[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Singapore-Bg-041-Cw-e1551258330523.jpeg" background_position="left top" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" style_type="none" sep_color=""] Swingin’ In The Rain [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] If this were the view from your hotel room window you might spend some time looking at it. And I did. On this particular day there was something happening on the middle tower, about half way up, far left.. Window cleaning, but definitely not for the faint hearted. These guys were suspended only from ropes, all that way up from the ground. Take a half turn to the right and this was the view, the Singapore business district. When we took this shot the weather was glorious. Want to see what happens in a monsoon? Yikes. Believe me, that was serious rain. It typically began raining in the afternoon or early evening. On this occasion the deluge lasted about an hour before the setting sun broke through again. The storm retreating and moving on out to sea. Another rain shower passing through the Supertree Grove. We struck lucky again, I took the shot while we were safe inside the Cloud Forest dome. Gentle mist I can cope with. Those people standing atop the tallest 'tree' might have got more than they bargained for. That tallest tree is the big daddy of them all. There's a restaurant up there where we had lunch one day and very pleasant it was too. Singapore is of course renowned for its food, Michelin starred restaurants to street food and all stops in between. ‘Food Centres’ were initially built to address the problem of unhygienic food preparation by unlicensed street hawkers, a practice once commonplace in Singapore. Local authority pressure to increase hygiene standards has driven them increasingly upmarket. Each vendor tends to sell just one type of food, for example a single rice dish, but does it exceptionally well. So much so that there are two which now hold a Michelin star of their own! The Bat Plant, Tacca chantrieri, Singapore Botanic Gardens At the other end of spectrum many restaurants and hotels serve up extensive buffets. Ours was no exception. Indeed, breakfast was a revelation. I do believe you could have found anything your heart desired. A thai chicken or prawn stir fry to start off the day? An Indian curry? Absolutely no problem. The selection on offer was so huge it was spread across several rooms, necessitating a certain amount of ingenuity to find your table again once you had left it. The challenge was further compounded by the hotel's penchant for floor to ceiling mirrors, effectively doubling the size of the maze and the number of entry and exit points available. I considered the possibility of leaving a trail of cornflakes but in the end resorted to a series of complex mind maps. Turn left at the Egg Station, then right at the Salad Bar and if you round a corner only to be confronted with a life size representation of yourself then you've gone the wrong way. But there was one aspect of eating out that I couldn't come to terms with at all: the Chinese practice of keeping live fish in a tank in the restaurant itself. Make no mistake, they weren't there to enhance the decor. Those poor creatures. Bad enough that you're hoiked from the sea and forced to live in something scarcely larger than a goldfish bowl. No, an evening will come when the finger pointing through the glass is aimed squarely at you. It did put a limit on the number of places we could go to. Call me a wimp if you want to, I couldn't bear to watch. The iconic Raffles Hotel The odd photo composition came about as an attempt at avoiding the builders' hoarding which currently surrounds the hotel. Ever since we'd decided to come to Singapore I'd been keeping an eye out for a 'soft' re-opening, when prices are generally lower to reflect the guest’s role in finding items for the snagging list. It was the only way we'd ever have been able to afford it. Sadly the decision never needed to be made. The re-development is running behind schedule and the hotel is still closed. The Old Hill Street Police Station. Looking nothing whatsoever like the infamous urban American cop shop and available in many more shades of blue. The windows of this one were only painted the rainbow of colours when the building was restored in December 1997. Prior to that they were grey. What strikes you the most about walking around Singapore is the constant juxtaposition between old and new.. ..often with a touch of the completely bizarre. Frangipani, Singapore Botanic Gardens. The botanic gardens are enormous, 203 acres, impossible to do justice to in a single day. The setting is that of a large city park with lakes, long sweeps of grass and even a fragment of original tropical rainforest. In the rainforest, ironically, the heavens opened and we got soaked. There is only so long the canopy will keep you dry. Eventually the rain penetrates, the only options being to get further soaked or to leg