28 Thursday May 2020
Posted in one with nature
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It was a beautiful morning with our local river fog, “The Bridgewater Jerry” trailing down the River Derwent. The suburbs upstream were engulfed in the fog, but from suburbs south of the Tasman bridge, the “Jerry” looked stunning in the sunlight.
I took these photos on my way to work, from Howrah, Kangaroo Bay and Tranmere. I like that you can see Hobart City under the fog, while Mount Wellington stands tall and proud above.
16 Saturday May 2020
Posted in days out, one with nature
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens reopened this week as lockdown restrictions begin to ease. Only outside areas were open “for exercise”. The shop, café and kiosk were closed. Also the Conservatory and Antarctic House.
It was a perfect autumn day to visit. Feet of all sizes had fun scrunching through the fallen leaves.
I joined lots of people for a delightful walk around the gardens. Everyone was sensible and respectful, keeping social distance, waiting to pass on narrow paths and bridges over the lake.
It was pleasing to see the autumn colours.
Many of the maples in the Japanese Garden have finished their display. There were a few still putting on a show.
Also to see what is happening in “The Patch”, as seen on Gardening Australia. Local charities maintain some beds.
The gardeners have kept busy while the gardens have been closed.
04 Wednesday Mar 2020
Posted in 52 challenge, one with nature, photography
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We had a visitor to our garden last weekend. I’ve seen a few Blue Tongue Lizards in the wild now, but I was able to get up close to this fellow.
This month, Jude’s monthly 2020 Photo Challenge is all about texture. I love the contrast of textures in these photos, reptile, concrete and branch. His intricate scales and colouring is also perfect for last month’s topic of pattern.
And I finally got a photo of his blue tongue.
20 Monday Jan 2020
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I need a few challenges for this new year, so I was delighted to read that fellow blogger Jude has set a 2020 Photo Challenge to “try out various photographic techniques, skills or concepts”
The theme for January is Composition and Framing. I didn’t know about the challenge when I took these photos earlier in the month during our NZ holiday. But these photos seem to fit the bill, taken on my iphone. I have cropped them to straighten and frame them. I need to get away from the Instagram habit of square images.
Whilst visiting the Bay of Plenty we stayed with friends of friends whose house overlooked this kiwi fruit orchard and I was able to get up close and stand underneath the trees / vines of hanging fruit.
I like these photos, looking straight down the “tunnel”. But .. the big leaf in the top left of this one is distracting.
I like the hanging vine in this, but it hinders the sense of distance and there is not so much fruit in the picture.
The fruit were not quite ready for harvest, but workers had been there earlier, thinning the leaves and removing damaged fruit.
The orchards are bordered by very high hedges which act a wind breaks.
Have a look at Jude’s photo of Godrevy Lighthouse here and links to other bloggers contributions.
15 Wednesday Jan 2020
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The road around the Coromandel Peninsular takes you close to the water, over the hills, through a gorge. The towns are picturesque, but were busy on the weekend closing the Christmas and New Year holidays. We struggled to find a parking space.
14 Tuesday Jan 2020
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Whilst in Rotorua we visited the Redwood Treewalk. A walk across twenty eight swing bridges, with information on each tree platform about the hundred year old redwood trees and the tree ferns below.
We were staying near Lake Rotorua so took a walk along the banks at dusk.
13 Monday Jan 2020
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Rotorua is an extraordinary place. A geo thermal area with geysers, bubbling mud, pools of boiling water, steam rising into the air. There is an underlying smell of sulphur but you soon get used to that.
We toured a Te Puia, a geo thermal park with an interesting guide. But we also found steam, boiling water in cracks in the earth, whilst strolling around the city’s streets.
Maori culture is on show here. Buildings, such as Maree meeting houses, food stores. canoes, totems. Traditional crafts are taught, such as carving and weaving.
The Church on the Lake has beautiful Maori carvings and a memorable glass window with Jesus etched, walking on the water. The bodies in the graveyard are interned above ground level due to the heat of the earth.
12 Sunday Jan 2020
Posted in one with nature, remembering / musing
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We’ve just returned from a fabulous holiday in New Zealand. A highlight was returning to Piha Beach after thirty five years.
This secluded ocean beach was just as I remembered. It’s black sand and the towering Lion Rock, remnants of its volcanic history.
The Brit in me still found it amazing to be in such a beautiful place, in such weather, on new year’s eve.
29 Friday Nov 2019
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October started with bearded iris blooms.
Other flower highlights were lilac, pompom bush and this beautiful grass, ixia viridiflora.
We continued to harvest spinach on a daily basis. The little seed pots from Woolworths all thrived and were planted into our veggie patch.
Folk lore here in Tasmania states that you shouldn’t plant tomatoes outside until “Show Day”. This is the annual Royal Hobart Show, which was Thursday 24th October this year. So on that public holiday we bought three different varieties of tomato and planted them in our veggie patch.
November started with stunning roses.
However I was disappointed that these flowers only lasted a week. Other rose bushes have lasted longer.
Our tomato plants are growing tall and have flowers. They are now in support canes. The bed was cleared when we moved in, so we were surprised to see several self seeded plants that are also growing well.
There are flowers on our olive trees.
We have now harvested and enjoyed home grown carrots, beetroot, spring onions, lots of rainbow chard, lots of herbs, rocket and spinach.
The month is ending with these lily type flowers.
07 Monday Oct 2019
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This post is a week late but here is a quick update on our garden during September, the beginning of spring.
The front garden continues to be a splash of colour with lavender bushes in flower.
I think the small tree is a Willow Myrtle, which now has small white flowers.
In the back garden the trees I posted last month, now identified as Pittosporum, has tiny black flowers.
I’m excited to see what colour these iris flowers will be.
A few creatures have been visible this month. I’m always surprised when I see orange ladybirds, rather than the expected red ones with black spots.
Our spinach, carrots and romaine cauliflowers continue to thrive. But something is feasting on the beetroot leaves. I’ve heard possums on our roof and seen rabbits on the other side of our fence, there are wallabies about the neighbourhood. There has definitely been animal droppings in the garden. It’s not square poo so I know it’s not wombats!
One of Australia’s main supermarkets is currently giving away seedlings. This is such a fabulous promotion after back lash on recent plastic collectable toys that are already appearing as rubbish on beaches and in landfill.
Each little cardboard pot contains a soil pellet and a few seeds. Put the pellet in water and it expands, place most of it in the pot, then the seeds, cover with remaining soil. Place in a light position, water each day and wait. I planted these on 28th of Sept so we’ll see how successful they are.
