Australia Day
January 26th is celebrated throughout Australia as our National Day. It was on this day in 1788 that this new country was founded by the first European settlers to arrive here. I thought I’d share a few images of things that are quintessentially Australian as my way of celebrating Australia day, and sharing something of our country with others.
Western Grey Kangaroo
Australia is known for its wonderful wildlife. The kangaroo would have to be one of the most recognisable members of our fauna. The cuddly look of the Koala would also be recognised world wide.
Koala and Magpie
Australia is also known for its amazing array of plants and wildflowers. Probably the most easily recognised tree would be the eucalypt (or gum) tree. There are hundreds of different species; I will show only one here. This scene, taken in the mid north farming area of South Australia, is typical of many parts of our land.
Balaklava Plains near Blyth South Australia
Of our stunning array of wildflowers, the banksia is easily recognised by many Australians. These magnificent plants give an amazing display when in full flower. The birds go crazy feeding on the nectar and seeds they produce. Photographers, artists and gardeners go equally crazy over them
Banksia flower
Now we turn to the birds. With about 800 species Australia is a plentiful land for the bird lover. Our vast range of parrots and honeyeaters, blue wrens and emus, waterfowl, waders, bush birds and sea birds attract birders from the world over. I’ve just chosen several to feature here.
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
Australia has so many beautiful birds it is hard just to show only two. Many more are featured in my photo gallery here.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Sydney Opera House
Wittunga Botanic Gardens Part 3
The Wittunga Botanic Gardens near the suburb of Blackwood in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia is an annex of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Wittunga was once a private garden.
Wittunga Botanic Garden
Wittunga Botanic Garden at Blackwood dates back from 1901, but first opened to the public in 1975. The Garden is of interest all year round however its displays of Australian and southern African plants are especially dazzling in Spring. Species of ericas, proteas, leucadendrons, banksias and hakeas are featured, as are good collections of bulbous and cormose species. Two lakes and a sandplain garden make your visit memorable, whether as a botanist or casual visitor.
Protea flower at Wittunga Botanic Gardens
It had been quite a few years since our last visit to these gardens, but they did not disappoint. Despite being in a busy residential part of the city and hills, there is a wonderful peace, an almost tangible tranquillity in a garden like this.
And this peacefulness is apparent despite the noisy, garrulous screeching of the Rainbow Lorikeets as they feed in the eucalypt trees that abound in the gardens.
Victor Harbor South Australia
Saturday 18th March:
Rain
We are staying in the caravan park next to Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor. This is just over an hour’s drive south of Adelaide, South Australia. During the night our sleep was disturbed by frequent showers. Rain on the roof of a caravan can be quite disturbing. By breakfast time the rain was quite steady.
A Walk becomes a Sit
My friend Keith and I had intended going for a walk this morning, probably around Granite Island. There is a causeway to the island and from the caravan park it takes several hours. The views are quite spectacular on the seaward side. The large waves crashing over the granite rocks would have made for some great photography. The rain did not ease until late in the morning. Instead of a walk, Keith and I sat in the van talking, having cuppas, eating chocolate cake and hot cross buns and reading the paper.
Afternoon Nap
After lunch Keith and I were so exhausted from the morning’s frenetic activities that we both had to have a nap. Life’s so hard. Later we sat around talking with some of the others we knew who were staying in the same caravan park.
A Bird Walk
Late in the afternoon I went for a birdwatching walk to the beach and along the nearby river. I took my camera with me and was able to take some good shots of several species of birds and also some good shots of several yachts at anchor in the bay. Just a few metres from our van there was a small lagoon, perhaps the size of several tennis courts. This lagoon was well populated with birds feeding in, on or above it.
Lagoon
The most prominent species was Chestnut Teal. There were some 30-40 of them. This was a species I hadn’t managed to get photos of as yet. One photo shows three of these ducks all diving for food simultaneously; all you can see is their tails sticking up in the air. They were accompanied by about 30 Silver Gulls swimming around on the surface of the water. Hawking for insects above the water were numerous Welcome Swallows. Several Magpie Larks and a solitary White Faced Heron patrolled the water’s edge for whatever they could find to eat.
