OUR WORLD - Andamooka Opal Town

Take the Suart Highway out of Pt.Augusta

drive a few hours then take a right at Pimba.

By this time you're probably hungry

so stop at "Spuds" roadhouse for some chips,

thats French fries in N.America,

we did and they were freshly made and good,

had them on the road.

Pass a few red sand dunes

pass Woomera and turn right again

where the sign says Andamooka

just keep driving

eventually the town floats into view

over the dusty, dry desert plain

there are even diggings among the houses

in any mining town one needs to watch one's step

not only for deep shafts but also 

not to encroach on a ming lease

in the right light, 

the mullock heaps against the blue sky

can look quite spectacular

evening light

and morning light

if you get tired of looking at the horizon 

or digging for opals

or painting or doing your chores

you can always pop into town for a beer or two

who knows, someone may build another bottle house

it's nice and cool in there

or, like me, just watch the rising sun

gild the landscape.

Linking with OUR WORLD

TODAY'S FLOWERS & FLORAL FRIDAY - Weeds of the desert

The Opal town Of Andamooka

dry and hot in the desert

 yet in the harshest of climes

one still finds colour to attract and hold the eye

early morning light on wild hops,

an introduced species that has established itself

all through this region and the whole of

the Flinders Ranges

strictly not flowers as that fetching red

is the colour of their seed containers

Linking with 

TODAY'S FLOWERS

and 

FLORAL FRIDAY

SkyWatch Friday - "The moon at night is big and bright . ."

A beautiful full moon at Wirrialpa Station

we were tempted to howl at it

but curbed our enthusiasm for fear 

of upsetting the farm dogs

no wonder primitive people were frightened

when they were robbed of the light of the full moon

even for us it was mildly eerie

watching the eclipse.

Linking with 

SkyWatchhttp://skyley.blogspot.com.au

Wild Bird Wednesday - White-plumed Honeyeater and kamikaze pilot

Had no luck birding at Wirrialpa station,

plenty of birds hidden in the foliage

and it was already too hot to be out much.

A youngster begging from mum

White-plumed Honeyeater

free of the little beggar!

I have no idea how this Honeyeater managed to fly upside down

as he seemed to make a Victory roll.

Linking with 

Wild Bird Wednesday

OUR WORLD - Going far North to the dry country . . .

The further North you go in South Australia

the drier it gets and the  the more the landscape 

changes from what one is used to 

we occasionally stopped to stretch our legs,

with views like this, who wouldn't?

in the Flinders Ranges Salvation Jane painted the

ground a blue-purple

where emus wandered at will

from the hills to the creek

fun watching them amble by . . .

threatening skies

that brought just a few drops to wet

the leaves of this parched landscape

we snaked our way to Stokes Lookout

with a 360 degree view

another quick photo op

for this crazy track straight up the hill

If I can manage, I'll put up a few birds tomorrow 

and the sky for our arrival for SkyWatch

Linking with 

OUR WORLD

Off wandering again . . .

In the morning I am leaving all this behind

the peacock's new tail

my lilac bush flowering for the first time since it

almost died  due to drought 

nigh on ten years ago

and the splendour of apple blossom everywhere.

I am not sure how I can leave my garden in full spring finery

but the chance to go up north to the desert country

does not come my way often 

and when it does, I jump at it.

So dear friends, I will be out of phone and internet reach

for the next 12+ days

wish me luck . . .

FLORAL FRIDAY, TODAY'S FLOWERS & I Heart Macro - Wild Orchids

Some orchids from my birthday picnic at Jenkins Scrub.

It looks like nothing at all,

just a piece of ground left 

to it's own devices

luckily it has retained it's native vegetation

with the help of volunteers who 

weed out any imported species that suppress 

the valiant native flora that

survives by itself 

given half a chance

though we normally do not leave the path except for yanking

out the occasional weed,

grand-daughter was enthralled with the

many varieties of tiny flora

and looked before putting down an unsuspecting foot

today I am just concentrating on the few 

native orchids we saw,

the rest will follow in a few other posts

in a slightly moister spot,

this Donkey Orchid 

looked very healthy and larger than in 

more arid terrain

in dryer spots they still flowers but the

blooms were much smaller

my DD*, the Botanical Alchemist, who knows her plants

and those that are prone to share the same conditions

pointed out that orchids are mainly found where 

this pea-flowered plant, so like Dilwinia, grows

True to form, wherever we saw even a single little shrub of it,

there were also orchids hiding in the grass

this yellow orchid is actually pretty true to size

lucky last, this little bright beauty

unfortunately we did not encounter any spider orchids

but one must leave something for next spring as well.

Linking with

FLORAL FRIDAY

TODAY'S FLOWERS

and

I Heart Macro

* DD - read darling daughter

SkyWatch Friday - The heavens helped me celebrate

Last week around this time it was my birthday,

as the cricket score would say 78 not out.

Contrary to doctors' expectations,

I have outlived their predictions 

by eleven years and counting . . .

even the heavens seemed to celebrate 

a late  afternoon rainbow

spanning the farmyard

what better birthday present is there?

Actually there was, DD* took me for a picnic morning tea

at Jenkins Scrub where the wild orchids were in bloom

and while we wandered there

suddenly, our of the bushes came my son and his 

elder daughter who had flown over from Sydney

to surprise me.

I felt I was the luckiest of mortals to have 

so many dear ones around me.

Linking with

SkyWatch Friday

* DD = darling daughter