The Scent of Clean

April 13, 2014 by The Wanderlust Gene

Every day, when I wake, I take a deep breath of the clean air of my homeland, smell the peculiar, idiosyncratic scent of the Australian bush that even here, on the outskirts of town, floats through the rooms of my apartment. It’s not a nose-twitching, follow that smell type of scent.  It’s not fragrant, like stepping into a garden, or odoriferous, like a tropical forest.  It doesn’t smell of eucalyptus, or wattle.  or tea tree oil.  Here, in this particular piece of paradise, […]

Categories: Australian Native Plants, Nature, Travel Theme, Uncategorized • Tags: Photography, Weekly Travel Theme

Furry and Prehistoric

February 12, 2014 by The Wanderlust Gene

Walking down the street a while ago I almost fell over my feet when I saw this cycad flower right there beside the footpath – iPhone to the rescue to capture this amazingly furry relic of the past. Furry flowers?  Really, look: This is a sort of Wordless Wednesday cum Yellow, for Ailsa’s Travel Theme post.

Categories: Gardens and Gardening, Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, Photography, Travel Theme, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday • Tags: Gardening, Photography, Plants and Flowers, Travel Theme, Wordless Wednesday

Nature’s Lines

November 22, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

Since I was a child and Christopher Robin made me aware of the lines and cracks, I’ve loved how lines add definition and vibrancy – even to my first colouring efforts (as I was recently reminded, coming across an old favourite while unpacking the books!).  But the master drafter in my opinion is always Nature itself. Can you guess what this green delta really is? PS – I had to laugh when I saw these forlorn, forgotten sox, messing up […]

Categories: Gardens and Gardening, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized • Tags: Gardening, Nature, Photography, Word a Week Challenge

A New Horizon

October 27, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

This week’s WP Photo Challenge gives me the opportunity to show you the very idiosyncratic horizons of the Sunshine Coast, dominated, to the south of Buderim, by the old volcanic plugs of the Glasshouse Mountains.

Categories: Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, Uncategorized, Weekly Photo Challenge • Tags: Nature, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

The Browns of the Bush

October 25, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

I have to put my hand up and declare I’m not a ‘brown’ person, though I’m drawn to brown people! Seriously though, since coming home I’ve been reacquainted with the fragrant beauty of the browns of the bush, and the soft and inviting foil they give, as we wander there.  Here are some browns I was drawn to on the weekend, wandering around Buderim. Thanks to Ailsa for this week’s Travel Theme Challenge, Before I go – please cross your […]

Categories: Australian Native Plants, Nature, Uncategorized • Tags: Nature, Photography, The Bush, Weekly Travel Theme

Good Morning from Another Paradise

October 5, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

Though life hasn’t taken on much in the way of a routine yet, imagine me wandering out from my (still almost empty) flat, down the road, across the street to the river, just in time to catch the sunrise – yes indeed,  a very good morning from another Paradise. On the way back all I could do was marvel … … how beautiful is our world.

Categories: Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, On the River, Photography, Uncategorized, Weekly Photo Challenge

Another Amazing Grevillea

September 25, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

Another amazing Grevillea.  When my things arrive I’ll try to begin identifying them.  I was struck by this one not only because of its beautiful colour, but also because it is almost as graceful as a climber the delicate underside and gorgeous pink filaments exploding from furry sheathes

Categories: Australian Native Plants, Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, Photography, Uncategorized • Tags: Grevillea, Photography

Lines and Patterns – Down by the River

September 22, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

Down by the river – lines and patterns.  I think the fishing shack probably also qualifies for Ailsa’s “Through” Challenge this week. Hi everyone – I’ve got a permanent internet connection at last, so I hope to catch up with you again, somewhere out there in the blogosphere.  🙂 PS – Apologies in advance about the advertisements – hope you’re not receiving them, but if you are, I’m sorry – I don’t know how to get rid of them.  I’m […]

Categories: At Play, Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, On the River • Tags: Nature, Nature and Urbanisation, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

Big Bad Banksia Man

September 6, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

I smelt home today, the clean astringent smell of bush aromatics so typical of my homeland.  And I came across a stand of Bottlebrushes behind the tennis court – look, it’s the Big Bad Banksia Man*! As with many of Australia’s native plants, the flowers and seed pods of the Bottlebrush (each stage of which co-exist on the tree together) are fascinating and sometimes grotesque and I found myself waylaid for some time, taking studies of these gorgeously eccentric trees. […]

Categories: Australian Native Plants, Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, Photography, Uncategorized • Tags: Nature, Photoghraphy, Plants

Tussles with Fishermen

September 4, 2013 by The Wanderlust Gene

While we’re with the fisherman and the hopeful pelican, I thought I’d post a couple of other shots.  Kev said he’d been catching the fish to lure the greedy bird close enough to try to remove the lure and weight caught in its neck.   Compared to the quite delicate brown-winged pelicans of Sri Lanka, for instance, the pelicans here are big birds – a couple of feet tall, huge wingspan.  Kev said they eat 6.5kg of fish a day. […]

Categories: Nature, Nature & Urbanisation Connect, Photography, The River Mouth, Uncategorized • Tags: Fishing, Nature, Pelicans