Sunday, September 27, 2015

Rainforest adventures in the cold
















The pictures above were taken ages ago when we went walking in a wonderfully green, shaded rainforest full of tall trees and ferns. We walked and climbed for eons to get to the foot of a spectacular water fall and just stared at the sheer beauty of the water cascading down the rocks and the foliage.

The stunning national parks of Australia are endowed with flora, fauna, canyons and beaches that are just a spectacular balm to the eyes. Large areas of untouched forest in many cases sites of many important Aboriginal Australian sites, outstanding tropical foliage and long stretches of the coast backed by lush bush. Most of the national park are a wonderful blend of culture and nature, reminding us that living in nature is natural to us and not the centrally air-conditioned world we live in.


Sunday, September 20, 2015

Wilderness Sunsets












These pictures were taken when we went mini-camping in the mountains a few weeks ago, it was still pretty cold but we were pretty cosy sleeping in the van. One of my oft repeated wishes is to travel all of Australia and New Zealand in a campervan, I can't wait till we do it.

Anyway this was the last sunset in the cold mountains just before we headed back to the city and it was spectacular. Trust me the pictures don't do the skies any justice, we could have sat and stared for hours!I have never seen so many glorious shades of orange, pink, purples and the bare trees just made things even more weirdly beautiful. I was wearing a bunch of layers under my vintage lambswool sweater and was raring to run up and down the hills. It's times like this that make me thankful I moved to this beautiful continent. Having said that though I am still obsessed with my upcoming trip home and to the desert.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Relaxed spring afternoons













Most of these pictures have been taken in front of a mural of the Aboriginal Australian flag in The Block, Redfern. The Block has been a meeting place for Aboriginal people for more than half a century, as people travelled from country towns to Sydney in search of work. The area is synonymous with Indigenous land rights and till quite recently was the site of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy demanding affordable housing for Indigenous Australian.

It is a place steeped in history and struggle, I went there over the weekend to listen to some live music by Indigenous artists. It was the first really warm day this spring and my embroidered top from Columbia came out to play with beaded jewellery from Kenya, South Africa and Columbia. I am obsessed with Maasai, South American and Indian beaded jewellery and wish to deck myself head to toe in them. A great afternoon spent listening to some good music and chatting with interesting locals before riding away as the sun set.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Spring, I've missed you
















Spring is here and I can't wait for my mini-garden to start blooming again, wearing lighter layers and in eight weeks going home for a visit. I have waited over a year for this visit, planning things down to the last tiniest details, dreaming about the moment I will re-unite with my family, celebrate festivals like they're meant to be celebrated, make rangolis all over the house with my sister and generally just forget the nastiness in the world.

In the meantime I am going to wear as many layers of jewellery, more block print, excessive amounts of batik, embroidered bits and bobs while frolicking on isolated coasts sunning by rock pools. What are your spring plans?