e0_bb22_65fa" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tfGkuXPT6BU0mc2ARI7zzYdv1jg9swTyAxYqiqeAtwLl6Nn2N5P1JbfNMNDNo2M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Sticky hops bush<br><img id="id_25ec_4ddc_487f_37ca" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8zzKJjcI-BuHULAdlyuefYcDEnOK7y0rGQjV_twMoA_KZWsk8SDJhhzQgfmkr8A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Sweet mauve daisies nodded as we passed by on the track <br><img id="id_f55c_31c0_dc2_3994" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KE6qRn5ddsQ3obzHPYhfKFIzB3rEByMm-xGsKCI-Bgmg_Ta6SQOQNbHeUgWNUic" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>I love the myriad colours of the new growth <br><img id="id_3431_6dcd_de84_c50e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/eb_htJ-SQ4XknTgTpwbQqLhik3WhhnBhEVMV6bLGapsOFlG3L1-SGXMgLEOPy7I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>These stems were the most beautiful shade of mauve<br><img id="id_ce2a_c4d_168f_d3aa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/m80k1Suoczn4wVYaTbfliQVSM7sBGt_eMLEKOUfiJgDxn659m-CGjQjK-MnC6xo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We heard a Rufus Whistler somewhere in the trees and called it closer by playing its call on my bird app (that’s been a real boon) curious little fellow (Lindsay’s pic)<br><img id="id_f0fd_8703_f696_4db0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/j-IJeTFbK-F9CvTq2OHwyFcYY4P8LSnV9O16Y9I6TSTl-OlhXML_jV347HligZE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Somewhat desiccated fungi growing on wombat poo. <br><img id="id_7d48_13b4_e710_6807" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bE2yftok50k8femcRQzaA2aca814sU5koM1b994qGkgc-tZfhmzkgTP1h1MGEh8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">This blob is a Tubifera ferrugino slime mould and was growing on a burnt out tree stump. May not be pretty but everything has a purpose on the forest. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_e9af_7108_52aa_f9ee" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uT-ZmE-JOpiwl0zY3pTRatvL_mIj3x7_jBs0VOM1L_G7woTR7dL39Cb85wg7XfE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>A short walk close by took us to an old Mountain Grey Gum which was a giant - you can just see Lindsay’s head at the bottom of the pic. But then it was back in the car to go further upstream to Little River Falls and Gorge, the deepest in Victoria. Tributaries like Little River, and Suggan Buggan, drop over the hard volcanic rock cliffs creating magnificent waterfalls and deep gorges. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_4c14_18e4_82db_3ee9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tARvGzWGLPwnqkXTbHFLmI7lf4wf9ivL5BABJe7Ya-JyTjl62CK11EZCk1TsRHM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Little River falls were huge and thunderous <br><img id="id_689c_fbd1_b40f_7dbb" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Qk_DcEK3euN5BswMlfInfUsrLI2nRTz4ixavBL80mVqBhdxDM7JejaUZny7hPlI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Little River Gorge. After a steep descent - again! We came upon this view. It was breathtaking. The gorge is 4km long and is up to 500m deep. On the right of the pic you can see where Wulgulmerang Creek plunges 300m down the gorge wall.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_4971_706a_4e7_1116" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LH8p9O_55yAw3P4hu58o8Sj1dwB3rv6ADKIVAnin0yW-DYu_fwzYtG8x8_DUkl8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Some 400 million years ago when Australia was still part of Gondwana, this area saw intense and explosive volcanic activity. The plateau you can see above the gorge is thought to be part of an ancient plain which was uplifted when Australia and Antarctica separated.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_951c_787b_9201_1413" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FrH2_Wu02KSXPtY8yItUeJqKDOTHPxBC4OoDCvY_HeGuSwWOKWdVpbcpka3j97o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Steep drop!<br><img id="id_4b17_2494_ca41_2456" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9tsXxUwNm-LbLH-RkMLwpo2CB8w1CaohkCt3wlp62Hi0SmrGm5ChB0307vyOumw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6c13_cda2_e6e_8b37" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2zRsw1DjKesdYkhvQgts0K12smr23StBlDxhK76XIry-mM9ajtImcHRn9TMduRQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Suggan Buggan mallee clinging to rock face as do some pretty flowers.</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_1946_25f5_748d_81f3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zRMyTHpQ19gewqWCR9RL1HqQ6QqiEJSzCCc2dc3Mnc1JicwIZQhuYl4sYXayc0I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;">We have explored as many spots as we could actually get to along this mighty river which travels ~400 Km from the slopes of Mt Kosciusko to the sea at Marlo. Through gorges, churning rapids, places around Buchan where it has carved great caves and chambers in the rock, a place where there is evidence of human occupation dating back 20-30,000 years. We have seen wider, sometimes lazy places where other rivers and creeks join the Snowy on its way to the sea or meandered in long lazy loops. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">The places we have been are: MacKillops Bridge, Little River gorge and falls, Raymond Creek Falls (when I took my own fall - eek, fortunately with no permanent damage), Balley Hooley, Woods Point, and of course a number of points closer to the estuary. Sadly not for want of trying we couldn’t get in to Long Point, Basin Creek Falls. Managed to wander a little at Ash Saddle but couldn’t make it to Betts Creek where the creek join the Snowy. We didn’t do badly for all that. </span></p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-20654572851292419822020-11-24T09:57:00.001+11:002020-11-24T10:14:50.849+11:00November 6 Marlo - mouth of the Snowy River <div><img id="id_9eb8_9e4b_74e_407f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0lYUYGdhgU6KjLTOKTLoBfNWmvLf_d4GX2lbUJCOMeqt_ABXdaWRlZyUWwUIub4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We have been exploring the mighty Snowy River “where the gorges deep and black ...</span></div><div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">resound to the thunder of their tread” (horses not ours! thanks Banjo but more of that later), and its extensive estuary. First on its western aspect at Corringle where we walked the waters edge until we could find no footholds and could go no further. In the photo above Marlo is nestled across the water. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">A little way inland we passed its huge drainage lake, Lake Wat Wat (Corringle) into which Ewing Morass, a short way along the coast to the west, drains. The whole of the coastal area down here seems to be swamps and lakes where it isn’t sand dunes and rocky promontories. But I wanted to tell you about exploring closer to the mouth of the Snowy to the east. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_b6ee_9af2_e47b_af14" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MbOofqAyPKbIAEGGNoHTmqXu6P0qOyaF2MY0wwqmqyqljwCcV0r186sTXM8I2FU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We’d just walked onto the beach from a track winding through the rainforest. <br><img id="id_b6c1_bf66_aea_1001" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8F4AtFaabEpftmw-8DF5ilRKRpI91yuqIXTMWdZnJKmRAj_UXtFDu5HbSLz7KEw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The so -called track was very narrow. <br><img id="id_25da_4ce1_85d0_7e8" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RVLPVXpofAGkjsH_ckzw4YlHkSSj2SBsFMKWLEfPU7D7F_KGGJ1o7fjtTrZf5BI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Someone had left the Skelton of a beach cubby made from logs washed down the river. