Narawntapu National Park

On the windy northern coast of Tasmania

is found Narawntapu NP

the first NP to adopt the original indigenous name in Tasmania (previously Asbestos NP)

I couldn’t quite fathom the vast sky and vista

the golden glowing grass and wind whipped waterways

with mountains framing the blowing landscape

scrubby bush and swampy grass hillocky plains

i simply circled the sky with my eyes and mind wide

and my goodness

in the long golden sunset

the wombats!

i had made a wish on the journey over to please please

let me see a wombat, a live healthy wombat please, even just one please!

for the first time in the wild.

well lady! not one but many

including a mama and baby who waddled past our bus!

the baby comically bumped into mothers buttocks when it got surprised by our presence!

we heard from jackie french the way to approach is slowly and singing

as they are so short sighted if they can hear you they will not run in surprise

we where able to get very close to some of these lovely big land koalas

joy for us all

the birdlife and the wetlands and the tiger snake! are also stunning

Lily and I had a date with our visual diaries in the bird hide

I so enjoying drawing simple black ink water plants and landscape

an exulting multitude of wildlife

a very special sanctuary to visit
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Christmas moments

the days before and after christmas 2012

filled with light and love and celebration and good company

IMG_0001 IMG_0011 IMG_0052 IMG_0053 IMG_0055 IMG_0057 IMG_0071 IMG_0091 IMG_0096 IMG_0141 IMG_0189 IMG_0200 IMG_0207 IMG_0212 IMG_0222 IMG_0239 IMG_0240 IMG_0246 IMG_0254 IMG_0259 IMG_0270 IMG_0274 IMG_0282 IMG_0284 IMG_0294 IMG_0295 IMG_0305 IMG_0307 IMG_0310 IMG_0312 IMG_0316 IMG_0318 IMG_0322 IMG_0324 IMG_0325 IMG_0331well this feels like way back when….

but the beauty and simplicity of this time with friends and family is truthful

thankyou to y’all for sharing this special time

Waking up to…

Waking up to a full day.
I have a few drafts of interesting thoughtful wordy posts, yet they will have to wait as here and now I am wiped out by the heat of the day, the long hours on a blazing highway (sydney to Melbourne) the crisp golden tortured landscape, glaring light and engine buzz, cranky hot kids and it’s just been one of those long travel days.
It’s forecast to be 43’c tomorrow so we have tried to position ourselves close to Melbourne so a little morning drive completes the trip. I will be putting wet tea towels in the fridge to cool us…
This day began so cool in Jugiong with a chill wind, deep shade and a patch of thick grass for stretching, I had a great session, so inspired by my days at mangrove yoga centre last week. Finding it has strengthened my ability to focus quietly inwards despite external distraction. Simply connecting with my own breath and being.
then Jesse was joined by Cedar who mimics our postures!

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Cutie boy had his second hair cut last night by his own insistence and was coyly hiding behind his big leaf for his portrait, also at his request…

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I had a sweet date with the two shorts at the cafe but the shots are on the other camera…
Anyway there was
Lots of kilometers …
Lots of gold, parched slopes…
Little water, yet lush willows are squatting down in dry gully’s so it must be wet sometimes…
Jesse and I are both revelling in the feelings such an expanse of vivid sky reveals…
He reminds me I originally wanted to call this blog ‘ under open skies’ which was evocative and original i thought, but turned out to be a famous song and used by various others for a myriad of causes already. Boo.

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And some swimming gratefully in man made lakes and then finally a halt is called and we spill outside as the sun finally lowers its invasive glare for the eve. Phew we survived.
This land is so crunchy underfoot , the fire hazard is extreme. I hope the rains come before any burning disaster.
Lily is showing a new found appreciation for food and commented today was a great eating day how do we do it mama?
Muesli
Eggs and sourdough toast with tomato compote( cafe)
Nori rolls with all the trimmings
Cherries and lychees
More sourdough loaf with goats cheese pesto and salad.
Mm simple and tasty and no cooking for me today! Yay!
What do you feed yourselves when in transit?

And then I was so tickled by the beauty of the suns departure tonight!
I rarely see it set over lake water and tonight it really shimmered so peachily and peacefully
Ah sweet relief as the day cools
We are at lake nillahcootie, not an official camp spot but it seems quiet enough for an overnight stay.
Oh bed I love you! And I’m loving the new wool stuffed pillows I chose as our family Christmas gift!

