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JAN 2  NSW Christmas Bush is harder to find, than left over Christmas pudding, (and I've been looking for both). I don't think I like it for it's beauty alone, as much as it has become a reminder of Christmas, like Christmas songs and the aromas of Christmas. (I'm thinking of pudding again). 

Everywhere you look...fireworks. Last night Sydney Harbour entertained us with an even more spectacular display. But this morning I was full of resolve. Back to basics. Back to walking, and the park had it's own small fireworks display. Boom... Red Spider Flowers. Happy New Year everyone.

Nature always knew,  a random sowing would give  a perfect result. Boronia, Acacia, Dillwynia and Grevillea.

She reaches forward.  Ruby lips and matching dress,  a spider's disguise.

Yellow reflected  in jumbles of shady hues  warming limbs and leaves Winter has turned out to be worth bracing for in Garigal Park.  Wildflowers take advantage of the cooler, damper climate to flower and flourish, while  Summer in the bush is a matter of just staying alive.  So off I strolled down the bush path and found Dillwynia waiting for me (dillwynia floribunda). This is a common bushy shrub found in moist areas of the bush on the North East Coast of NSW. Dillwynia has the common name of "Parrot Pea". Prickly Moses has also appeared during the last few weeks. Acacia pulchella is one of the many wattle species found around Sydney. I'm always drawn to the rugged untidy nature of the Australian bush.  This part of Sydney has avoided bushfires for a few years, allowing these "dried arrangements"  which I enjoy finding.

Ferries are an important arm of Sydney's public transport system, and, at the same time  provide an inexpensive sightseeing method.

A walk along the Cremorne foreshore features homes built on and into sandstone tiered up the slopes. The mellow golden sandstone forms solid house foundations and arch features for windows and doors. And, garden walls and edges are built from sandstone. This building was designed by J. Burcham Clamp, who lived in "The Laurels", originally two houses built in 1907, but since linked together. The beautiful homes here overlook a natural mix of tumbling vegetation, rock strewn shore, shallow waters along the Reserve edge and further, views across the harbour waters to Mosman. The smaller tree is actually an Agave Americana (Century Plant, Maquey)"flower".  It blooms only when the plant is 15 years or older. These buildings represent the finest of twentieth century Australian suburban architecture, and comprise residential flats, houses and guest houses. The Cremorne Foreshore Walk is a popular with joggers, and follows the water for many kilometres

"One day in 1959 as Lex Graham enjoyed his daily swim after a jog in the Reserve, an elephant's ear floated by. He fished it from the water and planted it between the roots of a nearby coral tree. To his surprise it grew. He had recently met Ruby and together they watched the growing plant. The began to add other plants and cuttings to that first one. And so began the amazing garden that now covers more than a hectare. The gardens have been built from so little, as an enormous labour of love." My stroll this morning took me along the Cremorne Point Foreshore Walk, which led me to this beautiful little garden on the steep slope to the harbour shore. It comprises winding paths to the water's edge, a pool, flowers, native birds, and all against a backdrop of Sydney Harbour. The Story Of Lex and Ruby and their garden Native birds are encouraged to visit A view North to Mosman Succulents flowering Magnolias enjoy the view A protected quiet spot metres from Sydney Harbour L

Little Pattie is the stage name of Australian singer, Patricia Thelma Amphlett OAM (born 17 March 1949, Paddington, Sydney) later Patricia Thompson, who performed as a 1960s surf pop singer and then in adult contemporary music. Her debut single from November 1963, "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy", achieved #2 chart success in Sydney and peaked at #19 on the national Kent Music Report. She appeared regularly on television variety programs, including Bandstand and toured supporting Col Joye and the Joy Boys. Little Pattie was entertaining troops during the Vietnam War in Nui Dat, Vietnam, when the nearby Battle of Long Tần began on 18 August 1966. In 1994 she received the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal in recognition of her services in support of the Australian Armed Forces in operations in Vietnam. Little Pattie received a Medal of the Order of Australia on 9 June 2003 for her services to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (as

Banksias are a great food source for all kinds of birds, animals and insects. There are more than 150 species of Banksia in Australia, and they are a heavy producers of nectar and therefore an imprtant food source for birds, bats, possums, bees etc. The following short video shows Lorikeets and Wattle birds feeding on the nectar and Superb Fairy Wrens feeding on insects that are attracted to the flower heads.

The Crimson Rosella is a regular visitor to the Sydney area. Here it is seen feeding on a grevillea and below, on wattle seed pods. The Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The bird sounds in the background include the whip bird, who has proved fairly elusive to me so far, because of its shyness and its habit of foraging very close to the ground in dense scrub. The Flowers are Red Spider Flowers (grevillea speciosa). This species is a shrub, growing up to 3 metres in height. Its leaves are narrow-obovate to round or elliptic to narrow-elliptic . The flowers which are red, or occasionally pink, appear predominantly from late winter to late spring (August to November in Australia) but appear sporadically throughout the year.

This morning, both sides of the Garigal Park track were scattered with Grevillea linearifolia (White spider flower). Grevillea linearfolia is an upright spreading shrub up to about 3m high. The form of Grevillea linearfolia in the park, found north of the harbour on Sydney sandstone, has slender leaves, 2-10 cm long. The underside of the leaves is covered with pale silky hairs. The flowers are white, 6mm long, with a protruding style. Grevillea linearfolia flowers July - October, so right now shrubs are covered with small buds and flowers. We can look forward to a beautiful display for quite a while yet. The flowers are white, 6mm long. Typical dry sandstone area, ideal for Grevillea Liearfolia An upright shrub up to 3metres high

Off the beaten track, there are nooks and crannies in the scrub, where wildflowers bud and bloom but are never seen (well, not by many people anyway).   Here I found sprays of Boronias at their peak, beautifully lit by the early sun proudly beaming down on them. Boronias, and in fact most Australian wildflowers, bloom best in winter, finding the dry summer months a time to conserve their energy.