it. We opted for the latter and found an information board suitably equipped with a roof, which we shared with several of the gardeners until the storm passed us by. But we weren't falling over exotic blooms at every turn. The above was the only cluster of flowers in the entire frangipani grove and we'd walked a considerable distance in the heat to see it. Maybe it was the time of year, but the trees at the Gardens by the Bay were heaving. The SBG also houses the National Orchid Garden, a much more colourful affair. It is at the forefront of orchid studies and a pioneer in the cultivation of hybrids, reflecting the nation's status as a major exporter of cut orchids. Perhaps my expectations were all wrong but in this part of the world it would have been nice to see at least some of the species plants growing naturally, as they might in the wild. The display did seem to focus exclusively on the hybrids, the potted plants switched around frequently judging by the activity on the day we were there. Renanthera 'Paloma Picasso' The highlight of the day came from an unexpected source. Look carefully centre of shot, amidst the giant water lily leaves. Malayan Water Monitor Lizard Not one but two. And perhaps not the best of buddies? Nope. Definitely not. The vanquished returns to the pond. But not for long.. Oh-oh. Ouch! And on that note we had, reluctantly, to leave Singapore ourselves and board the flight back to England. It's been a magnificent trip and it only remains for me to thank you, sincerely, for your company along the way. Perhaps, someday, we can do it all again. But for now it's definitely a return back to earth. And a none too gentle one at that. Isn't there an unfinished bathroom around here somewhere? [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Singapore-Bg-034-Cw.jpeg" background_position="left center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" style_type="none" sep_color=""] Singapore Fling [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" 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hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] The Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore On the way home, a brief stopover. Well it would be rude not to. One gets turfed off the plane in any event while it refuels so why not extend the walk through the terminal just that little bit further and hop in a taxi to a hotel? Why not indeed. The view from our hotel room, looking out over the iconic Marina Bay Sands. The odd shaped and very pink structure at right is the Art Science museum, an invasion from outer space, an unfurling bloom or a sugar coated Terry's chocolate orange depending on your point of view. I wasn't sure what to expect if I'm honest. As I've mentioned on many previous occasions I'm no city girl. Give me vast empty spaces, desolate and dramatic landscapes, huge skies and panoramic vistas, enough bird calls just to break the silence.. and maybe the odd emu bounding through. But concrete, steel, 24 hour traffic noise and light pollution sufficient to blot out the stars? Well not so much. The weather was never going to be brilliant either. Like most of south east Asia come mid January, in Singapore it's the monsoon. The Conservatory Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Let's play it safe to start with and head for the botanicals. The Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse in the world, featuring an oft changing display of plants from Mediterranean and semi arid regions. It's kept at a constant 23-25C, worth the ticket price alone when the external temperature is in the mid 30s and the humidity is off the scale. This place really is enormous, enough to fit in whole palm trees with room to spare. Phoenix canariensis, the Canary Island Date Palm. The bizarre Drunken Trees, Ceiba chodatii Agave guiengola 'La Famille de Voyageurs', 2014, by French sculptor Bruno Catalano It was difficult to get the best photo angle without a lot of background clutter, so look closely. " It depicts a family visiting the Gardens by the Bay before heading to the airport for the journey home. As they depart this tropical garden city they take with them beautiful memories and leave a part of themselves behind." The sculpture was a gift from Singapore Changi Airport to the Gardens by the Bay. Sculpture of various sorts popped up throughout the planting. Pigs, alpacas, mischievous imps, elegant insects.. and these two characters: "So did you enjoy your day in the Flower Dome Piglet?" "Oh yes Pooh, hugely!" To be honest, some of the displays were on the rather vibrant side for me. Not all though. A touch of the familiar in a most unexpected place. Geranium 'Rozanne'. But if you thought the Flower Dome was amazing, wait till we cross over the concourse and enter the Cloud Forest.. Sheer terraced walls filled with moisture loving plants, shielded from the fierce tropical heat at a constant temperature of 23-25C. The walkways have a dual purpose. Not only do they give