The River Onkaparinga, known locally (and unceremoniously) as the Onk. It's a pretty sight right now.
Pine cones of some sort. These are a type that are probably native to Australian, but I couldn't tell you what kind. Well, not without researching them.
I love the colors of the wetlands. The reds and greens, side by side -- it's what artists call "immediate contrast." Very striking, visually.
He (or is it a she?) is a white faced heron. They're peope-shy ... this was taken on extreme zoom, and one second later s/he headed out fast away from the humans.
The gorgeous reds and golds of gum tree trunks. These trees shed their bark, not their leaves. We do most things backwards downunder...
Reedbeds are very photogenic -- but what doesn't photograph is the squadrons of swallows which were dive-bombing the whole area. Some kind of bug must have just hatched, because about a thousand swallows were pigging out on the wing.
Something happened today that hasn't happened in an age...
I had the chance to take a day off. And I took it. In fact, I grabbed it with both hands and ran away! Seriously ... Dave and I headed about fifteen minutes south of here and took a looooong hike in the wetlands where the Onkaparinga River flows out at Noarlunga. Yes, those are real names ... don't believe me? Google them! So I thought I would touch base with everyone today with some photographs rather than artwork. From the wetlands hike, we progressed to the Rimini Cafe at Hallett Cove, and if any of you were following Dave on twitpic, you'd have seen our late-late lunch. Still full. (Urp.) Need nap.
In fact, here are some more images, while I go and take one. A nap, that is! Day off, and all that. (Make the most of it, Jade ... who knows when it'll happen again?!)
Jade, November 22
Still showing a little green along the riverbank. Enjoy it -- in a couple of weeks it'll all be the color of mown hay...
A boardwalk takes out right out into the middle of the wetlands. Today, we were in the heart of that squadron of swallows. Wish I could have captured them in stills. I did get some nice video...
Scotch thistle -- up to four feet high in this neck of the woods -- they're lethal!
The river itself. And yes, there's water in it! There are times when it's not much more than briny silt, but we've had a drop of rain lately.
Reed beds ... this should be a lake, but it's pretty much empty, even though it's not yet actually summer...
Strangler vines on the trees bearing the little cones you see elsewhere in this post. The flowers are gorgous, like mornng glory, but the vines are tree killers.