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_9803_89d6_5514_1b3e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_s8LuNKkYSGQI4mpq1FaL3bYVDhWc-Jd3933EhI4HTyM62AYi8Aphz_VD8Q8dTo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Must have been Mermaids washing day!<br><img id="id_d763_98e4_b429_e0bc" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gzcGvbMas_qRyHBM4ojOVXXAXfgbr1havcWHNaSakaeXmnajrUs-7N2rFufTWnU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Some days later we headed to Marlo to walk part of the 10km estuary walk. I loved this walk because most of it was along the very edge of the water. When I say the very edge I mean no more than half to one metre sand strip on a rising tide! Yikes - we had to retrace our steps later on that rising tide. But hey it’s only water. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_2449_c308_14f_9e30" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/S-O_2JBFFhSC2bcCG8t55qbCtOx7FQWY9rqVt2-5SmZRI7rBccz6IzUot_L4D3M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Huge logs lined the shore of the river <br><img id="id_72ce_fca4_a5ef_193f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/brZ34Yed0cHD8y6jWPbou_NPKih5-7rDOu2pAm85khbdX7IIlFRiKcmojK7SnYg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Pied oyster catchers<br><img id="id_ec06_8959_8203_f81a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sbfTrsSXrXJrnBb-WLi5Vr0jt6kUU7yM0GIu1z2PjGjUCB8HAI8gxSA6RE5iQr4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f29c_6792_f07a_6894" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/L3ml6djgVWD0hTCktU8lAjXujBNj2d5mg0v_NoORfW3ULjZ5qtqlsNvVPkQkL54" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We walked as far as that next point but then it was pretty much all water<br><img id="id_877c_fcc_ec41_d326" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AZ5vYXvML7blwoLm-kgeHyqJvAv4pCTz9LQxehy74duqUikiWbFzFq8NX99Ipsg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The mouth of the river. <br></span><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Silence except for lapping water and the occasional call of the Pied Oyster Catchers and terns and not far off the thunderous roar of the sea on Ninety Mile Beach beating back on the Snowy as it forced its wedge of salty water upstream on the tide. Here the river is held back somewhat by large sand dunes but there’s no stemming the tides. Bass and grayling depend on this mix of salty and fresh water to reproduce. Ah the cleverly wrought balance of nature!</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_ccb9_d8ed_706c_8f29" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eHOnsWzaKujq0WymnfUhSrQsh8MNmpINXEi7C0vDZzgmTLVo-Y5tUeSaP1HrBQ4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>You could see the action of the tide in whirls of foam. <br><img id="id_cbd2_a85_a62_a605" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qpDEQYFIuMlfv1wJy-ALW_s3l9FSqxcHIzmYEj0mn7YZNzLvJY0Hy5HvjjQj6iw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We were heading to get around that rocky headland with hopes that there would be a little dry strip <br><img id="id_743_2d5_fac9_745c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pIzs_szXxc_-SEooLSDNSVp6ppibZh7bDUQsHXJJnhXu8GdkE7i5qUSXmGEDmJI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;">Time and tide convinced us to turn back eventually and we retraced our steps westward until it almost became a matter of taking a swim. Seriously we were wading in water, climbing through tree trunks and roots, and through reeds. Rather an adventure at times. A solitary fisherman (actually turned out to be two) looked at us mouth agape as we squelched through a reedy patch. He’d watched our progress through the tangled shore and said ‘that was a bit of an adventure’ - probably thought we were mad. With another rocky promontory looming ahead we fortunately found some steps up off the beach and back into the rainforest that clings precariously to the coast. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_f35a_9b61_23d_64a7" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4nlMSbJOgjb2DBa8yNPX4PZFtEMHYAUFKJVdPtHmBjA6AsaoIJYsMq3M1rl44jI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_feed_cb4f_fc44_e49d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/h9OWZg0LE-UJ7D46EDHQdW8SXFHq3NY9wLF5Oqf1LzMahLkBjBzizsl46Y6mjdQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This patch of rainforest is the southern part of a littoral rainforest that hems the east coast of Australia right up to Cape York. This southern patch is critically endangered; for heavens sake can we please hang on to the vestiges of our precious flora! From there it was only about 200m to the beast - and food!</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">It had been a magical few hours and were going back there again in a few days to tackle the walk from French’s Narrows. </span></p></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-18766426626075739772020-11-07T16:05:00.001+11:002020-11-07T16:20:29.041+11:00October 28 - Den of Nargun<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">These three words and my curiosity was piqued; I wanted to see this place to know more. Buried deep in the Mitchell River National Park via Iguana Creek along the Woolshed creek there is a sacred place, a magical place in Brayakooloong country. The Den of Nargun. Getting to this special place was basically straight down the side of the gorge and then along Woolshed Creek. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_915f_3e66_2b7f_377f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RMr3-mJEI97_wGPkldecD2SWwjde2MHqcxwgR6-qjrs4rD_i5uHXrqtwRP9pGvk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_646_7902_ecd4_a004" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hjoEY_px5I03BhY3vLhK8I-kQEOrJzE688f6-l0bV1ggXdu3ccVX8Wc2HY7_mSM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>It was quite a precipitous track down to the valley. Lindsay was my fall guy as always.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_71e8_c6cb_5501_f850" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NlTMw5UX4f8Ru2VYnIMpsthkWFsi1hsbYj6Jz-x1ifFR45ClM-4jNQS9EwZta_o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Tradition has it that the Nargun lives there - a fierce being half human, half stone. The Nargun was feared because it took children who visited the rock pool. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_c467_b752_b658_87cb" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/agO6erCK_jP-SKEUpupb-ls-kXRRe75lFy_l1Ht8Tk7nwGT6j2IgazXpK2vQdrc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The forest and creek floor green and shady with blankets of moss and lots of birds.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_583f_e0f8_4787_2405" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Y49V79si2XMmx2yqlimzcztGAXv7CQDkC22Vt2gd42QEjrarrAtIWhN4WZzmMHc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Start of the track to the Den</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_6150_4076_bddb_42e2" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Pi8YCDkIrgz13rLW6liV3aua7u1RVsS3k9jH8JE3hHaW7XWCiK-Gl6Xs975wz8U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>It was pretty hairy in places - most places!