Canberra's Green Spaces

October 15, 2024

Ten Lovely Years of Blogging …….

***Lake Burley Griffin and the Carillion***

It was ten years ago today (with apologies to the Beatles) that I took this photo. It was taken in the early hours of the morning, and was the first of many blog posts.

I wanted to blog about Canberra, the capital city of Australia, a city full of green spaces and gardens, birds and kangaroos..

***The entry into the Rose Garden at Old Parliament House***

Ten years ago, there were many gardening blogs and it was exciting times for all bloggers. Before long I was reading about gardening all over the world, and chatting to fellow bloggers. I have enjoyed every minute of it, and made friends with fellow bloggers.

Sometimes a photo offered itself for a blog post…

**The heading of my post for the above photo was: “Things to do when there is nothing to do!”**

I began my blog when I retired from teaching. Little did I know that life would become even more busy! I have less time now with travel, keeping up with our grandchildren, and doing some renovations to our house.

So the time has come for me to close Canberra’s Green Spaces, however, I will keep reading the blogs that I am following and I will comment on the blogs that I read.

I will also keep my Instagram page, possibly re-named as Gerrie Mackey @ Green spaces.

Many many thanks to all the bloggers who have commented on my blog over the years. To name just a few, Judy @ newenglandandgardenandthread Master gardener and an amazing seamstress as well. Judy was very encouraging when I first began blogging.

Laurie@ notesfromahinterland kept us happy during covid with mention of music, (Tiny Desk concerts) and movies, and TV series. As Australia had an especially strict lockdown, Laurie’s input and her positive blog posts were much appreciated.

Sylvia Shaw@anotherday2paradise who lives in Florida (I hope all goes well Sylvia) we had much in common and she still manages to comment even when hurricanes are heading her way…

Barbara @Thistles and Kiwi is always the first to comment, and manages to keep lots of blog posts going, as well as cooking a range of delicious dishes, and recommends movies and TV series.

Clare Pooley is a long time blogger, and always managed to make lovely comments, in her busy life.

Brenda@ Old dogs new Truck also has an extremely busy life, farming, weaving, growing flax and taking the whole process from flax to a lovely jacket and shirt. Imagine that!

Anne @ Something Over Tea Anne lives in South Africa, and writes beautifully about the countryside and the animals. It makes me homesick, as I lived in South Africa when I was young. As Anne said, “you can leave Africa, but it will never leave you! So True.

Toodlepedal’s Blog is an enthusiastic bike rider and walker, taking photos of the beautiful countryside while riding his bike and/or walking and keeping up with his blog every day.

I often read out bits of Mr T’s blogs to Paul and he made the observant comment that we get pleasant and often humorous insights into his and Mrs T’s life, which is a nice change from listening to the News.

Toodlepedal’s sister Susan@LondonSenior was another incredibly enthusiastic blogger.(sadly she has passed away) She blogged about London, and took us to many interesting places almost always unknown to me.

Last but in no way forgotten is Jason of Chicago, who sadly had passed away, but was an enthusiastic gardener, and also very humorous. …he taught me a great deal.

My husband Paul has not got his own blog, which is just as well as he spends some time editing mine, and chatting about blogs!

Now I have the task of closing the blog, I’m thinking this may take some time so let me know if you have any experience of this!

Best wishes

Gerrie Mackey

September 22, 2024

Tropical North Queensland and the Gran Fondo Festival

As the Canberra winter goes on, Paul and I enjoy going to Queensland. While our weather is windy and icy cold, Cairns, Palm Cove, and Port Douglas are warm and sunny.

It is a joy to visit this part of the world in September.

This year The Gran Fondo has arrived for Port Douglas. The term ”Gran Fondo” is Italian for “Big Ride” recreational cyclists of all abilities can participate in this long distance race. The rides are timed, so that the riders can challenge themselves to get the best time in a new environment. The route takes them past the Great Barrier Reef.

There were volunteer marshals and policemen and women to help re direct the traffic and keep the ride safe and calm.

We were staying in Palm Cove, so we could almost see some of the cyclists arriving, having ridden from Port Douglas to Palm Cove.

