An open letter from the future to the former Prime Minister of Australia. Wishful thinking ❤️
For my grandchild…
January, 2040
Dear Former Prime Minister of Australia,
I want to thank you on behalf of my grandchild, who is now a young woman, for doing everything you could to ensure that the world she now flourishes in, is clean, sustainable and ethical.
Thank you for listening to the young people who led the climate change protests in 2019 and for then making the changes required to bring about a more sustainable world. The way you led our country and showed the rest of the world that Australia is a country to look up to and to be reckoned, with was phenomenal.
The funding of wind farms and the solar energy initiative introduced in central Australia, in the wake of your revolutionary decision to halt coal mining, was inspirational to say the least. I commend the way you managed to reemploy the almost 200,000 people employed by the coal industry by funding retraining in the wind and solar power industries. Making Australia carbon neutral ten years before the original target was an absolutely mammoth effort! World leaders now look to you when there are big decisions to be made. Congratulations on your recent Nobel prize, by the way.
Thank you for placing a ban on logging of old growth forests Australia-wide and for making it illegal to damage trees on private property without a permit. Such insight is to be applauded. The Australian animals were greatly reduced in numbers following the terrible fires of 2019/2020. The Koala was on the critically endangered list for many years but numbers are now being boosted by the breeding programs in the federally funded wildlife centres. The tree planting initiative undertaken by your government has meant the trees are also now regenerating.
The restriction on importing cheap timber from the Amazon Rain Forest has meant that the Amazon Forest, the lungs of the Earth, has started to regenerate and other countries have followed in your footsteps. Well done.
My gratitude to you knows no bounds for the way you imposed sanctions on the use of single-use plastics and made a pledge to phase out the use of plastics in supermarkets and the retail business sector. The howls of derision from the retail sector did not weaken your resolve. You stood firm and made the hard decisions. Thank you for taking control of Australia’s rubbish and recycling and thank you for no longer sending it overseas for processing. Our rubbish, our problem.
The demise of the Murray-Darling Basin, where millions of fish suffocated and died and blue-green algae blooms decimated the waters, was one of the worst environmental disasters of the century. Your actions following this disaster meant that agricultural waste was no longer permitted to be washing into our river systems. It has taken a long time but gradually we are seeing a difference.
The way you turned over the management of lands and reserves to Australia’s first people, following the long overdue signing of the Treaty, has made the world of difference to the amount of bush fires in the hotter months. The formally dispossessed people have finally been able to complete their journey towards reconciliation. Thank you.
Because you made the difficult decisions when required I am now filled with hope for the future. The current Prime Minister, and her cabinet are an inspiration to women everywhere with her empathy and her strong leadership. Just the type of role model I want for my granddaughter. Thank you for paving the way for women in leadership. Your decision to put more women on the front bench was a prudent one.
Thanks to you, my granddaughter now has a future that will provide for her children and their grandchildren. When they study history at school they will see that you were instrumental in their hopeful future. Again I say thank you From the bottom of my heart!
A hidden museum in Highgate with some interesting artefacts.
I made a new discovery this weekend. As I am oft to do, I was out wandering when I chanced upon a museum I never knew existed despite living in this area for many years.
The smell of cooking sausages and onions was what first drew me in, even though I am a vegetarian. Who can resist the smell of onions? The museum is located beside and under the Sewerage Ventilation Tower on Lincoln Street in Highgate. The Heritage listed tower has been there since 1941 when the Chief Engineer of Public Works, Mr Dumas commissioned it’s building. The purpose of this tower, you may well ask? It was originally built to vent the Perth sewer of acidic gases.
The 38 metre tower, which took 6 years to build And 250,000 bricks was used for the purpose it was built for , for a sum total of four weeks but the stench was so overpowering and the residents were up in arms. From this point on the tower was referred to as “Dumas’s Folly”.
In 1942 the WA Police installed a covert aerial inside the tower to operate their communications during World War ll. The small hall attached to the tower was used as a lecture room for traffic offenders and now is used as a meeting room for the WA Police Historical Society.
The Museum which is usually only open on Tuesdays and Fridays holds a comprehensive collection of WA Police paraphernalia including an old Anglia Police car, police uniforms dating back to the 40’s, police cameras, speed cameras, decommissioned weapons, many photos and documents and a collection of hats.
Maree, a volunteer with the society, showed me around as I was their first customer. They were hoping for a big crowd and had cooked up a mass of sausages. Unfortunately for them, I am vegetarian so I just had a nice cup of tea and a chat.
