Mike Elrington The joyful passion of blues and roots performer Mike Elrington, as he sings on stage with the frenetic powerhouse band that is 19-Twenty, is what makes festivals so special!
The annual Thredbo Blues Festival combines two of my favourite things: mountains and music.
Every summer, the delightful village of Thredbo, tucked into the unique alpine flora and fauna of the Kosciuszko National Park, plays host to this eponymous weekend festival. Restaurants, pubs, and public spaces, give themselves over to musicians and music-lovers from near and far.
Well, almost every summer! Last year the festival was cancelled on account of the coronavirus that has turned all our lives upside down. The year before that, the weekend was in limbo until less than three days before it was due to start because of raging bush fires encroaching on the village itself (see: Singing the Blues). Even this year, under the cloud of Omicron, it was scheduled later in January than usual – perhaps in the hope that the rising waves of infection would peter out? – and its actual commencement was by no means certain until the last minute.
The performers on the line-up this year were all local, as our international borders are still effectively closed. There were also last-minute programme changes when musicians were either diagnosed with covid-19 or were deemed to be ‘close contacts’. Fortunately, this country is blessed with a depth of wonderful talent, so while the range of bands on offer might have been reduced, the quality didn’t suffer.
The festival did finally go ahead, but it was under somewhat restrictive guidelines: audience numbers were greatly reduced and room capacities were enforced; temperature checks and venue check-ins were in place; the audience was (mostly) to remain seated. Masks were required indoors, unless we were seated – when we are presumably less infectious – and while the performers could (obviously) sing, we weren’t allowed to.
Oh, and no dancing!
But, it was worth it to be back around live music. In fact, it was so uplifting that at one point, I found myself being hugged by a total stranger! So much for social distancing. Of course, I duly monitored for symptoms afterwards … But, we are all SO tired of the rules!
Join me for some music, and a walk in the mountains. Just refrain from singing along, please.
Morning Walk – Jindabyne The festival provides me a good excuse (as if I need one!) to spend a few days in the nearby town of Jindabyne. This year, the lake is overflowing after unseasonable rains. (iPhone12Pro)
Michelle Van der Meer & The Midnight Ramblers After the requisite welcome by festival organisers, the music kicked off Friday evening with Michelle Van der Meer & The Midnight Ramblers in The Pub.
Michelle Van der Meer An award-winning blues vocalist, Michelle is backed up by some well-known faces on the Australian scene …
George (Medicine Man) Rigatos … including passionate guitarist, bassist, and singer George Rigatos.
Alison Penney Much-loved boogie-piano player Ali Penney has lost none of her dazzle – in spite of recent serious illness.
Rory Ellis Across ‘town’, gravel-voiced story-teller Rory Ellis packed out the room.
The Blues Preachers In another venue, I joined Brother John (John Morris) on slide guitar and Captain Bluetongue (Craig Lyons) on harmonica for some classic gospel-blues over dinner.
19-Twenty News of the high-energy performances and superb musicianship of 19-Twentyhad preceded them: I was part of a long queue outside the bar where they were playing.
Kane Dennelly and a Guest Vocalist Thanks to sound amplification – and a long (200mm) lens – I was able to enjoy them from outside the door.
Mike Elrington with 19-Twenty
Simon Kinny-Lewis I kicked off Saturday morning at the outdoor Alpine Bar where Simon Kinny-Lewis was clearly having fun …
Simon Kinny-Lewis on Guitar … with his contemporary blues guitar.
Tony Boyd Drummer Tony Boyd was everywhere I looked, providing the backbeat for a number of groups. Fortunately he’s a pleasure to watch and listen to!
Chairs on the Ramshead My next venue was Australia’s highest restaurant, the Eagles Nest, which sits near the top of the Ramshead at 1937 metres (6355 feet). It is a steep, five kilometre walk up the hill, or a 15 minute chair ride. (iPhone12Pro)
Fiona Boyes At the top of the hill, I get to enjoy a lunch – and Fiona Boyes, whose stories I enjoy as much as her music and unique guitar collection.
Thredbo in the Mist Below When the lunch-performance has finished, the mists have closed in and rain is threatening.
