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Snowy mountains, serenity, cockatoos and kangaroos, of course!

 

 

“What are you doing today Mort?”

“Nothing,” he told her…

“You did that yesterday,” Wendy pointed out.

“Yeah I know, but I haven’t finished yet,” Mort insisted.

 

It could have come straight from the classic Aussie movie The Castle, and the Kerrigan family hilariously extolling the virtues of their holiday spot at Bonnie Doon on Lake Eildon, but it seems that the serenity at Lake Eildon isn’t just a comical movie moment.

 

Lake Eildon

Lake Eildon

Lake Eildon campsite

Lake Eildon campsite

Geoff gathers fire wood

Geoff gathers fire wood

 

We spent a couple of nights camping at Lake Eildon in our first week back in Australia. Apparently we were there at the same time as Wendy, Mort and a journalist from The Age newspaper.

We probably achieved as much as Mort during our visit. We didn’t get interviewed, but we did get photos!

 

Still waters at Lake Eildon

Still waters at Lake Eildon

Looking across Lake Eildon

Looking across Lake Eildon

Lake Eildon turned pink at sunset

Lake Eildon turned pink at sunset

 

Oh, and if you have not seen The Castle, please watch it – it’s a brilliant, wondrous movie.

The following week we took a short nostalgia trip. Two years ago Geoff and I spent our first night under canvas (well, nylon really) at a gorgeous spot in the Snowy Mountains range called Geehi Flats.

 

Our first ever campsite revisited at Geehi Flats

Our first ever campsite revisited at Geehi Flats

Camping under the shady trees at Geehi Flats

Camping under the shady trees at Geehi Flats

 

We decided to revisit the place that set off our camping bug and were greeted by a mob of kangaroos in the neighbouring paddock. It was as delightful as the first time and even more peaceful.

 

Kangaroo and joey at sunset at Geehi Flats

Kangaroo and joey at sunset at Geehi Flats

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Kangaroo interupted

Kangaroo interupted

Kangaroo forward guard

Kangaroo forward guard

Joey chews on the green grass at Geehi Flats

Joey chews on the green grass at Geehi Flats

Kangaroos at dusk at Geehi Flats

Kangaroos at dusk at Geehi Flats

Kangaroo at Geehi Flats

Kangaroo at Geehi Flats

Early morning at Geehi Flats

Early morning at Geehi Flats

 

The next day we headed off toward another old camping ground. The road took us past Tallangatta, made famous as “the town that moved” after it was relocated and the original site flooded as part of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric project.

This was Tallangatta two years ago.

 

Old Tallangatta, two years ago

Old Tallangatta, two years ago

This is Tallangatta today.

The skeleton of the town of Tallangatta is re-emerging as the waters run dry

The skeleton of the town of Tallangatta is re-emerging as the waters run dry

 

The once drowned world is now a green and pleasant valley with the skeletons of homes and offices emerging from the earth once more.

Drowned world

Drowned world

A bright green valley lies where water once was and before that a thriving town

A bright green valley lies where water once was and before that a thriving town

 

Many parts of Australia have been suffering drought conditions for years, but to see Tallangatta exposed in this way is unusual. It is worrying and eerie to see.

 

How Tallangatta used to look before it was flooded

How Tallangatta used to look before it was flooded

The remains of one of Tallangatta's buildings are now exposed

The remains of one of Tallangatta’s buildings are now exposed

The roads and avenues can be clearly seen

The roads and avenues can be clearly seen

 

From the green and pleasant lands of Old Tallangatta we headed to Oura Beach, an out of the way campsite about 20kms out of Wagga Wagga.

 

A flurry of white and yellow

A flurry of white and yellow

 

On a lovely bend of the Murrumbidgee River we set up camp below a canopy of gum trees and a cacophony of white cockatoos.

What a fine display!

What a fine display!

On the wing

On the wing

The tree amigos

The tree amigos

The shady gum trees at Oura Beach

The shady gum trees at Oura Beach

River companions

River companions

Out on a limb

Out on a limb

Singing Superb Blue Wren

Singing Superb Blue Wren

 

You wouldn’t believe the noise those fellows make! As well as the normal slideshow at the end of this blog, we’ve made a little video so you can share in the wonderful, endless shouty parade that is white cockies at play.

 

 

 

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Inside the mind of a genius

In the middle of one of the busiest cities in Europe stands a 130 year old building site..

The world's most beautiful building site

The world’s most beautiful building site

 

Towers within towers

Towers within towers

It doesn’t really fit in with any of the surrounding architecture;  it doesn’t really fit in with anything, but we love this place and the brain of the man who conceived it. Despite its age, the Sagrada Familia is not a relic from the past, but a thriving, functioning monument to greatness– that won’t be finished for another 20 years – a hundred years after its creator died.

Seemingly chaotic, but every detail accounted for

Seemingly chaotic, but every detail accounted for

Work began on the Sagrada Familia in 1882, but it was when Antoni Gaudi took over the following year and changed much of the original design, that this monument to nature, mathematics and sheer brilliance started to slowly take shape.

How did he even imagine it

How did he even imagine it

At first glance there is no logic to the angles and curves, no discipline to the design with lines, bends, circles, ellipses and every other shape imaginable. But once you have marvelled at how anyone could even begin to think of such a construct, go down into the museum and be blown away by the explanations of the genius of his thinking and methods; the pure logic of the mathematics; the lessons learned from nature and the unique creations of his own, and suddenly it makes sense and becomes even more beautiful than it was already.

Electic and functional design

Electic and functional design

Different colours for different functions - all stunning

Different colours for different functions – all stunning

A forest of columns holding up the sky

A forest of columns holding up the sky

Beauty and genius wherever you look

Beauty and genius wherever you look

Even though it is still only half complete, it is already a UNESCO World Heritage site – one of seven World Heritage sites created by Gaudi.

Park Guell - another of Gaudi's creations

Park Guell – another of Gaudi’s creations

The famous lizard of Park Guell

The famous lizard of Park Guell

Everyone's park

Everyone’s park

Gaudi gargoyles

Gaudi gargoyles

Tragically and perhaps ironically for the creator of this and other fantastic visual feasts, it was the shabby way Gaudi looked that meant he died alone and uncared for, with less than 20% of his masterpiece complete. In his later years Gaudi had started to dress like a poor workman most of the time and rarely carried money or ID. On his way to the church one morning in 1926 he was hit by a tram. Mistaken for a tramp, he was untended in hospital and died days later from injuries that might well have been treatable. Our photos do no justice to Gaudi and the builders and designers who came after him, but we are sharing them with you anyway.

Many thanks to Cindy Baxter for also drawing our attention to a fantastic sixty second video that shows how it will look when completed. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDmloG3tXU

If that whets your appetite some more, then you can also take a virtual tour here:  http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/vvirtual.php?vv=1

But nothing beats being there – if you get the chance then grab it!