Welcoming 2022

My Xmas cake might give you a clue about where we need to go! The bumps and air pocket icing was the stuff of this last year, leading into the uneven new year. All part of this unpredictable course. The alphabet letters we still have to get through are a fair few. 

The last day of the year will be spent in the garden, weeding, harvesting some honey and watching the fruit form on the trees.

The first day of the New Year will be more of the same. Everything will grow from there, little by little. From one day to the next, we are learning to live with the tyranny of numbers rising and falling. We are all in for more letters and numbers. May the letters form what we are hoping for -  spelling Happiness and Health for the year ahead. 

Xmas 2021

Not much time to sit idle, but a welcome walk in the neighbourhood brings some thoughts to the fore and with these I write my xmas message for this challenging year, the year of two out of three and the borrowed Xmas Tree. A year which brought regulation changes more frequently than we change our underpants. Jesting aside, this has been so hard for so many families wrenched apart by the faceless, nameless masses of red tape, (and how easy it is to hide behind that). Loved ones not quite within reach, whether grandparents in old peoples homes or young babes which have just been welcomed to a not broad enough meeting of aunts and uncles, grandparents and more. 

The message on my 2020 Xmas Cake was "Roll on 2021", but now looking back it is more like we were rolled under the bus. Everything became a considered decision which teetered on the moment, in the year, though by all accounts Australia survived better than most places in the world and weathered the Delta variant well, but we were so aware of how many many lives were lost in that time, particularly in India and the US. Just as we thought that we were finally out of the woods we find ourselves facing more uncertainty, admittedly with changing goal posts, and a little further along the Greek Alphabet. Will we get to the end? 

Now once more we are on the cusp of Christmas and we hold our breath. Dare we wish for open borders, renewed travel and no more deaths around the world? Will we reunite with loved ones and plan ahead? Thoughts and sympathy for lives lost. Thinking about Kathy's son Mathieu, Gabi in SA who lost her brother, Lusy in Kenya my wonderful PA, who lost her only son in a tragic car accident this week, and children's lives lost in Devonport in Tasmania. To all those thrown apart. To those recovering from Covid and its side effects. As my niece's daughter complained, to the loss of her teenage years. The list is long. 

Perhaps the answer lies in living in the moment, being aware of all that is around, and being thankful for what we have.To my Xmas Angel Robyn Jaques for supplying the Xmas tree for the season - a shortage of Xmas trees has been the latest supply chain problem. To my boys who love one another and reach out where there is a need and for a hubby who plants and harvests goodness in the garden. 

There are sunflowers in our garden but also clouds. Wary of 2022 - who wouldn't be. 

Queensland throws open its borders

Today Queensland throws open its borders to the rest of Australia and the world.The feelings in the population range from anxious, about what this might bring to the State, to utter elation at the prospect of being reunited with loved ones. We are in the latter category, and can't wait to see our two Sydneysiders next week. Our Londoner is grappling with Aussie International Rules and has so far been rejected once. He will try again as there is no greater gift for us than being all together this Christmas. 

The butterflies in our garden have also got the message and are happily uniting - what a joy. 

While our sunflowers are reaching for that Queensland sun. This cheeky chappie is joining us for dinner most nights. He loves mango stones but also happily eats watermelon too. 

APT10 - a Monumental Art Show

This weekend saw the opening of the APT10 - the Asia Pacific Triennial Exhibition of Contemporary Art from the region with 150 artists from 30 different countries. It is of course a testament to GOMA and all its teams that they were able to curate and exhibit these works when the whole world has been suffering the effects of a pandemic.  

The show is astonishing in its breadth and scope, though a few common threads emerge such as artists connection with their cultures and their relationship to nature and of course the ever present ever threatening spectre of climate change and the effects on the planet. To say it is a celebration of all that art has to offer is almost underselling it. I had to draw breath, sit down, take breaks and I still don't think I had enough time to take it all in even over a weekend. 

I am sharing my favourites which are undoubtedly from nearby and steeped in their cultures. The Uramat Mugas Story Songs of East New Britain from PNG. Two galleries dedicated to their amazing woven masks and costumes and backdrops of huge screens displaying the day and night ceremonies that you can sit and watch. The first gallery displays five types of masks, while the screens show the village, the forest, the Mugas and the sound of the bamboo orchestra.Adjoining is the gallery with the night ceremonies. 

Nguyen Thi Chau 's delicate silk prints on both sides to "grandmothers, mothers, sisters and girlfriends who live around me and have unstable lives". Three generations of women in Vietnam and the changing fortunes of each. 

The expressive ceramic pots with a woman's face on it of Joyce Mary Arasepa Cole and the little figures that go along side. Young girls, breastfeeding mums and babes. 

The poignant mural of Archie Oclos with migrant and indigenous populations depicted against the backdrop of sacks of rice and the uncertain futures they face. 

The giant unadorned water containers of Alia Farid - her representation of their importance in her culture and the way they are central to the lives of so many in times of rising scarcity of water. 

And the work of I Made Djina entitled Kita 2021 which was striking. Kita means togetherness and in creating this work with pumice stones and coconut shells he blends the indoor and outdoor with what is private and what is shared while emphasising the importance of family life in Bali. 

The exhibition is on until the 25th of April 2022 - give yourselves lots of time. 

