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!

Look here to see more weekend reflections

Bloomin' Sunday..

Above, the first glimpse of the wonders awaiting us below in the valley. Despite the weather prediction of rain and storms yesterday we were up early and off to see the tulips at Araluen Botanical Park. This is the first time we've made it to the tulip festival and we weren't disappointed, it was spectacular! The red had the biggest blooms I've ever seen on a tulip and the colour.. oh la! it was so intense, the hardest to capture. Such a contrast between the surrounding native Australian bush and the exotic tulips and yet somehow it worked beautifully. Luck was with us, just as we made it back to the car the heavens opened and la pluie fell :) Unfortunately not so lucky for the busload of visitors that had just arrived. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday, take care and stay safe...

Them dinosaur bones....

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that an excursion to the museum has to be one of the best school trips ever! Fun and fascinating at the same time, can't hope for more than that. A last few shots from our visit on Monday. Atop the stairs in Thursday's post is like walking into 1920, j'adore the display cabinets filled with weird and wonderful creatures from around the world.

The Diamonds to Dinosaurs exhibition is popular with the visiting school groups..

Unexpected surprises..

... and another glimpse of that fabulous ceiling..

I'm thinking this might be the only time I get a shot of Percy Pelican in flight :)The museum is going through some major developments, see future plans here, completed by 2020, it looks amazing but I will miss that nostalgic feeling walking up that marvelous staircase and into a different era.. Bon weekend, take care and stay safe..

Splendiferous reading room...

Being a huge lover of books Hackett Hall is my favourite heritage building of the WA Museum. I would have enjoyed reading in the quiet splendour of this room. Standing on the upper level, which still feels like a library, original books and all, looking up at the fabulous pressed metal patterns on the ceiling and walls, the skylights, the dumb-waiter lifts and cast-iron spiral staircases I can imagine how it must have looked when it was used as the State Library Reading Room from 1913 - 1984. Check out the images here to see how the library has changed over the years. Can you believe at one point the wooden floor was covered in carpet and the ceiling boarded from the beams up hiding the amazing details below, crazy right!  After major interior restoration work in 1996 it was quite rightly restored to it's former glory. The hall is now used for many an elegant occasion, I would enjoy standing aloft and observing :) Happy Friday, take care and stay safe.. p.s. no sleep on Wednesday night, off to bed early.. big catch up today!

Remember Me.. The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt..

The lure of vintage black and white photos was too irresistible to ignore when at the WA Museum on Monday, I just didn't realize the effect they would have on me. Whether it was too soon after our own family tragedy, I found it impossible to take photos of those handsome, innocent young men doomed to die. They were however the most wonderful images, taken by the Thuillier family during the First World War, read how the photos of the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt came about.Tomorrow I'll take you up the much trodden, totally gorgeous old staircase with it's wonderfully threadbare carpet, it's a little like stepping back in time, j'adore! Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe..

The Muse.. gaol never looked so cosy!

Coffee, or whatever your drink of choice, is a must at The Muse Cafe when you visit the WA Museum. Housed in the old Perth gaol behind the museum, a reminder of the convict beginnings of the colony, the rooms now very much transformed from their original use into welcoming snugs. If you would like to know more about the old gaol this is an excellent link, I enjoyed it very much.. 

Stepping out into the sunshine filled courtyard, surrounded by Victorian/Georgian architecture, which was almost, quelle horreur, demolished in the 70's, it's impossible to imagine the horrendous conditions back then, including executions. I can't wait to show you the museum itself, it's fabulous! Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe...

It's all about the little things!

So here's the thing! Well two things really. I'd like to say I 'just happened' to spot this quirky stencil in Leederville on Sunday, but truthfully it was a bit of a search.. and by that I mean myself, P, sis and bruv-in-law had to really search :) The irony of the weed killer spray surrounded by weeds was not lost on me when I saw it on a website, especially after a morning pulling head high weeds out of Aimee's garden, and I was determined to find it, just didn't realize how tiny it would be, can you find it on the wall below? (sorry about the sunspot)

Oh and the other thing.. when eventually we did find it way down there, there wasn't a weed in sight. So like any other enterprising photographer I pulled up a weed from a little way off and 'transplanted' it for effect.. you would have done the same right :) Not a mind blowing mural but it tickled my fancy! Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe..

Click here to see more murals from around the world..

Funky Bunches..

Took so many photos yesterday but you know how it is, sometimes you run out of time to edit them, so I picked out the most colourful and will get to the rest tomorrow. In Leederville yesterday having coffee with P, sister and BIL.. perfect Perth day, blue skies, perky company and excellent coffee, oh and it's possible there was cake :) Just as I was about to take a shot up Oxford Street, around the corner and into the shot a tall man with balloons, passing Funky Bunches, perfect! Hope you had/are still having a funky weekend, take care and stay safe...

15680km to London.. or, a day in the life of a phobic!

That's a heck of a lot of kms. You can see how this might/does pose a problem for a 'flying phobic', blimey the 3284km to Sydney cause me enough angst, but more than worth it to see my Surrey Hills famille. A few random shots from Hillarys Boat Harbour. For the price of small house you could buy one of the offshore pleasure launches below for sale at the marina.. as I have a fear of deep water :) I'll stick with the bike!

Was a little curious about the strong current you can see clearly below, flowing speedily down towards and under the boardwalk where no boat can venture. what's that all about?

... and this one just because I like it, can you guess where Bellisimo Gelato I'm heading :) There always seems to be a mix of 'rugged-up' versus shorts and tee shirts whatever season it is, I take any opportunity I can to rug-up! Hope that you're having a wonderful weekend, take care and stay safe...

Portrait reflections...

I'm a little late in posting these shots from an exhibition I went to in June this year, as many of you know the blog came to a standstill for most of July due to the worst possible circumstances, but I really wanted to show the work of the incredibly talented Natalie de Rozario. Her drawing skills developed while living in the Buddhist influenced city of Chiang Mai, Thailand.. later completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree in London before heading off to explore West and Eastern Europe. Below on the opposite wall of the gallery the 'Aboriginal Child' drawing reflected in Natalie's self portrait. Oh to have so much talent, if only! Have a wonderful and safe, I will eventually stop highlighting the safe :) weekend, take care...

Check out more Weekend Reflections from around the world..

Café Grace closing for spring/summer...

Nearing the end of the seed supply I made an executive decision :) to close Café Grace for the spring/summer season. There will be a plentiful supply of natural seeds for the next few months and to be honest they're getting a wee bit demanding these days, not to mention the mess they make in the upper back garden. Couldn't resist taking a last few shots of the Rainbow Lorikeets yesterday morning.. gosh they are noisy, bossy little critters but oh la! the colours are exquisite! These shots are straight out of the camera..

Not only noisy and bossy they are greedy too, check out the size of the sunflower seed it has in its beak! This silly old Galah sat ruffling his feathers to no avail and when he plucked up the nerve to gingerly make his way to the tray....

... he was soon put back in his place.. which wasn't anywhere near the seed :) I probably will miss the colour and noise but I won't miss the mess. Here's wishing you a colourful Thursday, take care and stay safe...