3 Secret Rocky Beach Photographs

A walk along the stunning coastline of Victoria, Australia, produced these photos. The cliffs were wonderful enough but the natural arches and beach caves were the icing on the cake. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Maria.

Old World Charm of Terrace Houses

Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, has many beautiful old buildings. Here are some stunning examples from Drummond Street.

Remembrance Day

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Today is Remembrance Day in Australia.

One Word Photo Challenge: Scarlet

These sunset shots were taken at the Maroochy River, South East Queensland, Australia. We are treated to amazing sunsets here at times.

Golden Sunset River

I love to take aerial shots. This photo was taken flying over my capital city of Brisbane. I hope you like the picture.

Super Moonlighting

The super moon has been gracing us with her charms. Here’s my view of this current nightly spectacle from Mooloolaba Beach, Queensland, Australia. May you bask in the bright moonlight wherever you are.

Winter Sunshine Kisses

It is mid-winter in Australia and some say it is the best time of year here. Without the heat and humidity of summer it is near-perfect. I still prefer summer but I cannot deny the loveliness at this time of year. A visit to Alexandra Headlands on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland made me fall in love with the coast all over again. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Twilight Moment

Waiting for sunset one night we were watching some ducks going for their nightly exercise before bed time. This photo was taken near Sydney in New south Wales.

Paddlesteamer Cruising: 12 River Pictures

Our cruise up the spectacular Nepean River in New South Wales,  Australia was full of mirror reflections, bird life and sandstone cliffs. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Historic Windsor: 6 Colonial Buildings

It all started with the Hawkesbury River.

Flowing to the west of  Sydney,  Australia,  this mighty river has huge floods.   Engulfing  the surrounding countryside the river’s gift is rich fertile farming  soil.

This floodplain became the market garden for colonial Sydney.   The then Governor of New South Wales,  Governor Macquarie,  established several towns here known as the Macquarie Towns.

Two of these were Windsor and Richmond.

Libby and I went to Windsor searching for colonial history and hit the jack-pot.   At lunch-time we wandered down the street looking for ‘foodie’ places.

‘There’s the oldest pub in Australia!’  announced  Libby.

What a find!

Still standing after being established by Richard Fitzgerald as a purpose-built Inn in 1815 the Macquarie Arms was just like the old pubs I visited in London.

Complete with low doorways as people were shorter back then.

How many feet have trodden over this worn entrance?

I wonder if a few of them were bushrangers.

Sipping beer and looking around the original cedar-panelled rooms and winding staircase I wonder what schemes were hatched over a few schooners of cleansing ale.

Apparently one wild colonial lad was born in Windsor.   Captain Thunderbolt made his entrance into the world here in 1835.  An expert horseman he stole thousands of pounds worth of prize racehorses and evaded capture for many years.

Did he return to his birthplace to bend an elbow?  We will never know.

However, we do know the high mark of the worst Hawkesbury River flood on record (1867).   A plaque beside the pub gives me pause when I see how far it is from the river today.

More fascinating discoveries await in the Hawkesbury Regional Museum.

Boomerangs, throwing sticks and axe heads  give us some idea of the life of the Darkinjung, Darug, Eaora and Kuringgai  Aboriginal people who lived here for thousands of years.

Grim reminders of our convict past such as leg irons and balls and chains are quite eerie.

Gangs of chained convicts worked on roads and buildings.   These sinister relics bring this back to life.

Leaving the convicts behind we walk along Thompson Square past Howes House built in 1827 for free settler,  John Howe,  who was Chief Constable of the town for some years.

Beside this is the Doctors House which was the residence for a series of doctors until 1992.

Across from the Macquarie Arms beautifully restored shops and business places still stand.

A humble colonial cottage sits just outside the town centre.

Loder House in the Windsor Mall was built in 1834 for George Loder, a free settler, who never lived in it as he died the year it was built.

More beautiful photographs of Windsor can be found on Libby’s blog.

Finally,  Libby and I venture a little further from the CBD to visit St. Matthew’s Anglican church (1817).

Designed by the ex-convict Sir Francis Greenway (transported for forgery) the church has stained glass windows and a beautiful blue panelled ceiling.

Headstones of all kinds are found in the churchyard – from the solid and ornate to extremely humble metal plaques.

Saddest of all are the unmarked graves.  Some souls disappear without a trace.

 

Historic Windsor breathes history.

The Hawkesbury River floodplain has provided food for people for thousands of years and countless stories remain to be uncovered from this area.

Captain Thunderbolt rides through my imagination and is that the distant clink of  leg irons I can hear?   And didgeridoos?

 

Thanks for reading my post.  Happy travels.

Maria.