<br><img id="id_fe52_7fb1_b5bb_53ad" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/or_RnefAzsFeF8C0y2ABZq6pb9A8XTnUwXWrlIjiEAi1zFILc0j9N84pNGr7aKc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>One slip and it would have been a slow haul back to help!</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_d720_4a33_e2f4_36fd" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rMkiW4qBq07k1n2uyAjDCtZITOAIO_SqAB2mjbkX1pxF0NWO426jXPN-1eI28DI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The Den, a cave under a rock overhang, was once rimmed with stalactites but sadly visitors over the years have broken most of them. This is traditionally a place only for Gunnai/Kurnai women, the men were not allowed down to the Den of Nargun or indeed to the Den of Dedcock further downstream nor were they allowed to what is known today as Woolshed Creek and that traditional law is still respected. It was a memorable place - and Lindsay saw his first pink robin so was smiling all the way back over the rocks.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_1d32_3d89_952b_da8" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SXT9xP9f8NuwokIxqWSPRv79nSCW27LTiR-B3svn4el4VjFGtM3JxxiU2Rutq14" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b03d_b157_70d8_df15" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5vcyZzXsDROan5nK81ynDTBJqXS6YPf7tsXl3lJBymidqalqXPwzA4k7B2RJnqY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>It was difficult finding the path at times</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_a25e_c63b_7f20_51c0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WWSpgfAuDoDqrCh8jWrOwOPSUyvxyowX7dNyE3QPZaIp2Kj8LrsRao94YSsM080" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>After a rather magical visit to the Den of Nargun we wandered down stream through the lush rainforest growth of the gully encountering more gentle waterfalls until we came to a track back upstream to visit the Den of Dedcock. This also was a sacred place for the Gunnai/Kurnai women. Much of the knowledge of how the aboriginal people of the area lived is held by the women elders and is of great significance to their cultural beliefs and values. I felt like I was intruding into something ancient and previous. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_5bd7_b9e1_29d2_62aa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BUKpoacCgU9cEQGUw5J_1ZKy2OgWxQw5rgFR6qwE0EJeKb6nrXR6jcAFop2i8zs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We had to walk out over this rock shelf to get to the next bit of track. Wouldn’t have been possible if the creek had been in flood.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_c0a1_223c_9fb1_7fd8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FO_AkeS_BhDbiIgjjgmpPAPG2YFfIQapqqgszRU-ayX2kbDDSQumGlFNF42hKPQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>That’s the track on the left. Once we got there we understood why the railing was necessary!</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_12da_9b26_11b6_5043" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yr3vUdfDHJIMHkLrlW2GnKXYgvATJFcEF3neSL3isPyXlUMbt4rDVO1sShq9RXA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>At least there are steps! And proper railing. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_29bb_7a5_d7c2_4884" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jVZt_1R8mcM7MuiklJjZYNOjSn-3NaP4DYHAwH6AA4vd3jJlN5E-uR8euDZ5T_s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We crossed this creek three times.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_70ed_bc1_6dfa_cd5a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pb6eFK65DxWwMrikkhvXcv6bOPiBVQxjLVLjYWrTpx2tZWheycdbfNaAeXWMI8c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The Den of Dedcock. Much of the knowledge of how the aboriginal people of the area lived is held by the women elders and is of great significance to their cultural beliefs and values. I felt like I was intruding into something ancient and precious - I said many silent thank yous.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_b96_6bd_8a90_6a93" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/g1boVbLY00butFGsLswWm7RenfjMWatMOBF_ZcNWOj03AIAdad9vRDnxvlfH9NI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The gully is a warm temperate rainforest and almost the southernmost of this forest type in the world. It is crowded with ferns and mosses, Kanooka (water gum), lianes and vines, Lilly-pilly and blue olive-berry trees. This lush habitat survives because the walls of the gorge shelter the plants from drying winds and fire. We were aiming for somewhere left of the top of that rock wall in the pic. Be still my heart!</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Dry rainforest which includes Kurrajong trees, covers the walls of the gorge and the ground is scattered with seed pods. Mitchell River is the western most limit of the Kurrajong trees in Victoria. </span>The Mitchell river with its mouth at Paynesville, is Heritage listed. It’s a gorgeous place to visit. </p><img id="id_a96_e986_f150_9e73" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wI82nKfcUwzU6PuMJxFkURZ_iJsrOjobed2R1kb2FICW0_58T4c3rm5ReG-n-a0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>A school camp group rafting their way downstream through the white water. What fun!<br><div><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">We of course had to climb back out of the gorge if we were to reach our trusty stead - and more food! Fortunately the ascent was a gentler climb than going down! </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_58da_3b09_1be_f94e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FzlbiHV1nuJxUw2-UC2SXUpgWYwAe1uvikCclZMDt778qhUODPdj5XZFr8JaNjM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ba5c_8979_e901_b25c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/v_OtyBNs0-5Gb-EV4pixku6dmzJqnNrV2hfGe2LToJJslELR9MaFlckCNeKhpIc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1516_df49_494d_1be" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_GQJyPRRXb3UeEX1F3Q7mIfnJ8vt6300k5avb0LfEAVtysB8HvP752neaVrfGxM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>On the way back to the car park we had to hang over the safety railing on the Bluff - it was awe inspiring and somewhat scary peering down to the river so far below. But we were feeling pretty chuffed that we made it, well I definitely was!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_67d7_ef31_409f_60bf" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZJYEwnpQSSk5pvuTfMD7LakKh3PIm9Jx_PXxSSD9FSGhbmc40U59aCE_8pUQc5I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Zoom in to see the Bataluk Cultural trail. It follows significant traditional routes used by the GunnaiKurnai people to travel over their land for over 30,000 years after Borun (the pelican) and Tuk (the musk duck) created the people (see earlier post or <a href="http://hwheat8.blogspot.com/2020/08/gunaikurnai.html?m=0">http://hwheat8.blogspot.com/2020/08/gunaikurnai.html</a>). The backbone of the network of trails and trading routes is today the South Gippsland Highway and Princes Highway. Slowly we learn a little about the heritage of our land - it is quite captivating for me. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">We finished the day with a drive to the sleepy hamlet of Dargo. A magical day. </span></p> </div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-26212653612952740422020-11-07T14:05:00.001+11:002020-11-07T14:41:21.822+11:00October 26 Lakes Entrance Walk<p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_c0a5_3c86_2140_7b3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YqWKvb05JX-9HHnaPBD_8ZX-QE3HNgO5TukghtE6BMqND2ZEFUhC12TDBKIYe_I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">A slightly bigger</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> walk than we expected but isn’t that always the way! We were taking the Entrance to the Lakes walk, 5km return. A highlight of the walk was seeing porpoises surfing at the Entrance but I get ahead of myself. Cross the Cunningham Arm and disappear into coastal bush and sand dunes and then keep going to you reach the Entrance. East peasy. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_cb76_b35e_3b2f_1b93" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Q9orphTvr4mmV-b__3_gEvhp_EBnBtZJczx2TokZQUvaPFbg1xwjAT4oOa5f-ek" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_eebe_35ea_edd3_9378" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xg0vgAglWb05Y96EVrckAGnP2vEtFxraN3dEvGbaEYrhrjs9ZYZW907AWJY6MTg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b89f_eed2_9a25_4767" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZBJEcCD_C7kxBEKHIS5ekbNoUgNJ3O2bU7Yqa_SM6SC5bSSPNE2vLa4UwCq4e3c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>At various points there were short tracks to the inlet with views over tidal flats. <br><img id="id_fad5_c797_7d96_5950" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kU228Zd0bby1UWAKeatFEv6o7ViM0wo8w2_6dXkRTISoBrE47SvrFaIQoZou7uQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px;">The track was well defined but it was hard slog at times walking mostly through sand and it drizzled off and on. On the other side of the sand dunes we could hear the thundering of surf on Ninety Mile Beach a possible return route. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Of course along the way we had to stop and inspect a flower, a plant or insect. Par for the course!</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_9bce_236b_e60c_5cc4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jLRW6PuV-IAchyToduj0tChHVM3Rpix8b6ZdCNJHMsgHXsDO81HWEvXJfdH3Wcc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3e10_993_f5ce_b0a3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/iHp5h6WmV_CuC3mtcvYlYwpgNKzm6Qw5hxw6xM0vMjBDRzSYnz0gCpZ9WRGev6c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1f23_8c5b_2b2b_a4b1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TzzhFdxnW2LY6meTp726HqznVTO1hljsiXcouz5jEbOT6iybO_LDYb4unrPXtgw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2c2f_e3fc_8f72_c7aa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/F3FqXIEtC2jf3e-1BPTazJC2M6Kfv4II19L23SSvlzMc2SmS1bSVghsvnNYji8w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Gorgeous thing that stopped hovering for just long enough for me to snap off a stream of pix. Thank you iPhone for being so quick. <br><img id="id_85b7_833e_d801_b543" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KN5g3KIx8bBGNT3PAX9ZsKKWXjAeWfDbpShRO2fW7pUee8cANshKf1mPgzI6CcY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b442_b0f_58c6_3b01" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SBhQdpbrba62EkQJTbg5FY5UDcCY_pZRQmi7IlSM03jGLseP7cZDpZx71TVq00k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>A wasp gall. There just might have been a tasty grub in there. Good bush tucker!<br><img id="id_c87f_3990_86b5_29cb" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AUy8E6WOlcFtR3KhY0OpatDOnbpXnwep5mFbqtdW-6NgyBTliZAgF3mdH-LruWk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Fascinating seed pod on this acacia. <br><img id="id_ac8e_f7b9_6382_4a27" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UE5oFzq0nw2VgRsDH2--GgiL4l16e9PJpceFlz7QANF_Zx_z_4Oljnv8k1TEVWM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The original Entrance was constructed in the 1880s to provide a permanent opening between sea and lakes. Prior to that the entrance was closed except have heavy flooding. Cottages and building are scattered near the entrance and today forms the New Works Historic precinct. These housed the construction workers, their family and construction buildings and even had a school.</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_966a_3327_fb30_6730" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tpPgey-wsPB46J0DfVKAl6JZyxBIb1otp4FeEtzEUhlVLbbztdbzjhs-Pqp1wOw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We stopped for lunch at the Flagstaff which was built in 1889. The pilot station used a unique system of painted wicker baskets to aid shipping navigation; different shapes, sizes, colours and sequences indicated water depth over the bar, tide direction etc (surprised I didn’t get a pic of that).</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span>We rested for a spell and watched the sea and flow of water through the Canal. All of a sudden Lindsay spotted porpoises with his binoculars. It was a real joy watching them surfing the waves in through the Entrance. They would surf a wave and then go back to catch another leaping into the air with such exuberance you just had to laugh. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_546a_5430_51c2_9c9c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HM3K4RY1QLof15Lt0nHjXZSiLYyCvAGA3gFOdubo2_bbr4qPVzaOvQlfAOloYQw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>These porpoises are very special; they part of a small population of the rare and endangered Burrunan dolphins identified in 2011. They live in the mix of salt and fresh water of the Gippsland lakes and there is supposed to be a small population </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">living in Port Phillip Bay. </span></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_c4ae_9dd_219d_796e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pi4zKUL9UzNMF83T7cMSI7LBcvua3O6RzMiGY02LNoeGXewPqNIChY51d9I4gU8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Approaching rain got us back on the track. The tide was high so we opted to return along the shore of Cunningham Arm for as far as we could get through. We made it the entire way back to the bridge walking along the water’s edge. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_ae60_b0db_2435_1dce" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AoBs0JIOibLku1e4vv5n2VOXh9F8klzMgAM0wJo63SKPlRePczKUka19G4ZxeFc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We managed to stay out of the water but it got a bit swishy at times. <br><img id="id_fdb7_dc42_37c2_a571" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YQ6bF82dlu94K2ynGv0dAfTg5dNar2AiFvVFH4_3sEDDD7seJHoGEzI9UJxQy8U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This family of Black swans swam along side us part of the way. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Our return journey home took us exploring around Lake Tyres. Extensive and tranquil - at this time of year. <br></p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_556_a48d_28e2_83e4" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UvZY0PfvUBG-VCoRlgpdsZUVC2IsuSBFAl2gBo5P0dRxEk6h9HAclbqF9P8_xt0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f3e8_607b_7caa_c1bb" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2gVA1yRAniaj-BsMxaAH4DQWpMNW_mPynMy0yq9Evr3hYp4XN8Ui6tprZLqw89Q" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_db21_69a3_552_f62b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/cH7LAA3pGbbZpH0RAxSTfTCgrD7FjwE3t-iATgl12mUQrgZOw_3vVkBNd42eC_A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Over the sandbar the surf roared but all was calm here. </p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We ventured down a few rough bush roads tracing around Lake Tyres and inlets. Flowers greeted us along the way. Quite lovely. </p><img id="id_8fb5_9448_fd3d_a95b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vKlsFjX8ScfIMvfRasyhmxYBjzoFCbv89Cmh6c1Lu_65Rm2m97uKQpcvo-b2JG4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We promised to return to do this walk if we had time - later.