This area is predominantly jarrah forest. There were no wildflowers out yet, I will have to wait for spring for that, but did I care? No not one bit. There is always something to photograph. And anyways just being in the bush, walking, absorbing the quietness, and then sitting with our cup of soup and bread for lunch, was just perfect for me.
There are greens
The Prickly Hakea - Hakea amplexicaulis - which flowers August to October. I love the way the prickly wavy leaves wrap themselves around the stem. The flowers sit on top of these leaves.
This was taken last year - not quite open
There are browns on the forest floor, and in dying leaves - which are still beautiful
There is bark. I love the textures of bark. The one the left and right are burnt bark. Some of this bush land was devastated by the horrific bushfires which raged through Western Australia's south west in January 2015. I showed you some pictures in my blog post - Bushwalking at Hoffmans Mill
It is good to see the forest is slowly regenerating.
In that particular blog post I showed you images of the bushfire devastated bushland and the historic Long Gully Bridge which was destroyed in those bushfires. The bridge had been an important river crossing for the Bibbulmun Track over the Murray River. Sad to say the bridge has not yet been replaced and there is now a 30 kilometre diversion in place on the track. Please make sure if you intend walking on the Bibbulmun Track that you contact them or check their website for up-to-date information, track closures and diversion etc. Here is their link - Bibbulmun Track and a link which shows images of the historic bridge and ways to donate - Bridge the Gap
My favourite "Snotty Gobble" top left hand corner below - which I shared with you last year - Enjoying the Australian bush - and at the top right hand corner I think is the Couch Honeypot - Dryandra lindleyana. I saw it flowering for the first time last year, and was fairly sure of its identity. It is a low ground plant. Below that are fresh and dried versions of fern.
And a photo of the Couch Honeypot which I took in late September last year.
There are also other treasures to discover hiding in the undergrowth. The sun kissing the orange-red of a fallen leaf.
Raindrops
And how about playing around with some blur just for the fun of it. I hope this image doesn't make your head spin!
And the best thing? Being out in the fresh air away from the stresses of life, indulging my passion for photography, and it's free!
Lastly..... today I was reading in The West Australian weekend newspaper about the creator of Canva, Western Australian Perth girl Melanie Perkins, in 2012. They now have over 100 team members from 12 countries in 3 offices, and have created over 100 million designs and have over 10 million users. So I thought I should have a look at Canva. At the moment I am using Picmonkey for my collages (it is super easy to use), but it looks like Canva have lots of cool features. Obviously it takes a little to find your way around (I can't figure out how to just get a basic 6 opening template yet.....), but here is a small start. I'm not sure I like the way they just changed the colours of the leaves without me asking them to. What do you think?
I was wondering what program do you use for your collages?
Do you enjoy bushwalking? Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your favourite bushwalking track in the comments.
In the meantime, thank you so much for dropping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little walk in the Western Australian bush in late autumn with me. I appreciate each and everyone of you who take the time to stop by, look, and comment. I will try in return to visit your blogs. Have a wonderful week.
I just found this site you might find of interest -
Wildflower Society of Western Australia
You might also enjoy -Enjoying the Australian bush
Bushwalking at Hoffmans Mill, Harvey
It's time to be out on the Bibbulmun Track again
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
Mosaic Monday
Life Thru the Lens
Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday
The Lovin' Life Team over at Lifestyle Fifty
The Weekly Postcard
Sky Watch Friday
Hi Jill, thanks for taking me on a beautiful sunny walk in the forest on this cold autumnal morning in city Perth! I can just picture you with a mug of soup sitting on a log in a beautiful wooded enclave enjoying a light lunch! Wasn't that article about the girl who set up Canva interesting? I didn't know the founder hailed from Perth. I kind of assumed it was an American start-up. Yes, I use it, but it does take a bit more effort than Pic Monkey - but it looks more 'designer' I think if you get it right. Generally I divert to Pic Monkey when I need speed. But Canva makes me think about design and gives the option to be really creative.
ReplyDeletethanks for that Jo. When I have time I will delve into Canva more. I agree PicMonkey is quick and easy, but perhaps it is time for a more designer look. THanks Jo. Stay warm.
DeleteYou certainly know where exactly to look to find amazing images, Jill! So many shades of green and Brown, the texture of leaf and bark adding even more depth and interest.
ReplyDeleteI use picmonkey a lot but find the templates quite restrictive so I mix things up by using photoscape and picasa too.
Happy Mosaic Monday!
Love all the green! Thanks for the adventure. I enjoy learning about fauna in a part of the world I probably will never see for myself. I often think I should majored in botany instead of anthropology way back when! Ha! Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteLove your photos. I checked out Canva dot com and you are right, it takes quite a bit of figuring and checking their help etc. I think I will stick with PicMonkey for now. Nice to check out new software.
ReplyDeleteJoy
Hi Jill,
ReplyDeleteI can really sense how much walking in the bush means to you from your description but also from your photos, and what you have chosen to photograph. Yes, there might not be flowers right now for you, for it is autumn, but the glorious greenery is just as precious. I really enjoyed the pics of the tassel flower and the raindrops on the leaves. As far as Canva goes, I tried it a few months ago for a particular collage shape I was looking for, but found it to be too complex for my time and patience. Maybe I'll give it a try again when I have more time. I use Picmonkey, too, as well as Ipiccy and Fotor. They are all really user friendly.
Have a lovely Tuesday!
Poppy:)
What beautiful and varied foliage you've captured. The Couch Honeypot is such an intricate bud/leaf? There's beauty in each season. I tried Canva and found it hard to navigate. Perhaps it will evolve into something more user friendly.
ReplyDeleteJill ~ lovely nature photography ~ and presentation is wonderful too! ~ thanks,
ReplyDeleteHappy Week ahead to you
What a lovely forest walk! And I had to pause at the bark photos as I too love bark. I can gaze at an olive tree trunk for several minutes just taking in the details of the bark, trunk and other markings. Loved this outing with you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post Jill. I am a true tree lover. We bought our current house because of the huge trees in the back yard. Wherever we live we plant trees. I could never live away from the ocean or trees. I loved your photos.
ReplyDelete