Daintree

Heading down to Daintree we were graced with the presence of a dingo on an empty road. It is the first dingo we have seen on the mainland aside from those we saw on Fraser island. It was a deep golden colour, lean and so beautiful. No photos. We were busy taking in its surprise appearance. 

We headed to the Daintree River for a bird tour and enjoyed some beautiful views but did not see many birds. The azure kingfishers stood out. Couple on branches in the photo. 

The river was full of hibiscus flowers which had fallen. There was something magical about floating among them with beautiful scenery flanking both sides of the river. 

We explored the Daintree coast line from our little Daintree Wilderness Retreat in the rainforest all the way up to Cape Tribulation. The coast line was nothing short of jaw droppingly picture perfect. We walked on so many beaches - Cows Bay, Alexandra Bay, South Noah Beach and Noah Beach. 

It seemed to me that this whole area was testing us. Picture perfect. Punishingly hot. Empty beaches with no one and nothing on them. Just us - walking, hoping we wont be eaten by crocs, walking on the waters edge hoping we wont be stung by stingers and certainly not swimming as sharks are lurking. What an Adam and Eve temptation place to the highest order but we walked every single beach and along the waters edge even so and loved it. 

To cool off we found the most amazing swimming hole. Initially I was put off by a sign nearby but we found a path which led us upstream and this is the beautiful place we swam in - we were alone ! 

We drove the length and breadth of the Daintree coastline in search of the elusive cassowary. There was scat outside our door, fruits we know they like to eat and this hilarious Aussie sign but none to be seen. We will simply have to go back. 

Night life

And the forest comes alive. Now you see me. I am the most beautiful striped Possum and I love sucking a little of the honey from the sap side of this tree. Here you see me going down but I will soon be coming up as well. I take my time because I love it. Sometimes I have to share with the sugar glider and he is really annoying because he likes the honey as much as I do. I chase him around the tree and occasionally we bump into one another. 

Scurrying around in the undergrowth is Bartholomew the Bandicoot. He must have Greek genes. Look at that nose. 

And not far from there antichinus and the musky rat kangaroo rustle around but they are a lot quieter then that blasted brush turkey and the scrub fowl. 

And that is not all - a little further in Yungaburra we came across not one, not two, but three platypuses. We had such fun watching them all as they were quite happy to stay on the surface for a while before disappearing in a jumble of bubbles below. I will share one video with you of our favourite as he was so playful. Coming up, rolling around, or floating happily and then landing on a rock where he had a big scratch. You can see him doing this in the video. 

This is an unusual creature and not often seen, but this sighting was just the best. A very happy Hubby sported his platypus shirt at dinner to show his joy. 

Atherton Tablelands

We have always wanted to visit this area. A rich fertile plain full of large farms on a sweeping table land. The earth is solid deep red - it exudes richness. Of course a lot of rainforest has been cleared to create the farmland so this area is now a mix of the two. We were there principally for the rainforest and the crater lakes which are full of fresh rainwater. 

We loved the walk around Eacham lake and swam in it - fresh and invigorating in spite of the warnings to not disturb the fresh water croc which is suspected of inhabiting the lake as well.  

The track around the lake is through thick and tall rainforest trees with wonderful birdsong. 

Our next stop was the Nerada Tea Plantation which has an interesting story of how it was established and destroyed several times - now a thriving tea factory and teahouse standing side by side.In the car park where there is a line of tall trees, tree kangaroos hang out. Such a joy to see these shy but sweet animals. On this particular day it was a mum and a baby who were visible, though my photos are poor. 

Here is one from a fellow traveller. 

Not so lucky in Malanda where there was a rather mature Cyppie acting up. 

The Malanda falls when not overflowing. 

In lake Barrine we sipped a tea in the historic teahouse and then walked to the twin Kauris. These giants in the forest which grow to such majestic heights. 

These two giant forest trees, over 50 metres in height, are considered to be one of the earliest species of rainforest tree and estimated to be about 1000 years old. They are Bull Kauris and even though they don't have a the characteristic leaves of a pine tree they belong in that family. There is so much more to explore in this area, we will certainly return. 

My next blog will be about all the wildlife we saw here. 

Cairns to Kuranda on the Scenic Railway

This trip has brought back memories of Indian railways - Our trip from Shimla down to the valley is  memorable and comparable too. The amazing engineering feats of these railways, the countless lives lost in their construction. On this occasion the most staggering of all to me was the fact that men had to supply their own tools, picks axes and shovels to get a job. Digging through those mountains was done by hand. No machines! 

The abuse perpetrated on these workers was immense. I suspect it still goes on but thank goodness for trade unions and workmen protection and compensation and crazy Aussie health and safety. 

So we saluted those tunnels - 15 of them, 55 bridges over the gorges, 98 curves, a distance of 33 kms from Cairns rising 327 metres above sea level, the years it took to complete the short journey, starting in 1887, linking the rich mining belt to the sea. It is so memorable an experience from sitting in the restored carriages of silky oak timber, to the breathtaking views of some of the falls and the Barron Gorge. 

When we got there we happily discovered the town of Kuranda, found an Indian Aussie who invited us in for a chai and visited the butterfly sanctuary to see those butterflies which are so ephemeral and stunning. 

The day could not have been more rewarding, scenic and historically revealing.