Tags
bearded orchid, donkey orchid, Ferntree Gully, flowers, Frank's Breakaway, Ganguddy, Hill End, Lue, Mudgee, Rylstone, Sofala, wildflowers
Every year my friend of more than sixty years and I try to spend a week together. This year we rented a stone house on the edge of the Wollemi national park, overlooked by sandstone cliffs.
From this base we walked around Ganguddy where a dam built by nearby cement works in the 1920s has metamorphosed into a beautiful lake.
We photographed in Rylstone and Mudgee; and in Sofala and Hill End, two nineteenth century gold mining towns.
Rylstone
Mudgee
Sofala
Hill End
We captured the remnants of railway days in Lue.
We walked on the edge of sandstone gorges and past sandstone pagodas at Ferntree Gully.
We lunched at the Pipeclay Pumphouse at Robert Stein's Mudgee winery to celebrate our 70th birthdays, both now well in the past.
And of course we photographed flowers, and even found a few orchids.
Thank you, Rosemary, for a lovely few days exploring the central tablelands of NSW.
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snippetsandsnaps 
What an interesting time you have had with your friend. I particularly liked the capture of the kookaburra, so very Aussie, and all the wild flowers. Good friends are the best to share and build memories with. I also missed blogging while away in NZ, but I am now staying with my daughter who has excellent internet connection, so what do I do? Instantly get onto my favourite blogging buddies sites to make contact again. I notice you are thinking of maybe stopping blogging!!! I hope you don’t stop. I would miss you.
We are back home next week so I will have a lot of catching up to do.
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I can’t STOP blogging. I’ll just try for a few posts a week and a bit less commenting. I’m glad you’d miss me.
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I would miss blogging it would leave a BIG hole in my life. But I agree I have to try and pace myself with it.
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The kookaburra looks like the Blue-Winged one rather than the more usual Laughing Kookaburra in which the blue is far less prominent. You were clever to be able to photograph it. I was interested to look back at what caught your eye. Yes, we shared a lot of fun but I think that your feet are less uncertain than mine and left to your own devices you might have covered more challenging territory. Thank you for understanding my experienced knees.
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Not clever my dear – just a lot of pixels! As for your “inexperienced knees”, I enjoyed walking with a companion who didn’t take me down vertical cliff faces, and we had leisurely strolls where we saw things. I loved your account of the conversation with the train driver and his stories of Lue and the demise of its railway line.
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No, experienced knees, that is showing a bit of wear and tear after some tumbles over the years and more than usual mobility, according to the rheumatologist.
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I think predictive text might’ve got the better of me! I would never knowingly have said “inexperienced knees”. Sorry.
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Predictive text can get it wrong. I have never used it though ages ago was shown how to. I suppose it didn’t like “experienced” applied to “knees” in this instance.
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Yippee! You’re back! 🙂 I’m trying not to celebrate because you don’t really want to be back 😦 I fully understand that mental state but I have missed you. I just randomly clicked on your image on Jude’s sidebar because I couldn’t remember the name of that thingummy you use for haiku/photos and intended to go looking. And there you were- hiding 🙂 🙂 It looks a lovely place you stayed, Meg.
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We had a great time – extra pleased, because it was my choice and I was a bit nervous. As for blogging? See how long minimalism lasts. I’ve refrained from blogging every moment of my life, so you’ll never know about signs of glaciation on Nerrigundah Ridge! But I have three posts scheduled at decent intervals.
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Those places are gorgeous – especially the sandstone gorges. It is a lovely habit – going away once a year. Do you live in the same area as each other or is this a reunion-kind of holiday for both of you?
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We stay in contact via email and phone for the rest of the year – we live 500 km apart.
I’d love to see your response to long Australian bush walks: your feet would eat up far more kms than our ageing uncertain ones!
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How stunning! The lake, the kookaburra, the flowers, the architecture – it all looks wonderful and you obviously had a great time with your friend. Tin roofs, rust, balconies, graveyards… pleeeease do not withdraw from blogging, I would seriously miss my Aussie fix 🙂
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Thanks for making me feel wanted. It was a pretty special week.
I don’t think I can withdraw, but I do need to manage better. Maybe one day a week, and no more than three posts a week, absolute maximum, with a weekly digest of other blogs and selective commenting there. I have a jumper to knit! And geology and Polish to master! And house and garden to pay attention to! And …! And … ! And …! All have been neglected.
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Good luck with all that! As we are entering the time of year I like least I am happy to spend time on the computer, I sort of hibernate in winter!
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Wonderful of you to share your trip with so many interesting and unique photos.
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What a great part of the country to explore. I love all the rock outcrops.
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Sandstone rules! I was raving about the rock formations and my son reminded me of similar much closer to home.
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Sometimes its good to see what lies further afield. I’ve driven through that area and always wanted to come back and explore. Your photos are a real taster – thanks 🙂
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Marvellous! Plenty of lovely stone, textures, scenery and old items!
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I could’ve spent a lot longer in the HIll End museum, but we were there on impulse – and had an appointment with pelting rain, thunder, lightning and hail on the drive home. My favourite I think was the decomposing wagon, and the traces of wattle and daub. And guess what? My friend gave me a copy of “The pleasure of ruins.”
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Yay! You’ve got the book….wonderful!
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Wow what a stunning gallery Meg, obviously the flowers are gorgeous but the outstanding photo for me is the hand holding the stem on the gravestone. I’m so glad you had a good time with your friend and very happy to see you back x:-)x
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What? Not the stirrups and surgical instruments? I’m glad you’re happy that I’m back, but I’m trying to be back with restraint. It was in fact a bit difficult to start blogging again after a clean break for a fortnight – I even contemplated total withdrawal. I badly need to rationalise, but I can’t bear to break contact.
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I understand, I’ve been a bit lethargic about posting recently but can’t resist visiting because there’s so much to see and enjoy!
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