Australia Day - 26 January - on the beach

26 January is Australia Day and the day we celebrate everything Australian, our history, the future, way of life, mateship and cultural diversity. 

I'd love you to waltzing matilda over to my post from last year to look at a more humouress look at what Australianism is - Celebrating Australia and Waltzing Matilda

Why do we celebrate Australia Day on 26 January?  This is the day in 1788 that Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Sydney Cove with the First Fleet (eleven convict ships) from Great Britain. They raised the Union Jack to symbolise British occupation of the eastern half of the continent claimed by Captain James Cook on 22 August in 1770. We should also remember on this day that Australia's first inhabitants, the traditional indigenous owners, have a slightly different view of this event. You can learn more by clicking here - Australia Day History 

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Bunbury street art on a Sunday morning, Western Australia

So what does one do in Bunbury on a Sunday morning?

• Go to the beach
• Take a walk
• Have breakfast in a cafe
• View the street art
• Go to the art gallery

Or as we did on this last Sunday all of the above!




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St Werburgh's Chapel, Mt Barker, Western Australia

Years ago we visited St Weburgh's Chapel not far out of Mt Barker and north of Albany on Western Australia's south coast.
I wanted to visit again, and this last weekend we took a side trip to Mt Barker and St Werburgh's on our way to Denmark.

St Werburgh's Chapel is nestled in a small grove of trees on a hill surrounded by farming land and overlooking Hay River. It is one of the few church buildings in Western Australia which have been built by a landowner on their own estate.  

Dedicated to Saint Werburgh (English Abbess 7^th century AD) the chapel was built from clay pug and completed in 1873.

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And that's a wrap - 2014 and my 365 Project

And so 2014 is at an end. What a year it has been. When I started my 365 project back on 1 January 2014 I could not have imagined where the year would take me. It has been interesting to look back over my year in pictures. At times the project has been challenging and I didn't think I would be able to maintain taking at least one photo every day, but I have and it has been immensely enjoyable and very rewarding. During times when life has been a little tough, my camera has been my solace, and a welcome distraction. 

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A little bit of Christmas baking

It's nearly Christmas. Do you go all out and do a lot of Christmas baking? Or only a little?

In truth Christmas in the Australian summer is not the best time for baking, so I usually target a cooler day to cook.





Looking for a simple Christmas cookie recipe? Try these Ginger Stars.


To find the recipe, please click on "read more" to read more!

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

And so it is only just over a week and a bit to Christmas. Our last "homework" for our writer's group was to write a memory from Christmas.  And this is what came to me..... I thought I would share it with you.

Christmas comes but once a year
It brings with it joys and tears

As I go through the motions of gift buying, decorations and planning menus..... 

 

Please click on "read more" to read "The Ghosts Of Christmas Past" ....

Belonging and choosing happiness

Sol-y-Sombra Spanish Dance Company

It's December and things are winding down towards the end of year and Christmas, or is it winding up as we plan our Christmas festivities?

For us in Australia at least, this time of year brings with it the end of the school year, summer holidays and the closing of groups we belong to for the year. I belong to three groups: a writing group (once a month), photography group (once a month) and a dance group (once a week). I will miss these people, my friends through shared interests, over the break till we meet again in January or February next year. 

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A walk through Ambergate Reserve, Busselton, Western Australia

pea flower growing over grass tree

In late October we visited with new friends who we had met at Mt Augustus in the Pilbara during our July trip.  They only live about 45 minutes south of us. 

I had been wanting to visited Ambergate Reserve at Busselton and they were happy to come along for the bush walk. It was spring time and the area was ablaze with wildflowers along the four kilometre bush trail. I wonder if they realised what they were putting themselves in for  - it was spring, the wildflowers were fantastic,and I had my camera with me!

Only 9km from Busselton, Ambergate Reserve is a 75 hectare remnant of the southern Swan coastal plain woodland, much of which is now cleared.  The Reserve contains a wide variety of vegetation types and includes both natural and artificial wetland area.

 

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Hello sunshine yellow and lemony delights

Yellow is such a happy colour don't you think?  I love it when the yellow daisies start to flower in my front garden.


 To me yellow is also the colour that says summer. In Australia spring is on the wane and summer is moving in. My front garden is starting to put on its brilliant summer display -  red Coral Bush, purple/blue Agapanthus, yellow daisies, green kangaroo paws, pink hydrangers, roses, and sprawling nasturtiums. Someone called Agapanthus "Aggie's Pants" the other day - I love that.

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Walking down memory lane

This is not what I was originally going to blog about today. But it was my birthday on Saturday and my sister sent me the most amazing gift, hand made by her. She makes beautiful greeting cards - they are works of art. Her gift came in a hand made and decorated box, a piece of art itself. Inside was the most beautiful book, which folded out as it opened, with pages decorated around photos of us as children, and adults with our Mum and Dad.  I will treasure this very special gift.

Can you see the message: "Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters".

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