Looking Back

Sunny 26ºC

Looking back through the archives of one of my older hard drives a few days ago, I stumbled on photos from our trip to Batemans Bay in two thousand and nine.  Found a few that weren't very significant shots that I took during our trips to the beach that Winter's break but I thought they provoke a lot of my fond memories of them still at that pliable age where I was still an apple in their eye, especially Maddy who was still only six then…not that I'm not anymore but they don't readily accept everything I say as what they want to hear now as they did then.

Found some quotes that portray my feelings somewhat...

Some may think that taking photos during holidays and such are spoiling the moment, that we should enjoy the moment as it is and not feel the need and waste time taking photos…on this I totally disagree, without these captured treasured moments, four years down the track I'm very unlikely going to remember these little happenings and until I went through the archives I had totally forgotten these few gems that froze those moments that can never come back to memory otherwise.

Capture those moments so they can be enjoyed many years down the road we travel.

Footnote: Today we put our Christmas lights up outside, they're not fully up yet but hopefully by the end of the week they will be plugged in and lighted up…very excited Christmas is around the corner.

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A Day in the Life of a Lily

Sunny 35ºC

A day in the life of a Lily…on a fiery hot windy Spring day, the sixth day of our raging bush fires, in several areas, the main one in the beautiful Blue Mountains, the first of the year and it's not even Summer yet.  

Spent twenty minutes in the hot sun with these Bronze Red - Day Lillies, any longer I would've burned to a crisp…as I left the gardener was watering the bushes, had a serious urge to just run under the hose and cool down...  

Their beautiful fiery red colours are so intense and spectacular, they remind me of the raging bushfires.

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Spring Bokeh

Hazy (Smoke) 31ºC

♡

"it's spring fever.

that is what the name of it is.

And when you've got it, you want – 

oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,

but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"

– Mark Twain

Sometimes half an hour is all you need to appreciate what Springtime can bring...even if it also brings sniffles and other little nasties, the beautiful colours on show may well outweigh the negatives...so stop and see for yourself how pretty it can be.

Sometimes if you appreciate them the right way and look closely,
even weeds are really only lots of flowers that grow abundantly.

With Winter just pass, we can appreciate Spring all the more.

♥

Flip Flop Summer

Cloud wisped blue skies 30ºC

Although we are only just beginning our second month of Spring, in my mind Summer officially starts today, the clock has wound faster...our days are now longer and warmer, we kicked off the new daylight saving cycle at a balmy 30ºC with beautiful cloud wisped blue skies...we spent the late afternoon at the beach getting a taste of what the next few months will be like...and we love it!!!

Sum•mer – The warmest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from June to August and in the southern hemisphere from December to February. 

Feels like they may just have to adjust the months to fit in with the temperatures soon.  Some sun, sand and surf images to warm up your day or they may just entice you enough to go and sit at the beach one lazy Sunday afternoon.

An essential part of Summer – the humble flip flop.

"When will we be as good as these guys?" ..... thoughts of two young surfers.

A calming moment of  just you and nature in one of it's beautiful forms.

Happy families enjoying the moment.

Whether you're in a flock... or

flying solo....make the most of what nature offers.

Now where is that hare?

The seagulls sure know where the best viewing spot is.

Hope you enjoy your Summers as much as we do!

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Trip to the Fly

Sunny 21ºC

Our family went for a day trip a few days ago to the Illawarra Fly located two hours south of Sydney, we had beautiful weather around 24ºC but cooler in the mountains at 18ºC when we arrived for the day just before noon.  

Enroute to our destination we briefly stopped at the popular Bulli Pass lookout which has stunning views down the the Wollongong - Illawarra area, the visitor centre was newly renovated at still seemed to be a work in progress but very near completion.

Panoramic view down to the Wollongong and Illawarra area from the Bulli Pass Lookout.

It was a busy day on the shipping lines.

Stunning beaches.

The freeway gave way to beautiful country roads then onto the narrow winding roads up the mountains to an altitude of around 700 metres and in which on the return trip we were given the biggest fright as we rounded one of the many hairpin bends a trailer truck without it's load came roaring into the bend opposite us as we entered...thankfully we all managed to stay on our side of our respective roads, after that split second moment we dare not think what would happen if there was a slight lapse of judgement on either drivers.

Cows are big part of the scenery along the country roads.

Beautiful curving country roads with fences that go on forever.

The windy roads, this was one of the more easily managed ones.

Upon arrival. there was a chill in the mountain Spring air, the fields are open and beautiful.  There was a short track leading to the treetop walk, with plenty of flora, birdlife and unseen fauna to take in as well.

Mulberry bushes were everywhere.

Wildflowers were in abundance.

I had initially conjured up the Star Wars character but after some internet research found that it is from the famed
Through the Looking Glass stories....and apparently I'm not the only one who makes this mistake, according to
 the internet a lot of people also confuses "Jabberwocky" with the Star Wars character "Jabba the Hutt" too.

Mail for the wombat hole inhabitant.

Now the treetop walk is quite spectacular, a very manageable walk of about 1.5km return including the track leading up to the steel platform walk which for most of it is elevated to about fifty metres up from the forest floor.  The walk is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness, though it is certainly a bit of a challenge for a person who has a fear of heights like myself, especially when ascending the stairs to the Knights tower, the viewing platform above the steel walk.

180º Panorama view of the Pacific Ocean from the top of the Knights Tower lookout above the steel walk.
To the far right of the photo you can see a structure where the next look out point is.

If you're brave enough to get closer to the edge you can have a closer look at the scenery through the binoculars.

The see through steel bottoms certainly doesn't help for the height challenged few.

The rainforest setting has magnificent tall trees all round behind the walk that you walk through when you begin and end the steel walk.

All in all it is a great place to visit on a leisurely day trip, we also managed a short photo stop at the Nan Tien Temple on the way back.

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