A Bush Christmas

A Bush Christmas is synonymous with Australia

But now much of our bush, Australia’s Bush is on fire

Not all

but too much

too much rare and precious flora, rare and giant trees and flowers

Much of Australia’s unique fauna, quolls, koala, snakes, goannas

to name a few

burnt alive in the fires

So its a sad Bush Christmas for those of us that love nature

her bounty and her beauty

The fires are not so large and intense in Victoria so I’ve taken some walks in the bush

The Ada Tree (above) is special, over 300 years old and a towering 75 metres high.

One of the last remaining giants of the forest

A Giant Mountain Ash found only in the southern parts of Australia

So few of these great trees remain

And in the damp gullies ancient Beech Trees remnants of Gondwana land and dominated the forests in wetter times.

The forest has its special sights sounds and smell.

See the tree ferns, hear the whip birds call

The birds have no voice in Parliament, no capital, but a beauty in their song

What a sad place it will be if we kill that song.

Happy Christmas and reflect and enjoy the wonderful things nature have given us

This Christmas think about how we can give nature a present

Scenes from a bicycle ride, Williamstown

After a couple of days of hot summer weather

Cool rain

Still breezes

Williamstown harbour

And on the bicycle for a ride by the bay

In the cool of the evening

Last sprinkles of rain

My loop of the Williamstown peninsula 

Fishing club harbour

Taking in the end of the week as the end of the year approaches. 

Looking back over Williamstown

I feel like I’m in the twilight period of 2017

The sun setting on a year of wonderful adventures and discoveries 

Marina in Williamstown

Excited about the coming of 2018

New adventures

New directions

Seasons Greetings to all

There are times to focus on peace and happiness

Jesus my have been the son of God or just a good bloke

It all depends on your perspective.

But he did try and spread a message of peace.

We often focus on the differences in humanity

Differences in religion and beliefs

Differences in race and skin colour

Differences in culture.

In nature there are also difference

As the solstice passes

At one end of the world there is endless night

At the other endless day

As it was nudging a sweltering 38 degrees in Melbourne recently.

My friends reported – 5 and snowing in Stoke on Trent.

So this is an opportunity to forget the differences.

Forget the distances between us.

And though at one end of the world it is dark and the other end light.

Accept

It is one world.

And though there are many religions and races and cultures

There is one humanity.

I wish you all peace and happiness.

Back home

I’m back home

But can’t settle

Miss the rumbling wheels beneath me

Melbourne still a touch too cold

So headed north

The warm arms of the north were beckoning me

To reach the humid warmth of the sub tropics

In northern NSW

Gibraltar ranges

The rolling curves of the mountains

Ebor falls

The water flowing through moist valleys

Emerald beach

And smooth flow of the sandy beach, the water warm and welcoming.

Lago di Como (Lario) 

The brochure called it the lake of dreams.

View over Lake Como from the Somana galleries above Mandello De Lario

But it’s a lake of life and vitality.

From the tourist towns like Bellagio

Bellagio from Lake Como

The narrow streets of the villages full of smells of fine food, chatter and laughter

Village steps

And beautiful villages that held forged dreams that became Italian classics.

View of Mandello de Lario

Like Carlo Guzzi’s dream for an industry for his village

So if Lake Como is a village of dreams it’s also the essence of Italian love and lust for live, beauty and exuberance.

Village lights and moon over Lake Como


The piecemealadventurer Mandello de Lario where dreams do come true.