The weather was cool with a slight breeze… perfect conditions for a great ride.

Here are the last of the cyclists, ending their ride in a very tropical setting.

We walked back along the beach and I took a few photos of the soft morning light.

This couple have been fishing along the jetty for as long as I can remember. Perhaps they have enough for a weekend of fish dinners.

These two beautiful little swallows are having a rest after ducking and darting in between the fencing of the jetty.

Port Douglas is very close to Palm Cove and we spent some early morning walks, and coffee mornings, in Port Douglas…

This apartment building attract my attention. It is called The White House. Oh the stories it could tell!

The town of Port Douglas has some photos and descriptions of its history. A pioneer town indeed.

Palm Cove and Port Douglas suffered from a very destructive cyclone last summer and yet the towns have been repaired and are thriving. A big congratulations to Queenslanders, they are incredibly resilient, always cheerful and full of fun.

Many thanks for reading my blog today, and may you have some sunshine in your day..

August 31, 2024

Spring Time…. Birds, blossoms and blowing a hooley!

Yesterday, it was blowing a hooley (a phrase I learnt from a blogger in Cornwall)

We have many very big Eucalyptus trees all around Canberra, and it is nerve wrecking watching the wind blowing through the trees. Today, apart from plenty of fallen branches and leaves, everyone but me is out raking leaves!

On a lighter note, we always know spring has arrived, when we see the bright yellow blossoms of the Wattle tree (Acacia family), all over Canberra.

These flowers herald the beginning of spring, and sunshine, they provide food for birds and insects, and they can re-generate after bushfires. For this reason Wattle trees are often seen as a symbol of renewal, hope and resilience.

Many years ago we planted daffodils along the path to our house. They have endured windy cold days and they continue to blossom cheerfully.

***These Daffodils always look upright and smiling***

Spring is also time when birds appear from everywhere..

This tiny bird is an Eastern Spinebill and he flies into the Pineapple Sage shrub as soon as it begins to flower. He has been visiting us for a long time now, and we call him Spiny.

Despite his acrobatics, he is always on the alert and disappears as soon as he sees another bird.

The King Parrots are having a wonderful time because the Camellia bushes and flowers are in abundance….

This year many birds have been nesting early, and some even have young chicks, (way too early!)

These young parrots, are making their way into the world, they all have a Juvenile look about them I think..

For many years, the local birds have been flying to the high electrical post in the corner of our back garden.

This juvenile cockatoo was watching us as we were gardening, and I wondered if it was the fledgling cockatoo that found its way into our garden before it could fly. (just before Christmas) Hopefully so. Despite not flying, his mother was very diligent in feeding him daily. He looks well and he did manage to fly to the highest post in the garden.

As spring continues we will be able to see some of the growing plants from our windows and the deck. Two of my favourites in this part of the garden are, the bright yellow flowers called Bulbinella …it is a haven for the bees and turns bright yellow in the morning light.

A fellow blogger, Anne ( Something Over Tea) has mentioned the Bulbinella, and its healing qualities..

Another favourite plant of mine is a Leucadendron. It is part of the Proteaceae family and tolerates drought and frost! Perfect for our garden!

We live in a quiet street, and know most of our neighbours. Our close neighbour, Lois, and I often find ourselves chatting as we stand in our quiet road. As time goes on we move a little towards Lois’s garden as she has such good views of the sun setting over the mountains. We always find reasons to talk about the mountains….they change colour in accordance with the weather, and the time of day. If a bird flies across the landscape we guess which one it is , the distant cockatoos look like shiny silver trails in the sky.

***The Brindabella Mountains at sunset***

This photo was taken at sunset….time to get cracking and catch up again another time!

Best wishes to everyone, and may the sun shine where ever you are in the world…

July 21, 2024

New Zealand: beautiful one day, perfect the next…

New Zealand is a three hour flight from Canberra, Australia…closer to us than many parts of Australia.

As good fortune would have it, Paul and I went on a short holiday to the North Island of New Zealand, just before Covid and Lockdowns hit both countries.

