Guichen Bay, Robe, South Australia

Street tree in Robe, South Australia

Street tree in Robe, South Australia

On the second day of our holiday in Robe, south-eastern South Australia, I went for a long walk along the foreshore. The seaside town of Robe was established in the 1840s so there are many well established gardens and street trees in the town. One such eucalyptus tree was in full flower. The local honeyeater bird species were thoroughly enjoying the nectar from these beautiful flowers.

Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia

Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia

A short distance on I came to the scene shown in the photo above. I was standing right next to one of the three caravan parks in the town. Robe was built on the beautiful Guichen Bay, named by French explorer Nicholas Baudin in 1802 in honour of Admiral de Guichen.

In the photo above Hoopers Beach is in the immediate foreground and Long Beach in the distance. Long Beach stretches for about ten kilometres around the bay. In summer, it is one of the few beaches in Australia where vehicle access is allowed. It is also a very safe swimming and surfing beach but being mid-winter we neglected to take our swimming bathers with us.

About four years ago my wife and I enjoyed a very relaxing holiday staying in the caravan park at this point. From the cabin we hired in the park we had a very similar view to the one shown in the photo above. Needless to say, we really enjoyed the view.

The Salt House, Robe, South Australia

The Salt House, Robe, South Australia

The Salt House, Robe, South Australia

During our five day stay last week in Robe in the south-east of South Australia we stayed in a cottage called the Salt House. While Robe is a very historic town with many of the original buildings still in use after over 150 years (this is old in Australian terms), this building has no particular historic value that I am aware of. Certainly there were no plaques or other signs to indicate its vintage or any historic significance.

This small cottage was quite adequate for our needs for the five day stay. It had a well appointed kitchen, a spacious bathroom and three bedrooms. The lounge room was on the small side, but this was an advantage for us. Each evening we would all gather in the small room hovering over the little heater that struggled to keep us warm. This is the only gripe we had about the house.

During our trip down to Robe the weather was bitterly cold with wild wind and frequent showers. The following four days were still cool but much nicer with long sunny periods. The sun didn’t penetrate the house however, so each evening was a challenge to keep warm. I’d imagine that this cottage would be perfect in warmer weather, and that is when most visitors come to seaside towns like Robe.

The Salt House had two major plus factors. It was only a two minute walk to the main street of the town. This meant we were able to walk almost everywhere – the beach, shops, supermarket, newsagent, art galleries and restaurants. The shopping area is quite small, typical of so many small Australian country towns.

The Salt House, Robe, South Australia

The Salt House, Robe, South Australia

Another big plus for the house was the back yard. Fully enclosed with a good fence and mostly under pavers and lawn, it is ideal for young children (or pets, which are allowed). This area would be very relaxing in the warmer months. Unfortunately we got very little use out of this wonderful back yard.

I’ll write more about our holiday in coming days, so stay tuned.

A short winter holiday

Lake Albert, Meningie, South Australia

Lake Albert, Meningie, South Australia

Last week we went on a five day holiday break to Robe. This small historic seaside town is on the Limestone Coast of the South-East region of South Australia. We left on the Tuesday and returned last Saturday. It turned out to be far from long enough, but five days is better than none. We are currently planning a longer break this coming September.

On our way we stopped for lunch near the southern shore of Lake Albert in the small farming community of Meningie. The day was wild and windy, with scudding showers and it was bitterly cold. As a consequence of the cold and the wet conditions we ate our picnic lunch while sitting in the relative warmth of the car. You can read more about this picnic and some of the difficulties we experienced with the wind in the article called “It was a dark and stormy day” on my Birding Blog.

Lake Albert, Meningie, South Australia

Lake Albert, Meningie, South Australia

As we progressed further south the wind became wilder and the showers heavier and more frequent. I normally do not drive during the day with the car heater on, but this was an exception. We travelled via the seaside town of Kingston passing Larry the Lobster, a giant replica of a lobster near a service station.

On arrival in Robe mid-afternoon we settled into The Salt House, the house we had rented for the duration of our stay. The wind was still bitter late in the afternoon, so we didn’t bother going for a walk, preferring to stay indoors and read. In the evening we watched the DVD version of the movie Pride and Prejudice.

Silver Pheasant, Central Zoo, Kathmandu

Silver Pheasant, Central Zoo, Kathmandu

Silver Pheasant, Central Zoo, Kathmandu

On my visit to the Central Zoo in Kathmandu I was interested to see some of the animal and bird species I had missed seeing out in their natural habitat. One of these species was the beautiful Silver Pheasant. This species is widespread in mountain forests of south east Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam as well as China.

It is a widespread and common species in its natural habitat. It has also become a common species kept by aviculturalists.

I was disappointed that the above photo was spoiled by the wire mesh of the cage. Many exhibits in the Kathmandu Zoo are spoiled in this way.

Kalij Pheasant, Central Zoo, Kathmandu

Kalij Pheasant, Central Zoo, Kathmandu

Kalij Pheasant, Central Zoo, Kathmandu

One of the birds I saw on my visit to the Central Zoo in Kathmandu was this Kalij Pheasant. It was actually labelled “Kaliz Pheasant” but I assume they meant the former. Some of the other labels also showed variations in spelling of species names.

I am not at all familiar with the species and haven’t seen it in the wild. My research has shown me that this pheasant is native to the northern parts of the Indian sub-continent, particularly the slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal. I didn’t have the opportunity to see this species in its natural habitat during my stay in Nepal.

I have also discovered that this species is widely kept by aviculturalists and that there are several distinct races.