<br><img id="id_74eb_fb05_e848_1248" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/j5q4eZD3BA9meXCixgoyX9ZlWA15b2Sfo9yaJqlzOW27J5K8YV_Tp3HkXVhkOVE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1fc5_eab7_ab07_ae26" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Zu_1VXGM4dE4X08c4gyt6unOntIrVYrWbdXCL0i7K7z1pAq6JIexBZtrGqNNYEQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_457d_7ddc_d69_3d0f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sqydgeT1ccV4ma8VrQQvfJSXOcI1QyfpIJvAW0moOHR2nnKxEHCc9YWyCIrOxx8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Aptly named!<br><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> <br><br></p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-54141376798828017012020-11-07T11:56:00.001+11:002020-11-07T11:56:53.727+11:00October 22 and 24 Flowers galore plus!<font face="Arial">Here are just a few of the lovely things that have caught our eyes and imagination. Browse and enjoy. </font><div><img id="id_e713_7cf4_2df1_31e1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3Aqgcg0CGXqEeBosPvKOiAkSSv1lqpReseDzttJyFLrEEykrEgwhi8iCuuVwuBU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e635_577f_b1e8_8c95" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FibLTIwR2s9CIsUJe7PH5AysmwXhC_wTxetxEIxOTmJyR1m04EYn_CMVbUGYrHA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Pimelea sp?</p><img id="id_e49_c25d_b0a_451a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hy8fXTpGUVr0Zzzu8g9IwTDjZ9jdYqSXT6_cUqFhnX_ZNOS-muj21wiv2XVI_Wo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;">Common Appleberry - we have two of these in our garden. I wonder how they’ve survived. <br><img id="id_68f6_920c_2b7_ded" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sZsw0Sk-KRssN3YrcEsFkAcI_UDlNB5r50y-La0EEh4KQqecDSkX0A6OQHjWP08" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d88f_894f_f970_91b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Exb5jsNM8UQ9Uj6qAVz9te0KItF0AcRvWZ9kbTH9ay7NhXd30ZXY9rxBWYzR9ws" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_15f3_50d_d82c_342a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/owyoDoQYGXAQOGhNcFQXqV1Ww6qMhQVezrlecFd8wxuFL8eD1onIiaHTf9JxtL4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Tiger orchid<br><img id="id_163c_aa92_884c_7048" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8UIl6PxOUxR24tGkdWbibY7K4xoYWfbi1zJAGUMeQphrjQ81cRsFazc3JXy0M34" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>One of the many bushes with pea-shaped flowers. It’s a common design. </div><div><img id="id_3d53_2f93_fba4_c291" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v1z2pf9_FqHQU2cL0TAlmKauSCbWFclCdevPUChsxw8n-0nAOujwImVsBObsc-A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2d57_13e2_a71f_5a01" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HVgA1E439gutn7PPEly2ogvbkWAhhxuQxwyiNs9Tw6mIXhu7WrSRUYRhLfv1Kmw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>I love the laciness of this flower. So intricate it could keep you looking for a long time. <br><img id="id_ae0d_d8ed_fe62_9e46" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_OlP6NxcNuBzFyehpMU-bJ2gYETgtlSbnE2x4t5oyy5sHsjrpscrQvIrYjDo6eA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>I like watching the bugs enjoy the flowers. </div><div><img id="id_9e01_b2a6_ff7_ae33" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/wD3YK38rhH38ubxlDfI2_3eE9N7vEnTcrds0Rr6k5R1H3paxfy8qzcMdWL1Ng7Q" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This triptych shows the advance in age of these flowers. Fascinating. <br><img id="id_fe52_f5f2_80c8_30bf" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Hi0qlu4aLqtY148MNIAFD7M0sAxZqFvK5znvU-Q5sw23iTc3AtIRmHvuMeiPZw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Dwarf purple flag. <br><img id="id_2e90_84c5_9cd5_f225" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d6Txym1xwuwCo7jZ1cAsX8Xl64KTj7iB1ZOfXnPKr_4a-G9WyxQFd2y38eWhdA0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Fringed lilies are a favourite of mine and we saw a few different species in various colours from almost white through pale mauve to purple. <br><img id="id_ef3b_a9fd_7412_2599" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7pdSALtTcYKTX6AxRzrqB0woOcFcROfPw14qGf_C4MuzzX161jiovHWF39i1bRQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_38ee_bbd0_e3c9_b6a6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/a7yDyNV5emIZzDJtLG8AmFbiGTPjdJ-_UQD6lEMl8Jpw68EJFnhpblCpCPncL4A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Native cornflower - <span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Thysanotus dichotomous</span><br><img id="id_d17_f978_a4f_fae2" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/CuJ11v3ExNpU1-iVhpGYSZMKX8D1vfeNTpGN0m5gKp7FPzRcfCy2XT9U5iSoURc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Don’t know it’s name but it looked like a wee meringue; there were smaller ones scattered around <br><img id="id_37bc_5cc0_7a45_1cc7" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/p2WROrF4tWf0yAd3m2WzM3fGLz-l6AnaTXua-CfoYDycO4WPxOXuVngxFxb39qs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">One of the secrets to identifying fungi species is the stripe and what’s underneath. <br></span><img id="id_bb0_fadd_235b_527b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UpuutX9gCEIZndjxm-qsv2ZE1X0HDvNe43fbTi7-ZaVC8hIWBsgtTF8Gng7qToM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Liverworts are relatively unknown territory for me but <br>I like them. This one is a Marchantia with Gemma cups. These little cups contain gemnae which are a small group of cells that give rise to vegetative reproduction in some liverworts and mosses. The gemnae are splashed out or dislodged by raindrops to give rise to new liverworts. <br><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-78122642299024904622020-11-06T12:41:00.001+11:002020-11-07T11:02:26.528+11:00October 22 and 24 Taking to the forests again and ..... <div><img id="id_87ee_5a32_a80f_4978" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6p2kBylxwzDmucuFHEk5AnJ2KL2kffJkiIFJAMpecum8fBWKbPayLLLFRdcTvcE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We’ve driven many roads through seemingly countless forests; some tracks pretty rough and a wee bit precarious and others fine - unless they’re wet!</span></div><div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">These days were no different but </span>everything seemed washed clean after a fair bit of rain. Tracks were running little rivulets of mud and puddles were alive with dancing bubbles. At times the world shrunk to a small cosy cocoon around us with the rest, the world outside, shrouded in light mist and often thin curtains of mizzle. Tree and mistletoe skeletons alike loomed dark against a misty pearly grey sky. Here and there roadside banks were spotlighted with patches of white and yellow daisies and pretty blues. Trunks dark, black or red stood out in stark relief in the green vividness of wet shiny regrowth under the trees and climbing up their trunks like soft fuzzy warmup leggings. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">But where were we? Heading to Raymond Creek Falls, (Snowy River NP). Wouldn’t you know it the path in to the Falls was closed because they were doing aerial shooting of deer in that part of the National Park. Disappointing but what can you do - look for flowers of course! We found quite a few some of which I might post at the end of this. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">Not to be done out of a day’s adventure, I found is a track that would get us to Woods Point, a picnic and camping spot on a huge loop downstream in the mighty Snowy river. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_92fa_8562_ca83_4eb7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gthJUqPVAqOGLaAw5vKtNCN76eWR_GOYxfaCcuOhtnGRwy58i1x0wkYJA4r0tvM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2a45_f443_5de3_469b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/B7_IyZ4QYjB_JR7xC4V7Nkg-whKt6UcX1wicEIxnGrDGGHS2VB8pQqvqoG-DRZI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_72c6_cc2_d505_5eb5" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aVynomWrJTdEbvsVh5ww9wuVFUWYaOxZBGUGpD_RPXk6QCF22FR0DtwCFkFnxHY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Not a soul anywhere and the weather was rather lovely by then. It was an idyllic spot where we wandered along the river listening to the birds and the gentle lap of water along the sandy river’s edge. I was so itching to get into the water but the thought of sitting with damp skin and sand the remainder of the day convinced me against dipping in to that gorgeous treacle-coloured flow. A wonderfully gentle day. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_dbc3_3faa_3781_e0f5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0RqLzAP2UucbDjX9hyQDWYMEmVCPTSzjq3sqypA2bUjmj22N2RB9QKRxwiR9d7A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Two days later we aimed at another giant loop further upstream - Long Point (Long Point circled in yellow). That was not to be! </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_4a3b_2dd8_1bb7_c10c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nogoAda8Yx97jN-dSrfcq27CtpsL1VuSRD4477PPYMXYjJLUpcKpYeBDO0ZYt1c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8fd4_94ad_e0cb_38a8" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Fuj_ESLI4C7elGIHkOLPsA5L6nma3idQj0CVaNWm9SzV5AQqgM8AbAY6TlAU2qg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The day was dizzily and there had been a bit of rain over night but our absolutely awesome beast and star driver managed to get us to within a 100 or so metres of our destination to where the last bit of road plunged steeply down to the river. With more rain looming and ever increasing slippery surfaces we sensibly backed up the track until we could turn around - these are very narrow tracks often with soft and, this day, very boggy edges. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">That track was simply a side trip along the Stringers Knob-Mottle Range loop, Route 1 on a local tourist map.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_2a2f_6cbe_e89d_22a2" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xL3NiBWtVmS47qWMmj5pPf1sNsAeRwUDUiAhIi5kx6XoUikTz1UqlGt7v197_HM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Back on track we drove on bumping and crunching through flora reserves, forests where the only naturally growing stand of Spotted Gums (the trees above with pale trunks) in Victoria is; they are endemic to SE Australia. Very special. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_26b2_db1_5c88_e241" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cJ985nlNyWdVj2jBBRVA1vicrjkLPrmy1Ddqv4gg8Qib5RNilMpFqvJCcfsmi-A" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_aa79_d1f8_ca96_c599" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AbzjriPQK4vbHiQk6JyDZmBL1OBF5kp59T2X5qtEg95d_sklWyK59kV8Scu15Gs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>There are quite a number of rail trestle bridges evidence of a bygone era. A couple have been restored but must are falling down. This one for instance is half gone. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_f382_9b77_3cb0_f2ff" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6fj1CXeN85Gi-tcuHqt_qYDRGkDp4vo6A5q-WKe2t-GWAbOpse84BPLEKV217vg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_24b4_ab23_e6f8_c4d3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8E2qpyoelTgwj3NWZK_jO4f6YeAcjgmMMG-7Eqga73Hmdr6Tr-2OXECYSNIR5Z4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>It’s amazing what a bit of rain can do to a dirt road very quickly. A number of tracks were a bit dodgy but we managed, after dodging and diving into ruts and huge potholes, to end up at the wild coast at Pettman beach and eventually at Ewing Morass Wildlife Reserve - in the drizzle. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_2f67_4637_a199_7139" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QXAdttQb9wlk-gb9feFIstgVIUc1TTZWER_uz0XroImVxM_0hZwd1-3vuwydSXQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f78d_e9b0_c2a_5672" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZZ--0sw77L2EjEfZ127_jwpMdjo_Mo7Aty62AZMbMJ8QjW7oyI0f6VVurQj6dtU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>And it was indeed a morass in fact it was more than a morass in parts with tracks were completely under water! Morasses skein along the east and central Gippsland coast, this one sometimes drains into Lake Corringle and eventually into the Snowy estuary. I simply love this vista!</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">We headed for home along the Old Orbost road - the operative word being ‘Old’. It was a physically challenging and bone shaking day but wonder-filled. We are getting a good feeling for this part of the world, the internal parts and back blocks - the real Gippsland - and loving it! </span></p></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-72984186601022524492020-11-05T17:50:00.001+11:002020-11-06T11:48:36.780+11:00October 20 Cicada violets and mozzies! <div><img id="id_a6ca_3af8_9f5_f54e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/znzexb5aNwBqOdmgzJiRlg8qo4OrLD2Y0Akp8cFA1vm8z9WwHJYc1q9AsWDYG_4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We’ve been driving through thick curtains of forest trees for weeks - </span><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">wonderful! Oreo weeks or so ago we ventured onto the Murrungowar Forest Drive which meanders along the Murrungowar Road and other tracks including along the wheel-tracks of the very tongue-in-cheek Four Lane Hwy. Over creeks, through dry eucalypt and banksia forests and warm temperate rainforests, we zigzagged through some of far east Gippsland’s mighty forests. The Drive is extremely well signed and is not long, less than 40km but we took nearly all day. Well of course we did! There’s so much to see, photograph and learn including the realisation that we ‘City folk’ don’t know squat about our forests. </span> <span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">It was an enlightening day. </span></div><div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_4f8e_e107_297f_dc89" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Yga6Js6449tXL8SmYlG7Gyx0B-3cb0VoDP7mGXFykzNIjsWSq69wFGiZnvCB-k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_285b_a865_369f_2cec" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/H7cVLJAs7M2FQy0LAOWUPL3SA8cob-zmnte1B8sCluOKOE9gzcx_SVsqW-xGfog" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The trail first passed through an old growth Banksia woodland of mainly Saw Banksia. This woodland is quarantined against disturbance as a Special Protection Zone of 2500 acres. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_a6fd_8cf1_9fee_df6b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uqrVWkg7Xqbu2duYeySQQ986V7lmK9TxHeY32OPPyDVCpQmyS1M8C64zcI0nbjc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Trigger plant - most we’ve seen have had pink flowers </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_3873_8c3c_b599_9513" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yaggoVFq1FF9_1K6nXpU3A1wELtqAazR5dIbY5tbC1NzRPLNmsq5gATetRsOCKs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Here we found a white trigger plant. Look closely and you see the little trigger. <br><img id="id_a5ea_2077_d398_f204" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ucbMg1CVjP-1Du9TyifJR9fDH5Dqx8CANywvhW6viKyJvULN53V4XMW7HBdYybM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6afa_6a68_1cdc_8db4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AwN75PunF-BW8wb02dWevbi-3QpNEk6-hVaZtGRND3trT2eEHTqhV7q60WG2Ydo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Pink match heads<br><img id="id_47c7_24b1_bb22_ab7d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/G3qa0nkjb46Jd_XpDAlsA2KISpXBuHt3raKd1e19qOtdDkelMzmWdgk1Frwz5hY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Milkmaids <br><img id="id_d5ed_607f_6533_83d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/i4gRtOywXg9YGL5GwhsjJkLQZ1mUe9jhdM8_V74C7_HXzBi2APtYn5iQv7lSyxI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_931a_4add_2aef_6459" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/EPHV4vqTokKLlA_V76yifsorRxIv_ee3XpfDX-GoofsyoEdQiVFENrIMXqszYy0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e04f_a72c_1f7f_c111" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ncxqGbPTOrXtIkCB_AG6PryDZ06LOOmOFqiO-jbr8nIRvQeOSAQ5GciOage3_Kc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7cb8_a7a0_1bd8_30b1" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sJRXa3ks2h0Dfq1dmetO39oSh-p9nYjvNVFbbzVHxtCUcKl1gF5ktYHVXUQq0aI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We made very frequent stops to creep about looking at wild flowers many of which we couldn’t identify but enjoyed all the while serenaded by the incessant whirring, clicking hum of cicadas and whining of mozzies. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_933e_d129_9878_b50d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qu6L6JjIawuLgqGOLliykRf3dAFSwix1Jngvku8-Jf2u95CdYoYFm1w6atOr-Hw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We drove through forests of native mostly endemic trees utilising a number of different systems. Among them the ‘seed tree’ system which leaves large mature trees standing at harvest time to provide seeds for regeneration. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_f40f_e9e0_2700_e72" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/80jgOTVgjo7-1iuaD2ZSbVHS7dZzcRS2nxwkVR4qJrspEc2iCmauNvGwGEPITP4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We also passed Silviculture systems which include over 100 research sites incorporated into many forest stands. That system which was established over 30 years ago, has been monitoring the long term environmental and economic effects of a range of different harvesting and regeneration treatments in native forests. And before you go off the deep end about forests, yes there is still a humongous and growing demand for wood products for multiple purposes so growing and harvesting trees is a necessary corollary to our escalating consumer lifestyle. Since then I’ve tried to find out more about our forests (see below if you’re interested).</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_40c6_6d06_10b6_c6c2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mK4Qb-zAb_tDwgnzV2Hfdp2d_ulNwdl4drmM2gJ6mR5hspP7dB7IvXUbeGD3yog" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_651d_a53a_af67_2cd9" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Nl7rXsuye6ZNTf-oyZVJYeFK_UL0j5PgGtXa42qKcXKjk6TphJdrqF7TQm4iXMw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>As well as river corridors of lush growth, a network of linear reserves 200m wide exist along streams to help maintain populations of species sensitive to timber harvesting and wildfire. We saw Water Dragons up to 1m long - weird. </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_1af4_1cb6_ea08_2d1e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_dnNcJN3iJoxJkTohIM45Z3W3gdh6X8oGRyFREc-ylv2-DWovCVzPe9EIphWgNI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Cabbage Tree creek. The path to the waterfall was closed - fire damage evidently. <br><img id="id_3597_c190_a483_a5e7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_tK-1vHVELA0-w83lCrk7GTI_SDxdzYhMyf51hME2NF5IrYf2kLJXs3UHiLoAFo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Tristanopsis laurina - Water Gum or Kanooka. A relic from the past that we have found scattered among granite boulders along streams and near waterways. Fossils have been found in the La Trobe valley dating back 27 million years. Indications are that this plant flourished in the subtropical rainforests which once dominated tomato of the State. It is now confined to watercourses and pockets of rainforest where it is moist and protected from fire. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Water humidity and you guessed it - mozzies. <span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"></span><img id="id_ce48_a06f_30cd_a33d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AfjM3CDkF-G9iCHJbKqV42CQhsUAZuywIzvuNBlD8mjkl8C6_FRMkSDZ3iCiBl4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We always go out equipped - coverall clothes, insect repellent and nets we even have nets that we made to hang over the front doors of the car. We made them for the outback to keep out the flies but here they work a treat to keep out the mozzies when we’re parked with doors/windows open. I also now pack is Tick Off on the car in case we pick up any hitch-hikers - again (one took a liking to me last year in this general area - nasty little thing left me with a red swelling for a long time)</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_f79e_935a_6bfc_5e77" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Xxp2aJ9vp0yyrJ_wT5jpSbJszOe7MsWhGAl-hVzpXNoO65PaCWOsDjHOOQj48uo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This is Four Lane Highway - someone has a quirky sense of humour! This ‘Highway’ took us to Falls Creek falls, a delightful cool and lush gully with loads to look at along the track to the falls (you have to walk in).</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_253f_11e7_a8e8_e815" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pQIkwmhq83RxHyUW0UY3NWhEAAyP6K0kAv1Ti86KEripKiHZp_897nceSts312g" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>This is a memorial plaque to a young environmental forester who was a passionate supporter of the Silviculture experiments.<br><img id="id_3a2c_a939_7821_64a7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9Z3lbQ_886tDRyHCEBORuDQRLVRkSISt7e6S1rzHUcaquvNHnKwy8eRtks7pxRU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Falls creek tumbles over massive granite boulders. Quite delightful albeit hard to actually get close to. <br><img id="id_f9a4_e9cf_ebc_b2f2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j4rsv9tb0o1kqnH7cKldLA2Ix-SEKu0QaXigI33bGnqt48MpvBIwbYADo-wz1c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Lindsay is contemplating doing a bit of rock-hopping. I strongly discouraged him!