Blog Archives

Festival of Steam returns to Mt Barker, 25-26 May 2013

27/4/2013

It's back! The Festival of Steam returns to Mt Barker 25th and 26th May, Mt Barker Station (Dutton Road)

STEAMRANGER 621 !!
Shuttle trains from MtB to the Bugle Ranges
Guided Tours of the Depot
Section car rides
Fun stuff for the family

Check it out here: http://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=63

Back to normality - and the Bird Reports

27/4/2013

Mrs Golden Whistler

The good part: Celebrated Mum's birthday on Friday by having lunch in town and fixing up some business for her (a better celebration will be next Saturday).

THE BIRD REPORTS

25th April: Circuit Track, Entrance Road, Summit
RBFs + wrens + tbills in a bunch, fantails, y/f hes, spineys playing, clogs
Heard: ravens, pies, curras, babblers, pardies

26th April: Circuit Track, Entrance Road, Summit
Mr & Mrs GW (not calling), fantails, wrens, y/f h/es, spineys, t/bills, babblers, rosies, curras, wattlebirds

27th April: Circuit Track, Entrance Road, Summit (windy)
Y/f h/es, curras, pies, pardies (H), wrens (H), shrikeysx2 - calling (which I recorded) and mimicking currawongs (!), Mrs GW (see pic), y/r t-bills, striated t-bills, rosies, spineys, babblers (MOST IN CAR PARK)

28th April: Fire Track to Quarry
Pardies & Black-capped sitellas in the same dead tree, fantails + t-bills together, curras, sulphurs (H), Willie (on entrance road), MR GW (at quarry), rosies, wrens, clogs, y/f hes, corellas (large flock).

The creek, Mt Barker Springs

Writing: Sent a couple of short stories off to the Writer's Digest 82nd Annual Writing competition. Apart from that, working on the added scenes in The Isthmus - yep, they must go into the RIGHT PLACE.

Back to work tomorrow - starting with a PD Day, students back on Tuesday. It's been a wonderful two week break; hard to psyche up to the rat race. And yes, back to once a week blog posts.

Happy writing (and wish I were bushwalking too)
Bo
x

Looking east from the summit

Anzac Day - Lest we forget

25/4/2013

Lest we forget. We remember and honour the fallen on Anzac Day, those still in combat, those recovering from injuries, trauma, and their loved ones.

With love and thanks
Bo
xxx

Pic is from www.cauldronandcupcakes.com

And farewell Sydney Monorail

25/4/2013

Sydney Monorail on the Pyrmont Bridge

After 25 years humming above Sydney's CBD and Darling Harbour, the Sydney Monorail will cease operating at the end of June 2013.

I hitched a ride on it for the first time in 2008 - my first trip to Sydney (at the time) since...well, I won't say how long, but it was LONG. At the time, I'd written the monorail into my first novel, The Fatal Span, and thought I'd better check it out! I loved it from that first day, loved it ever since, and I'm sad to see it go. I've ridden on it early morning, peak hour, late at night, and sat in the driver's carriage (with permission and accompanied by the Metro Monorail management).

Thank you drivers, thank you staff, technicians, engineers, Sydney (Metro) Monorail management team. Safe journey to Tasmania, and may you brighten her days.

Thank you, Sydney Monorail.

I will miss you.

With sadness
Bo
x

Farewell Katoomba, Hello Sydney

25/4/2013

Jamison Valley, before dawn

Last morning in Katoomba, just enough time for the Prince Henry Walk (Katoomba Falls to Echo Point) and farewell one of the great natural wonders of the world - until next time (October)! Thanks to Jenny and Paul at Shelton-Lea B&B in Lurline Street, and also Rob, Rachelle and Joy at the Shuttle Stop Corner Store & Take Away (167 Lurline Street, cnr Goyder St) - such friendly people and great meals!

Bird list: Yellow-tailed black cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets (! not common here), SCRUBBIES (favourites), rosellas - I think they're juveline crimsons (wish my photo was clearer), curras, ravens, black-backed pies, sulphurs.

Cockle Bay, east side (Darlingside)

Then it was the Blue Mountains train to Central, store my travel bags, and off to Sydney's CBD! First stop, the Sydney Monorail (last time before it heads to Tasmania ), then the Power House Museum for Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention, the #1 Locomotive, and the Strasburg Clock (all I had time for...haha...but also true). Then off to Circular Quay and the Guylian Shop for a hot choc, back to Dymocks (fabulous store - 3 levels of BOOKS!), the beautiful Pyrmont Bridge, Cockle Bay and the ibis, another monorail ride, then the airport. Phew!

