Every day on our recent holiday Lib and I had picnic lunch. It's what we love to do. The Alice Pink Desert Botanical Gardens, Ormiston Gorge, Trephina Gorge, Uluru, and King's Canyon were some of the venues, but it is the one we had last Friday in the dry bed of the Todd river in Alice Springs that is the subject of this post.
We'd got to know our way around by then. It was a hot day, about 36C. We pulled in to the shade of a red gum tree in 'Rotary Park' near Heavitree Gap looking for a table and chair.
"There doesn't seem to be a table," Lib said.
"There has to be. That's what the Rotary Club does in parks. Yes, there's one further on. See it? But the shade's better here. Let's eat from the back of the car."
An olive green Range Rover had followed our Hyundai Getz hire car into the park and was stopped about thirty metres away adjacent to us. An aboriginal woman got out and walked off by herself in the direction of the table and chair which was about 70 or 80 metres along.
"I wonder why she's walking off alone and leaving her car windows open," Lib commented. We went to the boot and made up a sandwich of salami, cheese, tomato and cucumber in sliced wholemeal bread after quaffing on bottled water. The aboriginal lady was standing by herself about 100 metres away. We sat in the front of the car with our doors open enjoying the sandwich.
Lib said, "She must be waiting for.... Geez, he just punched her."
I looked in the direction of the aboriginal woman just in time to see an aboriginal man throw a second punch, not a king hit but a cuffing round arm to her head. It looked like his fist was clenched. She didn't cry out or scream, fall, or run, and hardly flinched as she kept walking back towards her car. The man ran ahead of her and when he got about thirty metres away from the car he picked up a jagged rock the size of an orange and hurled it at the Range Rover. Bang. It landed flush on the bonnet. The man keep running to the car and opened the door, grabbing clothing and chucking it onto the ground.
By this time I'd moved to the back of the Hyundai, quickly eating my sandwich and packing up the picnic. I jumped back in the car and said to Lib, "We're out of here."
"Geez, you ate that quick," said Lib, laughing, and still only halfway through her sandwich.
"Yeah well, we've come this far without a scratch on the car and there's a $330 excess if we get one. And believe me, a punch up in the heat at my age with an angry aborigine on the bank of the Todd River is the last thing I'm after."
A quarter of an hour later I was in a newsagency buying a tattslotto ticket when there was a lot of aggro shouting outside. As I came out the same angry man was stomping away about 20 metres ahead of me. He walked straight through the car park, turning right angles at our car and walking the length of it. I was expecting him to lash out with a boot and inflict damage, which I'd fled the park to avoid, in a bizarre twist of bad luck. Relieved I was.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Home Sweet Home
It's always nice coming home, no matter how enjoyable a trip away has been. We arrived back at Gembrook after 1.00am this morning, our flight delayed two hours. Robbie kindly picked us up at Tullamarine. I didn't go to bed till 3, after going through the mail and unwinding with a cup of tea. My walk this morning was a joy with two obedient dogs glad to have me back walking them after the 11 day hiatus. And, being curry pie day (last Sunday of the month), they were rewarded with half a sausage roll each.
After walking in the desert and gorges of the 'red centre', the Gembrook gardens and hillsides look lush and green. I came down the Launching Place road hill feeling philosophical, as if our trip away had blown dust and cobwebs from my mind like a spring clean. While away I read a book titled 'The New Nature' by Tim Low, which discusses changes to the environment in general, and particularly flora and fauna over the Australian continent, as human impact has changed and increased. There's always change in nature, we speed it up, and there are always winners and losers. Man's interference, often with perfectly good intent, can be catastrophic. Many species have become extinct or endangered, while others thrive. Tim Low's book is chock full of startling examples and surprises.
I made two resolutions. Firstly, to stay calm no matter the circumstances in future, and secondly, to try to keep an open mind and have broad vision. It is too easy to jump to wrong conclusions based on flawed information and opinion.
After walking in the desert and gorges of the 'red centre', the Gembrook gardens and hillsides look lush and green. I came down the Launching Place road hill feeling philosophical, as if our trip away had blown dust and cobwebs from my mind like a spring clean. While away I read a book titled 'The New Nature' by Tim Low, which discusses changes to the environment in general, and particularly flora and fauna over the Australian continent, as human impact has changed and increased. There's always change in nature, we speed it up, and there are always winners and losers. Man's interference, often with perfectly good intent, can be catastrophic. Many species have become extinct or endangered, while others thrive. Tim Low's book is chock full of startling examples and surprises.
I made two resolutions. Firstly, to stay calm no matter the circumstances in future, and secondly, to try to keep an open mind and have broad vision. It is too easy to jump to wrong conclusions based on flawed information and opinion.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Back in Alice
My walk this morning was along the dry Todd River on the edge of Alice Springs where we stayed last night at the Heavytree Gap Caravan Park. The birds I saw were crested pigeons, yellow throated miners, pied honey eaters, ringnecked parrots, peewees, crows, a pair of what I think were black falcons, and another type of bird grey and black a bit like a tree creeper but yet to be identified from our bird book. There were a nomber of black footed fock wallabies in the caravan park at the base of a rocky rise forming part of the gap.