The landscape in this beautiful country is more like Scotland, or perhaps parts of Europe.

The visit to New Zealand was to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, the perfect timing.

Lake Taupo was created two thousand years ago, by a volcanic eruption and is now the biggest lake in Australasia, and roughly the size of Singapore.

This is a view of the jetty from our cabin…

We opted for Tokaanu, the southern, quiet end of the lake. Paul had discovered some picturesque ”best kept secret” cabins recommended by Lonely Planet. We had absolutely stunning views of the lake and not a jet boat in sight!

The next day we drove south to the National Park, and Mount Ruapehu..

New Zealand’s summer is at its peak in February, and during this time many overseas walkers come to NZ to the most popular all day walk, The Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

We did a shorter, very beautiful walk to the waterfall…

No wonder this area, along with other parts of New Zealand were filming sites for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Our reward was late morning tea/coffee in the Chateau Tongariro, a reminder of genteel bygone days .

Looking back at those scones with lashing of butter and cream, perhaps we should have gone for an all day walk after all!

On our way back to our cosy cabin, we saw an extraordinary number of black swans.

We spent the rest of our short holiday sitting on the grass and watching the swans and the boats and the gentle sun setting…

It had been a busy time getting to this lovely spot, but the quiet, picturesque scene made everything worth while..( unfortunately I have mislaid the photo of our cabin )

However, across the river was a small Māori village with an elegant small church steeple, just slightly in view. It was a Sunday and the local choir came and stood by the water, facing their church, as they sang beautifully. (it brought a stirring to the heart).

As the sun began to set, we sat outside, listening to this beautiful choir, we enjoyed a simple, but very pleasant evening meal with smoked salmon, fresh baked potatoes and salad, locally baked bread and some of New Zealand’s fine wine.

A day to be remembered.

June 16, 2024

Does it get cold in Australia?

This is Canberra on a cold wintery day, with a dusting of snow on the Brindabella Mountains and the Australian Parliament House in the foreground.

Fog is more common than snow in Canberra, and this is often very stressful for politicians flying into Canberra, or indeed, Canberrans flying out to Queensland to get some warmth and sunshine!

Paul and I go to the markets every Thursday, but it has been a cold night, so Paul is checking the birdbaths, and removing the ice.

The birds are very dependent on us for water in these icy conditions…

The cockatoos are socialising and drinking from the neighbourhood’s gutters.

The lovely King Parrots are always here in winter..

They love to feed on the leftover leaves from the Japanese Maples..

The markets are very quiet this morning. In summer these corridors are full of people in shorts and T-shirts by lunch time! The markets specialise in food and lunches for all nationalities.

Today we are buying fresh vegetables, nuts, milk and yogurt and a few nice sauces for casseroles.

We had a chat to a new person at the cash register. She is from Germany, and has not long been in Australia. Today, everyone in the market is in coats and warm clothes, I asked her if she was expecting this cold weather…. her reply “I never thought it would be this cold in Australia.“

The good news is that although Canberra has cold winters, it often has clear blue skies, and four seasons, so you know spring is coming.

This is often a good time for riding around the lake, or walking along the bridge..

Before long the Manchurian Pear trees will start to blossom, a real sign of spring!

This photo was taken at the beginning of spring, more and more people venture out to enjoy the sun…

Thank you for taking the time to read my post today, and may the sun shine on you today.

May 19, 2024

Marvellous Melbourne, and a flashback to Covid days..

The two biggest cities in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne, are often compared and contrasted.

There was, and still is, much rivalry between the two..

***Melbourne Royal Exhibition Gardens***

I once asked a gracious old lady what she thought of Melbourne and Sydney….

She said “Well of course, Melbourne is marvellous..…”

‘‘but my dear………. what could compare with Sydney Harbour?”

***Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House***

So never the twain shall meet.

Our family became more familar with Melbourne when our elder daughter and family moved to this gracious city, full of colour and movement!

Melbourne is well known for its trams, they are a novelty for us and fun to take the tram in the city, and watch the world go by…

***One of many Melbourne Arcades, food, coffee, people!***

Melbourne has become a very multicultural city, and is represented by many many different cultures. Needless to say there is a great variety of foods, markets, coffee, cafes and restaurants.

