"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing
there is a field. I will meet you there."

- Jalal ad-Din Rumi


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Saturday, January 28, 2012

bushwalking bliss

Tasmania's Overland Track didn't disappoint...I thought the weather and the sheer toughness would dominate my first impressions of the Overland, particularly because I'd cut my teeth on much easier tracks on mainland Australia and New Zealand.


(Click on the photos to embiggen.)
However it was the the sheer majesty of the landscapes which took my breath away. Every day, every few moments a new vista would appear; the crumbling dolerite towers of Cradle Mountain; the mirrored waters of Dove Lake; the wide plains of button grass shimmering silvery in the breeze; the multitudes of wildflowers from palest pink to fuschia, from butter yellow to a blaze of gold; moss covered beech trunks within silent rainforsts; alpine plains dotted with hundreds of lakes ...


 





They say track work has improved walking conditions exponentially in recent decades, but the Overland is still a multi-day trek through a wilderness area in a region with dramatically changeable weather. In 6 days we had sun, rain, snow, sleet and then more of the same the next day. We crossed rivers, climbed mountains, slogged through ankle deep and sometimes up to knee deep mud, picked our way over rocky paths, ankle breaking roots,  and boulders and considered ourselves spoiled when we came to boardwalk sections....all the while loving every. single. moment.

A million photos - these are just from the first day. Happy to be home, but oh so happy to have experienced this most wonderful, precious, very very special world heritage Australian treasure.

Monday, January 2, 2012

happy twenty twelve

To all my friends, newly met via blogging, and old and true, I wish you every happiness in 2012.

I welcomed the New Year with close friends sitting on our boat on Sydney Harbour watching the amazing fireworks displays...yes plural...the City of Sydney welcomes each new year with two stupendous fireworks displays:- one at at 9:00pm and the biggie at midnight.
It's an explosion of colour and noise...I love feeling the boom of fireworks deep in my chest!! and we were close enough to get plenty of boom!
The above photos are professionally taken (you didn't really think I could take those?)
Thank the stars because my paltry attempts at fireworks photography
are pathetically laughable....
ha ha ha
...are you laughing yet? clearly I must have been...
fortunately a friend is a much better photographer!


thanks...mouth full - very attractive
heart shaped fireworks!
So...the happiest of New Year wishes to all, may 2012 bring health, happiness and fun!
I promise to work on my photography skills in 2012.

Signing off for 3 weeks:
Mr empty field and I are off to Tasmania on Friday to walk the Overland Track - labelled one of Australia's premier long distance walking tracks through World Heritage listed Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park. It's a 6 day, 65km (40mile) hike ... I can't wait!  

I watch this video at least once a week...I'm so excited!

The hike travels through spectacular dolerite mountains, past beautiful waterfalls, through a variety of ecosystems and close to Tasmania's highest mountain, before finishing at Australia's deepest lake, Lake St Clair.  Following the hike we'll tour Tassie for another 8 days...as a Christmas present my daughter and I gave Mr empty field 2 days with a personal trout fishing guide, so I just might tag along on one of those days....here's hoping we find some lovely fish (catch and release 'though, I can't bear to kill them).

Until next time...
xox K