The Hidden Beauty of Spring

This morning I had a spare half hour, so I headed up the end of our street, camera in hand. Spring had arrived and I knew the bush would be looking lovely, flowers everywhere. Or so I thought.
I glanced around but could spot nothing except sweet pitosporum, which was more than worthy of inhaling a few lungfuls , but wasn't all I expected to see.
Where were all the flowers?
I have lived near the bush all my life, but don't spend anywhere near enough time in it. So, it's not surprising that i remain dense and expect to see large, obvious displays of colour. It's not Western Australia at the end of my street!
So, I walked a lot slower and peered carefully at the ground. Except for the casuarina tree, most of my finds were smaller than your finger tip, but I'm sure you'll agree, were lovely treasures waiting to be found if you but took the time to look for them. Beautiful, and fun to find!

Lunchtime Micro Adventure

Haven't had any adventures lately- no spare time. Or that's what I thought until the other day.
I don't get much of a lunch break with my job. Just a short half hour which, if you cellotape to the legally required ten minute break, you almost have enough time to get some food and horizontalise your tired legs. Poor me right?
I often waste some of this time moving my illegally parked car so I don't get a fine. I know I'm not supposed to park there; the space is for the shopper , but where are the spaces for the people who work in the stores the people go to shop at? Grrrr.
Anyhoo, normally I go move my car and then have a bite of food, but this particular winters day was so warm and beautiful that as I left the parking space, I just kept driving. I drove all the way to the end of the suburb to a point that overlooks the ocean. I know it seems like a waste of petrol; from my work you can walk to the ocean in a few minutes, but this spot was quiet and when you work in retail, a bit of peace is heaven.
I parked the car, grabbed my crumpled lunch bag and headed to some steps that lead down from a plaque marking the point. I plonked in the lee of a wall with the sun on my back and watched a yacht slip past the heads on its way out to the open sea. There was no sound but the waves lapping on rocks below and the occasional cry of gulls.Bliss!
The view too was spectacular, looking across the water to the other headland of sandstone, bush and empty stretches of beach. A visual salve for any ailment.Ahhh!
I may have had only 14 minutes there, but they were golden ones.
So nice to veer off your daily course and beat out a different path.

Thredbo

My family and I just came back from Thredbo, so we will be eating baked beans for the next six months.
Our twelve year old Forester got to hang out with BMW's and Merc's and Lexus's for a week which was pretty funny, but not as funny as the dinner that cost $210.
But I have to admit as the second time we had all seen snow, it was wonderful to be there among the icicles and snow drifts.
So though technically, not an adventure of my own, I did go for some walks by myself with a camera and tried to take a few pics before my finger snapped off.

Cape Solander Walk and Whalewatch

Once upon a time I was lucky enough to have a childhood that included scrabbling down cliffs, with nothing but the salty wind and seagulls for company. I have to wonder if my parents would have given me the thumbs up on my chosen play spot...
What a wild and wonderful place Cape Solander is. All these golden eroded sandstone cliffs, hanging high over the wild blue ocean, empty all the way to New Zealand.
A tiny, tannin-stained creek trickles over the edge and, standing safely further back, acres of heathland, home to thousands of tiny birds which pop in and out of the prickly undergrowth, safe from the ever-present wind.
The heathland winds its way up to eucalypt forest. Even though, just beyond sight is an enormous oil refinery, you'd never know it; it's so peaceful. It was here my sister in law and I began a walk yesterday, making our way out to the cape in the hope of seeing a whale or maybe two.
Spring is just around the corner and although there was a delicate show of red and white flowers, there were millions of buds that I imagine in the next few months will make a breathtaking show in every colour under the winter sun.
Our first sight of the ocean, unbelievably, included the sight of a whale spouting and I broke into an excited trot, squeaking like a frustrated rat when I couldn't find the pathway out of the scrub fast enough. Finally, we were both out, standing on the cliff edge watching two humpback whales travelling past, some distance from the shore. Just so amazing to see. We may have seen perhaps six whales before we headed back. It was hard to turn away in case we missed another!
A beautiful sunny day, in the glorious bush and the sight of those spectacular creatures, not to mention all in lovely company. What a lucky girl am I!
Thanks to Karen for the whale shot, my humble little camera was not up to the task, no matter how much I squinted!

