Veronika Wild

Start of the Mt. Dromedary Track, eventually - unmarked as well I can confidently assert that my reputation as a slothbagger remains unblemished. I blame Google Maps for this at least in part, for first sending us up a couple of backroads that ended in large gates and private property signs. The signs may not have deterred me all that much, but the slavering dogs behind them certainly did. After a roundabout journey which involved an assault from the back of New Norfolk, we did eventually find ourselves on another track which did not however, bear any relationship to the first one.    It looks like a waxflower but is in fact a lemon -scented boronia ( Boronia Citriodora). I didn't think of smelling it Mt. Dromedary has a couple of claims to fame. It does have a distinctly camelid shape and at 989m it supposedly gives excellent views of the surrounding countryside, especially up and down the Derwent, so good in fact, that famous bushranger Martin...

Gulag Architecture  - not her Majesty's Prison but a historic waterworks begun 1861 It's Architecture Month in Hobart and over the weekend many buildings both public and private, were open to the public. You can have a look at some of them here . Alas, many places were already booked out even before the brochure was published and the times of several which I would have liked to see, clashed with others I wanted to visit.   From the website, you will see that Hobart certainly has a range of intriguing architecture. I have visited or mentioned some of these buildings such as the Markree House Museum or the charming Egyptian -style Jewish Synagogue previously, and for a short time we lived opposite the Tate House in Taroona, so I thought I would just take a peek at the Hill Street Reservoir which is only a short walk from my house. Alas, this too was already pre -booked out, but after a bit of pestering and pleading, Taleah agreed to let me know if someone failed ...

Crimson Rosella -  Cluan's photo - much better than my bird pics. Oh dear,   looks like I missed the Great Aussie Backyard Bird Count which ran during Bird Week from 21 – 28 th of October, but never fear, I am keeping an eye on those in the backyard. The Birds in Backyards program still allows citizen scientists to contribute not only to our overall knowledge about the health and distribution of our birds, but also about how our environment is changing. Like frogs and other sensitive creatures, birds are literally the canaries in the coalmine of our world.  My bird photography is a lot like my seal photography.  If you play this at fullscreen you may see the rear of a Yellow Throated Honeyeater For instance, last year’s Backyard Bird Count involving 72, 421 people and 1,972, 250 birds, noted a decline in Kookaburra populations right across the south eastern states, though the reasons have thus far remained elusive. However, there ar...