We often visit this café because it is near the Botanic Gardens…

In the older suburbs of the city, it is easy to see the early pioneers and gold rush days… (my father’s family came from Wicklow, Ireland.)

Our daughter and family live in a well kept inner city suburb, with lots of parks and lovely gardens.

The small Eucalyptus trees are perfect for the streets, and the flowers bring the birds too.

The Rainbow Lorikeet feeding it’s young.

During Australia’s Covid Lockdown, we travelled to Melbourne to help out with our daughter and son-in-law, as they were expecting their second baby in September. Lockdown rules still applied, with social distancing, wearing masks and restricted numbers of people socialising together.

The highlight of our day was a slow walk with our three year old granddaughter

Thanks to her we noticed every ant, insect and bug along the path, all of which was very interesting….

Kind and thoughtful neighbours helped by putting toys in street trees, Winnie the Pooh was very popular, and we looked forward to seeing Winnie every day.

The Rainbow Lorikeets enjoy the parks and seem to be everywhere..

Gardening continued through Covid…

Before Covid this park was full of people, playing sport, sitting under trees, having picnics, children swinging on play equipment.

Looking at these photos now, the very quiet and strange life of Lockdowns and Covid seems a long time ago, and what an uncertain, and worrying time it was!

We were very grateful to have an enthusiastic three year old on hand!

However, we realised flying a make-shift kite was harder than we thought..

A bonny baby boy was born, and before long it was Christmas..

The Eucalyptus flowers were decorated by kindly neighbours, and, for us, Melbourne was marvellous..

Some time ago I have written a blog post about the Covid Lockdowns in Australia, and there might be some overlap of photos. My apologies.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post today. I hope you are having a day of sunshine…

April 7, 2024

The Blue Mountains, wild life in the vineyard..

We recently went to a wedding in the Hunter Valley, and we stayed in an AirBnB nearby. The AirBnB was a cottage set in an olive grove.

When we arrived a young kangaroo and his family were watching close by…

It was a very hot day, and the owner of the property said they had very little rain this year…never a good sign.

However the next morning the light was soft across the fields, and the kangaroo family had moved down to greener pastures.

We enjoyed the wedding, and had a hearty breakfast at one of the many places to eat in the Hunter valley.

We had planned a short holiday around the wedding, and the next day, we drove to the beautiful Blue Mountains…

It was a long and winding road to our next AirBnB, however, when we arrived we knew it was all worth it. We had a lovely spacious cottage, looking across to the wonderful views of the Blue Mountains.

Paul is looking very cheerful after our early morning walk around the vineyards. The views were breath-taking, and the mountain air was cold and clear. The verandah of our cottage gave us a beautiful view of the surrounds.

Every morning the mist slowly lifted across the vineyards and towards the mountains..

….. the day gradually cleared into blue skies..

During our time here we also watched the frustration of the owners of nearby vineyards…it is the season for picking the grapes, and a huge flock of cockatoos had flown by to help with the pickings.

Occasionally the birds could hear loud bangs, (known as bird scarers, designed to deter birds near crops) and they would rise up gracefully, and sit in a neighbouring tree. (it is against the law to kill most wildlife birds in Australia, including Cockatoos)

The above photo does not do justice to the amount of cockatoos waiting in the trees. The next morning we watched the fruit pickers and farm workers, as they got to work stretching out long netting and then lifting it carefully onto the vines and covering the grapes.

It is a tough job working in a vineyard!

Meanwhile we had a wonderful time watching the escarpment of the distant Blue Mountains, turning a deep colour red in the evening. A lovely place to relax.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and best wishes for spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere…..the days grow shorter every week here in Canberra.

February 25, 2024March 19, 2024

Powerful stories and a powerful teacher: The Man from Snowy River to the Boer War

I began my blog, Canberra’s Green Spaces to write about gardens and green spaces. However, blogging is often about storytelling, and in the memory of one of my teachers, Mrs O’Brien, I decided to dedicate this post to her teaching, and story-telling.

