Happy Australia Day to all my Australian readers...
Today we celebrate all that is good about living in our wonderful country,
and enjoy our National holiday.
What makes Australia unique?
We are an island continent, and for this we are particularly grateful, as it has contributed to our success in containing the Corona19 virus, albeit with considerable restrictions on local and international travel.
Our friendly lorikeets, which visit the Red Cardinal garden every day..
The Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, always ready for a joke..
and occasionally, beautiful Red King Parrots..
Our unique wildlife includes some very cute marsupials:
A koala mother and joey; we used to see them regularly at our previous home...
But alas, they are declining in numbers, especially since last year's terrible bush fires.
Then there is the Platypus, a most peculiar water-dwelling mammal:
They are very shy, but are sometimes seen swimming in the waterhole I pass on my walk...
We have kangaroos and wallabies, which occasionally appear in our vicinity.
See Canadian grandchildren feeding them at the local zoo, on a visit a few years back.
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Many people like to spend today at the beach -
but we are heading out our front door to our annual neighborhood street party -
and barbeque...
Happy Australia Day to us!
XXXX
Happy Belated Australia Day, Trish! On my bucket list is to see all of these wonderful creatures one day and walk along the beaches after arriving! And of course, there's also food to sample and enjoy, and perhaps a proper high tea.:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Debra, I hope you can come to Australia one day too! We do have high teas, and lots of other local favourites to eat. The lorikeets send their regards :)
DeleteG'day dear Trish! Bit late arriving here but have been thinking of you all as you celebrate. Lovely post showing so many things special about Australia, many of which I was fortunate enough to see when there during my two visits.
ReplyDeleteHad lunch at Currumbin - Elephant Head at the beach restaurant - and must have passed Burleigh Heads on the way to Brisbane. All of Queensland was stunning - and thanks for the lovely memories your post has brought back. Do you have Pademelons!!!?
Happy belated Australia Day
Mary x
G'day dear Mary! We had a lovely neighbourhood street party with about 30 people enjoying a sunset BBQ and a few drinks. Ah, Currumbin, I grew up knowing Elephant Head very well, and it is just a short distance South of Burleigh Heads. I love it that you have been here. There are Pademelons in the bush but I have only seen them in zoos. Most of the marsupials are nocturnal so it is a treat when you catch a glimpse. Sometimes if I wake during the night to the sound of a possum, I look out and see the outline of one in a nearby tree in the moonlight. Patricia x
Deletehttps://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.com/2012/01/down-underits-not-all-surfing.html
DeleteTrish - this is the link to my 2011 post regarding the beautiful country home where I stayed. . . .and saw the Pademelons early morning before anyone else was up - so funny!
Mary -
Happy Australia Day!
ReplyDeleteYou live on a beautiful and enchanting continent.
Thank you Salty Pumpkin - we love our country, and no-one complains about isolation any more either :)
DeleteI am sorry that I am late in wishing you a Happy Australia Day Patricia - lots of lovely images, and I am pleased that you enjoyed a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rosemary. We always enjoy our street party, and the whole neighbourhood looks forward to it every Australia Day.
DeleteWe certainly are fortunate aren’t we. So many positives while the world is living through very hard times indeed. I would love to see a platypus. My family and I were peering over a wooden bridge in Canberra when my husband Phil said “oh look a platypus “. It disappeared into some reeds but some tourists (quite a few I seem to remember) heard him and scuttled over. So there we were numerous people leaning over a bridge trying to spot the platypus when a duck sailed out and my husband suddenly was half way up the path!! I still haven’t seen one but still hoping! Cheers Lindsey.
ReplyDeleteSo funny, the platypus duck! We live in hope...
DeleteMeanwhile, there is one to see at Lone Pine Zoo, so we take visitors there. Cheers, P.
There are so many wonderful things about Australia, and thank you for showing us some of the beautiful features there. Yes, you DO have unusual wildlife. Those lorikeets are spectacular and always fascinate me when I see them. Imagine seeing them daily in my garden. And the white Cockatoos are beautiful. Those Koalas are so cute. The yellow Australian flowers are very pretty. Those Emus are funny looking fellows, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteYou live in a beautiful area, and it's so good that you have a lovely and special place to call home, Patricia.
~Sheri
Thank you Sheri, it is good to appreciate our own homeland. So many Australians, including us, have flown off exploring the world at every opportunity. Now we are banned from touring, we are taking the time to look at Australia with fresh eyes!
DeleteGuess what else you have that is unique to Australia? Your magpie! I just learned this. I saw the film "Penquin Bloom" on TV last night and then, I read that about your mackie. There are magpies in other parts of the world...I have seen them in England..but the mackie in Australia is in its own genus, I think it said. Fascinating birds! I wish I could see Australia. My sister lived there during the early 1990's. The photos of the beaches...you are so lucky!
ReplyDeleteYes, we sure have magpies. I sometimes have them swoop on me when out walking. They do this when they have nestlings to protect. I have not seen Penquin Bloom yet, but I am sure we will at some stage. I always like Naomi Watts' films. We are proud of our beaches - best in the world! :)
DeleteSorry, above should say magpie or it said mackie!!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post Trish! I'm so fascinated by your beautiful country and very much hope to visit one day. Your wildlife, flowers, birds...all so colorful and beautiful! A lot like you dear Friend 😉 Blessings xoxo
ReplyDeleteHi Carrie, I hope you come visit one day. We do have our own unique flora and fauna - I think because of our isolation. Travel is great, but at the moment, only a dream! One day we will cross the oceans again. Blessings xoxo
DeleteWow.... what a collection...... and the emu, I wonder if it is a tame one.
ReplyDeleteThe emu was photographed at a zoo, so would be half-tame.
DeleteThank you for sharing about Australia! One day I would love to make it to your wonderful country! XOXO
ReplyDeleteOh I do hope we all can travel again on day, and you can fly across the ocean and visit us, dear Tamera. Be safe, take care. xoxo
DeleteDarling Patricia,
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Australia Day!
Such a joyful tribute to your native country. We have missed travelling virtually around Blogland and experiencing a rich cultural immersion from our armchairs. It is good to be back.
Thank you for your kind comment on our blog.
Dear Jane and Lance, how wonderful to see back in Blogland. Thank you for your Australia Day wishes - we must celebrate our homeland, more than ever in these difficult times. I do look forward to your further adventures in beautiful Budapest. x
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great Australia day get together. As a small child living in Sydney, the wattles made a huge impression on me, I never got tired of looking at them. SUch a beautiful yellow, seemed to fill my eyes!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory Jenny. Wattle is the most glorious yellow, and I fell in love with it as a child too.
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