Grasses in the Mist But, I am determined to walk down the Merritts Nature Track– about a two hour steep descent – regardless of the weather.
Silver Snow Daisies on the Ramshead My favourite flowers, the silver snow daisies (Celmisia tomentella), seem to be late this season.
Bench on the Path I love this walk, but it feels steeper every year!
Trigger Plant – Stylidium Armeria
Floral Sunshine There are countless varieties of daisy – and other wildflowers – growing along the path; many are endemic to this region.
Lloyd Spiegle I make it down the hill in time to catch Lloyd Spiegle – another wonderful performer whose storytelling is as enjoyable as his guitar stylings.
Set Up in the Cascades Restaurant One of the things I like about restaurant gigs is being there early, and getting a sort of ‘backstage’ vibe.
Genevieve Chadwick This is a performer I’ve caught many times now: she never disappoints!
Candle Light My last stop for the evening was in the Lounge Bar, ….
Stewart D’Arrietta … where Stewart D’Arrietta, with his husky voice, was re-interpreting the songs of Tom Waits and Randy Newman.
Gondolas on the Hill Sunday morning it was raining again. Fortunately, my plan was to try out the brand-new gondola, and enjoy the performers at Merritts Mountain House. (iPhone12Pro)
Steve Edmonds … and the fabulous Steve Edmonds on guitar.
Tony Boyd The ubiquitous drummer Tony Boyd was hiding in the background, and stayed there …
Simon Kinny-Lewis (Again) … as support for Simon Kinny-Lewis, who was the next performer. His set finished just before we all got temporarily trapped on the mountain top by lightening storms!
We did get down the mountain, eventually, and there were more wonderful artists …
No Entry! … but I’ll leave you with this image of a wandering wombat, caught in my headlights as I make my way off the mountain for the last time. (iPhone12pro)
Sailboats on Dickson Inlet In the relatively sheltered waters of Dickson Inlet in Port Douglas, sailboats are moored or anchored, protected from the cyclones that hit this coastline any time from the beginning of November through to the end of April.
In some parts of the Tropics, they call it Rainy Season. In the northern reaches of Australia, it is simply The Wet.
On a daily basis, the skies open, and it doesn’t rain, so much, as pour. I first experienced this when visiting my son in Darwin, NT, many years ago: mid afternoon, it was like having a warm bathtub dumped over your head. Regular activity goes into hiatus as visibility is reduced to almost nothing and you are soaked to the skin in an instant.
Visiting Tropical Far North Queensland during the Wet Season comes with risks – but I had cabin fever, and the timing of my road trip north was determined by windows of opportunity in the rolling Covid-19 lockdowns and the availability of accommodation.
There are advantages to travelling in the low season: while it is very hot, very humid, and very wet, the crowds are definitely fewer, the accommodation is cheaper, and the vegetation and waterways come to life.
Last February, I managed to organise myself a week’s accommodation in Port Douglas, a civilised little resort town a mere stone’s throw from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park on one side and Great Barrier Reef on the other. I was determined to make the most of my time in the north and mapped out my time accordingly. I had made a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef from Airlie Beach a few days before on my drive north (see: The Heart of the Reef), so I was focussed on inland pursuits. On my first days in town, I took a segway tour of Four Mile Beach and rafted down the Mossman River – two activities which were great fun, but didn’t lead to photographs I’d care to share!
For a change of pace, I booked onto a late-afternoon trip on the Lady Douglas, a beautiful riverboat offering tours up the Dickson Inlet and around the Port Douglas waterfront. The ecological significance of the red mangroves and other salt-tolerant vegetation has been recognised, and the branching network of channels that make up Dickson Inlet are now part of the Estuarine Conservation Zone of the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park.
Join me in a glass of wine and a lovely evening cruise:
Marina off Wharf Street The coastal town of Port Douglas in tropical Far North Queensland has always attracted sport fishers: there are some beautiful powerboats in the marina.
The Lady Douglas I’m heading for the classic Lady Douglas riverboat for a late afternoon cruise.
Lucas Agrums Skipper, engineer, and co-owner Lucas keeps us entertained with his amusing and knowledgeable commentary as he guides the riverboat up Dickson Inlet / Packers Creek.