Also on the water’s edge was a single bird I couldn’t positively identify. I wouldn’t let me get close enough for a photo or a good look through my binoculars. By its shape, colour, size and habits it could possibly have been a Sharp Tailed Sandpiper.
River
The Inman River forms the south west boundary of the caravan park and often provides some good bird watching. Several Masked Lapwings, a few more Silver Gulls and two Wood Ducks were seen immediately. Waiting quietly near some bushes on the bank revealed some Pacific Black Ducks, Silvereyes in the bushes and I heard some Superb Blue Wrens in the nearby bushes. A Caspian Tern patrolled up and down the river while a Willie Wagtail flitted around on the lawn nearby.
Caravan Holiday Victor Harbor
Friday 17th March
Caravan Holiday
This afternoon we hitched up the old caravan and journeyed down to Victor Harbor on the coast south of Adelaide, South Australia. This trip has become an annual trip for us. We had sites near six other couples who stayed in the same caravan park. During the weekend our wives attend the CWCI Convention. All the men sit around in the shade of the trees in the park and attempt to solve the world’s problems – usually unsuccessfully.
Birds of the Caravan Park
We arrived at about 4:30pm and after checking in we set up the caravan. From our site we had an excellent view of Encounter Bay and Granite Island just off the coast. The beach is about a hundred metres from our van, with no buildings or other things obstructing our view. Throughout the park there are numerous birds, many of them very tame.
Australian Magpie
The most obvious resident of the park is the Australian Magpie. I didn’t do a count of actual numbers but they are present throughout the park. They are very tame and will come to within a metre or so if one is sitting outside the van. This provides many photo opportunities and I was able to get several good shots. They keep a careful watch if one is eating outside, expecting a free handout. When there is nothing on offer they skulk around looking for any unwary creatures lurking in the grass. The spear like thrust of the beak often rewards them with a tasty morsel.
Rainbow Lorikeet
Another common park resident is the Rainbow Lorikeet. The park has many eucalyptus trees, some of which were heavy in flower. This accounts for the many lorikeets and the constant screeching calls. They will feed for a while before wheeling off through the park in twos and threes, screeching as the go to another tree.
Other Bird Species
Because there were many flowering trees in the caravan park there were also quite a few honeyeaters scattered everywhere. New Holland Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds, Little Wattlebirds and Noisy Miners were the common honeyeaters I observed. There were also some White Plumed Honeyeaters but they were not calling as much as they are sometimes inclined to do.
For more information about Victor Harbor click here.
Durbar Square, Patan, Nepal
Saturday 21st January 2006.
After breakfast I checked my email and replied to one from Corinne. Again the connection was very dodgy so I didn’t worry about sending out a general email to everyone. It is very frustrating to spend 20-30 minutes composing scintillating prose only to have the connection drop out before one gets to send the email. This usually results in a lost message.
Durbar Square, Patan
Again this morning I used a hotel driver to take me to Durbar Square Patan. I had to pay Rs200 to enter this area, and for that I received a tourist guide and map. Some of the temples and buildings in that area are thought to be over 2000 years old while others are only several hundred years old. A large part of the city has been given World Heritage Site status. It is a fascinating area and my camera received a very good workout, capturing over 100 images of this area.
Persistent Guides
As soon as I emerged from the car I was besieged by ‘guides’ offering their services. They are very persistent now that the main tourist time has finished. I managed to convince them that I didn’t need a guide. Sure, engaging a guide I may have learned more and seen more of this amazing place, but I wanted to wander at my own pace. I certainly didn’t want to be obliged to enter shops or other establishments at the insistence of the guides. Often these offers go hand in hand with expectations to buy at certain places only. Going at my own pace and where I wanted gave me the freedom to explore out of the way places and see life as it really is in Patan. I wanted to spend time learning of the real Patan and photographing every day life, not just the temples. The highlight of this approach was seeing and photographing four young boys playing marbles.
