Time is a slippery devil. Tesselaars

I was just commenting on Facebook this morning (or was it yesterday?) about how much a broken wrist slows you down. I’m a few weeks out of plaster and hand therapy is going well but I’m amazed at how the year is disappearing. I picked up a brochure last week for a Flower Festival coming up at Tesselaars. This morning I was running through a list of possible things to do with the day when I pick up the brochure to check the dates. I was sure it was for the next month. Turns out today was the last day of an almost month long festival. Somehow, I was a month out.

I’ve been in Melbourne for nearly 9 years now (feels like about 2) and I’ve never been to Tesselaars. So I jumped in the car and off I went and spent a delightful afternoon amongst the flowers and gardens at Tesselaars. Here are a few of my favourites in no particular order.

Do-it-yourself Uluru Tour - Day 3

Saturday.
Sleep in.
Sick.
Cold.
No room buddies = blessing.

Drag myself out of bed with the thought of a hot cup of tea to tempt me. I have a $50 note and a 10c piece. I'm just about desperate enough to donate 50 for a cuppa. I feel miserable. It's 14 degrees and between that and the cold/flu I can't stop shivering. (I'm in the desert. Why isn't it hot?). I walk in to reception. No tea. It must be only for the early bus pick ups. Shit. Plan B. Catch the shuttle into town. It's 10am. Shuttle doesn't start until 10.30. I try the restaurant at the back of the resort. Sure, $36 for a buffet. Fuck. Go to town, she says. I say the bus doesn't start til 10.30. No, she says, start at 7. She's wrong. I stick my head in the communal kitchen. I don't have the energy to initiate communication to beg a cup of tea.
So here I am sitting on a park bench waiting for a bus.

Plans for the day. 
Write and send postcards.
Book bus to kings canyon
Book mon night accommodation.
Book helicopter. 
Go on nature walk. 
Wildflowers at sunset.

10.45 still waiting for the shuttle. Next time I'd hire a car.

There is a cafe in the town centre that is used for hospitality training for Indigenous folk.  Kulata Academy Cafe. They make a pretty good hot chocolate and some decent tucker. I find a sunny corner and write some postcards. I'm still trying to figure out the best (read cheapest) way to get to Kings Canyon. The bus is too expensive and the times aren't the most suitable. You can do a day trip but I really want to go at sunrise. I've already booked accommodation, I just need to get there. I was planning to try and catch a lift with someone heading that way but I've been too sick to strike up any conversations. And I realise no one will want me coughing in the back of their car all the way to Kings Canyon anyway. So I decide to hire a car.  
I book a helicopter flight for sunrise the next day. I still haven't booked anywhere to stay for the last night.

The camel rides seem popular but I'm not the least bit interested. There are plenty of free activities around the resorts so I go on an interesting nature walk given by a lovely indigenous man (though not from the local Anangu people). 

After the nature talk I went in search of some art works and found an interesting blend of photography and jewellery with an Artist in Residency.  Mike Fewster takes Australian nature photographs and his partner Suzette Watkins, then makes jewellery inspired by those locations.  I found a lovely little ring inspired by the McDonnell ranges. I don't tend to make rash buying decisions so I thought I'd sleep on it and if I still wanted it I'd buy it on the last day. Well, I ran out of time because I got carried away with the wildflowers around Uluru. But I remembered Mike saying they would be at Floriade so I tracked them down there and bought it. So it's a souvenir of both Uluru and Floriade. And I love it. When you buy a piece of jewellery you get a little picture of the area that inspired it and I was going to photograph the ring with the photo. But I've put it somewhere safe and haven't discovered where that is yet. Oh, you can also buy prints of the images. Check out their work here (Surprisingly, the photos of the jewellery aren't that great)

Back at the Pioneer Outback I ask about the best place for wildflowers and discover there's a walk to a lookout right at the back of the accommodation. It turns out to be an absolute treasure trove of wonderfulness and I'm astounded at the abundance and variety of flowers. The gallery below is some favourites from that walk, starting with a couple from the grounds (the Geraldton Wax) before I got off the beaten path. 
I've included a couple of shots for reference of scale. Look for the overall Uluru shot with the bus in it to see where I was wandering. It's also where I took the shot above of the front row seat. 

The slides play automatically but if you want to pause it you can just hover your mouse over a photo. 

Sensuous Serendipity

I walked outside my back door and the wind had blown this little Bougainvillea beauty right onto my door mat. I stooped to pick it up and study it. Then placed it on my lightbox to capture the exquisite beauty of nature. 

I love the details that are so often overlooked in the bigger picture. The intricate patterns of the veins. The sensuality of a curve. 

While I was procrastinating...

'tis a windy winters day in Melbourne. Instead of tackling the pile of paperwork on my desk, I photographed the paper daisies near the window. It's nice to be able to connect with the wonders of nature even if it's in the nice, warm confines of my bedroom.

I did start off with a much more complex idea, but ended up liking the simplicity of these shots. The shapes and patterns and lines and shadows and subtlety of colour all work nicely for me. 

As for the actual flower... strawflower, paper daisy, everlasting, helichrysum, Xerochrysum bracteatum, Rhodanthe chlorocephala? I have no idea. I'm trying to get better at identifying the flowers I photograph, but it's a bit of a mine field. If you know what it is, please leave a comment and help me out. 

Shot on Canon 5DmkII. 100mm Macro lens. Window light. 

(now to tackle the paperwork that hasn't miraculously dispeared)

Alowyn Gardens

What an absolute delight these gardens are. I left Melbourne in the morning with an anxious, muddled mind and came back clear headed and relaxed. Best medicine ever. 

I'll be making a point of visiting this garden every season. It's such a wonderful design.

Cloudehill - The final Diggers Garden

Of the three Diggers Gardens, this one was my least favourite. Not that there's anything wrong with it (it's majestic), it just wasn't my style. It may have been tainted by the service (or lack thereof) at the cafe on the day.  It's not often I walk out of a place but one can only take being ignored for so long before giving up. 

It was not the best time of day to be taking photos on a bright sunny day. Too much contrast between shady and sunny areas ruled out a few photo options. The camera just doesn't cope with such extreme contrast (unless you're doing HDR).  I still managed to grab a few favourite shots before we headed to Sassafras and Miss Marples for a late lunch.