Safely home - with grateful thanks to CityRail and Virgin Australia - and a peaceful night at Mum's before heading home.

Happy writing, bushwalking and safe travelling
Bo
x

Narrowneck, Prince Henry Walk, Leura Cascades (pt2)

23/4/2013

Early morning, Jamison Valley

I'll start with an apology: to the WWF Train Station Crimson Rosella I forgot to add to my list yesterday! (Can it ever forgive me?)

And I'll follow on with today's bird list: FIRST THE MOST AMAZING SIGHTING: TWO BRAHMINY KITES SOARING OVER NARROWNECK PENINSULA!! WOW!! (see pic - it's the black dot!)

And adding to the list: my favourite Scrubbies (still bossy), sulphurs, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, striated thornbills, spineys, clogs, and a host of small honeyeaters that I think may be yellowies (yellow-faced) and perhaps white-naped, singing honeyeater (I think), rosellas (not sure which one but not crimsons and not easterns), wattlebirds, black-backed pies, ravens, pied currawongs...and heard treecreepers and (again) other assorted tweeters. Will someone please invent a PAUSE button so we can ID these varmits?

Early morning, Three Sisters, Echo Point

Today started with my favourite morning walk along the PHW to Echo Point (so windy!), then it took the train to Leura to visit the Megalong Bookshop (how did I miss it the other day)? Naturally, I came out with two books on the history of the region, and an order for another (after vowing not to). I took a fabulous "Walking track" only track to the Leura Cascades (looking lovely), but didn't go far as I wanted to walk part of the Narrowneck Peninsula.

Narrowneck is an interesting walk - as much for the vegetation as the supersonic bird-life that flies overhead. About 1.5kms along the track the temperate rainforest vegetation virtually ceases and becomes bushland. The views are spectacular, Jamison Valley on the east, Megalong Valley on the west, mountains and cliff faces everywhere - simply breathtaking! I walked as far as the Golden Stairs turnoff and was happy to quit there. No way could I descend those stairs without a rope and tackle! It's a great walk - hope to do more next time. And next time might be some tracks off Blackheath. Cool.

After that it was walking the Katoomba Falls part of the PHW, stopping for lunch at the Cascades (top of falls), then back to Echo Point for a mosey inside the Info Centre and the superb Waradah Aboriginal Centre. WOW!

And I can't get enough of the ferns (have I mentioned them?) :)

Back to Sydney on the train tomorrow, then flying to Adelaide late evening (I hope).

And as I won't be blogging tomorrow night (too late), I wish you all a happy and respectful Anzac Day.

Happy writing and bushwalking and Anzac Day
Bo
x

Wentworth Falls - after the flood

22/4/2013

Wentworth Falls (about one fifth)

After early rain, I had a terrific bushwalking day at Wentworth Falls. (The photo shows about one-fifth of the actual falls).

I started with my favourite: Darwin's Walk, where the great man walked along the Jamison Creek (back in the 19th Century). The upper reaches of the creek are regenerating from a fire about two years ago (you guessed it - another fire bug) and the creek itself is
recovering from heavy flash flooding back in February - a massive storm from a collapsing cyclone that decided to dump 300mm IN ONE HOUR on Wentworth Falls (and Leura). ONE HOUR??!!! That's 10 TIMES MORE than Nairne's had in the last seven months!

Several of the walking tracks are still waiting repair - part of the Undercliff Track (and Overcliff?) are still out, as was part of the Prince Henry Walk (PHW) at Leura yesterday.

Jamison Valley, from WWF

Apart from the birds (especially the robins), the best part was meeting a local - Peter - not far into my walk. Peter has a fabulous knowledge of the local history plus a wonderful love of bushland and its animals. I felt like I was on a guided history tour! It was absolutely WONDERFUL! He told me about the floods - apparently the Jamison was running THREE METRES above its current level, which explained why some of the paths seemed more cut out than usual and of course explained the huge amounts of debris and damage (mostly repaired) to the bridges and boardwalks. Apparently 18 people had to be rescued from the lower walking tracks. That no-one was killed is amazing. Even the roads in WWF were flooded (and this is HILLY country). Katoomba apparently had a measly 150mm in one hour. A drought.

I also learned from Peter about how the tracks were cut into the rock faces (by a few men with pickaxes - light years before WHS/OHSW was invented). AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! NO WAY will you get me even WALKING on some of those tracks, let alone cutting them out of a rock face.

Peter DID coax me to retry the Undercliff Track (to the car park turnoff) - AND I made it (well, obviously)! It's so much easier when you have someone with you, plus the track HAS been improved since I last walked it.