an incredible perspective of the structure, and close up views of the plants, every two hours sprays of mist from underneath the paths provide the moisture which keeps it all looking so lush. Orchids revelling in the mist I loved this way of displaying tillandsia and all manner of miniature treasures in the perspex globes. Cloud forests are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, as a result of climate change. As we leave the dome we are channelled through a video presentation on the likely impact of climate change over the next few decades. It was a powerful presentation and interesting to see just how many people were actually stopping to watch. Of all nationalities. Perhaps, at last, the message might finally be getting through. Ironically of course Singapore is itself a vast consumer of power, it takes only the briefest glimpse of the city at night to appreciate that, but sustainability efforts are starting to gain ground. The cooling systems within the Gardens by the Bay domes apparently achieve a reduction of 30% over conventional cooling technologies and small amounts of energy are generated on site via horticultural waste from both here and other parks and gardens across the city. There is just such a long way still to go. An acknowledgement of the role of science was something that cropped up frequently in Singapore. This is the double helix bridge, inspired by the structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the substance from which all our genes are made. Inset into the floor of the bridge at regular intervals along it, a representation of the paired bases of DNA, the fundamental units of the genetic code. Guanine and cytosine.. Adenine and thymine. Biology lessons brought into the 21st century. From the photo of the helix bridge above you may have spotted this: The Singapore Flyer. At a height of 165m it's one of the world's largest observation wheels. And of course Mike wanted to go on it. Top tip: Get there early in the morning, before the crowds. We even managed to persuade the nice ticket collector to give us a pod of our own. Looking up.. Looking down.. The Flower (right) and Cloud Forest Domes and the Supertree Grove. Singapore is a major south east Asian shipping port. The queue of vessels moored up in the Strait never diminished. Looking the other way towards the Marina Bay Sands complex. At centre a vast shopping arcade and casino. Vegas style. The three towers of the hotel itself between them provide 2500 rooms. Imagine the queue for breakfast. Perched on the top, in the structure mimicking the cruise liners often seen docked in the harbour beyond, the famous infinity pool with its views out across the city. Instagram heaven. Or hell. Back in the Gardens by the Bay a brown-throated Sunbird, almost hidden within the structure of a Supertree. We were alerted to its presence only by its shrill call. The OCBC Skyway After the Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk this one was a veritable walk in the park. A solid floor. No wobbles. And even a lift! Next time.. a curiosity or two from Singapore. This post is already getting rather long. Funny how someone who professes not to like cities very much can manage to include so many shots.. ? [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Dares-Hill-SA-004-Cw-e1548329764169.jpeg" background_position="left center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" style_type="none" sep_color=""] Would We Dare? [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" link="" target="_self" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_image_id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" hover_type="none" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="50px" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_text columns="" column_min_width="" column_spacing="" rule_style="default" rule_size="" rule_color="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id=""] Dare's Hill Circuit, South Australia By Aussie standards not the most challenging of off road drives perhaps. But then, we hadn't come prepared for one of those. No jerrycans in the boot. No satellite phone. This was purely an opportunist adventure, an interesting line on a map while driving near the Clare Valley looking for somewhere a bit different to go. It started out innocuously enough. Deserted though, bar the occasional farmhand in a ute crossing vast fields like this one, a cloud of dust billowing in his wake. The hills to the right, the Razorback Range. As the road climbs steadily towards the Dare's Hill Summit we leave cultivated land behind and drive into native bush. Dare's Hill summit lookout The view from the top, looking down into the Piltimitiappa Valley and its vast tracts of mallee woodland. In the far distance, to the left, a range of mountains bearing a striking resemblance to the location of our last trip up this way: Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Range ( here ). Mixed messages.. Should we