We're heading off now for a picnic lunch at Ross River in the East Macdonnell ranges and more gorge sightseeing.
We're heading off now for a picnic lunch at Ross River in the East Macdonnell ranges and more gorge sightseeing.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Ayer's Rock
Well I'm no position to give an update on Gembrook weather. Today Lib and I walked around Uluru. It was fine, hot, we loved every step of the 10k or so.
A place of peace. Tomorrow we head to King's Canyon.
We've met a lot of travellers from all over the world. This place seems to bring out warmth from all things human.
A place of peace. Tomorrow we head to King's Canyon.
We've met a lot of travellers from all over the world. This place seems to bring out warmth from all things human.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Cold and Wet
More rain today after a little last night. This spring rain is fantastic. Melbourne's reservoirs are now at 35.3% of capacity after being at 26.0% in July when the line on the graph turned from down to up. They've been rising at 2,000 megalitres a day for about the past week after the peak of 8,000mg/l a day soon after that 100 ml weekend a couple of weeks ago. The rain is especially welcome by me as I've planted so much in recent weeks, but in the bigger picture farmers in the Wimmera in particular, but almost everywhere in Victoria, are benefitting hugely. The Wimmera river is flowing strongly and dozens of towns are having water restrictions eased.
If this keeps up the new code red catasrophic fire danger warnings may not be needed much this summer. Not that I need someone to tell me when there's a day of extreme fire danger. High temperatures and strong winds put me immediately on alert.
Wouldn't it be nice, a wet summer. I live in hope.
If this keeps up the new code red catasrophic fire danger warnings may not be needed much this summer. Not that I need someone to tell me when there's a day of extreme fire danger. High temperatures and strong winds put me immediately on alert.
Wouldn't it be nice, a wet summer. I live in hope.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Humming Along
I looked into the beehives on the weekend, making use of what has been a rarity lately, a couple of warm sunny days. They were in good nick, quite strong hives building up well, with a good shake of of nectar in the combs and copious amounts of pollen coming in on forager's legs, which is no wonder given the paddocks about are yellow with cape weed flowers.
I divided one hive which had a poor brood pattern and some queen cells containing eggs, my hope is to avoid it swarming.(Artificial swarming is the term, the idea is to satisfy the swarming instinct without losing most of the bees, the two halves can be united later if it's desired, or more easily requeened with a bought queen of quiet stock, not that I've bought a queen for many years, which is probably why my hives can be a little testy). I left the small queenless half on the site of the old hive to draw in the returning foragers, with the bulk of the house bees with the queen in the new position. The hive at 'Sunset' was the strongest of all and had quite a few swarm cells. I took a comb containing a couple of well started queen cells with larvae swimming in royal jelly, putting it in the new hive at home, hoping they'll have a hatching queen quicker that way.
It was fun I have to say. The smell of the smoke as I lit the smoker with dried eucalypt leaves excited memories of working in the bush and times long past. It is exciting, the first foray of the season, and you feel the bees are old faithful friends, unswerving, diligent, yet aloof and mysterious.
I divided one hive which had a poor brood pattern and some queen cells containing eggs, my hope is to avoid it swarming.(Artificial swarming is the term, the idea is to satisfy the swarming instinct without losing most of the bees, the two halves can be united later if it's desired, or more easily requeened with a bought queen of quiet stock, not that I've bought a queen for many years, which is probably why my hives can be a little testy). I left the small queenless half on the site of the old hive to draw in the returning foragers, with the bulk of the house bees with the queen in the new position. The hive at 'Sunset' was the strongest of all and had quite a few swarm cells. I took a comb containing a couple of well started queen cells with larvae swimming in royal jelly, putting it in the new hive at home, hoping they'll have a hatching queen quicker that way.
It was fun I have to say. The smell of the smoke as I lit the smoker with dried eucalypt leaves excited memories of working in the bush and times long past. It is exciting, the first foray of the season, and you feel the bees are old faithful friends, unswerving, diligent, yet aloof and mysterious.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
More Seasonal Notes
I haven't looked in the beehives this spring yet, the weather not being conducive. The silvertop, I noticed last week when I went to my friend Pat's place for a couple of hours work, is flowering heavily in the bush east of Gembrook. I doubt it would be yielding honey in this cold, wet weather and bee flight would have been reduced reduced by the cold and rain. It's a far cry from the conditions of three years ago when the silvertop last flowered and the weather was warm, sunny and still, right through October, resulting in an early crop of honey the likes of which I'd never seen in this district.
The rainfall figures for September are up in the post office window. We had 200ml, far above the 30 year average of 126ml. It came a bit late to make this spring a good harvest from the garden point of view. Lilac is offering a reduced crop of blossom, same with pieris in most situations, and the dogwood is not promising. Rhodos have less flower than usual along with much burnt foliage and generally speaking our spring harvest of blossom is down considerably, no doubt a consequence of the extreme heat and dry of last summer. I'm wondering if the beech foliage will be similarly affected, or if this big September rain will save the day. They are just shooting now, and won't be firm enough to pick till well into November.
