Refugee

This man just lost everything in the Mount Victoria bush fires. He lost the old house in front of which he is standing, he lost the new house, which was only completed last December, he lost a historic shed constructed of hand hewn railway sleepers, in fact all of the photos in the previous post were of this man's property. Not to forget all those Volvos. This man though is resilient, he has been through much more than any of us would normally experience in a lifetime. He will rebuild, this is life in the Blue Mountains.

The Bush

The Australian bush, how we love it, to be immersed in the bush is euphoria. When the bush is taken over by fire however, it's war, a war with fire, fight or flight. The RFS volunteers are the soldiers, we often enough are the refugees.

Hidden

Death greeted me everywhere, was even waiting for me at the Rookwood office. Well, guess it was halloween.
This year's exhibition unfortunately disappointed. Pity, I would like to see it attract more talent, such an otherworldly location.

Gordons Bay

It was hot and it wasn't yet summer.
Gordons Bay offered escape from the heat and a reward of a frozen margarita before heading home.

National Pass

My darling daughter had an interview in Springwood for a job in bush regen, which she got, woohoo!
We then headed up the line to Wentworth Falls and walked The National Pass, awesome.

Cicadas busting out all over. 

Down, down, down we go.

Round, round, round we go.

Naoshima

Lost in The Seto Sea. I could have spent the entire three weeks here. Happily ensconced in our 400 year old ryokan, total bliss, even if it was 40 degrees outside. Interesting to view Japanese at play, this island had a real summer energy, not so easy to plunge yourself in the old briny though, everything is sacred.
Of course our mission here was to see art...

Okayama Korakuen Garden

So what were we doing in Okayama? Good question. We weren't there to buy denim, because we didn't realise until we left that this was Japan's denim city. No we were there to see cranes!
Enough said, this garden however gave us a very enjoyable lunch and possibly the best shot of the trip.
Locals enjoying the shade of a garden house in the 40 degree heat.