go on? Perhaps the private property refers to the land either side of the road and not the road itself? Yes, that must be it. While there is still a working sheep station on this land there's also plenty of evidence of times gone by and what a hard living it must have been. Piltimitiappa Homestead was established by William Dare (he of the hill) in the 1850s, one of the earliest homesteads of the area. Born in London he migrated to South Australia at age 14. In 1852 he went to the Victorian goldfields and made good, enough to secure a lease on this 50 square miles of country which, with the help of aborigines, he fenced and stocked with sheep. Dare ran the property for 35 years until his death in 1892 having survived three wives. Wind driven water pump Saltbush and bluebush cover the red earth. Trouble. And in our road. A dust storm. We'd come to a junction, the wider and better maintained road seeming to bear off to the right but the signpost indicating we should go straight on. We followed the sign. It didn't take long before the road deteriorated, becoming little more than a narrow track. A sensible bush explorer reviews his or her options at this point. On the plus side we had plenty of water. And 3/4 tank of fuel. But on the negative, no food. No mobile signal. Apart from the couple of farmhands way back down the track we hadn't seen a soul. And because we'd embarked on this journey on something of a whim, no-one actually knew where we were. Then the not insignificant matter of it being 43C outside the car. With very little shade. We retraced our steps. The following day we were back. My birthday. My choice. Better prepared. For one thing we now had a decent map and a full description of the route. Set the mileage trip to zero at the start of the road and each and every turn was marked off by kms travelled, with the bonus of detailed background information about all the places we passed. And if all else failed, if we didn't make it back for cake and candles as planned, this time someone knew exactly where to send the search party. A stock water hole with some rather unusual looking stock.. Any port on a blisteringly hot day.. The ducks are most likely used to the intrusion. In a wetter season this road would have been impassable without a proper four wheel drive, with several creek beds needing to be crossed. But you can see how dry it is right now. When the floods do come the rushing torrent is powerful enough to carry metres of soil away with it leaving spectacular erosion chasms like this one. Emu disturbed by the passing car. They were just ambling up the road ahead of us before they took flight. Well, not literally. Obviously. Another action shot, taken through the windscreen of a car still in motion as Mike applied the brakes. A shutter click a split second earlier or later would have been ideal. But here is our friend at the bottom of his bounce, the kinetic energy from the landing stored in his rear leg muscles ready to propel him into forward motion once more. You can almost see the concentration. How high to clear the fence? And where precisely am I going to land to avoid those prickly pears on the other side? Ouch. The kangaroo got away just fine. They make it look effortless. But the prize photo of the day just had to be this one. It's Dave's Hut. Built by one David Dearlove of nearby Ketchowla homestead in the 1930s it became a popular stopover for travellers. All that remains now is this clearly very well built fireplace and chimney. Could there be a better place for a kangaroo to shelter from the heat of the day? 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hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" style_type="none" sep_color=""] The Devil You Know [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" 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hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] In the end we had to resort to a wildlife reserve to see a Tasmanian Devil. They are critically endangered in the wild. And mostly nocturnal, so not easy to spot. In 1996 a Devil in the far north east corner of Tasmania was observed to be suffering from a nasty facial cancer causing tumours to grow in and around its mouth. Unusually for a cancer it is infectious, likely transmissible to other animals through biting which the Devils so often do. Since the 1990s cases have appeared across virtually the entire island with 85% of the population now wiped out. It's a painful and long drawn out death sentence for an afflicted animal. Despite intensive research there is currently no cure. At Bonorong sanctuary, just outside Hobart, they are breeding healthy Devils to form part of an insurance population. Once the disease has run its course in the natural population these Devils could potentially be reintroduced into the wild. Tasmanian Devils can fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal. Early European settlers dubbed them 'Devils' after witnessing displays of