Katherine Gorge

Posted on April 13, 2016 by kathy

The Katherine River has carved a deep gorge through ancient sandstone, beginning at Kakadu. The thirteen gorges and surrounding landscape have great ceremonial significance to the local Jawoyn people. Nitmiluk means “place of the cicada dreaming” in Jawoyn language.

1.Nitmiluk Gorge

These amazing creatures were hanging around

2.bats

the walkway leading to the boat.

3.boat

We spent a glorious morning cruising along the river surrounded by awe inspiring scenery.

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During the dry season, the gorges become separated.

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We enjoyed the walk between them

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and a closer look at the rock formations and aboriginal rock art.

The spectacle continued through the second and third gorges.

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This rock looks like a dog sniffing the fresh air.

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We pulled into the bank and walked to a stunning waterhole.

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Some took the opportunity to cool down, we sat in the shade and admired the majestic waterfall.

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Back on board, we continued homeward in time for lunch.

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This magnificent blue-winged kookaburra was quite comfortable with the attention she was receiving,

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perhaps waiting for some lunch herself?

fencing fun

Posted on April 9, 2016 by kathy

Last weekend we completed a project that has been on the list for years. The fencing along the driveway was atrocious but we had to build the retaining wall (see “wonder wall” post) before we could fix it.

1.before

We started by putting in extra posts.

2.posts1 3.posts2

Some of the old ones came out easier than expected

others needed a bit of encouragement.

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Our old drill had finally retired after 15 years, no more swearing with the new one.

8.drill

After running two lines of straight wire, we rolled out the wallaby.

9.wire1 10.wire2

It comes in 100 metre rolls so we had to do it in two sections. We held it loosely upright on the posts

11.wire up

and secured one end

12.fixing

then strained it tightly and fixed it to the posts.

13.hanging

Then to the other end. We strained the bottom

14.straining bottom

then the top

15.straining top

until it was nice and tight. Fixed to the posts, three more lines of straight and clipped the wallaby to the straight lines.

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We then tackled the fenceline at the entrance to the property. Barbed wire is dreadful stuff, it should be illegal.

17.before

We dug in some new posts

18.hole digging

took the old wire down and soon had the new one up.

19.wire up

We are very pleased with our new fence but a little sad because it is probably the last fencing we will ever do.

20.new fence

Lucca

Posted on April 6, 2016 by kathy

On an overcast morning, Michael & I drove to Lucca, about 40 minutes from the apartment in Ponte a Serraglio, to explore the ancient walled town.

1.entrance

We were entranced by Cattedrale di San Martino which dates back to the 12th century.

We walked the cobbled streets lined with enticing shops

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and mysterious laneways.

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We lunched in Piazza San Michele, next to San Michele in Foro which also dates from the 12th century.

17.San Michele in Foro1

The façade is decorated with coloured marble columns bearing carvings of animals and mythical creatures.

A thunderstorm and ensuing downpour put an end to our day in Lucca.

20.thunderstorm

A week later, I returned with the girls on a glorious sunny day.

We walked the tree-lined pathways along the top of the wall, admiring the exquisite architecture

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before indulging in a heart starter of chocolate croissant and caffè.

Some serious shopping ensued

and led to the beautiful Piazza della Anfiteatro. Once an ancient Roman Amphitheatre where gladiators and beasts engaged in mortal combat, the shops with their wondrous merchandise now inspire a more gentle encounter.

39.Piazza dell' Anfiteatro

We passed many intriguing doorways on our way to lunch.

Paris Boheme in Piazza Cittadella was a fabulous lunch venue. The food was delicious and the passersby interesting,

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though Luis was a bit shy.

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Puccini’s house was nearby and his bronze eyes watched us a little disdainfully.

49.Puccini

Atop San Michele in Foro, the 4 metre tall statue of St Michael the Archangel killing the dragon contrasted with the blue sky

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as did this Madonna and child.

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Torre delle Ore, a 13th century clocktower, is the highest of the city’s medieval towers.

Climbing the 207 steps to the top worked off some of our lunch and we were rewarded with breathtaking views.

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I’m glad I hadn’t noticed the cracks before the climb.

59.Torre delle Ore8

A lot of bottoms have sat on these benches.

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We eventually said goodbye to Lucca armed with wonderful memories.

61.Lion statue

Grandvewe Cheeses

Posted on April 1, 2016 by kathy

While travelling with my sister, we made the wonderful discovery of Grandvewe Cheeses.

About 40km south of Hobart at Birch’s Bay, Grandvewe is the only sheep cheesery in Tasmania. We were greeted at the door by a special family member.

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We fell in love with the gorgeous sheep

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and the lambs were adorable.

The Grandvewe dairysheep have been especially bred to withstand Tasmanian conditions.

The produce is amazing. As well as delicious cheeses, they offer Whey Vodka, an interesting Vanilla Whey Liqueur and Sheep Ice Cream. The Pinot Paste, made from the marc of the pinot pressings, is a fabulous alternative to quince paste.

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The scenery was beautiful despite the misty day

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with views across to Bruny Island.

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Even the graffiti on the bathroom walls was tasteful.

You can purchase products online at http://grandvewe.com.au

standing stones

Posted on March 30, 2016 by kathy

No trip to Wiltshire would be complete without a visit to Stonehenge. A path leads sightseers around the perimeter of the stones, the audio tour educating us through headsets as we marvel at the lost technology.

1.Stonehenge 2.Stonehenge

It remains a mystery how these stones, the heaviest weighing around 45 tons, were moved into place as far back as 3150BC.

The view across Salisbury Plain is stunning.

6.Salisbury Plain

It is possible to walk amongst the stones with special access at sunrise and sunset. Early on a misty morning, we did just that.

7.Stonehenge 8.Stonehenge

There are many theories about the meaning of the stones but most agree they were a centre for ceremonial activities, most likely a burial site.

The stones have faces, some more obvious than others.

Woodhenge is another Neolithic site not far from Stonehenge. Built about 2300BC, it is believed to have been for ceremonial use. Originally a wooden structure, concrete posts now mark the positions of the original timbers.

16.Woodhenge

The White Horses of Wiltshire are scattered throughout the countryside. Cut into the chalk hillsides are eight figures of horses, the oldest believed to date back to 878AD.

17.Chalk Horse

Another unsolved mystery in the history of Wiltshire is Silbury Hill. The largest man-made mound in Europe, it was built around 2400BC and compares in height and volume to the Egyptian pyramids. It apparently contains no burial and its original purpose is unknown.

18.Silbury Hill

The Avebury henge, dating back to around 2600BC, is the largest stone circle in Britain.

19.Avebury

Once consisting of 154 stones, only 36 remain after they were removed to make way for crops and broken up to build houses in the 17th & 18th centuries.

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