Autumn at Araluen.. Beyond the mist.

 

I did forget to mention in yesterday's post about our trip to Araluen Botanic Park that the misty effect in a lot of the pics is actually from smoke from prescribed burning in the area, not quite as romantic as mist but with a similar effect :) the shot directly below is one of my fave's. More yellows with a splash of orange today and as if there wasn't enough to enjoy each of the pillars of the pergola had wonderful old black and white photographs showing the history of the park, who doesn't love a bit of history in black and white :) Hope you enjoyed this jaunt to the park with me, we might go again and see how the park looks in winter. Happy Friday, take care and stay safe..

Autumn at Araluen.. All of the colours.

 

Loved the incoming bees in the shot above :) Have been trying out a new 17mm prime lens, enjoying it very much so far. You have been with me here many times in spring to see the tulip festival but unbelievably we've not been to Araluen Botanic Park in autumn before.. enchanting, magical, glorious colours of nature.. can you tell I was excited to be there :) So many butterflies and bees feasting companionably together. The mix of deciduous and evergreen planting along with the last of the summer/autumn roses and other flowers creates an even more stunning palette of reds, greens, yellow and orange, the prettiest of scenarios wherever you look. More about the history of Araluen Botanic Park here. Few more pics tomorrow, happy Thursday, take care and stay safe..

Checking horizons..

 

'Give me coffee to change the things I can and the beach to accept the things I can't'..

Didn't stray too far from home yesterday after our three day lock down but a glimpse of the ocean was reassuring, it always is. Off to take in the autumn colours at Araluen Botanic Park today, really looking forward to showing you 🍂 Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe..

 

From wedding dresses to tam o'shanters..

Whenever I enter an 'antique' shop the expression 'one man's junk is another man's treasure' comes to mind, I don't often buy anything these days but by golly I do enjoy looking. Take a closer look and see if there is anything that might interest you, I quite liked the green industrial ceiling lights above, would look good in the kitchen and also the green Aladdin shaped washing basket.. but I resisted :) Took these shots last week. I haven't left the house for the past three days but the snap lock down is over today so I will be out and about.. wearing a mask! Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe..

'The best therapist has fur and four legs'..

 

How could you not fall in love with that sweet face. Painted here by Hope, Perth artist based in Margaret River. Creating art for hope.. you can see more of his work HERE. Painted for Sugarman..seller of men's and women's clothes, art, unusual gifts and good coffee, I think I saw somewhere that you can even have a haircut :) Spotted while walking along the main street in Margaret River, it looks quiet but almost every hotel, motel, camping site was booked out that weekend! Hope you had/are still having a good weekend, happy Monday, take care and stay safe..

Visit Sami to see more Monday Murals from around the world..

Anzac Day 2021..

 

'This is a day not of celebration but of national memory. It's a day when we learn, and learn again of the horror of purposeless war. It's a day for looking after your mates, cherishing your home, your neighbourhood and family. It's a day for realising how rare this wonderful country of ours is and how precious it is'..   

I apologize if I have used this shot before but, as happened last year the ANZAC Day Dawn Service held in Kings Park has been cancelled as Perth has gone into a snap three day lockdown. So like last year we and thousands of others around WA will be Lighting up the Dawn. Happy Sunday, take care and stay safe..

Road trip.. Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.

 

I am a huge fan of lighthouses and was looking forward to seeing the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse again. The people in the shot above were heading up the 176 stairs to the viewing deck of this 39 mt high lighthouse. Oh how I was tempted, but an appointment with my physio the next day kept me at ground level :) The lighthouse, the tallest mainland lighthouse in Australia, sits here on the most south westerly point of Australia where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. It was a beautifully calm day but you can imagine the horrors the first seafarers to explore this coastline would have faced here on a wild and windy night. I would love it if you could watch the 4 minute video HERE, a short history of the shipwrecks that lie off this coast recounted in a more succinct way than I could :) We then went on to Pemberton, the trees you saw a few days ago and home! Next time we will definitely stay longer. Happy weekend, take care and stay safe..

Road trip .. Margaret River, wine and waves.

 

In retrospect perhaps we should have taken two nights away to spend more time in each town we visited, too late! I  feel I've let you down a little on the Margaret River part of the road trip, we arrived late in the evening and after the long drive were ready to have dinner and retire. The temperate climate makes for perfect grape growing and the Margaret River wine region produces 20% of Australia's premium wine. Yes we brought a few bottles home :)

We were up super early the next morning and off to Prevelly just 10 minutes out of MR. Margaret River is also renowned worldwide for it's surf breaks and while we enjoyed watching as we had breakfast in the White Elephant Cafe, hot coffee on a chilly early morning is the best, the locals, a hardy bunch, were out swimming. The big breaks were about a km out, it's a little hard to see here how big those breaking waves were.. and there were surfers out there!

Straight after breakfast we were on our way to Augusta where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. I did a bit better there photo wise. Didn't realise until I downloaded the shot below that there was a horse in the field not the slightest bit bothered that we were leaving town so soon :) Happy Friday, take care and stay safe..

Road trip.. World Earth Day, walking among the giants.

 

Today's post is a little out of context as it's the last stop before we made tracks for home but as it is World Earth Day today what better way to celebrate than with trees, trees, glorious trees. This was actually the highlight of the trip for me, walking amongst the towering karri trees that surround Pemberton, 327km south of Perth is intoxicating. There are five National Parks within a 20 minute drive so you can imagine how wonderfully oxygenated the air is. Pemberton is a tourist attraction for many reasons, see HERE, but for me it's all about those magnificent trees. Back to Margaret River tomorrow :) Happy Earth Day, take care and stay safe..