Taronga Zoo - Koala and Joey

Can any amount of 'awwww' describe how cute this koala joey is?

It's always nice to get to see koalas at feeding time. Since they sleep 20-22 hours a day, it is pretty much the only time that you get to see them with their eyes open. This mommy spent about 10 minutes going up and down this tree to find a good spot to rest for the afternoon. It was the most active I have ever seen a koala. Their claws must be sharp and their fingers strong as she would jump from branch to branch and never slipped on landing.

Ah, to be a koala... vaguely high on life (or at least what they eat) and able to sleep for a day at a time. *sigh

Taken August 2010 - Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW

Australia Zoo - Wombats

What could possibly be better than a hairy nosed wombat? I mean really - with such a perfectly barrel-shapped body perfect for a cuddle.

I am completely enamoured with the Australian wildlife. I have no doubt you'll be seeing more of these beauts posted here in my blog.

Also, are there any requests for certain types of pics? What would you like to see more of? I'm always happy to take requests. :)

Taken February 2010 - Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Queensland, NSW

Ely Cathedral

Nothing quite like a medieval church being light up during deepest darkest winter eh?

If there are country towns and university towns, Ely is very much a Cathedral town. If it weren't for the Cathedral, there really wouldn't be any reason for being there. It's a one hit wonder kind of a place, but what a beautiful wonder! I

f you get a chance, I think Ely really does deserve a day - a grey winter day at that. How else can you be properly medieval?

Taken January 2007 - Ely Cathedral, Ely, England

Double Helix

I think this was probably the first 'modern' sculpture I found breathtaking. Found on the front lawn at Clare College, I enjoyed 2 weeks of cycling past it on my way to my job at the Faculty of History. Man, what a lame job I had... I was the photocopy girl. No really, that's pretty much the only thing I had to do. It was an easy choice between that and working at Cambridge Wine Merchants! I had the bestest boss at CWM, and I miss her so!


Taken Feb 2007 - Claire Hall, Cambridge, England

Watching Water

I absolutely love to watch the water as it boils and bubbles away from a fast moving ship. To my delight, the water in the Sydney Harbour is this beautiful velvety rich blue-green, and the foam from the ferry just makes me want to dive in. Yes, you can fish in the harbour, but I don't think I'd want to... no would I want to swim here either. They still regularly spot sharks here, and I have a hard enough time sharing my swimming area with fish!

Taken August 2010 - Ferry on the Harbour, Sydney, NSW

Australia Zoo - Cassowary

This is quite possibly the more awesome and the most terrifying bird I have ever met. Think emu with attitude and a huge wart-like horn staring at you eye-to-eye. Very cool, but daunting none the less.

As you can tell, there's food in the bucket, which is what caught the bird's attention initially. I ended up sitting down on the raise walkway to watch the cassowary eat. So cool! it's neck is really quite floppy and iridescent blue. When it swallows, you can actually see the form of the object sliding down its neck. Gah!

These lovely, ugly birds are loosing ground on the whole no dying off front. If you get a chance to go to the zoo and see one, it's well worth the trip.

Taken February 2010 - Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Queensland

Mount Tomah Gardens - Strawflower

It's funny... when I think about colours, yellow is not on my list of favourites. Even still, I absolutely love these lovely little bright pastel yellow flowers! They just seem so content to be bright even on a cloudy day.

I am also exceptionally happy with the composition of this photo. I didn't think it would turn out this well when I snapped it, in fact I thought I was taking a shot of the flowers in the foreground. Just goes to show you that you should just keep snapping away, and do the editing on the big monitor at home.

taken May 2010 - Mount Tomah Gardens, Blue Mountains, NSW

Botanical Gardens Sydney - Mellenium Cherry

What a beautiful day to be out and about! The sun was perfectly warm matching the coolness in the air so wonderfully. The sky a perfect blue and since there had been rain earlier in the week, the grass was green and growing like the dickens. It really is hard to take bad photos on days like this.

You may remember this tree from this photo. This cherry is a hybrid developed at the University of Western Sydney.

Taken July 2010 - Botanical Gardens, Sydney, NSW

Baby Giraffe!

Again, I cannot tell you how much Micah and I adore giraffes. They are past cute hearing straight into the midst of adorable.

This lovely (almost) little one was born at the Western Plains Zoo, and has a play mate that's about 3months older. It's quite amazing that they come out over 2m tall... and since their mother's give birth standing up, they get to fall more than their own birth height upon entering the world! Fortunately for mom, their horns move from being flat against their heads to upright several days after birth.

Taken March 2010 - Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW

Japanese Garden

On our trip out to Dubbo, we were fortunate enough to stumble upon this beautiful garden. Such a treat to find an oasis in the midst of a bustling country town. I also found the amount of water quite impressive as from Dubbo west is almost continually in drought.

Also I should note that March is just coming into autumn for us in the Southern Hemisphere... can you imagine anything so green in Canada at the end of October?