Sailboats in the Estuary As we make our way upstream, (iPhone12Pro) …
Sailboat in the Estuary … we find the mangrove-covered banks lined with luxurious sailboats.
Battened Down Boat after boat is battened down in preparation for the summer storms.
Storm Clouds over the Inlet For the storms will come! The only questions are about the strength and timing of each afternoon squall.
Tinnie on Dickson Inlet Water-ferry services must do a roaring trade here: some of the moored boats are a long way from the mouth of the inlet.
Waves and Ripples The chugging of our motor as we wend our way up the inlet is mesmerising.
Red Mangroves – Rhizophora Stylosa The Dickson Inlet is estuarine, flooding with sea water regularly. With their well-adapted root systems, the mangroves that thrive along the shoreline are well suited to periodic inundations with saline waters.
Whimbrel in the Mangroves Their aerial roots help them cope in oxygen-poor soils: branching stilt roots allow the trees to stay upright, while stabilising the coastline and providing a nutrient-rich habitat for other creatures.
Schooner on Dickson Inlet
Radjah Shelducks – Radjah Radjah Overhead, a flight of Burdekin ducks gets my attention.
Masked Lapwings – Vanellus Miles The plovers on the banks are much more common – and twice as noisy!
Little Croc in the Mangroves Although this is crocodile territory – and deadly attacks on humans happen every few years or so – the best we saw on our trip was this little baby, only showing his eyes above the surface.
Boats on Dickson Inlet I lost count of the sailboats we saw, stretching well up-river.
Sailboat in the Rain As we worked our way back towards the mouth of the inlet, the rains came in. Fortunately, we were well protected!
Small Bird Perching The inlet is rich with foods for small birds.
Dreamy Boat in the Rain We come out of the estuary and into more open waters, and the mountains slide off into the distant rains.
Boat and Dinghy All manner of boats hunker down.
Keeping an Eye on Things
Mad Dogs and Fishermen Not many people are out and about in the evening downpour.
Port Douglas Wharf and Storage Shed The historic wharf was built in 1904 and heritage-listed in 1992 for demonstrating aspects of Queensland’s history.
Rain and Rocks With one last look over the rainy waters, we head back to dock.
I love the perspective you get on a place when you see it from the water, and I thoroughly enjoyed my rainy evening in the Port Douglas mangroves.
Of course, although the boat was sheltered, my walk home was not.
Vega de Sotres A late-afternoon Spanish sun slants over walkers on an ancient track in the magnificent Picos de Europa in Asturias.
This is a long way from the Southern Spanish beaches of the Costa del Sol that are favoured by crowds of NorthernEuropean visitors who want to sit in the sun!
Here, at the opposite end of the country – in Asturias, Northern Spain – stunning craggy mountains rise up in all directions. The wilds are punctuated only by small mountain villages and collections of ancient shepherd’s huts, connected by narrow winding roads and walking tracks. Thanks to a typical Atlantic climate, temperatures tend to be moderate, and there is a chance of rain or snow throughout most of the year. Visitors to this part of the country are looking for rugged outdoor activities like mountain climbing, canyoning, kayaking, and hiking.
The Picos de Europa are part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. They stretch across the autonomous communities of Asturias, Cantabria, and León, and are almost wholly contained within an eponymous national park. First established in Cantabria in 1918, and expanded to its current size in 1995 and 2014, the park achieved UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 2003.
The almost 650 square kilometre (just under 250 square miles) park includes 11 rural villages, making it Spain’s only inhabited nature reserve. People have lived in this demanding environment for many generations. They still make artisanal foods and drinks, operate traditional cottage industries, and follow their herds of goats and lambs into the wild pastures – all while surrounded by over 200 jagged limestone peaks higher than 2000 metres (1.24 miles), and divided from their neighbours by deep and spectacular gorges. The region is isolated enough that it is still reputedly home to Cantabrian brown bears (Ursus arctos pyrenaicus) and Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) – not that we ventured far enough into the more remote regions to spot any! On one walk, however, we did see a small herd of the more common rebeccos (Cantabrian chamois – Rupicapra pyrenaica parva).
