A few of my favourite things

Here are a couple of  'from the heart' creations and our comfy dry room with backyard view.  Someday I'll have the seating I'd like to have yet for now, we really enjoy this space for reading and sitting quietly observing the wildlife and weather.

Paintings represent: Father, Mother, Older sister and younger sister
Created by Sarah
Fern Stand :The aloe plant will be replaced by my large fern soon,
Created by Bruce
Djembe' Ebony earrings: fond passion of the mother
Created by Jannah (photo coming soon)

I am blessed...and thankful.

Looking forward, glancing back

Tiny snowflakes are slowly falling again on this 1st day of 2010. Calling for snowsqualls and I'm ok with that..  I'm laying low..  heading out with some woman-folk tonight for a chick-flick...'It's complicated'... to laugh and eat some popcorn.

The Ozzie daughter is in Alice Springs where it's 38C and has been spending the past few weeks discovering a different part of Oz...and the TO daughter celebrated the new year in her home with friends after having both sides of families for a Christmas visit.  We are truly blessed..

Mike, Sarah and their 'boys' ..Jitters and Donkey

Time marches onward

Here is my front garden as it springs to life in 09.... I will hibernate and then enjoy this splendor again in 2010. Some hidden new bulbs await hatching and it's all part of the fun...of what will be.

Leaving Townsville heading north in search of rainforests

Travelling onwards to Cairns QLD

Heading up from Townsville to Hidden Valley Cabins near Paluma range.

Went from Dry tropical environment, to Lush tropical and finally to Wet Tropical rainforests...as we moved towards Port Douglas QLD.

David's trusty off road vehicle (Mitsub) was a fun ride and yes, we drove through small rivers, over rocks, through dirt paths in the forests...and it an amazing old vehicle with great extra cushioned impact seating!!

Went over this riverbed...

New South Wales visit and flights

We drove from Paluma Range area in Queensland to New South Wales with an overnighter in my cousin's home...long rides... beautiful discoveries... like these fruit bats who had settled in the trees in NSW near D's parents place... they indeed...eat the local fruits from everyones backyards...people cover their ripest fruit...to save it for themselves to eat!!

video of squawking bats

D's folks....Alan and Mona, kindly put us up for the night...served us a fabulous vegetarian meal..of nutmeal casserole, sweetpotatoe (ozzie style), root crops, home made bread, icecream, macadamia nuts, fresh honey and an equally filling breakfast the next morning...before we headed back up to Brisbane for my flight home... Lovely folks who have and maintain a complete backyard garden of Mango, Papaya,root crops vegetables and other fruits!

Last days in OZ ..July 09

The opportunist...orchid...

As J was completing her school work...and D was completing his kids camps at his school.... they managed to have 2 weeks "off"...to commit to lots of driving and showing me sites that were very special to them in Queensland...and now to me.

Toured the north of QLD with J and D guiding me .... kayaking at Paluma Lake Dam (up in the range), exploring the range winding roads, stopping to view the old stone bridges, and waterways.... and stayed at Hidden Valley cabins ...eco friendly environment with solar powered everything...Ist "resort" in OZ to be so...
see their info at : www:hiddenvalleycabins.com.au
Climbed down into a gorge not too many folks see (thanks to D's camp life) and generally was introduced to plantations of bananas, sugar cane, mangoes, old open pit "tin" mines, ...etc etc.
I learned much and experienced the same

Lake Paluma in search of platypus... bubbles only seen...

D prepared "tea"...snacks and tea prior to our paddle... I applied bug spray++

J with baby..Gomez sleeping in her sling..... ahhhh!! I believe this was the Crystal Creek Bridge.... and waterfalls.... many waterfalls small and large along the Range drive...

Beautiful handmade bridge..over a rugged river bed.

This is Gomez the Brushtail possum that was in J's keep ...she has been trained by the wildlife group to be a "carer" for snakes, possums and other marsupials... when they have been abandoned for numerous reasons...they are nutured , cared for and eventually released into the wild again ...when ready. She's fostered a snake, and 3 possums over the past year and does a fab job of all involved...and it is INVOLVED.

J had a great idea, while we drove thousands of kilometers... to hang Gomez's pouch from the car's "hook" in the backseat..and he loved it...as it swayed with the movement of the car...and he slept...(being nocturnal...he sleeps in the day)... at night as we slept in our cabin or hotel room, he was nestled down in his carrier...for the night.. too cute...


Hidden Valley Cabins: a sustainable experience.. off of Herveys range road, close to Paluma Winner of awards in excellence in sustainable tourism. A huge number of solar panels are located on a hill behind the cabins.
Our cabin is next the the most visible one here... very quiet and private. Clean, and nature literally visits your door...

Climbed down a path with D's help...to come apon this outstanding gorge...at "Puzzle creek"... remember it was their WINTER... and the water levels are low... it goes up by many meters in the WET season.. Temperatures were 28C in the day and 10-15C at night..in June/July..MY KIND OF WINTER!!

D climbed down into the gorge and stripped down to go for a plunge off the side of the gorge..but first he had to swim over to it and then climb up it to a good height...then jumped...after counting..so I'd get the "shot"... That's him on the little outcropping below... J and I stayed uptop and enjoyed the calm view...no one was there...but us.


D starts his ascent ..up the cliff face...you can just see him..


Yes, there he goes... off the cliff face...into the greenish water... (close up below)


Trip to D's parents in New South Wales... stopped off at the most easterly tip of Australia...and saw this fabulous lighthouse and calm water of the bay and wild water of the ocean..unprotected by the Great Barrier Reef. Very different without the reef's influence... Whales and Dolphins visit this area close to shore...and many folks were searching to see one! This area is big for surfing.

Unprotected side...