Taken March 2010 - Japanese Garden, Dubbo, NSW

Australia Zoo - Koala

Only in Australia would you consider an animal who sleeps 20-22 hours a day a national icon. These lovely little guys are actually nasty bits of work, with huge claws and an odour that only its mother could have a chance of loving. That said, they do look adorable and have a couple of very interesting features.

To me the most interesting bit of evolution is the following - they have a plate of cartilage across their backsides which is what they sit on in trees. This allows them both a bit more comfort and a bit more stability while sleeping.

I think they're pretty cute for something so stinky.

Taken February 2010 - Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Queensland

Campfire in the Hunter

Our weekend camping trip in May was absolutely the best way to spend a lazy weekend outside the city.

Friday morning we packed the rental car full of all sorts of necessary items. We headed north for about an hour then took a secondary road through state park land. My goodness, you know the roads are going to be fun when you meet a grader! We finally arrived at our intended campsite to find that the site wasn't actually what the guide had promised. hmm... I guess we'll just have to try the next site listed - Hunter Lookout. So perfect!

Over our weekend in the Heaton State Forest, I think we saw maybe 5 other people - hikers who were all travelling in a group. We also had nearly perfect weather the entire time, for the most part sunny with just enough drizzle to keep other people away.

We also had a lovely campfire on our final night. Nothing quite like steaks cooked over an open fire washed own with red wine. Yum!

taken May 2010 - Camping in Heaton State Park, outside of Cessnock, Hunter Valley, NSW

Mount Tomah Gardens - Mediterranean Heather

There is nothing quite like a bank of heather on a drizzly day to make the mind wander to Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters. This flower appears to be a style of Mediterranean heather, though the soft pinky-purple shade really does make me want to find a bonnet and sit in windows looking out across the Heath.

On this particular day, I was wandering around a beautiful botanical garden with my in-laws. We had just spent the weekend enjoying the Blue Mountains and were slowly working our way home to Sydney. Thankfully we had made sure to have our cameras prepared just before we happily lost ourselves amongst the flowers.

We also entertained ourselves by finding random upon finding the following - it seams that the staff had devised a special 'pirate' tour of the grounds that one could follow. I'm not precisely certain how pirates and flowers go together, but there you go. As we wandered from area to area we found little laminated sheets attached to short stakes in the ground, each marked with the classic skull and crossbones stamp and some kind of joke or riddle. These jokes were all completely groan worthy, but hilarious none the less.

Taken May 2010 - Mount Tomah Gardens, Blue Mountains, NSW

Hyde Park Sydney

Dude! That's a man-bull you're wrestling! And you'll all covered in water! Dude!

It would be so very easy to publish a book of photos of this one fountain in Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD. There are just so many bits to the sculpture, so many ways the fountain streams water.

I think I like this photo so much because it reminds me of snow. I really do miss the snow, though being able to wear shorts outside basically all year around is kinda cool.

Taken February 2010 - Hyde Park, Sydney, NSW

Green

More than the smell of cow manure or the sight of mud, this shade of green makes me think of home.

Yes, I do understand that cow manure does not evoke most to reminisce about times gone by. I also understand that most people do not find the smell of skunk to be floral. There are some things in life that can be seen in very different lights.

The green in the picture above makes me think of summer days and soft clover and grass. There is something in the quality of light, the warmth of the foliage and the colour of the (stagnant) water that brings a smile to my mouth and a warmth to my heart. This particular picture takes these feelings of home and adds a air of romance - I can see Jane Austin and costume drama writ large here.

I am so happy that this picture comes from a public park. Moments like this deserve to be savoured and shared.

Come and sit on the grass with me. Bring your favorite novel and some iced tea or lemonade. The sunshine is waiting for you too.

taken June 2010 - Parco Sempione, Milan

Mermaid Cave

Hurrah for mushrooms! I think this one was about as tall as a 50c coin (think twoonie people).

As for Mermaid Cave, it is a wonderful gully with a cascading waterfall about 30-50cm wide and 25m high. It is so very refreshing to be in such a cool moist place here in Oz. Even the ground feels soft in there.

This was one of our stops on Micah's pre-birthday scavenger hunt. The clue to send him here was a picture of Ariel and a mention of Sebastian's grotto. Once here, Micah found a clue which was actually 2 Sudoku which provided the coordinates of his next clue. I cannot tell you how much fun we had on this scavenger hunt!

Taken March 2010 - Mermaid Cave, Blue Mountains, NSW

Kangaroos in the Hunter

Yes, this is not my best quality photo. It is, however, the first picture I took of a kangaroo. No at zoo kangaroo, not a picture of one 800m away... no my first time outside in a rural area where the kangaroo was less than 60 metres away and the only really thing between me an it was distance.

Kangaroos serve the same function as deer. They eat grass and farmer's vegetables, and they also tend to be seen just before they are hit by a car. Other than that, they are just adorable and completely mundane. I do love them though.

taken May 2010 - paddock in Hunter Valley, NSW

Cool on the Feet

The sun outside is hot and bright on a late June afternoon. Walking around the streets of Milan we finally stumble upon the Duomo of this city. Upon arriving in the square in front of the west door, we are careful to avoid walking in front of other tourists snapping shots of the building. Feeding the pigeons here also seems like quite the touristy-thing-to-do, as we see several buskers selling seeds and offering to take Polaroids of you posing with the birds and the cathedral.

