South Australia photos

Here's a few photos from South Australia--except for the first one which is from our 4WD tour in the Blue Mountains--a roadside cave we were looking at when we heard a lyre bird calling. The guide recognized it because after its initial call the lyre bird imitates all the other birds around--kookaburras, lorikeets, cockatoos, the warble of the magpie--all in sequence. Marvellous to hear, and amazing when you think about it. The lyre birds are very shy so although we trekked down the road to try to see it it quickly headed through the brush and over the hill.

The other photos are from Port Elliot--the bird and seal-covered rocks in the bay, and an old building in Strathalbyn, the Black Chook (chicken) brand winery in McLaren Vale (sorry, the black chooks got lost a bit in the intense shade!), and a beautiful old gum tree at sunset in Gawler.

Now the last week of my Aussie Walkabout is on and it's a time for reflection. Soon I'll be back in North America and settling into my other life. As I get older I find I need the spaces for transition to be more conscious and they take more time...or is that just all in my mind?

I'm gearing myself up for the long journey and the 19 hour time change. Of course, I wouldn't want to get up any earlier each day although that is the recommended plan! I am so lucky I don't have to get right back to work as some people do. Loving my sleep as I do, the life of leisure suits me very well! I had a great day painting on Sunday and will squeeze in some more before I pack up all my painting gear later in the week.

I'm also hoping to hear my cousin's daughter Bec Watts and her partner Seb play at an RSPCA benefit on Sunday night. She's an amazing singer and they are great as a jazz/blues duo, so squeezing that event in would be wonderful.

And then, on to the rest of the year! One of my goals is to get a website up and running so I've been picking some people's brains and looking for ways to get started, on my own and in a professional and creative manner. If you have any suggestions for me drop a line--and soon! I have some time this week to do some research. I'm very much a rookie at this, starting with the terminology.

Getting the right key-words in is important, I understand, for the search engines to find you. Choosing them alone is an adventure! Should I go out on a limb and include "magic" and "fairies"? Or stay traditional and focus on "watercolour", "watercolor", "ärt", "painting", "landscapes", and the like? How do I incorporate this blog into the website? How to get my art images out there without risking Asian knockoffs? How do I make it visually stunning and encourage return traffic? All the technical stuff is learning in itself, so if you have advice let me know.

Until we meet again, take care.

The last 3 weeks

It feels like I've been a long time on the road! My friend Laurie flew into Sydney on February 9 and we spent a few days exploring my favourite spots, then headed to the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves (first photo) for 4 days. Returning to Sydney overnight, we then packed up the car and headed south...front wheels complaining all the way. I had the car looked at quickly before we left Sydney and the mechanic said we could make it all the way to Melbourne but drive carefullly, especially around corners, as the front rod and bearing was worn. So, we started on the way--Bundeena, Kiama (the lighthouse photo), Jervis Bay where we saw dolphins and kayaked, South Durras near Bateman's Bay where we again saw dolphins and kayaked, and Narooma where we saw a huge fur seal and Australia Rock (can you tell which photo that is?) By the time we got to Merimbula I was getting worried about the car but couldn't find anyone to look at it again quickly so we cautiously pushed on to Lakes Entrance (calmest waters at the Entrance I've ever seen--there's another photo!) and Melbourne without going off the road too far. It was a little disappointing as I'd hoped to show Laurie a few more spots.

As it turned out we made it safely into Melbourne (and little Molly Mazda into the shop) just in time to unpack, sleep and get up early for flights out the next day. Laurie went to Sydney and a cousin and I flew to Adelaide to explore South Australia for a week and see some other cousins there. We got in early and rented a car, stopping at Glenelg Beach, one of the prestigious Adelaide beach suburbs, on the way south to the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Port Elliot is absolutely gorgeous and we spent two nights there. Horseshoe Bay (not the one in Vancouver!) is beautiful and there are so many lovely historic bluestone and limestone buildings from the 1800s there. I always enjoy it--the sea is the most gorgeous colour. I did a couple of sketches there so might use them for further inspiration.

Then we went to another historic South Australian town, Gawler, between Adelaide and the Barossa Valley. Caught up with another cousin for a bbq, he lives at Maslin Beach which was the first nude beach declared in Australia. I brought my swimmers (as they call bathing suits down here) but we didn't go to the beach!

The next day was a trip to 3 wineries in the Barossa (and affiliated tastings, of course!) and a bit of a drive round the area. I love all the beautiful big gum trees around Adelaide. It's so dry there I can't believe the trees grow so big, but they do. The ground is mostly bare of grass in lots of spots, but the trees shade it nicely and we really lucked out on the weather--it wasn't too hot or cold and the breezes, especially the sea breezes, were just right. It can easily reach 35 or 40 degrees in the area this time of year, so I was happy to have it easy.

And now, I'm back in Melbourne, happy to be in one spot for almost 2 weeks until I return. There's lots of cousins, an aunt and uncle to catch up with, and my job is to organize my papers and possessions and Molly (Mazda) as to what to leave and what to pack to return home with. I'd also like to get a bit of painting in!! I've been quite slack, so much time on the road seems to slide by without a painting day. I do have a commitment to sketch a cousin's new baby before I leave, and spend another day painting with another one.

My days here are winding down and I can hardly wait to get home! And to see my husband again! I really missed him the last 2 weeks on the road, and it was great to talk to him on the phone after the Canadian hockey team won the Olympic gold! I thought of Vancouver a lot as we caught glimpses of the Games on TV while travelling. It was a very exciting period for Canada, and despite the tragic start it all seemed to flow smoothly afterwards.

I'll see about getting another post and some more photos before I leave, now that I have access to a computer and time. Hope you like this little travel journal!