Celebrating Australia Day - 26 January 2013.

26 January is Australia Day – the day we Aussies celebrate what makes us Australian and the things we value about living in Australia – freedom, opportunity, diversity, innovation, education, jobs, good food, healthy lifestyle, the ability to buy your own house, our beautiful country, wide open spaces, clean air - just to name a few – and also the people that give of themselves in all sorts of way and deserve to be honoured in the Australia Day Honours list.   Many immigrants also take the opportunity today to become Australians in ceremonies throughout Australia. 

On Australia Day you will see Aussies getting together in all sorts of ways – the “big” Aussie BBQ breakfast, enjoying community entertainment, going to the beach, playing sport, going camping, families and friends getting together. And in major centres there are often fireworks. 

There are so many ways that people celebrate. But most of all I think it is about family and community and getting together and being thankful.

I love travel - but I love coming home too - and seeing my place with new eyes and appreciation of how lucky we indeed are to live in this wonderful country.  I have posted many times images of some my favourite Australian places before, but I want to recap with this collage from a couple of years ago.  

This Australia Day our day started with an Aussie BBQ breakfast with family that rolled into lunch, a relaxing afternoon, I picked grapes to make grape jam, and we went to the fireworks in the evening. Here is the before the fireworks pic showing our city waterfront along the Leschenault Inlet. There are markets, stalls and entertainment. Some people even take their boats onto the water and watch the fireworks from there.

 It could be said that fireworks are a waste of money - that the money could be better spent elsewhere on community services - and I think they are right - but I enjoy fireworks and the happy shared family atmosphere.

Fireworks are also great to photograph. I don't take a tripod as I like the effects and patterns that can be created with photographing fireworks hand held. All of these are straight out of camera. 

We even had fireworks coming out of the top of a building - a cool effect - and you can see the reflection of other fireworks in the windows. You can see it below in the photo of the RHS.

If you are an Aussie how did you celebrate Australia Day?  

And my overseas visitors - how do you celebrate your National Day? What is it about your country that you love the most?

I send my thoughts and prayers to those in Queensland suffering from the effects of floods and tornadoes that are ravaging that part of the country and all those across the country who have lost their homes or are in the path of devastating bushfires. 

Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you and value your comments. 

Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. It see the work of Mary and other wonderful contributors, please click on the link here - Mosaic Monday

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Camping in the beauty of Western Australia's National Parks

Life is a Beach in Western Australia

It is summer downunder and time for the beach. The beach is part of Western Australia’s way of life - kilometres of white sandy beaches, sparkling clear blue water, coral reefs, aquatic playgrounds, and the sun setting over the Indian Ocean in a brilliant array of colours.

Stretching from Broome’s Cable Beach in the north, to Lucky Bay near Esperance in the south east, a trip to Western Australia would not be complete without a visit to one of its beaches.

In the image below you can see left to right from top - Smiths Beach Yallingup, Cable Beach Broome, Conspicuous Cliffs near Denmark, Greens Pool Denmark, Lucky Bay Esperance, dolphins at Monkey Mia Shark Bay, snorkeling on Ningaloo Reef Coral Bay. 

I wrote about my selection of Western Australia's best beaches in my article which was recently published in Go Camping Australia magazine December2012-January2013 edition.  

Below is an excerpt from the article with my choices of some of Western Australia's best beaches.

CABLE BEACH, BROOME – WHITE SAND, SUNSHINE & PEARLS

Where is it? - 2237 kilometres north of Perth

Established around the pearling industry in the late 1800s, a colourful history and a melting pot of nationalities, the tropical seaside town of Broome is the gateway to the Kimberleys. On Cable Beach’s twenty two kilometre stretch of pristine white sand, you can escape the southern winter by relaxing on the beach, rejuvenate in the warm ocean water, enjoy a sunset camel ride, or experience the “stair case to the moon”. 

When you have had enough of the beach there is an extensive collection of pearl outlets, art and photographic galleries, shops and restaurants, or take a boat tour to one of the pearling farms or a scenic flight over spectacular coastal scenery.

