Trevor's Travels

Pangarinda Arboretum – more flower photos

5 Comments »1st July, 2006; Category: Parks and Gardens, Photos

Banksia

Yesterday I posted some photos of flowers I have taken at the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington, South Australia. Today I add several more. The above photo of a banksia flower is one of many stunning banksias that have been planted in this arboretum. When in flower they attract dozens of birds, particularly honeyeaters.

Anigozantos flavidus hybrid (Kangaroo Paw)

The plant pictured above is a hybrid form of one of the Kangaroo Paw species native to Western Australia. They are resplendent in the natural habitat, but in recent times they have been grown by a growing number of gardeners in the other states. They get their name from the claw-like appendage on each flower.

Bark on a tree

Some of the larger trees are beginning to develop significantly sized trunks, despite their young age. The tree above was starting to shed the last season’s bark, making way for the new growth. The amazing contrasting coloursand textures in the last rays of sunlight for the day has produced a beautiful effect.

Pangarinda Arboretum

1 Comment »30th June, 2006; Category: General, Parks and Gardens, Photos, Plants

Flowers of a Eucalyptus Tree

One of my enduring passions is birding, or birdwatching. My wife’s passion is Australian plants. So our interests are complementary; I walk through the bush with eyes glancing ever upwards, my wife always looking down looking for plants and their flowers. We both love the Australian outdoors and exploring the wonders of nature that abounds in this wonderful land.

Banksia flower

Sometimes I find myself torn between looking at, identifying and attempting to photograph the birds I see, and the wonderful challenge of taking shots of the wonderful flowers all around. Over the next few days I plan to post a few of the flower photos I have taken at one of our favourite picnic spots, the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington, a small town about half an hour drive from our home in Murray Bridge.

Eucalyptus flowers

Related articles:

Red Capped Robin

Spotted Nightjar

Pangarinda Arboretum

Hakea multilineata

Cruising on the River Murray

1 Comment »27th June, 2006; Category: Murray River, South Australia

Captain Proud at Swanport Reserve Murray Bridge

A major focus for visitors to my home town of Murray Bridge is the River Murray. As it is Australia’s largest river most tourists inevitably head for the the river for a significant part of their holiday in the region. There are so many ways to have a really relaxing time near or on the river, including:

picnics
fishing
canoeing
boating
water skiing
sailing (yes -there is a sailing club here)
restaurant boats
cruise boats
house boat cruises
birdwatching
photography
walking trails

Picnics

Even though I live in Murray Bridge, I have enjoyed many of the above activities. My wife and I often take a picnic lunch, or buy lunch from our favourite local bakery to take down to the river reserve to enjoy the peaceful river environment. It has been many years since we last tried to catch fish, but many people do enjoy this relaxing pastime. Our favourite canoeing spot is near the Swanport Reserve. Birdwatching and photography have also been a favourite activity for me (see my birding blog here).

Sailing and Canoeing
I have only tried sailing on the river once. This was near Swanport Reserve just south of the town where the river has a long straight stretch of water over 100 metres wide. It was on a two person, twin-hulled catamaran. This proved to be an exhilarating experience heightened somewhat by the timidity of my sailing partner for the afternoon. Both of us were first-timers yet we managed to keep the craft upright and did not suffer the indignity of a dunking. Years ago we also canoed several times in this part of the river.

River Cruises

These days one has a choice of several different ways to cruise the river in larger boats. House boating is very popular with visitors but I have only ever been on one, and only then for an hour or so, not to sleep on board. I have been on several cruise boats. These cruises can extend from an hour or two to a whole day and several even have weekend or week long cruises. I’ve been on several of the shorter trips and these are always very relaxing with great food and a wonderful platform to experience a different perspective of the river environs, including the bird life.

Noisy Miner at Swanport Reserve

Related articles:

The Bunyip

Swanport Reserve

Sturt Reserve

The Lavender Federation Walking Trail

Picnic at Swanport Reserve

Related web sites:

The Murraylands South Australia

The Bunyip, Murray Bridge

7 Comments »24th June, 2006; Category: Murray River

Murray Bridge has a few claims to fame. For example, the first bridge over the River Murray was opened in 1879. The local rowing eights team, the Cods, represented Australia in the 1924 Paris Olympics. There is one claim to fame, however, that usually goes unnoticed by many.

The only captive bunyip is on display at Sturt Reserve on the river bank near the CBD. It lives in a specially constructed watery cave near the playground. Little is known about the habits of this mythical creature, and until a few years ago it was not known whether we had a male of female. That debate was laid to rest when a baby mysteriously appeared.

Now I don’t have a photo of this amazing animal and its offspring. It is quite easy to get to see them but it does require a small sacrifice. On placing a coin in the appropriate slot one is treated to quite a performance. I’m not sure that taking a photo is the right thing to do – it might just take offence and grab the camera from my grasp. It’s not worth the risk.

Related web sites:
If you are interested in finding out more about this wonderful creature go to these special pages:

The Mythical Bunyip

Bunyips – enter the lair of the bunyip if you dare – stories, photos, pictures, games and other interactive stuff.

So the next time you visit Murray Bridge, pay a visit to the Bunyip and her little one – if you dare!

Swanport Reserve, Murray Bridge

1 Comment »21st June, 2006; Category: Murray River, Picnics

Picnic at Swanport Reserve, Murray Bridge

We are fortunate here in Murray Bridge to have a number of delightful parks and reserves to enjoy. One of my favourites is Swanport Reserve about 5km south of the CBD. This reserve is right next to the River Murray (in the background of the above photo) and provides a safe lawned area for the children to play, plenty of shady trees for those warmer days and a safe beach for swimming. One section of the beach is reserved for fishing.

Abundant bird life
This reserve is just downstream from the Swanport Bridge which was opened in 1979. It is also opposite the Swanport Wetlands, a haven for water birds. One of the things I like about having picnics at this reserve is for the bird life. Pelicans, cormorants, swamphens, moorhens, swallows, terns, gulls abound, while in the gum trees (eucalypts) of the picnic grounds one can see Peaceful Doves, honeyeaters, Magpies, Magpie Larks, parrots and kingfishers. In nearby bushes I have sometimes been lucky and seen some Superb Blue Wrens, the bright blue of the males shining brilliantly in the Australian sunshine. More often than not I only hear them.

For more about birds check out my birding blog (click here)

River traffic

One of the relaxing aspects of spending a relaxing few hours at this reserve is the passing river traffic. On any given day there are fishing boats, speed boats towing water-skiers, canoes, small yachts,houseboats and large tourist boats, like the one shown in the photo below.

Boat on the River Murray at Swanport Reserve