Exploring Ireland- Tipperary

Those of you who may have followed my blog over the years may remember that back in 2021, I travelled to the Old Fremantle Gaol in search of the story of my Great Grandfather who was transported to Australia as punishment for stealing during the Irish Famine.

The Nenagh Gaol, in Tipperary was completed in the 1830’s and was where my Great grandfather was incarcerated prior to transportation to Australia.

Amazingly, the Genealogical Centre is in the old gaol offices!

Having confirmed that this was the place of my ancestors, it was time to explore.

This is my third trip to Ireland, and this was a chance to visit some special places.

Cahir Castle is one of the historic tourist attractions in County Tipperary. But my B&B host had suggested the “Swiss Cottage” was a more interesting place to visit.

The Swiss Cottage is a wonderful example of a “cottage orne“. A place where the rich played at being ordinary peasants.

Around the cottage and the 2.5km. riverside walk from Cahir Castle, there are lovely trees and community facilities.

But my favourite tree was the 1000 year old Yew Tree standing by the cottage.

From Nenagh, there is a beautiful road that runs along Lough Derg to Ballina/Killaloe, where the Shanon River starts.

Killaloe is the birthplace of Ireland’s great great High King Brian Boru. King Brian in around 1000AD drove the Vikings out of Ireland and united all the then Irish Kingdoms.

A stone church stands on the site of an wooden church of Brian Boru. His story lives on in the stone church.

But the most beautiful aspect in the church were the patchwork quilts that told the tale of High King Brian Boru.

I felt this very Irish. Both proud and humble at the same time.

Exploring Wales – 4

The Welsh are proud Celts and there is much to be proud of.

Off the ferry I headed inland to find one of the oldest trees in the UK and amongst the oldest trees in the world.

I have become fascinated with Yew Trees. These amazing trees live thousands of years, and left alone may even be immortal.

In St Cynog’s church yard in Deffynnog are ancient Yew trees 3000+ years old.

I was in awe standing in the shelter of these ancient living organisms.

After enjoying the company of this old tree it was time to head into the highlands.

Beautiful winding roads through the highlands. And a stop at the Devils Bridge waterfall.

The misty drizzle had set in by the time I reached the Red Lion Hotel in Pontrhyfendigaid.

With fine weather forecast it was a chance camp near the coast at Aberystwyth.

Along the coast road, the view was breathtaking. Especially watching the Red Kites hunting over the fields.

And then to put the icing on the Welsh cake, I found the little village of Tresaith with its little beach and waterfall.

It’s not easy to find, the roads to the beach are steep and there is little parking but worth an effort.

There was even a bar where I could buy a cold Welsh Lager!

It was beautiful to visit Wales. Beautiful countryside and friendly people.

The Winter Solstice, Celebrations by Port Phillip, and on bikes in the Yarra Ranges.

The Strawberry Full Moon hung high in the sky, overlooking the Solstice Celebrations.

The sky sure had a wintery feel, looking across Port Phillip to the City of Melbourne.

But in the old ship building shed us locals celebrated the coming of winter.

On the Sunday, my motorbike club, the Moto Guzzi Club of Victoria, conducted its winter breakfast in the Yarra Ranges.

I rolled the mighty Breva out of the shed in the morning twighlight on a cold, clear winter morning.

I was riding through the city as the sun rose and three hot air balloons drifted overhead.

The BBQ was already under way as I arrived at the Badgers Creek Weir picnic ground.

A small group of local residents are waiting for to share.

While the BBQ was attractive with the temperature of 2c, the pot of soup was where I headed.

The best thing was that for the motorbikes built on the shores of Lake Como in the Italian Alps, the temperature was perfect, and all the bikes ran perfectly.

After a huge breakfast of minestrone soup and eggs and bacon, I needed a bit of a walk in the bush up to Badger Wier.

As winter settles in, it’s only two weeks till I head to the Northern Hemisphere for my next European Adventure.

Winter on the South West Coast of Victoria

Winter on the Great Ocean Road and in the Otway National Park is a time of quietness and subtle light.

The summer crowds have gone and it’s easy to quietly enjoy the place’s beauty.

The wind had been up for a couple of days. It was still, though, as I road down the ocean road, allowing a perfect curl on the waves at Apollo Bay.

Further west at Port Campbell, the wild sea gave an alternative view of the famous Twelve Apostles.

White water surrounding the sand stone monoloiths, crashing against then.

In winter, in the continuous mountain mist on the Otway Ranges, the rain forest has its winter beauty on display.

One of my favourite places in the Otway Ranges is Lake Elizabeth and its surrounding rainforest.

Though winter is cold and wet, in Australian way, the riding through the rainforest on empty roads is especially rewarding.

The cool climate rainforests of Victoria have a very special charm.

But in winter on the south coast of Australia, in the Southern Ocean, there is often a storm brewing out at sea.

A visit to Gariwerd ( The Grampians)

Gariwerd, in Victoria, is the southwestern tip of the Great Dividing Range that runs 3,500 km up the east coast of Australia.

Its a beautiful place for riding the back roads, walking in beautiful bushland, and taking in the views from mountain top lookouts.

Geriward is also a place of significance for Australian Aboriginals. There are over 200 sites of Aboriginal Rock art in Gariwerd. It has the largest number of rock art sites in southern Australia.

Gariwerd can be translated as meaning Mountains created by Bunjil. Bunjil is part of the Aboriginal creation story.

I visited a couple of sites on this trip.