<br><img id="id_6975_1a1b_20ac_1d49" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HV18yl7sVrglszUDDczxIQ-RnUw1MIxdezp3Bc-rTkk8rFs8qrVQVIVSNq9PFKc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Tiger orchid growing by the track <br><img id="id_d888_8c01_520a_e24d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xzBSSYV1mkYr99Utaj9duRuZGJttod34PCKOIbwOSwL5-jA6dfamGy3hj0MVK80" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>It’s quite tall. <br><img id="id_b46c_f9d2_e74c_6a55" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KHmb5MDjhLf2soVwFFAiXOQbfS5RN_nIYmnH-zmzs2AK395v2yp0hlzWPprpgSo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The meringue puff ball fungi was puffing out its spores at the merest breeze - or someone’s finger poke! <br><img id="id_d6f2_db8f_410d_e74" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bwtPoWTfLSuhme0w4JAwtZJG1PQ5OUlY8xvpKYgdaIHdeOwsEpvi24UsWGst7wc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Thus delightful confection grabbed my eye as I wandered passed. I walk with eyes down mostly so as not to miss anything - except what’s above me hmmm.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_8f46_70d9_e583_b89c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/P3f8Wk685vkmxoZs1PVkwdPq3CWijoTF-iUsH2xl8vhOwy2lPa7ijLFNYuUEeUo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>Sticky everlasting daisies formed a guard of honour along the roadside. <br><img id="id_b456_1da7_96a5_c0fd" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/H2wfjbC9m-ODtypDAuohuMMuxfx0AMN9b3QNeazKMg4U54vm_KT-oS6hV4vy6Bs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The daisy plants were almost as tall as Lindsay. <br><img id="id_e5f3_3da4_e91b_e0df" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AZFBfyNxW1M0jkHo1x41_OySBIilXBjpUloXZS1cYfJHBL9vwk8v70LT4RZMZ0M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The Brodribb river - not a lot of leeway for high water. <br><img id="id_310c_8548_30c4_32c5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QrP3FpcYA4OFvA8cTtG7CQu14dzlzr95H6085Yi7JXWt3JCeo_HNsAze9TjDwSg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We saw a large water dragon scuttling along that shore. He ducked into the trees out of sight before we could get cameras out. <br><img id="id_72c2_9df4_14c7_b1ef" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QIsxU-KsBVz6nTAJgIJyJyslRwA3esy8cHyd52JI26Bpa2G9ZwICi4kpbtjrczI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>We took an alternative track back to the Highway and home and that took us across the Brodribb River which had seen recent floods. </p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img id="id_b5cc_2fdc_bb69_9ba5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Jw8SDMJEgfshF67aHO61wHzXo1mhMhYRMmOP9S1BVIcIovVQOsuOmchE4uH6eFs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br>The reality of a consumer society and the fate of forests. So our forests.....<br><img id="id_3d5d_877b_979c_946f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/rrEXnNsnJPaYMhQUsvutnf0i-2OyyfF5aFRpwl3rYyxaWK9Ei_q2MnEP1ddys6E" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;">Not surprisingly forests occupy around 17% of our continent 98% of which are native forests and are mostly endemic which is important for the health of our fauna and flora which suffer from wholesale clearing to make way for housing and to grow produce ..... and that’s another story). The remaining 2% of forests are commercial, half of which are soft woods (Pinus radiata) the other half eucalypts. Given Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world I was surprised to learn that Australia has about 3% of the world's forest area, and globally is the country with the 7th largest forest area.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/forestsaustralia/australias-forests">https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/forestsaustralia/australias-forests</a></span></p></div>Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4617739828440981403.post-44512319951168003662020-11-05T17:18:00.001+11:002020-11-05T17:22:43.595+11:00October 19 Bugs: my fellow flowers lovers. <p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1">You’ll not be surprised to know that along with snapping flowers I have been capturing insects enjoying our flora. Without those myriad of multi-legged creatures there would be few flowers and the world might starve - if not for wind pollination but that’s only for a little over 10% of plants. They’re essential little critters and they have been all around me in great abundance. These are just a few unnamed. Enjoy!</span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1"><img id="id_cd5a_f8af_3109_b7f4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FClojlT6Fd07IBW6qEM7WcAgqYXwDlsWdbTV8MgTAUYUQAm8tDWvqinOTGSfk4s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_79a4_5c69_a9a3_de27" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FcgoWh4sSbm0C-O7hygqvxt2N9_UKgMnhXW4ARULjEFsUK9NG-cTyLT4SztYTUY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8e6a_536f_2c44_5902" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZPfJG2vxr36XdYgjY5yDizANjzHVFi33bDRDK72yrHy2WV0uJSjhY40fsB5sQoU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4009_821e_a09_356d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/s4ZipzUGVp0WTlo8ai4WENfoEVSYbksXK9ppZzQ28_JOlTBKmpHL8MI8gFzwO1k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e70a_bf5d_4dfe_75d0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6BOodVGe0WjgB0pohzsId2mr5nhnQQJlVUA1Bns7pw907ixDTSGZnQyk6TdYYeQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4cf7_e2b9_be21_88c2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/x-COaDVLWQIhbvNMhTNVgSCw8ysxTgkBBxb9viuGrV99RhfPnPgK0AIhVJWCthQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a197_a10c_c927_16e6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/k0PvD-iVYYme9vUpSHjQ9VKwXxoeEBH3gOtLqnAPcCHAaZz-zGYYJd5VnnYSgJg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_3f00_bcbd_87af_c4b8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PykYiAO_EcTVv4977S58lcsYqsy1IwECkUnkH6aKholaW5TRrZ_XEtDXGrao8Sw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br></span><img id="id_6d85_f91d_b6ea_27b3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EsVF-JyaP6r1luYNThX3sgCIfKpRa87fLSWw2ssrUTeuEZIAyZugVG9wDvt1WPQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_adfe_fbab_b61e_4af1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/fvcQclFZQFFGWbXJ--ba0s6CGXlhICbRnJLfelpwQeboS23Ty3bRwl6RzgmX1O4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_82a5_c1bf_e65d_a9a4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2R6AghBoGQANv9-IUbEMI2dWcw58CGZfUqqa9-zcMtmi-outc-xufac1cp0_ZSk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8105_df87_d9db_d6e6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9UjydVOoTQXfclkDKTskmJCwVY86kokbt2aAcyrPNtg7C92Jrs7T5Wo2-F4yits" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_764b_48ed_509e_efe3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3pdUwGDxCyoxA51FrbnPx_ta7wiHebasuFrNlxRh5D-kyRjY5nWKzY0hyAITkpQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_adf0_1b1c_cead_4a56" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0Z5aUoMBQv6WAbu4h507X8cTP3YgrWMbKYBk0VIpN4mTIsF4HakMgjb36hM-Hw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a4c5_961c_2a2b_3936" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1ZdrAo_GTcS3mJi_AbDxXk--6-rP8h-3XfYzRxZ_pllEfLFhbA9C7HMWYQoE1cI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e9c0_c0b2_2712_f87b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TRvYszwSEM8l3FAT6fgJAcvXt8I5XKsFgsptE2uxIWyNGJmHBJlNTqY-jH3lE4U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d66a_f644_b9ad_9af6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/LYOUrqaQ-bzRtNIm24ywjuCjQ5YIQrgpz8mWZc_SbRZm7Q4IQt2dac_IEwsvobQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 650px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></p> Heather Wheathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754803376935098392noreply@blogger.com0