The original Police Station which had two lock-up cells
The photos of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being taken prisoners in the remote North West of WA were quite distressing, with pictures showing large numbers of people chained and restrained. There is a photo of the Prison Boab Tree just out of Derby where people were imprisoned while waiting for transport to other towns.
The staff photos of large groups of men are testament to just how male-dominated the WA Police Force was up until the 60’s when one or two women were permitted to join. Even then the photos list the names of individual men but the women were not named, but instead labelled as “2 female police officers”. Women were not permitted to be married, as with the teaching profession and they had to be trained nurses in order to join.
My favourite item would have to be the Anglia police car that was out on display. As a lover of the TV series “The Young Ones” I have fond memories of Vivian, the punk in his Anglia. The kids who see the car apparently refer to “Harry Potter” as there is one in one of the Harry Potter movies.
Worth a visit but it is not usually open on weekends, just Tuesdays and Fridays. Maree did say that they were hoping to open on weekends in the future.
Sunday morning started out at around 22 degrees with a lovely fresh breeze and some sunshine with a promised high of 27 degrees on the horizon. Perfect morning for a hike!
Perth City is only around 45 minutes drive to Darling Scarp or as the locals call it, “the hills” area , and we picked out a trail we hadn’t walked before At Banyowla Regional Park in Gosnells.
Eco Toilet with no running water
Walks are well marked and information on the signs very useful
We had to park outside the gate and walk into the park
Banyowla (pronounced ban-yow-la) recognises Banyowla a Nyoongar elder at the time of colonial settlement. The park has 550 species of flowering plants, 116 species of birds, 9 species of frogs and 8 species of native animals. The Ellis Brook flows seasonally from June to October, depending on rainfall.
There are 4 marked trails varying in difficulty and length beginning with the Easy Walk Trail, a 500m loop, the Eagle View Trail (moderate) a 430m return. The blue Wren Ramblue was listed as being easy and 2.8km return. The Sixty Foot Falls Trail (difficult) 2km loop with elevation.
The marker for the Sixty Foot Falls Walk
The walk we decided on, the Sixty Foot Falls Walk Trail took to us an elevation of around 150m and promised waterfalls and great views of the city. Waterfalls were definitely not expected as it is the middle of summer but views on a clear day are always a yes from me!
The place where the falls would be falling in the right season.
When we arrived at the gate we had to park on the road as the gate to the park was not open despite there being a sign stating that the gate was open between 6.00 am And 7.00 pm. No problem, it was only a short 1 – 2 km walk up the road to the beginning of our trek.
The walks were very clearly marked and maps were on display in various locations. We chose the “Sixty Foot Falls Walk Trail” which was around a 2km Loop that took in the water fall and the old quarry site.
After a quick look at the map we cleaned our shoes at the dieback station and started following the clearly marked arrows that took us up to the first lookout area.
The dieback shoe cleaning station
The path was pretty rocky in places and had steps cut out to enable easy climbing.
While climbing up we could see where the waterfall would usually be flowing and the view from the top was incredible. The city and surrounding suburbs clearly visible as it was a clear day.
Once we got over the top of the waterfall area we came across the old quarry with views from the top. This area is fenced so it is difficult to get too close, however, we could see that there was a road or track that allowed access to the quarry from the bottom.
The quarry was full of water which looked very inviting, however, there were signs warning that swimming might not be safe due to meningococcal risks. The surrounding cliffs are quite beautiful.
A video of just what is at the bottom of the Old Barrington Quarry
The quarry site, previously known as the “Old Barrington Quarry” is quite awe inspiring with huge cliffs that have been carved out by years of quarrying for stone.
The walks are suitable for both families and serious hikers. We saw some rock climbers in the quarry so it must also be popular with the climbing community
Climbers preparing for the rock face
I thoroughly enjoyed our hike to another of Western Australia’s hidden spots. We will definitely be back to see the water falling and the wildflowers blooming!
This year’s Tassie trip took in the East Coast of Tasmania, Hobart and the Midlands. I am a native Taswegian and I try to get back there as much as possible. I might be biased, but Tasmania is an amazing holiday destination.
Ansons Bay
Ansons Bay which is a remote beachside paradise was where I started my journey. My partner and I own a property in this amazing part of the world. Ansons Bay is a place where people go to relax and mostly to fish. There are no shops or service stations in Ansons. The closest shop is 27km away in Gladstone or 40 km away in St Helens. Ansons Bay is only accessed by gravel roads and it has little to no mobile coverage apart from a phone tower that was placed a couple of kilometres short of the town.
