Two Cultures, Two Festivals, in Melbournes February

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Melbourne has a strong and vibrant community of Chinese Heritage.

A large influx of Chinese migrants arrived in Melbourne in the mid 1800s as part of Victoria’s Goldrush.

Little Bourke Street is Melbourne’s Chinatown, and was the centre of the 2024 Luna New Year Celebrations on 11 February.

An event full of noise and colour.

From head to tail, the main dragon was half a city block long.

And superstition says that it brings good luck to touch the dragon.

The Antipodes Festival, which commenced in 1987, celebrates the Greek diaspora in Melbourne.

Melbourne is said to have the largest Greek speaking population outside of Greece and Cyprus.

The festival takes part in Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD. The spiritual hub of the Greek Community.

The closing band Xylourides had the whole audience up.dancing.

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Such vibrant music from young performers.

Even the Greek flag was up and dancing.

It was a beautiful summer day. Id ridden back from the rain forest, swapped urban cool for nature.

Hit the beach:

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Before a night of Greek Culture.

Central Australia Adventure 5 – always will be Aboriginal Land!

Interpretation at Arkaroo Rock

The Adnyamathanha people are the aboriginal custodians of the lands around Ikara, or the Flinders Ranges as the colonialists called this land.

At Arkaroo Rock there are rock drawing that convey the dreaming stories of the Adnyamathanha.

These snippets from a large rock wall underplay the intricate linking of picture and storytelling that is contained on the rock wall

Stories such this one on the formation of Ikara.

Rock drawings change from region to region. The drawing in the Flinders Ranges differ to those in Kakadu, in Cape York and in other parts of Australia.

Each reflecting the stories and dreaming of the local Aboriginal people.

They also differ over time.

The rock etching in the Sacred Canyon and at Willow Springs being much older than that rock drawings are believed to predate the current aboriginal custodians of the land

For me the walk into Sacred Canyon is very spiritually moving.

Lets make sure we recognise and cherish this ancient culture that has lived in one with the land

The Danube three impressions

Hot Jazz on the banks of the Danube in Budapest

The Danube is one of the halmarks of this beautiful city.

This is the urban Danube winding through many of Europe’s great cities.

A working river transporting people and good across the continent.

The Iron Gates of the Danube forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria

A gorge around 100km long with small villages dotted along the way.

And finally the Delta

The great Danube starts in nature in Germany’s black forest and is a protected nature park when it reaches the Black Sea.

Im so glad the nature aspects still remain.

Those are the places that really fill me with awe

Maybe because it complements the wild flow of riding a motorbike.