Snow on Vancouver Island

A section of the 19a Highway along the coast of Vancouver Island, 

between Bowser and Courtenay

A bridge within Brooklyn Park woods in Comox

Within the Lighthouse Regional Trail, Bowser

Frozen surface of creek running through the Lighthouse Trail woods

Without ice-grabbing equipment strapped to my hiking boots,

it was a challenge to walk safely on this particular outing

so I turned back, having traversed the trail in milder (but still

attractive in a different way) conditions . . . .

Here's the seat pictured above - minus the snowy "cushion" . . 

 

The island has many many wonderful woods to walk in and appreciate

Joining in with Our World Tuesday

Foggy Bridge

On my way to Vancouver Island in February, I had an 8 hour stopover in San Francisco - sadly not long enough for more than a brief trip to Fisherman's Wharf.  

This was the most I saw of the Golden Gate Bridge, which was enveloped in fog, but this added to the atmosphere.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday

Beautiful Bretagne

Back in April of this year I was privileged to have been invited to join in a week's house exchange in Bretagne. One of our many exploratory outings took us to the delightful town of Dinan, which is described by Wikipedia as "a walled Breton town and a commune in the Cotes dÁrmor department of north-west France"

 with a population just under 11,000.

 

As shown below it has a wonderful viaduct crossing over the River Rance, on which we enjoyed a half-hour's boat trip.

 

 

 

. . . here a faithful companion waited patiently while its owner tinkered on an adjacent yacht

 

I really like the appearance of these window boxes, storm shutters and ancient stone buildings - so very different to that of Australian houses!

 

 

. . . and here, a fascinating combination of timber and leadlight

 

 

. . .  as little alley ways and stairways invite further exploration

 

while "Pretty Penny"s owner was no doubt expecting just that from the sale of his yacht!

 

 

. . . and beautiful hand-worked curtains adorned many windows

 

and local eateries extended invitations to dine al fresco in a colourful setting

 

It is indeed a truly charming town and one I can thoroughly recommend as a "must visit" on your holiday To Do list.

 

Joining in with James' Weekend Reflection

Beautiful Wales

 During my recent holiday exchange in the UK, after spending a few days with friends in Cornwall, I decided to drive up through Wales back to the said home.

As there was no rush to get back, a night's stopover at a B&B seemed a good idea, giving me the chance to explore the magnificent countryside at a relaxed pace.

I opted for the charming town of Crickhowell, a little NW of Abergavenney (see map below)

It was a delightful visit and I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen the glorious countryside and for the good weather too!

Joining in with fellow bloggers at Outdoor Wednesday

and thanks to Susan for hosting.

Underneath the Arches

Aah - Firenze and the early evening sun setting on the Ponte Vecchio 

spanning the River Arno: what an experience!

.... the soft yet rich ochre tones of the buildings reflect the setting sun as visitors and locals

alike jostle for positions on the bridge to farewell another stunning day.

(I didn't spend time looking in the many goldsmith & jewellery shops there, 

in case I spotted a piece or two I "just had to have"!!)

Joining in with Our World Tuesday

Spanning the Torrens

This bridge carries pedestrian and vehicular traffic from the north into and out of Adelaide's CBD

.... and here's the view "underneath the arches" taken in that golden coloured

area on the left of the photo above - it's part of the walkway along the banks of the River Torrens.

Canberra offerings

Following a delicious Sunday lunch at the lakeside sailing club with my hosts and their friends, I took a stroll down amongst those venturing onto the water of Lake Burley Griffin in their various craft.
(Having now been able to refresh my memory as to the vast area this lake covers, I am better able to understand how fellow photoblogger Kayakcamerman keeps coming up with a stunning variety of sunrise captures! If you've not had the pleasure of visiting his site, may I encourage you to do so - you won't be disappointed)

These Strelitzias ("Bird of Paradise") were available for purchase from

the fabulous Farmers' Market where my hosts and I enjoyed

a scrumptious breakfast

This gorgeous Pansy was one of many thousands providing complementary

ground level accompaniment to the millions of tulips at Canberra's

annual Floriade exhibition.