I continued along the Shortcut Track to the Conservation Hut. Again, another area that's recovering from fire (and where I saw a pair of robins).

The Bird Report: southern yellow robins (at least 4 today! WOW! They are so beautiful), Scrubbies (bossy), sulphurs, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, striated thornbills

(I think, certainly had striations), spineys, clogs, red-whiskered bulbul, ravens, pied currawongs...and heard treecreepers and assorted other tweeting friends.

My photos of the flood debris caught in the trees aren't clear enough to reproduce here, but I've included some pics of the early morning PHW (Katoomba end), which includes a photo of a landslide (from February too), and WWF.

Still deciding on tomorrow's walk(s).

Happy writing and bushwalking
Bo
x

PS Did I mention they have fabulous ferns here? :)
PPS Did I mention that Peter's heard of some spooky stories about Mt Solitary?

Leura, Lyrebird Dell and Gordon Falls

21/4/2013

A hooded orchid (on the left). ID?

Leura today - in brilliant sunshine and temperatures above 10C! What a difference after yesterday's torrential rain. And the good news: rain at last back in South Australia! WOW!

Forgot my camera on the early morning Prince Henry Walk (Katoomba Falls to Echo Point) - damn!

I caught the train to Leura, walked to Leura Cascades and Bridal Vale Falls then took the Gordon Falls track. What magnificent views! Had to detour by Olympic lookout as the track beyond that was closed, walked down to the Gordon Falls lookout, then took the round track past the Pool of Shilom and up to Lyrebird Dell (no lyrebirds, though!) The Dell is gorgeous, with a tumbling waterfall and beautiful hanging swamp above a large cave. Did I mention how gorgeous the ferns are?

The bush is regenerating in several areas (Leura, Katoomba west of Echo Point) after deliberately lit fires over the past 18 months-2 years. I've taken photos in several areas of how it regenerates. It's amazing.

Southern yellow robin, near Bridal Veil Falls

The Bird Report: southern yellow robins (one near Bridal Veil Falls, two others at Gordon Falls picnic area), 2 x white-throated tree creepers (YES!), scrubbies (gorgeous, and so bossy), thornbills (not sure what variety), pied currawongs (free-loading), red wattlebird (trying to do the same), y/f h/es, silvereyes, sulphurs, nd heard eastern whipbirds (at least three) and kookas.

Tomorrow I'm heading for Wentworth Falls and a favourite: Darwin's Walk, and the Shortcut Track.

Happy writing and bushwalking
Bo
x

PS and now a host of pics from the Leura region
PPS I'll relocate these in a Gallery on my return. The internet's a bit slow here (my provider, other providers are fine. Yes, I am going to change providers as soon as I can)

Katoomba!

20/4/2013

The Three Sisters in fog and drizzle

Katoomba! I'm back! At it's been pouring with rain (that funny wet stuff that falls from the sky). Thanks to track-work on the Airport Line, the trains were out, so it was a queue (in torrential rain) for the not-enough buses that were taking passengers to Central Station. Thankfully I made it, and THANK YOU to the unnamed gentleman who helped me with my case! I love chivalry.

Even in the rain, the train trip is beautiful (and train = editing novel), especially the climb through Glenwood and across the top of the escarpment. Fog greeted me at Katoomba, and so did Jenny from Shelton-Lea (my favourite B&B in Lurline Street). The temperature reached an astonishing 9C here today; 6C with wind chill (felt like 3C).

It was too miserable for hiking (too hard to dry shoes etc) so I had a relaxing walk up to the new Coles (!! built in six months!) and the new Cultural Centre between Coles and the Carrington Hotel). THAT is stunning!

Birds: sulphurs, pied currawongs, indian mynah (grrr), spoggies...i.e. not much! Hopefully more tomorrow.

And the rain lifted enough so I could walk/run down to Echo Point - so different under heavy cloud.

Happy writing and bushwalking
Bo
x

Did I pack the...?

20/4/2013

MtB Summit, with trig point and cairn

I managed a speedy walk yesterday morning before heading interstate. The good news: The Council graded the road , so no more corrugations! YESSS!

The cool temperature and strong-ish winds reduced the bird count: wrens (very cute), y/f h/es, kookas (H), ravens, thornies (H). The good news - I had a family of wrens come through my garden!

Last night was the final of the Grammar Gremlins course at the WEA - I thoroughly recommend it. Thank you to our wonderful and patient lecturer: Isobel!

Katoomba here I come (for R&R&W)!

Happy writing and bushwalking
Bo
x
PS I know I've forgotten something :)