Washing Day
People were gathered in the square in force. Saturday is a public holiday in Nepal, the equivalent of our Sunday. It also seems to be washing day. Clothes were being hand washed in tubs in many places, and clothing was hanging from every available spot in the sun to dry like so many brightly coloured signs. Hand operated water bowsers were in every street or square and often had a queue of five or six girls or women waiting to fill their copper pots. Gatherings of men talking on street corners and children playing games in groups of three or four were seen often. I followed two little boys, perhaps aged six or seven, who were eagerly staring through shop windows appraising the relative merits of the toys on display. I managed to get several candid shots of these toy experts. They were just as eager and enthusiastic as any Aussie child.
Feral Pigeons
Wherever I went I saw people going about their everyday tasks. Some people, especially near the temples, had set up their food stalls to provide for those who had come to the area. Others had set out their wares on a one metre square groundsheet on the ground. Still others had fruit and vegetables for sale from their bicycles, their old style hand-held scales weighing the amount the customers wanted. Dogs are common in this area and so are pigeons. These pest birds are so common here one could almost come to the conclusion that the temples had been built with the sole purpose of providing the pigeons with perching and nesting facilities. I actually saw one old woman selling seed to feed the pigeons, as if they needed any help.
The Shops of Patan
Even though some shops were closed most were open and their owners trying to eke out a living. Every street has many ground floor shops selling only a few basic lines like groceries, drinks, chips and lollies through to extensive establishments, their wide variety of wares crammed into a tiny space. Many are merely the front room of someone’s home. Some shops included jewellery outlets, tailors, restaurants – including the oddly named “Happy Memorize Restaurant†(sic) – internet cafes, sewing machine shops, more motor bike repair shops and one plant nursery – the only one I saw in the Kathmandu. This nursery sold only large pot plants. Every home with a balcony had at least one pot plant.
Fast Food – Nepalese Style
Just like the Thamel area of Kathmandu, Patan has few butcher shops. I did see one interesting fast food outlet. I didn’t see any McDonalds of KFCs in Nepal, but this tiny establishment was the next best thing. In a small lane off a slightly larger lane I saw a man with a blow torch attached to a gas bottle. He was using the blow torch to cook a chicken! A short distance on I saw a chook market, a line of beautifully woven cane baskets full of chooks for sale.
In several areas I saw groups of treadle sewing machines lined up on one side of the square or on the footpath. The men manning these machines were all idle, patiently waiting for a customer to come and ask them to do some sewing for them.
Taxi Hassles
I caught a taxi back to the Shangri La Hotel for a late but relaxing lunch in the garden. I had walked in Patan for quite a few hours so I was pleased to sit down for a while. The taxis in Kathmandu are required by law to have meters to charge their customers. The one I hailed had an inoperable meter so we haggled over the price of the journey. He wanted Rs300 (A$6) but I knew this was exorbitant for the length of the trip so he accepted my offer of Rs200 (A$4) which was still a little high. To be fair, he took me on a longer and less busy route back to the hotel so I got to see another part of the city.
An Offer I couldn’t accept
After lunch I walked into Thamel yet again to do some final shopping. Large squads of armed police and soldiers were in evidence everywhere. I had yet another new experience this afternoon. I was approached twice by men offering to sell me marijuana. When refused I was then offered a massage. I didn’t hang around to find out what kind of massage!
Shopping in Thamel, Kathmandu
After exploring for over an hour I found two clothing shops where I could bargain the price down to what I was prepared to pay. I bought two pairs of trousers for Rs1200 (A$24) and two t-shirts for Rs800 (A$16). The trousers were similar to those I used for the trek. The t-shirts both had the same design with mountains and the caption of Kathmandu, Nepal. One is grey and the other is navy blue.