I was born and brought up in Zambia, and Zimbabwe, I loved reading and talking, and listening to stories. Yet my memory of school was of long boring lessons, mediocre grades, and being told by one teacher that I was ..“nothing but a flibbertigibbet!“

In my last year of school I changed from my high school in Zimbabwe to a tutorial college in Cape Town, South Africa. A tiny brown-eyed woman of about fifty introduced herself as Mrs O’Brien, our English and History teacher. As a newcomer to South Africa, I just hoped I would not be asked too many questions..

I did not need to worry, Mrs O’Brien began with the Australian poem by Banjo Patterson,

The Man from Snowy River.

Some of these photos are taken from the movie, The Man from Snowy River… (The movie was shot in Victorian High Country near Mansfield Victoria.)

As Mrs O’Brien read and talked, the class was transfixed. Although I had not been to Australia I could see the horses charging over the gullies and through the rivers and past the stringy barks …Clancy’s gnarled Australian face was easily transported into our African classroom.

When I came to Australia I immediately recognised the landscape that Mrs O’Brien had easily portrayed through her reading of the poem. Yet she had not been out of the Cape Province. The power of the teacher, the power of the poem.

As good fortune would have it, Paul and I live close to the Snowy Mountains, and I often think of her, while we are walking in this rugged but beautiful countryside.

Mrs O’Brien’s greatest strength was teaching us South African history. Everything came alive, the Voortrekkers, the Zulus, the massacres, the peace treaties….

Just looking at these pictures of the Boer wars brought back memories..

The picture below belonged to my mother (who lived in South Africa when she was young). This was her favourite print, called The Great Trek 1838 and it depicts the hardships of people in bygone eras.

***The Great Trek*** painted by Tinus De Jongh

My family immigrated to Australia, and a few years later I married Paul. We went on a trip to South Africa and spent some time in the Drakensberg Mountains which held some of the turbulent history of the time. Needless to say, Mrs O’Brien’s words and stories remained with me.

At the end of the year, I went back home, we immigrated to Australia and I never saw Mrs O’Brien again. I hope she kept on teaching and telling stories, and how lucky I was to spent time listening to her stories.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog post today.

May the sun shine and the days be cheerful where ever you are in the world today.

January 21, 2024March 19, 2024

Cockatoos, Christmas and Mount Taylor …..

Just before Christmas, we had an unexpected visitor. ..

A group of cockatoos were helping themselves to the flowers on our apricot tree, and when Paul chased them away he noticed that one of birds was walking, rather than flying away.

It seemed to be a young cockatoo, perhaps a male, with a very protective mother who walked along the path with him. (I wish I’d taken a photo of them)

I hoped they would both fly away, and I returned to the house to get on with Christmas preparations.

Anxious relatives waiting on the carport roof..

However, a few hours later, the cockatoo was still sitting under a tree in the garden. He has a mark on his head…..we wondered if he’d had a “crash landing” in the garden while the apricot raid was on..

I decided to call WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue, & Education service.) and I had a chat to a very helpful person called Lyn. She asked if the cockatoo had a tail, (which he didn’t have, compared with the other cockatoos) and this indicated he was definitely a Juvenile.

Lyn then gave me an interesting, and amusing insight into the life of a young cockatoo.

These two photos were taken last year at Rushcutters’s Bay

During the mating season, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos nest high in the hollow of gum (Eucalyptus) trees. The parents share the incubation of two to four eggs and feed nestlings for about 6 -8 weeks. Cockatoos may have as many as four young cockatoos in the hollow for a long time.!

Lyn said, ‘‘as you can imagine they are quite stunned and very reliant on their parents when they leave the hollow!”

Lyn said WIRES members, understandably do not take young birds if they are being fed by their parents. When the parents stop feeding the juvenile cockatoos starts to become independent and usually have developed well enough to fly.

The young mother (on the left) looks almost as young as her Juvenile offspring.

The young cockatoo, settled into one of our Japanese Maple trees. He pulled himself up by his beak and claws, looking a little stunned, but always with his mother close by.

