Boondall Wetlands

No two visits are the same and this one turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. We headed there for some birdwatching and at this time of year you are in for a treat. Shore birds, migratory birds, every day birds all there having a good time.
Th circular Board Walk takes you to the Bird Hide. There we were, binoculars in hand, standing and watching the birdlife.
A man came in briefly and then went and sat outside.Within seconds this little head popped up from behind the sign. The man had left a cracker which the possum found.

 A few seconds later, another little head.

Then they were both having a snack. 

Until the babe wanted more, and mum was not going to have it. 

And then before we knew it we were met with this delightful little encounter with mum and babe. Now we have possums in our back yard but it is still a bit of a thrill to see them in the wild, and in daylight here. I called the man in to have a look and he told me his story. He is local and has been coming here for years. Loves the possum families and has seen several generations of possums living nearby in the trees. He occasionally brings them a corn and rice cake like today or a bit of fruit. He is very aware of the sensitivities of feeding wild life and we spoke about it at length but it is as much about giving them something from time to time as it is about checking that they are well.

We loved our interaction with our Boondall Mum and Babe and we will be back to discover more another time of year.

Goodna Jacaranda Festival oops

We visited Goodna. At this time of year the Jacaranda Park is awash with purple Jacarandas and is a joy. This weekend there is a festival going on in the park but some official might be in trouble...

 Spot the error

Just to break up the purple let's be rebellious and throw some red in

And to end today's blog- some Aussie humour on Layard St. 

Happy Weekend Everyone. 

Discoveries with Dougall 9 Post demise of washing machine.

When you are stuck at home waiting for the washing machine man, however nice he is, you are itching to get out. So as soon as he pronounced the washing machine dead, I knew the only thing to do was to head out with Dougall. Glorious day and extra long walk. Why not. Look at the beauty around me.On the recommendation of my lovely friend Ellen,  Dougall will feature more - he is after all the reason for this series. 

Swaying snakes

Its a glorious day and I was just thinking it is beginning to feel like summer. Must invite the neighbours over for a swim, must organise some lunches for ladies, must get a new swimsuit and I wonder when the first snake sighting will be... - well one dip in the pool and as I came up I heard the magpies. I knew immediately they were telling me something and I looked to where their calls were coming from.At the bottom of the garden is an enormous tree which is still quite bare. There in some of the really high branches was a mass all curled up. Ah the first sighting. They are my guardians those birds, no wonder I am so fond of them. 

Here it is lying on these stick thin branches and swaying like mad in the wind. Told the muddy man best not to garden under there just in case it falls on his head. Can you make out the magpie standing guard over him in the second photo? 

Discoveries with Dougall 8

I haven't taken Dougall out for several weeks as I have been away so it was a joyful reunion. On our walk today a variety of attractions to catch both of our watchful eyes. For Dougall, a water dragon is the ultimate carrot and he chases after them with abandon. They are always faster then him and scramble very quickly up a tree or dive headlong into a stream.

A little further along it was a pleasure to see the recycling world kicking in to the neighbourhood in this lovely way - hanger anyone?

Yesterday evening we had an  electric storm with one of the biggest thunder claps I have ever heard. There was some rain but not enough. However the stream is swollen which meant the mangroves are in water again and this was just  the kind of jungle jim that Dougall was looking for. He loved dipping in and out of the edges and slurping up the water. 

Finally on our path a few blooms in the springtime.

Have a great weekend everyone - From Dougall with a slobbery kiss. 

Walking to a Prophet and Pumpkins

This morning's adventure involved us taking a nature walk to the Prophet Elias. We were told it was a three hour walk through the forest. With limited signage and some guesswork by G, we climbed steadily to the very top of one of the peaks and there sitting on a small platform was a tiny church dating from the Byzantine era, but destroyed and rebuilt several times. This was also, we are told, a place for freedom fighters who took refuge in the mountains, and in particular one man called Markos Drakos. Along the way conifers, pines and cedars and just to remind me of Brisbane, a small baby snake who didnt manage to get to the other side of the road. The views were breathtaking, the day clear and we rang the church bell which echoed all through the many valleys that surrounded us.

In iconography the Prophet Elijah is depicted ascending to Heaven in a fiery chariot, surrounded with flames, and harnessed to four winged horses. We pray to him for deliverance from drought, and to ask for seasonable weather- he sounds perfect for Australia too. 

On our way back to Nicosia we stopped to admire the enormous pumpkins that a sweet little old lady was selling by the side of the road. They were all shapes and sizes and would easily feed a family or several for days on end. 

In the Solea Valley

From the warm sea to the cooler mountains with a new driver - our very own G. A luxury to be driven to the Solea Valley and Kalopanayiotis. We set off immediately for some wonderful walks in the mountains, where we wandered through a valley of chestnut and plane trees, wild grapes, walnuts, quinces, pomegranates, cherries, and apples to the forests above. Interesting geology, smell of pine and fig and a vista of the whole valley. 

Glossa - Famagusta

And after our journey along the old road- our destination, the part of Famagusta beach that we are allowed to access. We used to call it Glossa and we still do. The sea here is shimmering and clear and the sand is white and pliable underfoot. Swimming is just wonderful as the sea has warmed from the summer months. It is as still as a lake and bright. 

 The Ghost town of Famagusta in the distance with our homes lying empty and derelict.

 I guess we have to be thankful we can still enjoy this corner - here is someone who did !

Furious however to find that where we were sitting on the beach, idiots, because there is no other word to describe such people, decided to have a party on the beach and popped poppers with glitter and confetti. The shiny bits flew into the water and the fish were attracted to the colours and of course will end up swallowing all these things, so G and I sat and picked up every bit of glitter and restored that bit of beach to a much cleaner state. Sadly there were more cigarette butts then we could possibly collect. Such a shame people are so unthinking of preserving the natural beauty of such places. 

 Not even this could take away our joy of swimming in these waters.

Taking the Old Road...

To Famagusta brought back many happy memories - reciting the list of villages our father encouraged us to learn off by heart which were found between the towns of Nicosia and Famagusta-  Afania, Assia, Vatili, Lysi, Kontea, Kouklia, Kalopsida and Varosha. My mother's trick of distracting us pointing to an "elephant" outside when we were getting fractious in the back seat. The many many patients my father treated from these villages, the kind hospitality we always received, and the beauty of some of the landmarks. Afaneia was a mixed village until the exchange of populations. Now it is under the TRNC. Just nearby off the main road is Ornithi and a beautiful 14th - 15 Century Basilica of St Artemonas which Anna is helping to restore with European funds. This is visible from the side of the road in the broad Mesoaria plain where bales of hay lay everywhere in the dried fields.

In the road beyond, a mud and wattle house with the most amazing Prickly pears which have gone rogue. The field nearby with its proud minaret, built of sandstone as was the custom then. The two religious places of worship standing side by side, as this was a mixed village. 

The bales of hay from the rich Mesaoria plain which provided the grain for all the island.