I was in the region for an Introductory Spanish course at the Peak Me language school in Panes, not far outside the Picos de Europa National Park. Our small group did class work in the mornings, and then went for hikes in the afternoons with a guide from Canoe Adventure Trophy.
The tiny village of Panes is well placed to take advantage of some well-marked walks through the magnificent scenery nearby. On our third afternoon, for example, we drove north and then walked a section of trail along the Cantabrian Coast (see: An Afternoon Walk in España Verde). And, the town itself – especially with its arboretum, the Botanical Garden of Panes, a project developed over the previous five years by the Peñamellera Baja City Council – was a great place for my morning walks, and longer explorations.
On our penultimate day at the school, we took our last walk into the Picos de Europa, following a section of the Vega de Sotres and the Ruta de la Reconquista.
Do join us!
Panes Botanical Gardens Our class orientation walk took us past the wonderful green spaces along the Deva River(iPhone6).
Iglesia de San Andres de Sieḥu Panes has several churches – I’m not sure if this Medieval stone building is still operational (iPhone6).
Village Walk The back streets are narrow and winding, crowded with tall, colourful buildings (iPhone6).
Ermita de San Juan de Ciliergo Another walk takes me past the ruins of an old church, first built in 1184. (iPhone6)
“A Little Estate” Outside the main street of Panes, the properties – mostly farms and apple orchards – look quite historic.
Panes From the hills, there are nice views back over the town and the mountains.
Classroom Daydreams Even while class is in session, I can enjoy views over the nearby hills (iPhone6).
Tunnel House In the afternoon, we follow the road into the Picos de Europa, past an extraordinary tunnel house, high over the Río Cares in Poncebos(iPhone6).
On the Vega de Sotres Our transport drops us just outside the village of Sotres, and our guide Vivi leads off down the trail.
Invernales del Texu We pass a collection old cabins and livestock barns or majadas, built by local shepherds as ‘winters’ to protect themselves – and their goats and sheep – from the inclement mountain weather. Buildings like these are still in regular use (see: The Last of the Vegas de Sotres).
Cows on the Bend There is a fork in the trail: that path follows the Vega de Urriellu to Pandébano and beyond, …
Nuestro Guíe Vivi – Our Guide Vivi … whereas we are following another section of La Ruta de la Reconquista (The Reconquest Route). After a battle in Covadonga in 718 to reclaim the Peninsula from the Muslim conquest, a handful of Cantabrian and Asturian rebels who were cornered fled across the Picos de Europa using this route. Unfortunately, they were ultimately buried by a landslide in Cosgaya.
Jagged Rocks Classified as alpine karst, the meadows are punctuated by jagged limestone peaks and rivers of scree.
Walkers on the Path The Río Dujeis far below us as we find a good pace downhill. Coming back might not be so easy!
Grassy Slope These mountain grasses are what attracted the wandering shepherds.
Rocky Ridge Glaciers rolled through these mountains – leaving behind jagged ridges above, racing rivers below, and some perennial snow patches hidden away.
No Ensucien el Agua – Don’t Dirty the Water
Stone Buildings – Stony Crags More of the Invernales del Texu to protect shepherds against the cold. According to Wikipedia, the walls are [made] without mortar, but they look pretty solid.
Rebeccos If you squint, you’ll see the Cantabrian chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica parva) on the hill; it is starting to darken, and they are a fair distance.
Rocky Bight As we make our way back up the hill, the shadows lengthen …
Huts in the Valley … and the last light barely warms the rocky mountaintops.
Apples for the Cows This man was originally from the French end of these northern mountains and valleys, so I was able to chat with him. He told me he comes out every day to make sure the nursing mums get a fresh apple or two to supplement their diets.
Mountaintops and Rooftops When we return to our starting point, our van is waiting to drive us to Sotres, which, at 1050 metres (3445 feet), is the highest village in Asturias.
Main Street – Sotres It is seven-thirty in the evening – but the Spanish eat dinner late, so we stop for a quick drink in the charming hotel that is named for the nearby mountain, Peña Castil.
Back in Panes, I have time for a shower before we head to a restaurant across the river to partake of the local specialties – notably the local cheeses and natural cider (sidra). This cider has to be poured from a great height to oxygenate it – and then must be drunk in one go, as soon as it is poured.