Linking up with Blue Monday

Mandarin Orange Monday

 Monday Mellow Yellows, and

Today's Flowers

(with thanks to all the patient, accommodating hosts!)

Adelaide's skyline

On the weekend I joined a few friends on an outing I've not experienced since childhood:  a trip on "Popeye" - a motor launch which runs on Adelaide's River Torrens from the bank adjacent to the CBD to the Zoo on the City's northern perimeter with commentary by the pilot. The first of these launches began operating in 1935 and offer a very relaxing perspective of our city and its environs for locals and visitors alike.

Following are a few shots taken on the journey.....

 Part of Adelaide's skyline looking east past the Morphett Street Bridge, towards the Intercontinental Hotel dwarfing Parliament House on the left.

City bridge, linking the CBD with North Adelaide and suburbs beyond

The Convention Centre with city-based rowing club premises in the foreground

A "Popeye" launch

 

Hindmarsh Island bridge

The bridge above links the southern town of Goolwa with Hindmarsh Island, which leads to the Coorong National Park. (There's quite a view from the top of the bridge, but we were "on a mission" and loathe to stop long - perhaps reason for a return visit!)

The Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy was a 1990s Australian legal and political controversy that involved the clash of Indigenous Australian religious beliefs and property rights. A proposed bridge to Hindmarsh Island, near Goolwa, South Australia (intended to replace the existing cable ferry and service a proposed marina development) attracted opposition from many local residents, environmental groups and indigenous leaders. In 1994, a group of Ngarrindjeri women Elders claimed the site was sacred to them for reasons that could not be revealed. The case attracted much controversy because the issue intersected with broader concerns about Indigenous rights in the Australian community at the time, and coincided with the Mabo and Wik High Court cases regarding Native Title.

"Secret Women's Business", as the group's claims became known, became the subject of intense legal battles. Some Ngarrindjeri women came forward to dispute the veracity of the claims. The Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission found that "secret women's business" had been fabricated. Subsequently, the Howard Government passed the Hindmarsh Island Bridge Act (1997), which allowed construction to go ahead. The bridge was completed in March 2001.

In August 2001, a civil case in the Federal Court of Australia re-ignited the debate. In rejecting claims for damages by the developers, Justice John von Doussa stated that he was not satisfied that the claims of "secret women's business" had been fabricated, although never explicitly stating them to be true. The Ngarrindjeri and their supporters took the decision as a vindication, and many organisations subsequently apologised. Opinion remains divided over the issue to the present day. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

 

Strathalbyn

These are scenes of one of South Australia's delightful country towns - Strathalbyn - some 56km (~ 32miles) south-east of Adelaide CBD.

I'm told these cheeky Corellas (a sub-genus of White Cockatoos) have been progressively decimating trees (such as that near the bridge above) in the pretty local park, despite numerous studies and strategies undertaken by the Council.

Nevertheless, if you are visiting South Australia, this is one stop you should include in your itinerary.

Joining up with James' http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com.au/
and
http://camera-critters.blogspot.com.au/

Bridge or Crocodile's Eye?

This image of a duck swimming beneath the bridge in Adelaide's South Parklands today appealed to me. On uploading it, however, the eye of a crocodile became apparent - can you see it too? (uh oh - perhaps I'd better check whether that last cappucino was "laced" !!!)

Check out James' Weekend Reflections at  http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com.au/   for other reflective images.

Happy weekend all.

An extraordinary bridge

 During my recent visit to Tasmania, we stopped briefly to view the Richmond Bridge. It is a heritage listed arch bridge located on the B31 ("Convict Trail") in Richmond, 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Hobart in Tasmania. It is the oldest bridge still in use in Australia and was built in 1823 using convict labour. (An interesting contrast to a recent rail bridge construction in Port Adelaide, South Australia, that failed to operate, delaying the arrival by 1.5 hrs of a replica of Captain James Cook's ship "Endeavour" - ahh the frustrations of today's technology/engineering!!)