The bay is idyllic and is set on an inlet. Access to the ocean and the Bay of Fires is via Policeman’s Point where there is a popular camping area. There are many walking tracks as well as coastal hikes in this area. A beautiful part of the world.
St Helens
St Helens is a fantastic little town that has just started to see the advantages of having a world class mountain bike track on it’s doorstep. With the opening of the latest Blue Tier to Binalong Bay track (a 40km ride) has come more bike shops and facilities for mountain bike riders. The town has bike washing stations and shower blocks. There is even a funky craft beer bar “The Social” and a new Wharf side restaurant that has just opened since my last visit.
While staying at Ansons Bay we popped into St Helens for Op shopping, coffee and groceries. We had lunch at the “Wharf Bar and Kitchen”. The food was so good, oysters and fish were fresh and local.
Fresh Tassie oysters
St Mary’s
After chilling out at Ansons Bay for two nights we set off and drove back through St Helens and made our way down the coast making a quick detour across the Elephant Pass to check out the quaint town of St Mary’s and the amazing views of the ocean from the top of the pass.
St Mary’s cottages
A coffee stop in Scamander at a cool coffee shop in a sea container overlooking the beach and the aqua blue water. “Swims East Coast Coffee” gave us great coffee and a delicious toasted cheese and tomato on sourdough for breakfast.
Scamander toasties and coffee with a spectacular view
Bicheno
From Scamander we meandered down the coast stopping at Bicheno, a place I have faint childhood memories about as my family had a holiday house there when I was very small. Bicheno is a very pretty seaside town with an impressive coastline. Penguins are sighted here regularly at nightfall and the town is well-known to tourists for this fact. We shopped in the local craft market, “Makers Creators” and checked out a local artist in residence Anita Bacic’s Camera Obscura she had set up in a caravan by the sea.
Freycinet Peninsula
Next stop was Freycinet Peninsula and a 2.5 hour hike into Wine Glass Bay, just recently voted one of the worlds top ten beaches. This region never fails to impress. The hike up to the look out is manageable for most people and the view from the top is incredible. We continued down to the beach so we could put our toes in the blue ocean and experience the white sands. Just stunning! There were people swimming and a wallaby or two on the sand, yachts floating in the bay made for beautiful photos and viewing opportunities. The walk down onto the beach was fairly easy but of course once you go down you must then head back up at some point! Great cardio work out on the way back. I counted 840 steps!
When we had recovered and rehydrated from our amazing hike we set off on the final part of our journey for that day to Triabunna where we were staying the night before heading to Maria Island in the morning. Triabunna is a crayfishing town and it is also the place where the Maria Island ferry departs from. We stayed in a Deluxe cabin at the Triabunna Caravan Park. Very comfortable after roughing it at Ansons for a couple of nights. We had fish and chips from the “Fish Van” on the jetty. A bustling and busy business with delicious food!
Maria Island
The following morning We had the 9.00 am ferry to Maria Island on the Encounter Maria Ferry. A very comfortable boat with all the mod cons. The night before we had shopped for lunch items and snacks as there is nothing available on the island aside from some fresh water. The boat sold coffee and tea and snacks.
Maria Island is very well known for a couple of reasons:
It was a penal colony and has still got some significant structures on it for viewing purposes.
It is a wildlife sanctuary known for being a place where animals can live disease free. For example the healthy Tasmanian Devils have been raised here for a few years now following the terrible outbreak of facial tumours, and the wombats on the island are also free of the terrible mange that afflicts many of the Tasmanian wombats.
The following pictures are from Maria Island and the incredible wildlife we saw and had very close interactions with. We hired bikes and rode around the island. Most of the island is fairly flat with the exception of Mount Maria which would be more of a day hike. The roads are gravel and many of the tracks take you close to the coast line. Absolutely stunning beaches and landforms and views of the mainland Tasmania.
Before you leave for the island you are asked to take “the Maria Island pledge” and pledge not to touch or unnecessarily disturb the wildlife, in particular, the wombats. The wombats really did not give a hoot about us, they grazed very close to where we watched them and trusted us to be near their babies. We saw mothers with babies in their pouches, babies laying beside their mothers, lone wombats, wallabies, Cape Barren Geese, Tasmanian Native Hens, roos and echidnas. I feel very privileged to have experienced this and I hope it remains a sanctuary for ever.