Feluccas on the Nile It’s a trick of perspective: these traditional wooden sailing boats on the Upper Nile at Aswan seem to dwarf the grand hotels on the waterfront and the multi-level floating cruise boats docked along the shoreline.
There is something magical about being on the water!
I especially love the different perspective it give to an unfamiliar landscape when I’m travelling.
The Nile River is the very heart of Egypt’s civilisation and history: when in Egypt, a boat trip on the Nile is a must. Tourist riverboats cruise between Luxor and Aswan, and I had enjoyed my trip south, up the river, sipping G&Ts like someone out of an Agatha Christie novel as the fertile banks slipped past (see: Peregrine Egypt). Our cruise boat was currently rafting up against another, larger one, in Aswan, and we had shuttled to smaller wooden outboard vessels for the trip further up-river to the sacred Temple of Isis (see: The Temples of Philae).
It was late afternoon, and we were to be treated to a peaceful sail on a traditional felucca around the many islands scattered across the relatively shallow waters here, just below the Aswan Low Dam.
Feluccas are traditional wooden sailing boats with oars and a latin-rig triangular sail set on a long yard, mounted at an angle on the mast. Feluccas are an iconic sight on this part of the Nile, where they have plied the waters since the time of the Pharaohs: stepping aboard one is like stepping back in time. With their flat bottoms and low draft, they can silently sneak into shallows and over sandbars, getting close to the banks of the river and the shorelines of the many islands.
Our trip took us around islands full of birdlife, and allowed us views up to the historic 7th-century fortress Monastery of St Simeon and to the more modern Aga Khan Mausoleum on the western bank. Feluccas rely on the northerly currents and the predominantly southerly breeze: because the wind usually subsides at night, we were docked back in Aswan before dark.
The next evening, after a fabulous morning exploring the temples at Abu Simbel (see: Abu Simbel), we were on the water again: this time in a simple wooden outboard to be ferried to a Nubian village for dinner in a local home.
All part of the Upper Nile experience!
Nile River Cruise Boat Multi-story cruise boats operate like floating hotels up and down the river between Aswan and Luxor. This one was my home for four magical nights.
Tourist Boats On one of the many islands in the Nile, simple wooden boats – of the type we took to the Philae Temples that morning (see: The Temple of Isis) – are tied up and waiting for customers.
Little Egret – Egretta Garzetta The egret watching the water from the dock is a long way from white: probably a function of the pollution in the air and water.
Man on the Phone Many local men still wear the galabeya (or jellabiya), the traditional loose-flowing Egyptian kaftan that originated here in the Nile Valley.
Felucca on the Dock On the dock, our boatman is unfurling the large triangular canvas sail on our boat in preparation for our arrival.
Men on a Felucca Preparing the boat for sailing takes some co-ordinated work.
Boatman on the Tiller Once the the boat is out in the wasters of the Nile, our boatmen get to relax a bit.
Felucca in Aswan It is a beautiful afternoon, and we are not the only felucca on the river.
Afternoon Stillness
Black-Winged Stilt – Himantopus Himantopus Some of the islands here in the Nile, just below the Aswan Low Dam, host a rich variety of birdlife.
Purple Heron – Ardea Purpurea Egypt is home to a number of bitterns, egrets, and herons. This purple heron is almost hidden in the grass, …
Grey Heron – Ardea Cinerea … and a grey heron nearby stands out less than the garbage in the river.
Egyptian Geese – Alopochen Aegyptiaca Also known as Nile geese, these strikingly beautiful birds blend in with the rocks in the river.
Felucca and Islands in the Nile
Camel on the West Bank High on the desert dunes, we can see the outlines of the abandoned 7th-century fortress Monastery of St Simeon.
Boatman on a Drum In the afternoon sun, our boatman entertains us with traditional Nubian music.
Pied Kingfisher – Ceryle Rudis Hiding on the darkening shoreline, a pied kingfisher watches for prey.
Aga Khan Mausoleum The mausoleum of Aga Khan III, the 48th Imam of the Ismaili sect, also known as Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah (1877 – 1957), sits high on a hill.
Felucca in the Twilight As the light drops over the Nile …
Boatman in the Twilight … our boatman steers us home for dinner.
