Category Archives: Australia The humpback whales of the Australian east coast are currently making their annual migration south. Starting from the Great Barrier Reef, where they mate and give birth in warmer waters, they begin moving towards their summer feeding grounds off Antarctica in late July. By October and November, humpbacks are commonly sighted in the sheltered waters off Eden, on NSW’s […]  As politically-incorrect as it might be, I love visiting zoos. There is something magical about being able to get up close-and-personal to some of the world’s wild creatures. Ok – so they are not entirely wild creatures when they are held, and often born and bred, in captivity. I understand the arguments for and against zoos, […]  Some stories are better than fiction. In Eden, where we now live, people have had a long relationship with the sea and the sea’s creatures – especially whales. The earliest inhabitants of the area, the Thawa people of the Yuin nation, conducted ceremonies and feasts in honour of killer whales – orcas – whom they called Beowas; “brothers” or “kin”. Because these […]  What a treat! We had headed out to Merimbula Airport, a small, single-runway regional airport in coastal south-eastern NSW, to see ‘Connie’, the Lockheed Super Constellation VH-EAG (Southern Preservation). The development of these large, four-engined propeller-driven planes was financed and influenced by Howard Hughes, who wanted them for his airline TWA. Lockheed built 856 aircraft in the Constellation range between 1943 and 1958. […]  It doesn’t matter what continent you are on: there is something about mountain air that sharpens the senses. Colours are brighter, the air is cleaner, sounds are clearer… I know my spirits rise. Add to that: sunshine, a crisp Australian sparkling white wine, and some spirited jazz musicians, and you have an unbeatable experience. Last […] |
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