teeth-baring, lunging and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls. So I expected something quite fearsome, which of course they can be. They are carnivores after all. I saw one devour a dead baby chicken. It was shortly after this that Mike dropped his reading glasses straight into the creature’s pen. (Remember the first pair he lost at the Twelve Apostles?) Fortuitously the keeper had a set of long handled tongs. I despair sometimes, truly I do. Yet in spite of their reputation Devils are also incredibly cute. Bonorong may have been an expensive day out. But it’s worth every Australian dollar for the fabulous work they do. An echidna, now sadly three legged having been rescued after an attack by a dog. They are darker brown in Tasmania compared to my much blonder acquaintance on Kangaroo Island. And talking of kangaroos.. One of the saddest aspects of travelling around Australia is the extent of roadkill. Kangaroos in particular are apt to launch themselves into the road with little warning and as they are also out mostly at night it’s very difficult to see them. Many of the roos at Bonorong were orphans retrieved from a dead mother’s pouch. A tender moment belies the potentially dangerous nature of these animals too.. When provoked or protecting young a kangaroo can literally hurl itself at another, or even a man, and deliver a severe injury using the extended claw on each rear paw. Ouch. At Bonorong though, they'll happily eat from your hand. Tawny Frogmouth We arrived in Hobart at an opportune time, after a somewhat easier journey than the first boats home from the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. The town was buzzing. And that was before the celebrations for the upcoming New Year’s Eve.. Sponsors and competitors gather to welcome in every new arrival. It’s one of the most gruelling ocean races there is, crossing the Bass Straight between mainland Australia and Tasmania. Home of the Roaring Forties. “How am I supposed to keep the place clean when this happens?!!” Harbour sculpture. Reminding us just how far south we now are. The view from the top of Mount Wellington is one of the best ways to familiarise yourself with Hobart. It has a stunning setting, as so many Australian cities do, built around a natural harbour. Not such a gruelling journey up here though, it’s possible to drive all the way to the top. And what a lovely drive it is too. But take a coat.. it’s cold up there. Almost as windy as the Great Ocean Road. Reading glasses should be well secured. A bird's eye view of our next walk, around the tip of the peninsula above. The Arm End Circuit. Only a short drive from Hobart with constant views back to it, yet it feels a world away. Pied Oyster Catchers on the beach.. Exquisite hidden and deserted coves.. Broad sweeps of grassland. Beware snakes.. Carpobrotus rossii, a common coastal succulent in Tasmania. The native pig face. No-one has lived on the Arm End for more than a century but there is evidence of past gardens: Agave americana running wild. Around Port Arthur, to the south east of Hobart, the coastline is different again. Rugged high cliffs, hidden inlets and features created from the collapse of a rock face under constant pounding from the sea. Blowholes are formed when water enters a rock crevice so quickly it can only escape again by forcing itself explosively outward. It makes for quite a spectacle. The Remarkable Cave. Waves pass right through it at high tide to lap against a glorious little secret cove. And finally. We couldn’t leave Hobart without a garden and this has to be one of the best: the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The Lily Pond Masked Lapwing, flitting anxiously around the lawn. Perhaps this was why. Masked Lapwing chick. Say aahhhh! Jacaranda mimocifolia, a late Spring flowering small tree that we saw everywhere across southern Australia. The strong Australian sun glowing through the fleshy leaves of Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwartkopf’. Clematis viticella 'Alba Luxurians' I had this once. It's a gorgeous variety. Funny that I had to go to the other side of the world to be reminded of the name. Back on the list for this year. In fact so much of the garden has an English flavour, this particular border a nod to the style of Gertrude Jekyll, it almost made me homesick. Almost. And for an England in summer, I hasten to say. I apologise for the gap between posts. Internet access continued to be patchy along with a growing sense of time passing and a need to make the most of the remaining days in Australia over and above the unequal struggle of editing WordPress on an iPad. I've got so far behind we are in fact now back in Blighty: cold, wet, wide awake well before four in the morning and asleep by four in the afternoon. There are two or three more posts to wrap up the journey, if you can bear it, before we return to matters at home. No, not Brexit. Enough already! [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]