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Goodnight
Xx
Ps my blogging/boggling may not be chronological or consistent for a while as I adjust to being a traveling lady again and work within the bounds of technology and time on the road, I do a lot of imaginary blogging on busy days so I hope you enjoy those as much as I’ve enjoyed composing the words and stories which you may never get to read…

the law of des glaneuses

pink cloverin the field

under the gaze of the mountains

the beauty of the mountains

in the deep verdant grass and flowers

lies our stinky bounty

the treasure we hunt

with joy and exclamations of success

the biggest clove ever woody

there in the garlic field

after the harvesters have been

and tirelessly pulled tonnes of perfect garlic heads

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we are free to forage

delightful abundance

food for free

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following the legal art of gleaning in France

as our french guests have enightened me

we gather

a years supply of pungent organic garlic

grown 300m from where we sleep

blessed are we

more paper bag uses

when hands are put to work

and a little effort and a group of willing children

it’s fun for us all

and then a mad dash home hysterical

high on garlic fumes

the rain chasing us

thankyou to the growers abundance!thankyou to the growers who water mulch weed harvest and share this beautiful crop

xxx

Shaye, Lee and Wala

I spent a few delightful hours with Shaye and Lee and Wala after the Mullum Music festival

and spontaneously took some joyful photos of them together!

a musical genious with an excellent array of jokes

{that’s why we’re all smiling}

an inspired and inspirational artist

and the cutest little cheeky pixie

thankyou beautifuls

i look forward to coming to your rainbow house one dayIMG_4403 IMG_4409 IMG_4418 IMG_4419 IMG_4421 IMG_4426 IMG_4427 IMG_4434 IMG_4441 IMG_4444 IMG_4447 IMG_4449 IMG_4462 IMG_4484

Kirrah and Guy

 

during our week up north we visited our dear friends

Kirrah and Guy, especially for a birthday

and then I had the joy of photographing their great home

{and them}

they have been busy insulating their walls with hempcrete

 {an old recipe of hemp pulp, lime and water}

isn’t that awesome?

and you  can find their blog here...

and Kirrah’s work here...

and the work of Guy here…

enjoy this glimpse into the bush home of these inspiring, creative, proactive, capable young people!IMG_4403 IMG_4406 IMG_4407 IMG_4410 IMG_4411 IMG_4412IMG_4413 IMG_4416 IMG_4419 IMG_4423 IMG_4425 IMG_4438 IMG_4439 IMG_4443 IMG_4449 IMG_4459 IMG_4462 IMG_4464

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teahouse treehouse

when you where small

did you have somewhere equally small and sheltered

to play out life, imagine, create, tinker, have teaparties, or disappear?

in the last days Cedar and I have been working on his place

it’s been so sweet, delightful and cherishable {is that a real real word?}

we are both pretty happy when there is good work to be done

i thought this outdoor working together would suit us as a mama and toddler team

and it’s gratifying to see it really does

when there’s digging, lifting, mulching, weeding, watering or lugging to be done

we are slow but we are happy in the task together

it’s a simple place this boy of mine has now

tucked in the deep shade of a bottletop lemonade tree

{delicious sweet lemon with a bulbous bottle like shape}

a bit of raking

a bit of pruning

a bit of mulching

a little hauling of stumps

a little plank balancing shelving

a golden enamel teapot

some tiny teacups

free access to water

some linen {mama of course}

a wee bottle of flowers

and some guests {leopards}

a little content man

in turns, we where graciously invited in for tea…

thankyou sweet little one for reminding me to stop and play

and bringing the simple gladness of being together

and evoking memories of my own small years

***

Waking up to…

Waking up to…

Heidi and Peter bringing in the goats for milking

{we have only just finished devouring Heidi by Johanna Spyri these last days, now look at our new reality!}

an enjoyable chore surprisingly!

I am nowhere near as dexterous as these young ones on the milking front…

I had always thought I detested goat’s milk, but here… yum, so sweet and mild

throughout the day i listen for the tinkle of the bell in the orchard and enjoy watching these nimble girls scamper about, balance up trees to peg down tasty leaves or frolic about in that particular goaty fashion.

I am enjoying the developing relationship with these curious, opportunistic, character filled creatures and am deeply grateful for their delicious milk and subsequent cheeses which our kind friend makes! Yum

something to love on the farm…

Glimpses of Outdoors

Glimpses of Outdoors

a gallery of outdoor moments from my visit to my family  in Western Australia

outside I love

the wind

and how I almost fly

I am enlivened and refreshed

by breeze from distant seas

rustling leaves and whispering trees

or thrashing branches and lashing stances

outside the space surrenders me

and my smalls are free

running flopping

stomping rolling

watching witnessing

finding

hiding

grace of equine gallops

echoed in shorter limbs

husky love song of long grass

shimmering godly sunsets

moon rise so graceful and silent

birdsong twittering or raucous

all makes me quieter within in wonder

attentive I am to

sky song

star song

goose song

garden song

planting song

digging song

children song

flower song

harvest song

my song

earth song

calling beckoning drawing out into

the springtime song

a great cacophony of lifes vital forces emerging

infectious energy and creativity

cousins make fairy homes in the grevillea

while plants stretch new leaves at the sun

and buds open to the breeze