Fortunately our cockatoo family were very quiet (which is VERY unusual). His mother was completely devoted to him, she arrived about dawn every morning, fed him and often spent time preening him, and then she flew off, and came back in the evening to feed him again.. Paul and I sometimes wondered if he was going to be bigger than his mother..

Meanwhile Christmas was just a few days away, and our daughter, son-in-law and our two grandchildren were arriving any minute. They live in the inner city of Melbourne, and so they greeted the idea of a young cockatoo in the tree, with great interest.

Christmas day was a happy family time, fortunately the young cockatoo and his energetic mother had moved to a densely covered Bottlebrush at the bottom of the garden, and we made sure they had peace and quiet there. Our granddaughter made the cockatoo a nest out of paper plates, and thoughtfully left it under the plum tree.

The parents continued to watch over their youngster, and his mother spent time gently spreading out his wings …very poignant to watch.

The cockatoo family gradually moved to another very quiet garden, and we are not sure exactly what has happened to him now, but I hope he is learning to fly..

Once Christmas was over, presents had been opened, visitors had come and gone, there were a couple more things to do. Paul wanted to harvest his abundant bed of carrots, and had two willing helpers. They loved it, nothing like getting your hands in soil!

Once the carrots were harvested and cleaned, we had one more box to tick….we don’t have many traditions in Canberra, but almost everyone enjoys the outdoors.

We have lived on the slopes of Mount Taylor for many years. Our tradition is that when we get together, we make a bit of a trek along the path to the middle section of Mount Taylor .

The following photos have been taken over the span of many years …

When our daughters were young we walked up the path to look at the view, to see if we could spot our house, and to look for the kangaroos.

Lake Tuggeranong and surrounding suburbs

Paul, our son-in-law Anthony, and our grandson and granddaughter walked half way up Mt Taylor. They didn’t see many kangaroos, but they loved the climb, especially our grandson who is three and half years old. He couldn’t wait to tell his Mum ..

“I went to the mountain: and I loved it!”

As they walked down the mountain, guess what they saw…a cockatoo looking towards the mountain..

Happy New Year to everyone, and thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, during this busy time of the year.

In the words of David Attenborough:

It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement, the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest..it is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living...

October 18, 2023

Spring time in Canberra, the garden, the birds and housing for chickens..

Despite the changeable weather, and perhaps because we have had so much rain, all the spring flowers and bulbs were smiling this year..

The wind blows relentlessly across this part of the garden, but the tulips stand firm… I love them!

The Aquilegias are thriving in the garden, which is quite remarkable because the possum (and family, we think) pay a nightly visit to this part of the garden…. they jump into and over the flowers to get onto the plum tree. Very very annoying!

The garden looks a colourful yellow in early spring, the daffodils defy all odds and come up looking stronger every year. The yellow flowering plant on the left is Bulbinella Nutans, which we bought at Lambley Nursery in Victoria.

Australian native plants have their own colour and beauty especially in the early morning light.

This part of the garden has become very shady, with maturing Manchurian Pear trees, Japanese Maples and big and small birdbaths. All birds have their favourites!

This delicate Japanese Maple attracts the tiny Silver-eye birds and the Honey-eaters. These birds come to the tree even when we are sitting under the branches. Our granddaughter says this is because it is a magic tree.

Paul has grown some lovely vegetables this year. He has just cut some Silverbeet and he gave some to our neighbours, Lois and Sandi.

Sandi made four Spanakopita pies and gave one to us. It was delicious and we took a photo of our empty plates, and sent them to him. Spanakopitas is a Savoury Greek spinach pie.

In early spring we noticed this little Sulphur Crested Cockatoo while we were walking up Heartbreak Hill. It was soon joined by a large (noisy) group of Cockatoos. Phew!

We are frequent visitors to Open Gardens, and quite often we see varied chicken coops.

This chicken coop is in the wonderful estate of Retford Park in Bowral. What lucky chickens, it may even be temperature controlled.

I hope you are enjoying spring, or autumn in your part of the world. During this time of turbulence across the world, I am acutely aware of the peace, tranquillity, and friendship we find in our garden, our home and our neighbourhood.