You can camp on the island and also stay in dormitory style accomodation, however, there is no power on the island and you must bring everything with you. Showers, toilets and fresh water is available for campers.
The ferry does numerous trips to the island and back and costs around $45 for an adult return. The bike hire is extra and was about $50 for the day. We had originally booked to come back on the 5.00 pm (last) ferry but changed our mind and came back on the 3.30 boat. This was easy to change with a phone call to the ferry company.
Hobart
We reached Hobart in time for an evening drink and dinner in Salamanca. We stayed in Macquarie House in the centre of the city, an Airbnb with shared bathroom and comfortable amenities. Hobart would have to be one of my favourite cities in this world. It’s small but has that big city vibe. It’s arty and grown up and comfortable in its own skin. The following morning which was a Sunday we made our way to the Bathurst Street Farm Gate Market. A lovely bustling inner city market with fabulous food trucks, fresh produce, live music and great coffee. While being a fan of the huge Salamanca Market which is run on Saturday mornings on the docks I must say it was lovely to experience another type of market in this vibrant city! A lovely start to our morning before we got on the road again.
On our drive back up to Launceston we stopped in Richmond to look at the oldest bridge in Australia. Next stop was Oatlands for coffee and cakes at a tea house. We came across some lovely people spinning wool in the streets.
Richmond and some locals
Richmond
We then took the Nile turnoff and went cross country to the beautiful historic town of Evandale. Unfortunately we missed the Sunday Markets at Evandale, they were just packing up so we went and had lunch at the Clarendon Arms Hotel in the beer garden. A very tasty lunch and a quick beer and then back on the road. Once again Tassie delivers in every way. See you next time!
So, quite some time back my 26 year old son said that he wanted to walk the Numbat Trail and I was keen as were a few others. So we finally settled on the 1st September at 11.00 am for our walk. I had emailed ahead to book and pay the $10 pp entry fee. Contact Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary
The beginning of the Trails; The Possum, The Quenda & The Numbat
The Paruna Sanctuary is situated in the Avon Valley around 1 hour east of Perth. It is a wildlife corridor that links the Walyunga and Avon Valley National Park’s, an area of around 1 912 hectares. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy operate the park where many species of wildlife live including the Western Quoll (Chuditch), the Black-Flanked Rock-Wallaby, Tamara Wallaby, Woolies, Quenda and Brushtail Possum.
The date approached and leading up to the Sunday we were due to walk the weather became increasingly nasty. On the Sunday morning the Bureau of Meteorology clearly stated that storms were expected and that the wettest time of the day would be the middle part. Both my son and I checked the radar and cheerfully said to one another that it didn’t look too bad up in the Avon Valley. We drove up to Paruna in torrential rain still chatting and hoping against hope that the rain would “rain itself out”.
The beginning…
Water, water everywhere
A map of the trails
Stunning bushland
Two little friends we discovered on our trek
Tracks are well maintained
Well lo and behold it stopped raining when we arrived and there was “enough blue sky to make a pair of sailor’s trousers” (a saying my grandmother was oft to use) and we enthusiastically exited our cars and put on our wet weather gear. We had already decided before we arrived that we would do the 12 km Numbat Trail. There being 3 options of varying lengths and difficulty. The Numbat being the most challenging.
The first part of our walk was punctuated by showers but nothing too wild. I was quite disappointed that the skies remained grey because being the photographer that I am it’s all about the light! The trail was well marked and maintained. We stopped periodically to look out from the various look-outs and to have a quick drink or snack.
The wildflowers didn’t disappoint and there was a healthy flow of water in the waterfalls and streams that we passed. We reached the point where the Numbat Trail takes a turn and leaves the main trail to begin the loop. One of our party decided that she would turn back and meet us at the beginning of the main trail and the rest of us soldiered on.
Well-cleared tracks
Fast running streams
Waterfalls
The mighty Avon River
View through the rain
The spot where the Numbat Trail Loop begins
One of the smaller creatures on the trail
Many picnic spots on the way
The loop was probably the most challenging part of the walk as it wound it’s way up to the highest point of our journey. The surrounding landscape was quite clear with many grazing areas. As we ascended the steep incline we saw mobs of grey kangaroos who stopped their grazing to gaze at us with curiosity and we also noticed that there was mobs of grey clouds approaching accompanied by howling wind. When we reached the very top we were hit by gale force winds and horizontal rain. There was nowhere to shelter so we crouched behind some shrubs.