After spending quite some time admiring the sculptures and symbols carved into the facade of the building, we finally climb up the front steps. The cool air that greets us on the threshold and we enter the building.

I have always found churches to be absolutely wonderfully quieting. We slowly make our way forward and slide into one of the wooden pews a third of the way up the centre aisle. Though there are probably a couple hundred people in the building, the space absorbs and softens their rustling to a white noise which is easily dismissed.

After taking some time to simply be in the space, I finally get up to walk around and look at the stained glass, side chapels and decorations that fill the Duomo. I also allow myself one of my favorite church pleasures - I take off my shoes. Having my bare feet on the cool stone floor always connects me to the place more than any other single thing. Here, there is a softness to the floor, and the texture of the different stones that have been inlaid to create the patterns only adds to the movement I can feel through me feet.

I am very thankful to have found this personal way of connecting with the buildings of the church. I believe that every space for prayer and meditation should be comfortable and supportive. In the end, a building is only a building, and the value of a place of worship should be about the connection to something greater.

taken June 2010, Duomo di Milano, Milan

Blue Mountains - Wnetworth Falls Lookoff

This is a view that has several lovely memories attached. We first came to Wentworth Falls with J&M, who were keen to start showing Micah and I the beauty that was Australia. What a fine fine start to adventuring in Oz! Our most recent visit was with Micah's parents, which is the trip on which this photo was taken.

In truth, the Blue Mountains are actually not a mountain range and should be more accurately named the Blue Canyon. It is the second longest canyon after the Grand Canyon. Its depth is not quite as clear here, but man oh man it is beautiful and mighty deep!

Trust me, this is not the last time we will visit this stunning Australian natural treasure.

Taken May 2010 - Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains, NSW

Botanical Gardens Sydeny - Cactus Garden

This was such a beautiful day to be out in the sunshine. Micah and our roommates and I went out for a day in the city, to visit the botanical gardens and then to one of the galleries. We puttered around the gardens for a couple of hours, eventually arriving in the cactus garden. What a wonderful little area this is! The garden is wonderfully laid out and the style of this garden is quite different from the more Victorian style main garden(s).

As one of my roommates sat to enjoy the sun, I was really taken by the ochre red of the sculpture behind her. The combination of the almost harsh sun, the cacti and the lines in the sculpture/flower bed structure are really quite something. The addition of my roommate, I think, sets the whole thing up for the perfect picture.

Natalie in the Sun - Taken July 2010 - Cactus Garden in the Botanical Garden, Sydney, NSW

Art Gallery of NWS - Hand

I'm not exactly certain what possessed me to take this photo, but I'm really glad I did. Micah and I were visiting the Art Gallery of NSW with our roommates and we were all working our way towards the absolutely stunning The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon when we came upon this in a display case. I'm fairly certain the boys spent more time looking at this engraving than at the painting the engraving was based upon.

All this said, there was something about the way my roommate's hand looked reflected off of the glass of the case that caught my eye. Not the most romantic picture, but it fascinates me none the less.

Norman's Hand Taken July 2010 - Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

Mount Tomah Gardens - waterfall

I was very pleased to see this photo actually turn out so well. I find it hard to get good photos of waterfalls, but the lighting was perfect on this drizzly day. Next on my list of things to figure out how to take pictures of would be fish. There are several bright orange fish in this pond (as one would expect in a 'proper' garden, eh?) and yet none of my pictures of them turned out at all. Oh well... I guess I'll have to head back and take more pictures. Oh, the hardship...

taken May 2010 - Mount Tomah Gardens, Blue Mountains, NSW

Room with a View

One of the things I can't help myself from doing is taking pictures of my eyes while I'm flying from place to place. I think it's a combination of boredom and how excited I am with the idea of taking pictures of places and things I have never seen before.

On some levels, I'm not certain why I like this particular picture so much. I can see the red mark on my nose from where my glasses usually sit, the eyebrows that I should have plucked before going on vacation, the dark circles under my eyes. Even still, I think it's a pretty interesting shot. I love the colour of my eyes and how the light coming in the window is reflected in them. Really, it just seems like the me I always see when I look in the mirror.

taken June 2010 - Emirates flight, somewhere over Iraq

Australia Zoo - Tortoise

This lovely fella was really enjoying the drizzly day at Australia Zoo.

One of the best features of this particular zoo was just how much care and attention each animal received from their keepers and the groundskeepers. These animals are very well socialised and they all seemed to be in very spacious and clean areas. Though I find the whole Irwin empire rather distasteful, I certainly cannot find fault with this facility or the conservation efforts/initiatives they help to promote.

We happened upon one of the keeper presentations at the tortoise enclosure. Apparently, these tortoises absolutely love to have their necks scratched! Igloo nearly pushed his keeper over while he was leaning into his neck rub.

Taken February 2010 - Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Queensland