Some Visitors Bring Wine ...

Some visitors bring wine ... others come to simply graze and provide photographic opportunities. Like this old kangaroo that grazes on our grass several times per week.

When I looked out the window Sunday morning, there he was busily eating our grass. Remarkably, he seems to leave the weeds as though he doesn't want to do me out of the job of spraying and pulling them, all too often.

Unfortunately, he's not a big eater, so I still have to drag the electric mower out of the shed and cut the grass every so often.

Our friend the kangaroo is accustomed to we humans and when I took my pot of coffee, camera and book reader outside onto the pergola, he didn't give a jot that I was now much closer. He simply gave me a glance, tweaked his ears and returned to the laborious job of feeding.

After about 20 minutes he simply hopped off into the adjoining hills.

Throughout most years we have a variety of colourful native birds, lizards and the odd snake visit our yard. While the snakes aren't all welcome - most are deadly, it's nice to see that our wildlife is still all round us and surviving despite our impact on much of our environment.

Robin

Life's Philosophy and How Time Flies!

Today is 1 August 2011. It's now just over three years since I finished my contract with the Higher Colleges of Technology at Al Ain and headed back to Central Australia via Durban, Cape Town and Stellenbosch in South Africa.

I occasionally reflect on one of my favourite quotes by either William Shakespeare or Louis Safian (I forget which), "Time goes you say, oh no, Alas, time stays, we go."

As the years pass, I'm increasingly aware that at some time I will go. I'm not sure where, but I'll undoubtedly "go". Most likely, and if my wishes are followed, I'll finish up as a few kilograms of scattered ash floating about somewhere in my beloved Northern Territory.

This brings me to the many things I still want to do before I go. There are only two very important things on my bucket list. One is too private to tell the world and perhaps too naughty, but the other is to have a beer with my grandson Tory when he turns 18. If I'm still here in nine years, I'll probably be able to stagger down to the local hotel and lift a beer to my lips. But if I leave my first bucket item too long, I may never be able to carry it out as it takes a bit more energy than lifting a schooner to one's lips.

Today at least, I'm still here and everything seems to be going well. So there are some other things I want to do before I'm too old to do them, or before I go. They include to:

1. caravan extensively around this huge country called Australia to see in detail those places through which I have passed fleetingly, and to linger in those places to which I have not travelled
2. learn more about the universe in which we live, the billions of others that surround us, and the physics involved in keeping this magnificent show rolling along
3. meet more wonderful people and socialise more often
4. improve my golf to the stage where others say, "He's an excellent golfer." (I may have to live a LOT longer for this to materialise)
5. help keep Australia free, democratic and progressive in honour of all those men and women who died that we might live in a good country; to keep out those who would turn Australia into an ignorant and backward country under a totalitarian regime
6. continue living a good humanist life not doing unnecessary harm to anything

There are others, but these seem the most pressing today. After a 30 year search I've already found the solution to the meaning and purpose of life, so I can relax a little now and focus on more material and mundane things.


It's indeed a great life for most of us and we need to make the most of every moment.


How about you? What remains on your Bucket List? What do you want to do before your life certificate expires? 

Robin

Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo

It's quite a few years since we visited the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo, so we were interested to find out what, if anything had changed.

With only a few days of our holidays remaining and the knowledge that there would be at least two more overnight stays before we arrived back at Alice Springs, we decided to have a lay-over day at Dubbo so we could revisit the zoo. Driving for 8-10 h per day is boring and wears one out, so a rest every so often is necessary, especially since the trip between Mildura (our next stop) and north through South Australia and back into the Territory is fairly ordinary. Especially when you've done it (the latter) dozens of times.

According to the Dubbo tourism site:

The City is a thriving regional home to some 40,000 people who have health, education, retail and professional services at their finger tips…and time on their hands. It’s the best of both worlds: city and country. There’s plenty of work ... great opportunities ... and the time to enjoy it all.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of regional towns throughout Australia that could be equally described. They are nice places with friendly people where life can be very comfortable. Having the Western Plains Zoo just outside the town is a bonus, especially for tourism.

The Western Plains Zoo is owned and managed by Taronga Zoo which is in Sydney.

Many of the unique African animals are present, there are some Asian animals and of course some Australian animals, all located in their own areas with nice roads and walkways wending among them. I perhaps like the meercats most as they are the animal most likely to make a lovely domestic pet (I think!). They seem to be a great example of synergy within a community ... everyone working together for the common good. Even in the safety of the Western Plains Zoo, one of the clan always finds a high spot and stands watch to protect the others from attack. They take this duty in turns and there is never a time when there is nobody watching out for the enemy.

The animal at the top, for anyone who hasn't seen one before, is a hairy-nosed wombat (unique to Australia).

If time permits, do look up the Western Plains Zoo link ... there is some interesting stuff there ... for anyone interested in animals that is.

Enjoy!

Robin