Ramblings of a retiree in France
I’m still mining my rich seam of posts from our 2017 #adventuredownunder. After last week’s post on beaches, here’s flora and fauna.
One of Australia’s greatest treasures is her flora – a staggering 24,000 species of native plants. Now this is where my late mother would have been in her element. She would have known the names of all the plants we ooohed and aaahed over. My beloved and I don’t have a green finger between us while my mother poured her heart and soul into her garden which was always a blaze of colour. She would have loved seeing one of her favourite flowers everywhere. Not so much a host of golden daffodils as clouds of gently swaying blue and white agapanthus plants in gardens, growing wild in the verges and decorating civic areas. She planted hers in large cobalt blue pots on the patio. The owner of the beautiful historic house we stayed in at Birregurra told me that they’re easy plants to grow. Maybe, I’ll give them a go on the terrace.
In addition, the vineyards we visited all had beautiful well-cared for gardens, some with potagers, others with sculptures and, of course, rows and rows of vines, orchards and olive trees.
But it’s not just the flowers, the trees and bushes are magnificent too and again there’s a huge variety from stubby to towering trees, monster killer ferns (just joking!) and all sorts of shrubs. I enjoyed looking at the variety of plants in the dunes, protecting those long lovely sandy beaches. I particularly loved the smell of the gum trees (eucalypts) on a warm afternoon – so evocative. They’re another omnipresent species and serve as shelter for many species of native Australian animals and birds. A few varieties of gum leaves are the only food koalas will eat. Not that I ever saw one up a tree despite craning my neck upwards for hours.
This brings me onto the fauna. This time around we didn’t see any living animals in the wild, only those at the Tour Down Under which the pro riders get to cuddle.
Sadly we saw far too many dead on the roadside, roadkill. However, we saw and heard much of the bird life. The birds – a bit like the Aussies themselves – are noisy. I loved lying in bed in the early morning and hearing them sing, shout and shake it all about but the only ones I could name were the raucous white cockatoos.
Before we go to Australia again, I should take a leaf out of my mother’s book and do a spot of research so that I can identify more of the wonderful flora and fauna. Just don’t hold your breath………
LOVE the animal pics. 😀 The bottlebrush shot though… well, I’m allergic to anything related to Tea Tree. Made the honeymoon in Hawaii really fun.
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I did not know that Bottlebrush and Tea-tree were related. The wonder of WP, you learn something new everyday.
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I didn’t either. That’s what a ranger in Hawaii told me though. 🙂
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Well if it was a ranger, I guess he knows what he’s talking about
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Good shots. You should do well with agapanthus
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Thanks Derrick
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Wow! Such beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing them!
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Pleasure
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I can just feel the warmth of that sunshine! What a tonic your photos are for me– love love!
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That’s most kind of you
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Nice Post
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Thank you 🙏
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Beautiful sceneries. 😍
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Thanks
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24,000 native species of plants . . . mind blown. 🙂
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I know!!!!
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My mum loved her garden too, her enthusiasm hasn’t passed down to me though!
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You and me both Elaine
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makes me miss my mouluka 16 year old Orange crested Moulukan Cockatoo the coyote ate 8 years ago-:(
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😞
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😢😢😢
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Appealing pictures!
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Thank you Jerome
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Well… Nice place to chill and relax enjoy the nature and the fresh air
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Exactly
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Very beautiful 😍
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Thank you 🙏
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Amazing and wonderful pics Sheree, always love those Australian pics!😀😺🦘
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Thanks Steve
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You’re welcome!
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One from the vaults: Things in Australia that made me smile – Flora and Fauna
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Wow! such beautiful photos! thank you for sharing them!
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Pleasure
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Pingback: One from the vaults: Things in Australia that made me smile – Urban Environment – View from the Back
Moms are famous for their love of gardens, taking care of them like their own sweet children.
This teaches us the special connection between nature and us humans.
Great picture (y)
Hey I have also written a blog on nature it’s called Earth- on reset mode
link is below it would be great if you wanna check it out.
along with that I have some other blogs written on selfceare too
Have a great day! 🙂
https://healthyhappybubble.wordpress.com/2021/05/28/earth-on-rest-mode/
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Thanks
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