Monday, August 31, 2015

Lily ponds and water sprites...



Although the spring tulip festival is wonderful Araluen Botanical Park is special at any time of the year. One of the many charming features at Araluen, an Aboriginal word meaning singing waters, running waters or place of lilies, is the Grove of the Unforgotten. A waterfall tumbling down over a series of terraces surrounded by pencil pines forming the shape of a lyre, and just below the terraces.. a lily pond where on Saturday I was lucky enough to catch a sweet water sprite gazing at her reflection among the lily pads and later, lured by the 'singing water' flitting past the falls :) I hope you had/are having a good weekend, take care and stay safe...p.s. the view across the valley from waaay up there is not too shabby!


28 comments:

  1. amazing reflection of a lily pads...Great photos...

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  2. Love that first photo, especially.

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  3. Oh, what a beautiful park!!! I do love the water/falls and the reflections and a happy little girl enjoying it all!! Terrific captures for the day, as always, Grace!! Hope you have a great new week!!

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  4. Beautiful and relaxing. Mrs. & I used to like to sit at the lilly ponds in Maymont in Richmond, VA when we lived there. When I was younger I lived in the mountains and spent many a summer afternoon relaxing at an old farm dam that was filled with water lillies and a small falls. None of the places as nice as your place Grace.

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  5. Love the water sprite as well as the waterfall! Spring is so fresh and beautiful!

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  6. This is heavenly! It doesn't look one little bt like the end of winter!

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  7. Makes me think of Monet's Water Lilies....

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  8. What a beautiful peaceful spot, Grace! A place to recharge.
    Wouldn't we have fun in that car - in either of our cities!

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  9. It is a very nice construction, as is nearly anything using running water.

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  10. I can really feel the serenity in this place. Come join us on the latest edition of "Through My Lens". The link-up is open now on my blog.

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  11. Beautiful place and such sweet pictures Grace! I love the title of your post too.

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  12. It is a beautiful place, Grace, and including the girl in white adds a lot of extra interest.

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  13. Wonderful Grace, lovely pictures with the young lady...

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  14. Lovely place, must be extra special when the water lillies are all in flower. I like the water sprite too.

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  15. Gorgeous water park with a small little sprite dressed in white!

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  16. Subtle colors. Like the motion blur in the second photo.

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  17. I love these photos. It's my kind of place.

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  18. You have out done yourself with this series Grace. They are stunning. They remind me of the colour plates in old children's story books from years gone by. Marvelous.

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  19. A wonderful park with a lovely sprite as model.

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  20. That looks like a very relaxing place, Grace!

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  21. Lovely images of a wonderful place!

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  22. The little girl is the most charming water sprite! I love the term "singing waters"—very descriptive esp for this beautiful spot.

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  23. Her peering into the water and lilies. Wonderful image. Love the dress too.

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  24. That's the sort of place that will inspire imagination! Beautiful images, Grace!

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  25. This park looks lovely. The tumbling waterfall is gorgeous, I like waterfalls, it looks like a lovely place to just sit and listen to the sound of the water. Great capture of the water sprite.

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  26. What a fun and lovely place to wander!

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