NINGALOO REEF – CORAL BAY AND EXMOUTH – UNDERWATER WONDERLAND

Where is it? - Coral Bay is 1131 kilometres and Exmouth 1260 kilometres north of Perth

Serviced by Exmouth and Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef is one of the world’s largest fringing coral reefs and a prime conservation sanctuary stretching 260 kilometres along North West Cape. Home to 250 species of coral and 500 species of fish, Ningaloo is one of Australia’s great nature based tourism destinations and leads the way in Whale Shark eco-tourism. You can snorkel over the reef only a few metres from the shore, and Coral Bay’s town beach has safe swimming for children.  Blessed with warm weather all year round, perfect for fishing, swimming or relaxing, Ningaloo is a paradise for holiday-makers. 

MONKEY MIA, SHARK BAY – DOLPHIN EXPERIENCE

Where is it?: 856 kilometres from Perth

Thousands of visitors come every year to see the bottle nose dolphins which visit the beach at Monkey Mia, located in the World Heritage listed Peron Peninsular. Dolphin feeding, three times a day between 8am and 1pm, is carefully controlled in the special interaction area on the beach front near the jetty to ensure the dolphins continue to live in their natural environment. Although you are discouraged from touching them, the experience is one you will never forget.  

THE CAPES – SURFING THE SOUTH WEST

Where is it?: Margaret River is 277 kms and Yallingup 263 kms south of Perth. 

Enjoying a Mediterranean climate, the Cape to Cape region between Cape Naturalist and Cape Leeuwin is a playground for holiday makers during the summer, and surfers all year round, as well as being an internationally acclaimed wine growing region. Meelup offers safe swimming and a shady beachfront picnic area popular with families, whilst Surfers Point near Margaret River is home to the Margaret River Pro competition. Yallingup provides great swimming and snorkelling with a protected lagoon, and surfing further out.

Wineries, breweries and artisans outlets provide an enjoyable way to spend a lazy afternoon or you could stretch your legs along the Cape to Cape Track which winds 135 kilometres between the Capes.

SOUTH COAST  - WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE SEA

Where is it?: Denmark is 414 kms south of Perth

When summer hits the northern half of WA it is time to escape to a milder climate and the beautiful pristine beaches of the South Coast. From Mandalay Beach west of Walpole, through Denmark to Albany, the southern coastline is a mixture of magnificent coastal scenery, rugged headlands, rock pools and secluded beaches. Popular beaches include - Greens Pool, William Bay, Ocean Beach, Lights Beach and Peaceful Bay.
 Combining to make a complete destination are relaxed friendly towns, wineries, restaurants, galleries, walk trails and rivers for canoeing which wind through the spectacular Karri and Tingle forests and an international biodiversity hotspot.  

ESPERANCE – AUSTRALIA’S WHITEST BEACH

Where is it?: 721 kilometres from Perth on the south coast 

The combination of dazzling white squeaky clean sand and cold sparkling aqua blue water under a canopy of brilliant blue sky is a feast for the senses.  Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance was judged in 2006 by a national committee of scientific experts through Geoscience Australia to be the whitest beach in Australia, so Esperance can justifiably claim to be the home of Australia’s best beaches.

Isolated by distance, Esperance enjoys a laid back life style and a Mediterranean climate.  It is a paradise for beach lovers with kilometres of pristine beaches, spectacular coastal scenery, national parks, and an aquatic paradise amongst the islands of the Recherche Archipelago

FOR MORE INFORMATION on WA’s beaches and where to stay, log onto the individual visitor information web sites or visit WA Tourism at www.westernaustralia.com

To read this complete article please see December 2012- January 2013 edition of Go Camping Australia magazine - Go Camping Australia magazine on Facebook

 Even in winter I like walking on the beach - this image I took on a cold morning in July when we had a weekend getaway at Smith's beach.  We walked along the beach at sunrise - you can see the mist rising off the ocean - 

 And  at days end, you can't beat a brilliant sunset over the Indian Ocean, like this one at Denham, Shark Bay.

  And the best beach? A beach near you! We are lucky to be blessed with one only quarter of an hour from home. Sometimes I go there in my lunch hour and just let the wind blow my cares away.  There is something comforting about the continual rhythm of the waves going in and out.

Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you. Do you have a beach near you? Where is your favourite beach? Or is it a secret?

I am sharing today with Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. Please click on the link to see the wonderful work of Mary and other contributors -  Mosaic Monday

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Coral Bay - blue on blue
Yallingup & Smiths Beach - the oceans edge
Lunch at Busselton Jetty