Man on the Dock The next evening, after a morning at Abu Simbel (see: Abu Simbel), we are back on the docks to get on different type of Nile tourist boat.
Felucca on the Nile Lateen-rigged boats dot the water.
Nubian Boatman Our boat pulls away from Aswan …
Mural at the Entry … and drops us at the Nubian Village on the other side of the river.
Moonrise As twilight falls, the moon rises over the narrow streets and painted multi-story buildings.
Adobe Building Like many of the buildings in the Nubian village, our host’s house is colourfully patterned adobe.
Our Host It is too dark inside to get a good photograph of our Nubian host, but not quite dark enough to dim the wildly colourful walls.
After dinner, we made our way back through dark, narrow streets to the wharf to ride our boat back to Aswan on the other side of that mighty magic river.
Woman with Greens The smiles are as warm and welcoming as the vegetables are fresh! Wandering around the Mount Hagen Market is a joy.
Any regular visitor to these pages will know I love local markets.
I love the colour, the chaos, and the insight they give into people’s daily lives (see: Weekly Wanders Markets). So, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to visit the fresh food market in Mount Hagen.
We weren’t still supposed to be in Mount Hagen. I was in Papua New Guinea with a small group of photography enthusiasts and photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours. The annual Sing Sing Festival had finished the day before, and we were meant to be on an airplane back to Port Moresby, en route to Milne Bay. We had checked out of our hotel rooms early, and were on a minibus for the airport with our baggage when the word came through: our flight had been cancelled. The pilots were on strike.
But, that is the beauty of travelling with a small group and a local ‘fixer’: re-arranging plans is someone else’s problem! We were presented with a list of options, and chose to visit the market while our accommodation for the extra night was sorted out for us on our behalf.
It was a double-win: there is a market on the edge of town that we had driven past daily that looks as if it is knee-deep in mud, vegetable refuse, and half-wild pigs. I thought we were heading to that one. So, it was a real bonus when we pulled up outside the large hangar housing the clean and orederly Mount Hagen Market.
We were sent in with minders because the area is popular with pick pockets and raskols. But, the locals were warmly welcoming, and seemed fascinated that we’d want to photograph them and their wonderfully fresh-looking food.
Do join me!
Oranges Outside Even outside the covered hangar, fruit and vegetables are neatly stacked.
Oranges Oranges in tropical climates often have a little (or a lot!) of green in their peels: the chlorophyll dies off in cooler temperatures as the fruit ripens, but in warmer climates they can stay green, or turn green again. These will be sweet – with bright orange flesh.
Saleswoman in the Market Inside the market, it is dark, but not much cooler.
Galangal Everywhere you look, fresh foods are neatly bundled …
Carrots … or stacked. You can hear the crunch …
More Galangal … and smell the freshness!
Woman with Galangal I love how the sales people are happy to pause in their work and smile for my camera – even though they know I’m not shopping.
Papuan Man at the Market
Young Papuan Woman
A Beautiful Smile
Tattoos Many women wear inky-blue facial tattoos in patterns of lines and dots. As far as I could establish, they are purely aesthetic and hold no particular meaning.
Women with Cauliflower and Beans Agriculture dominates Papua New Guinea’s rural economy, with more than five million rural dwellers earning a living from subsistence agriculture. Here in The Highlands, the rich soils are particularly kind.
Smiling Woman in Tattoos
More Carrots
Market Tables
Australian Hat It always amazes me how people can wear woollen hats in the tropics!
Strawberry Stacks
Strawberries on a Stick
Cucumber Piles
Woman in a Colourful Hat
Woman and Market Bags
Woman in Green
Woman in a Headscarf That smile is contagious!
Subsistence agriculture is the backbone of Papua New Guinea’s food production sector, giving employment to 85% of the population, and accounting for about a quarter of the national GDP. Although the country produces cash crops like coffee, cocoa, coconut and oil palm, markets like this one are just as important – both in terms of economic input, and in terms of social cohesion.
Certainly, this market is a joy to visit, and I left warmed by the smiles of the people working and shopping there.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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Certainly, this market is a joy to visit, and I left warmed by the smiles of the people working and shopping there.