Maybe this rain will help set up a good spring next year. In the meantime the grass and weeds are about to explode into growth which will keep us busy. I'm hoping the cool continues through October with more rain to come. We had 6ml last night and it's cold enough again to be winter.
With our new tanks full Lib's talking vegie garden. Hopefully we can start a summer veg garden next weekend when Lib's holidays start. And if the weather's fine I'll fire up the bee smoker with some dry pine needles or messmate bark for fuel and check 'em out.
The rainfall figures for September are up in the post office window. We had 200ml, far above the 30 year average of 126ml. It came a bit late to make this spring a good harvest from the garden point of view. Lilac is offering a reduced crop of blossom, same with pieris in most situations, and the dogwood is not promising. Rhodos have less flower than usual along with much burnt foliage and generally speaking our spring harvest of blossom is down considerably, no doubt a consequence of the extreme heat and dry of last summer. I'm wondering if the beech foliage will be similarly affected, or if this big September rain will save the day. They are just shooting now, and won't be firm enough to pick till well into November.
Maybe this rain will help set up a good spring next year. In the meantime the grass and weeds are about to explode into growth which will keep us busy. I'm hoping the cool continues through October with more rain to come. We had 6ml last night and it's cold enough again to be winter.
With our new tanks full Lib's talking vegie garden. Hopefully we can start a summer veg garden next weekend when Lib's holidays start. And if the weather's fine I'll fire up the bee smoker with some dry pine needles or messmate bark for fuel and check 'em out.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Stillness
This morning and yesterday were still. Not silent, for the air was full of birdsong, of great variety. Singing birds seem to heighten quietude. Chirping, squeaking, squwarking, twittering, pipping, pinging, whistling, cawing, cooing, ooming, choffing, ringing, honking. The screeching cockatoos have been absent fortunately.
The crow's nest a hundered feet above the ground in the pine tree at the lower end of Quinn Rd. seems to have been abandoned. Last week the pair of crows were mercilessly harassed by wattle birds in what looked like a territorial battle. Then no crows in that group of trees for a couple of days, but always wattle birds. Yesterday I saw a crow carrying a stick towards trees a couple of hundred metres away on Launching place Rd. It looks like the crows are starting again in another location. Another large pine tree behind messmates and peppermints seemed to be the crow's destination. They maybe prefer pine trees.
Last week I saw a quail in the yard of a house in Quinn Rd. The week before young Pip lept back in fright from the fence of the house at the top of Launching Place Rd., in turn giving me a start. A wild duck flapped as she rose, disturbed as we came past the other side of the picket fence. She hurried away along the side fence with her seven chicks in tow.
The bellbirds were back in the messmate opposite our lower drive this morning after a few days of no sign or sound of them. Their recent return has not yet become a full scale invasion and occupation like we had for several years, let's hope it doesn't. The wattle birds, who have built up in numbers, may be deterring them, also the currawongs who've not yet seasonally disappeared as they often do.
It seems to a constantly changing struggle for ascendency amongst the aggressive and territorial birds. It a shame that the aggressive types seem to adjust to man's intrusion into the environment better and we therefore have so many of them and less of the shyer types. Birds are all beautiful in their own way but birdworld is ruthless; chooks kill off sick comrades, so many species feed on the young of others, crows pick the eyes out of newborn lambs.
The strong survive.
The crow's nest a hundered feet above the ground in the pine tree at the lower end of Quinn Rd. seems to have been abandoned. Last week the pair of crows were mercilessly harassed by wattle birds in what looked like a territorial battle. Then no crows in that group of trees for a couple of days, but always wattle birds. Yesterday I saw a crow carrying a stick towards trees a couple of hundred metres away on Launching place Rd. It looks like the crows are starting again in another location. Another large pine tree behind messmates and peppermints seemed to be the crow's destination. They maybe prefer pine trees.
Last week I saw a quail in the yard of a house in Quinn Rd. The week before young Pip lept back in fright from the fence of the house at the top of Launching Place Rd., in turn giving me a start. A wild duck flapped as she rose, disturbed as we came past the other side of the picket fence. She hurried away along the side fence with her seven chicks in tow.
The bellbirds were back in the messmate opposite our lower drive this morning after a few days of no sign or sound of them. Their recent return has not yet become a full scale invasion and occupation like we had for several years, let's hope it doesn't. The wattle birds, who have built up in numbers, may be deterring them, also the currawongs who've not yet seasonally disappeared as they often do.
It seems to a constantly changing struggle for ascendency amongst the aggressive and territorial birds. It a shame that the aggressive types seem to adjust to man's intrusion into the environment better and we therefore have so many of them and less of the shyer types. Birds are all beautiful in their own way but birdworld is ruthless; chooks kill off sick comrades, so many species feed on the young of others, crows pick the eyes out of newborn lambs.
The strong survive.
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