Dave the Rucksack Goes to Cunjurong

A rare long weekend escape saw Dave and I heading 3 hours down the coast where we had the rare good fortune to be spoilt at a friends holiday house, situated a volcanic stones throw from the Lake Conjola lagoon and the beach of Manyana.
Summers are very busy, being popular with families, but it being a cold and wet winters weekend, we had the place more or less to ourselves.
The lagoon's sandy shore is laced with black volcanic rock and slabs of what looks like cooling lava. The sky above the ocean was an amazing indigo over the white wind-whipped waves, framed by the pale green tussocks of grass waving over sand dunes. Walking round to the stretch of beach, the wind was so strong you could almost lie on it.I suspected I may get a mouthful of sand if I tried however.
There is a gorgeous island just offshore called Green Island, which you can reach at low tide. It looked the perfect place for a little castle ruin and the exploring figures of the Famous Five.
There was a tern fishing nearby; releasing itself like a white arrow into the waves. Even over the roar of the sea and wind, there is the constant sound of wrens and scrub land birds singing amongst the gnarled trees behind the beach.
I also got to explore the very charming and hip town of Milton, with it's treasury of second-hand shops and cafes and quaint old buildings. I had a strong urge to move there, it's such a lovely town.
I saw so many beautiful vistas of rolling green hills and trees. One fig tree in particular in the township itself was just magnificent. I was like a child standing at the base of its trunk.
The weekend happened to be the festival of the Scarecrow with people both in town and surrounding farmland proudly displaying a vast array of scarecrows. Lots of creative people around, which may explain the large shoe in a field. The old woman and her children had all been turned to cows however.
Thank you Maria for fattening up both my stomach and spirit with good food and company and for sharing with me this very special part of the world!

Lookout Dave!

Adventures afoot have been a little thin on the ground, yet my mind has been on another spot not far from home.I've been here a number of times yet many locals are unaware of its existence- which only makes it better! It's called the 'look-out' and is a high sandstone (can't get away from it really!)platform that overlooks local valleys and hills.
Today is a beautiful sunny day though it is winter and I'm sure it will get to about 20*c- not bad at all! As I set off I admire the bulbs in our front garden and find a little friend!
The trail to the lookout is really green with recent rain and there are lots of wallaby scats where the animals have come right up behind the houses for a good feed. There's not much in flower but that only gives me more time to admire the trees and make a promise that I will be having a photo day when all the gigantic Gymea lillies are out. They are just tall red buds right now, metres above my head.
I see an echidna in a crevice but don't get out the camera in time. Reminds me that sometimes it's better to stop fussing with pics and just enjoy having eyes!
I finally reach the lookout and have a cuppa sitting up on top of my local world, enjoying the green glow of the hills. An amazing eyrie to sit and contemplate and only moments from home. Beautiful

Dave the Rucksack Goes Local

Wet weather and school holidays can hinder the spirit of even the most enthusiastic hobbit, so when the sun returned and the crowds cleared, this wanderer re-familiarised herself with some favourite local haunts. (And maybe I'm proudly showing them off a little too).
A fire trail runs along the valley a little distance from our house. A beautiful little creek, bedecked in ferns trickles along the valley bottom and runs down to a larger creek, washing over large flat slabs of sandstone. I love the creeks with all their nooks and crannies, the cool peaceful pockets and the rushing sunny open spots. Late autumn is not the best time for flowers, but nature gave us a beautiful show anyway. The large curly tree is my favourite- the Sydney red gum- a very magical tree in my opinion.