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Wollongong (affectionately known as The 'Gong ) is a seaside city located on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between a mountain ridge and the Pacific Ocean. We drove 82 kilometres (51 mi) south of Sydney and spent a couple of days on North Beach, near Wollongong Harbour. In this pic taken at North Beach about 6.30 am, you can see a lone swimmer about to take the plunge. A pleasant early morning stroll from the beach to the small boat harbour takes you past coffee shops, breakfast bars and seafood restaurants, not to mention rock pools and lighthouses. In this next pic., you can see a lighthouse on the horizon. That lighthouse features in the next pic. as we continue our walk. As we arrive at Boat Harbour, the light is getting brighter. Continuing our stroll from North Beach to the harbour.... Wollongong Harbour was given heritage listing in 2010. One reason was it's beauty and 19th Century charm. Local festivals include Seafo

As I started writing this morning, I glanced out of my office window and saw a male King Parrot arrive at the bird feeder. I try to keep up a nectar mixture with soaked bread, surrounded by sunflower seeds and parrot seed mix. Lorikeets arrived soon after and it was time for him to go. The Australian King Parrot ( Alisterus scapularis) is native to Eastern Australia. It Inhabits forested regions, eucalyptus wooded ares and rainforests, feeding on insects, seeds and fruits. The Rainbow Lorikeet The Rainbow Lorikeet, (Trichoglossus haematodus), inhabits rainforest, coastal woodlands and bush areas. They feed mainly on fruit and nectar and have a unique brush tongue to more easily collect nectar and pollen from flowers. Here, he uses that tongue to drink a sweet syrup and soaked bread mixture. Now that Spring has arrived, there's plenty of activity in my back garden, in and around the bird feeder. My garden from an upstairs window (where I work on my blogs about frogs). Here's

As we sat down at our table, our hostess, told us how Carcoar was named. "Two crows flew over in search of food. One said "Car" and the other said "Coar".  (In fact, Carcoar is a Gundungura word meaning either frog or kookaburra). Carcoar looked like a movie set the day we visited. Not a soul to be seen. Heritage protected buildings line the streets, still carrying signs: City Bank" School of Arts" "Courthouse" etc... Opposite the  Carcoar Courthouse , stands the the  Bridge Tea Rooms . Inside we were surprised to find an "Alice"serving tea and scones and pumpkin soup in this "Wonderland" of second-hand dresses, and pre-loved dolls and toys. The Bridge Tea Room. Pre-loved items of every description. "Coar".... Sweet Potato soup. As we sat down at our table, our hostess, told us how Carcoar was named. "Two crows flew over in search of food. One said "Car" and the other said "Coar".  (In f

Established in the pioneering era, Millthorpe has a streetscape that has remained largely unchanged since the early 1900’s. The entire village is classified by the National Trust and the village centre has cobbled, bluestone bordered streets. Population is currently approx. 700 people, although on my visit, a Tuesday, the town was very quiet as you can see. The locals assured me that the town "comes alive" on weekends. Millthorpe is 3.5 hours from Sydney and Canberra, 30 minutes from Bathurst and 20 minutes from Orange – an ideal weekend getaway. The village is well known for fine dining, arts and antiques, a museum, boutique shops, hotels, wine tasting and accommodation. Millthorpe is located in Central NSW in the heart of a  cool climate wine region and is home to a vibrant community of local artists and has a diverse range of talented people living and working in the village. Millthorpe is set in a rural landscape amongst gently rolling hills with Mount Canobolas in the di

The Rainbow Lorikeet, (Trichoglossus haematodus), inhabits rainforest, coastal woodlands and bush areas. They feed mainly on fruit and nectar and have a unique brush tongue to more easily collect nectar and pollen from flowers. Here, he uses that tongue to drink a sweet syrup and soaked bread mixture. Now that Spring has arrived, there's plenty of activity in my back garden, in and around the bird feeder.

Sunstorm - acrylic on canvas Wet Gum trees show off purple, pink, red and burgundy limbs.You can hear a leaf drop in Garigal National Park this afternoon. It's quiet. It's damp and it's still. Not much wildlife to be heard, just a cricket here and there and an occasional froglet chirping and then stopping, as I approach along the track. The sun glints and polishes up the wet leaves. It has showered just recently. A bird lands in a tree nearby, shaking water droplets noisily on to the leaves below.  Now it's raining again. Better head back.