Another flowing stream
Grey kangaroos
Fleeing kangaroo
Steps
Grass tree
Stunning view half way up
Absolutely drenched, we decided that it was best to keep moving. I abandoned all hopes of taking amazing panoramic photos of the view and the surrounding bushland and jammed my camera into a plastic bag for the downhill descent.
The water was, by this time, flowing under our feet and some of us were beginning to feel that first squelch that meant that our shoes had finally given into saturation. None of this, however, took from the beauty of the surrounding bush and landscape. I only wish that there had been a break in the rain so we could stop and take in the beauty of the elevation.
When we got back to our fellow-walker , she too had tales of trying to huddle under the bushes and even attempting to get under the picnic table! The rest of the walk back was really wet but I did manage to pull my camera out for one attempt at photographing some drenched Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos.
Against the grey sky
Bedraggled Cocky
The entire walk took us 4.5 hours and we were suitably exhausted and very very wet when we got back to our cars, by now the only cars in the carpark! The hot shower and glass of red wine was very welcome when I got home. I am definitely returning in the finer weather to do this walk again. Unfortunately the park closes at the end of September so I might not get there this year. Oh well, there is always next year.
Gumtree – it’s a verge collection without the verge…
I love Gumtree! It has supported me through the worst of times and given me the best of times. The fact that anyone can advertise anything for free is socialism at work right there. It’s the verge collection without the verge.
I have bought and sold so many items that if there was such a thing as a five star rating on Gumtree, I would have one. I only wish that everyone I dealt with had a five star rating! Such as the dodgy car deal that almost took place and then fell through in a public car park in Nedlands between myself and two unnamed men; the woman who caught a train from Rockingham to Perth where I met her with an ice cream container full of baby axolotls; the many people who called, messaged and emailed but then failed to turn up; the ones that turn up and then don’t want to pay full price; the ones that message you and offer you half your asking price, the list goes on.
I am quite spontaneous and very suggestible when it comes to deciding what activity I might like to take up next. My spare room is a testament to the fact that I thought I wanted (or even believed I had the time) to start spinning wool; playing guitar; riding bikes; paddling kayaks.
Ok, so I do play guitar and I did purchase my current guitar from a family in Swanbourne whose son no longer wanted to be Jimi Hendrix, but it turns out that bass is my thing so I just picked up a monster bass guitar from an ageing rocker (oh wait, isn’t that me?) from just down the road. Mark the guitar man had the most amazing collection of guitars and gave me a few tips on how to pluck bass strings. $100 well spent. I have added it to the spare room and my now collection of two guitars. I will practice every day, I will!
My Ashton spinning wheel recently went to a good home where the owners actually have a real live sheep. Nick lives in Serpentine and has just shorn his sheep for the first time. The wheel came into my ownership after I purchased it from a woman in Cottesloe who, like me, had it sitting gathering dust. I had visions of reliving my childhood where I grew up spinning alpaca wool beside the pot belly stove in Tasmania. Despite my best intentions I didn’t actually get around to using it. I had contacted the Spinning group on Facebook and even attempted to get to their gatherings once or twice but the weather was always too good and paddling got in the way.
My spinning wheel just before it was sent off to a “farm” to spin real wool!
My photographic equipment including a drone and a DSLR camera have all been recycled and turned into new cameras and lenses. I love searching through the pages and I am always reminded of that classic Australian film “The Castle” where the family would spend their evenings combing through the Trading Post. The words “Tell him he’s dreamin’ “ quite often can be heard coming from my mouth. There is something akin to a treasure hunt, the thrill of finding a bargain!
I am also partial to scrolling through “Perth Beer Economy”, a Facebook page where people exchange goods for bevies. The male axolotl who impregnated my female axolotl and caused me to spend many weeks raising axolotl babies was the result of an afternoon browsing through Perth Beer Economy and it only cost me a carton of Hahn Premium Dry (bloody bargain!).
I very rarely pay full price for anything. My clothes come from Op Shops and as you can see so does most of my life. Its not just the recycling of goods that attracts me to Gumtree, because that is a big part of it. It’s the thrill of the unknown and it’s finding that treasure or bargain. It’s meeting the people who will travel by train from Rockingham to pick up a container of baby axolotls; the hobby farmer who has just learnt to shear sheep or the ageing rocker with a “Cigarbox” guitar he bought in Ireland.
You just don’t get that from shopping in a shopping centre or a department store.
All in a Day Adventures 