Indigenous
The Pilliga – All the Light We Cannot See
Coochiemudlo Island – Blunder and Ambiguity
“Mum, why do you have mud on your hat?”
I didn’t reply but attempted a withering look at my adult son. Given the circumstances, it was surprising there were any surfaces on me not covered in mud. I couldn’t understand how my cheeky offspring had remained spotless, especially as he was such a mud magnet as a child. Continue reading
The Geese Have Gone and I Am Cheering: Sherwood Arboretum and Wetlands
Sherwood Arboretum Wetlands
Well, there has been some drama of late. A family member was struck by a car recently while cycling home from work. He was fortunate to survive the incident but now has injuries which will take about six months to heal. The driver of the car was at fault according to the police report and unfortunately this is not uncommon where I live. I’m quite disheartened by the car-centric culture in my country although there have been some improvements.
As Michael Reilly recently wrote in an article explaining 18 Reasons Why Registering Bicycles is a Bad Idea, “Even among people who don’t ride for transport, a survey showed 60% would like to do so – but many say they are too scared.” Yes, here in the Lucky Country, many of us are too scared to ride a bicycle. After a few close calls I have even curtailed my own cycling activity.
Now let’s move onto something more cheerful… Continue reading
Lured by the Big Dog: History and Hiking at White Rock
I enjoy history almost as much as I love hiking and there’s a walk in Ipswich, near Brisbane in south-east Queensland, which allows me to combine both. It has an interesting and somewhat poignant past. Continue reading
My Grass Tree Romance – Hiking Mt French – Moogerah Peaks National Park
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.
– Alice Walker
Christmas trees feature prominently at this time of year but since I’m writing about my visit to Mt French in Moogerah Peaks, I’m going to risk boring you with my continuing romance with the Australian native, Xanthorrhoea, commonly called Grass Tree. In some ways the humble grass tree is quite symbolic of the Christmas season, when some cultures and religions focus on gift giving, as it is a species which has given much to the traditional Indigenous owners as well as the early European settlers. Grass trees are a common sight on my walks at Main Range National Park and Moogerah Peaks and I’m including a few photographs from these walks to illustrate aspects of one of my favourite trees. Continue reading
