Whenever I fall

a beautiful song....

Merry Christmas

Fresh gum leaves
To all my friends I want to wish you all the very best for the season peace, joy and happiness too! I am on holidays for a few weeks so Bitsnbobs will be quiet. Here are some photos from the Australian outback at Christmas


Dry lake beds and

Golden Sunsets

Merry "Aussie" Christmas to you all!

Evans Crown

The track.

With the end of year being hectic, it was time to get out, get some fresh air and do some walking. I have often driven past the sign saying "Evans Crown" and so with the weather closing in, I thought it's time to explore it.


Some of the Rock formations at the top

Situated in Honey Suckle Road,in the mountains near Tarana, this interesting rock formation was formed by an ancient volcano and is regarded by the Aboriginals as a sacred site. As we drove up to the car park the smell of honey filled the air- simply delightful. We parked the car, loaded our camel backs and set off.


A lizard ( yet to be identified)

It was not too long before we were greeted by Eastern Spinebills- delightful nectar birds with a sweet song, as well as Eastern and Crimson Rosellas.The air was filled with bird song and purfume. As we climbed the humidity began to give way and a cool breeze felt really good. We nearly stepped on the lizard that was none too happy to be disturbed.


Superb Views

As we reached the crown it is easy to see why the Aboriginals see this place a sacred- there are large caves, the "feeling" of the place is different to the surrounding country and the distant views are superb. I have only felt this in another place - Monolith Valley, where there is a sense of calm, rather like walking into a cathedral.

A turtle rescued.

Sadly my camera gave up the ghost and many of the good photos were "damaged". After lunch on top of the world we descended back to the car. A great way to spent a few hours.

Track notes- Described as difficult by Nat Parks, The walk is fine for the average person. 3- 6km depending on what you explore at the top. The only things to watch out for are water on rocks as they are like glass when wet. Also be aware of the edge of the boulders- Its a long way down! Oh, and watch out for snakes. Finally-respect the area. No fires and take your rubbish with you!

On the way to the Tarana pub we rescued a turtle.

Birds Seen:- Eastern Spinebill. Eastern Rosella, Crimson Rosella, Nakeen Kestrel, Whip Bird, Great Egret, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Australian Magpie, Australian Raven, Little Raven, Noisy Miner, Starling, House Sparrow, Pee Wee, Bell Miner, Galah, Little Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike. ( more to come..I left my list in the landcruiser...and I will try to identify the lizard lol)





UPDATE- Lizard is a Cunninghams Skink....they eat leaves, small shoots and eat insects when young.

Trout, Trails and Birding.

The Fish River.

With the weekend weather perfect it was time to hitch the trailer, load the motorbike, pack the esky, bbq and head for Tarana. Set high in the mountains the Fish River is teaming with trout and bird life. We are privileged enough to have a friend who has a nice working farm with one kilometre of river front.

The campsite with motor bike,fly fishing rods and Binoculars at the ready!

With recent rains and warm sunshine the crops and grasses were as high as the landcruiser bonnet making for interesting, (read exciting), riding. Trout constantly leapt out of the water and a platypus swam to and fro. It was a classic spring day with everything in abundance.


Dollar Bird

David and I spent the day riding, fly fishing and bird watching. There were some interesting species- particularly the Dollar Bird which I have not seen for a number of years. Sitting under huge pines on the banks of a fast flowing river, trying our luck with fly fishing and lures is a top way to spend a weekend!


Small Rainbow Trout

We were invited back and look forward to spending more time there.

Birds seen:- Dollar Bird, Noisy Friar Bird, Brown Tree Creeper, Grey Fantail, Currawong, Red Rumped Parrot, Turquoise Parrot, Galah, Superb Fairy Wren, Willy Wagtail, Wedge Tailed Eagle, Pacific Black Duck, King Parrot,Bell Miner, Pee Wee, Australian Magpie, Laughing Kookaburra, Chrimson Rosella, Welcome Swallow, Restless Flycatcher.

Mountain Heath Dragons

To the west of where I live is an area called the Devils Wilderness. There are numerous fire trails in this area for obvious reasons- being in the national park also means being in an extreme fire risk area. The last time a Bulldozer cleared the trails was about 2003. Here is a short clip of the trail which is now very overgrown. Lucky my Landcruiser has brush guards to protect the body work. There is one section where you can see the camera bounce a round a bit as a rock gives way under the tyres and rolled over the edge.

In the area at the end of the trail an interesting lizard can be found. These are called Mountain Heath Dragons, and are found usually where the heath meets the sandstone outcrops. Harmless and full of energy,(when its sunny),They add a bit of colour and action to the bush! They also change colour to blend in with the rocks and darker hues of burnt timber.




This is one David caught and is a larger example than most.

Satin Bower Birds

Our 7 year old male Satin Bower bird.

We have a young Satin Bower bird which has made a bower to attract a mate right in our garden. Male Bower birds are green until they hit full maturity at about 7 years of age. At 5 years of age they begin to change from green to a dark blue. A 5 year old male will make a bower and collect blue items to attract a mate, and the 7 year old male will come through and destroy the bower. I have witness the building and rebuilding of this fellows bower time and time again. This is not my video, but it is a video of a Bower bird about the same age as ours and doing his dance. Enjoy

The Outback

The shearing shed.
One of my favorite places to spend Christmas is Kinchega National Park. A former glorious sheep station (the largest in the world) it ran from the 1860's through to the 1960s. Situated along the might Darling river and the Menindee lake system. It has a fabulous history. The Wool shed is amazing, as too are the shearers quarters and kitchen.

The shearing stands- You can sense ghosts here.

There is ample to see and do with lots of wildlife, fishing and swimming. Yes it get hot, (in fact it was 50c last time we were there),but you know what I like the most? No Computers, no T.V., no Radio and no phone signal. Its a reminder of how it was 100 years ago. Its peaceful and so iconic Australian


The shearers accommodation

With the wide spread rain it will be very exciting to see all the dry lakes full of water and the bird life that they support.

A Goanna enjoying a sun bake on a table

I am also looking forward to the trip as my son has promised to teach me how to paint....

Emu on dry lake bed

So that will make the 12 hour drive even more worth while!!