I'm really sad to leave such a beautiful place like Varuna, but today we all departed, closing the door on a week's worth of memories, fun, laughter and hard work. Thanks once again to Marele Day, all the team from Varuna, the October Crime Gang 2011 (Tamara, Catherine, Ben), and from me: thank you to Arts SA for helping me fund the trip over.
Yes, I did do some writing this morning, plus I reworked a scene on the train (still not great, but improving).
So, to finish up:
This morning, I was going to hike along the Prince Henry Walk, not look at birds, and get back within an hour (for once). That all fell to pieces at the Cliff View lookout, when a juvenile shrike thrush hopped up over the edge, then hopped around my feet. THIS TIME I had my camera already ON, so I have a photo of it plus a bit of video. Think I saw the rock warbler (or I reckon I can ID this bird now), saw thornies, crimsons, curras, clogs, and a swag of scrubbies – one group
brought their babies in for me to mind while they fed them!!! HOW CUTE IS THAT??? Saw Echo Point Willie Wagtail telling everyone off (what else?), heard whipbirds, the Kiosk kookas and butcherbird, SAW a white-throated tree creeper (!), plus heard the usual bunch that I have no idea what they are as they’re black silhouettes in the trees. Bloody boids. Got a bit teary when I was walking away from Echo Point. It’s hard to leave the fantastic vista behind, plus all those boids.
Now for Sydney:
I'm researching three changes/slight alterations to sites for the first novel, "The Fatal Span," and this hunt took me to Waverton, Ultimo/Pyrmont and Glebe (to photograph the Anzac Bridge). Check out The Coal Handler building at Balls Head, Waverton. They're doing some fabulous sustainable work there. I walked through an old tunnel under the old coal handling area, and came across more SCRUBBIES. A kookaburra ignored me (obviously I had no BBQ'd snags).
Walked my feet off around Pyrmont and Ultimo, then picked up the trail along Blackwattle Bay and into Rozelle Bay to photograph the Anzac Bridge. Caught the Light Rail back to Darling Harbour, avoided the crowds waiting for the rugby on the big screens in DH (go Kiwis), took one look at the meals (and prices) and walked out on what was my favouite cafe in DH - so bought an Angry Angus burger from HJ's and an icecream for tea.
Tonight, Sydney threw a 5-10 minute fireworks in DH at 9pm - wonderful!
