Water emergency!

Gday!

We had an emergency Thursday night.  My hostess found out that her water tank had a leak in it and since 3 of her 4 huge tanks are connected, she lost all the rainwater out of the 3 tanks.  Since rainwater is the primary water supply, that is a disaster!  One tank might be enough if you are conservative.  But she wanted 3 so she would never run out of water.  She was very upset!!

Her handyman was nice enough to come out here (before he left for a week's holiday) and fixed it (in the dark) so that the fourth tank gives us water in the house.  It was the rainwater overflow for the first three and went to 2 garden taps. It rained a lot this year and so all 4 tanks had rainwater in them.   If there's no overflow, water from the "dam" goes into it.

Aniela has said that rain water is very pure, soft, and good to drink and that there is a filter before it comes into the house.  I don't know about this tank though.  I'm boiling all my water before I drink it, just in case.

So out here in the boondocks, people have to be very self-sufficient.  Rainwater is the primary water source.  Many people have dams on their property.  I'm not quite sure about this but from what I see and understand, a large hole is dug into the ground and allowed to fill with rainwater.  So it's a reservoir.  (Hey Julie!  Is that the same as a swale in eco-speak?)  I'm not sure if it is lined, I don't think it is.  (Sorry, I don't have internet access except for a few minutes almost every day and I'm not wasting it on research.  And I don't dare ask my hostess.)  There was a dam in Cambewarra, adjacent to the cricket field. I've seen at least one in each paddock/pasture.  Some properties might have a well to tap into groundwater.  That might depend on whether there is groundwater or not and whether the groundwater is useable (mineral content).

After water, energy is the next biggie.  Water pumps need to be powered.  If the electricity goes out, you don't have water for the duration.   Unless you have an alternate power source.  I've seen solar panels on a lot of roofs. I've seen windmills on several properties.  I haven't seen them spinning, but they're there.  And I've read about water mills on some properties in my WWOOFer book.

I've also seen a couple of woodpiles that are huge!  They must just be there cuz trees had to be taken down on the property.  I can't imagine that they were delivered.  Each place I've stayed has less than a small pickup truck full (1/4 cord).  On my walk into town Sunday, I passed this sign for Shoalhaven (the region I'm in) Stockpile #1.  I have no idea what they're stockpiling.  Hmmm....

Convenience, aesthetics, ecology, cost;  usually it's a trade off.  So far, I’ve seen several improvements I willing to incorporate into my life after I get back to America.

I love that all the electrical outlets have an on/off switch.  So even if you have something plugged in, you can have the outlet switched off and the item wouldn’t be a power vampire.  Apparently, people still unplug computers during lightning storms in case of power surges. I think power strips/surge protectors with an on/off button do the same thing but isn't the power strip a power vampire in itself?  I don't know if the switches are something that can be installed easily but it would be handy to have one for countertop microwaves, entertainment equipment, and other stuff that's handy to have plugged in but not used constantly.  Providing the outlet is easily reachable.

I also like those electric kettles.  I didn't realize how quickly they heat the water.  I'm sure it's more energy efficient than boiling on the stove and definitely more energy efficient than the hot water dispenser at the sink.

And the flushing options on the toilets.  Uh, self explanatory, I think.

And believe it or not, I like the laundry lines.  I hadn't used one since I lived in the public housing projects in Chinatown.  (Remember, San?  They were dark, spooky, and echoey.) I like the idea of being able to peg stuff out on warm sunny days.  I'd still use my dryer but I'd use it less if I had a ....

...Nice, wide, covered veranda around most of my home.  I love the idea of indoor/outdoor living but I really don't like being in the sun.  I hate putting sunscreen on.  And I don't like my freckles (FRECKLES!!!! NOT age spots!!!!)   Did you know that Australia has the highest skin cancer rate in the world?  There are ads about skin cancer and sun screen on television regularly.  They also still have Flying Doctor services to reach people in remote places.

I already mentioned click-on rather than screw-on hose menders, sprinklers and nozzles.

Someone brought up tipping in America.  I'll discuss that next time.  In the meantime,  if you have any comments or questions, please let me know.  It's easier for me, if you comment through the blog itself but I do also check Facebook.  I've enjoyed seeing new things and then doing research (by talking to people and through the internet) to learn more.  I hope you've found it interesting too.

I miss wifi!!!!  I miss communicating with my family and friends!!  G'day!

Cyn

Kangaroo Valley nursery

Hey!

  It's weird only having limited access to the Internet.  I've gotten used to being able to go online everyday and even when I was living at the Greenbrae house with no Internet, I could go to the Safeway, Whole Foods or Starbucks parking lot and access free wifi. 

Anyway, I walked into Kangaroo Valley township today, Sunday, as it was my day off.  It was a pleasant 3 km walk (1.8 miles) each way.  The rain showers kept me cool, wet, but cool.  The town had lots of lodging options, several cafes and restaurants, a fudge/ice cream store, a lolly (candy) shop, 2 art galleries and several  novelty shops.  And a nursery!!

Of course, I went into the nursery.  The proprietor, Darrin, was really nice.  He propagates much of his stock, especially the trees in little tube pots.  Although he does use nursery cans, he likes the plastic bags when he's potting up bare root trees.  It's a pain or a two person job to actually get the trees into the bags, but afterwards, they are much more stable.  Even strong winds won't knock the trees over.  As my former colleagues at Sloat know,  trees in nursery cans DO fall over.  (Again and again, until you just leave them down.  And thank customers for pointing out that some of our trees have fallen over.)  

The nursery carries a wide range of Aussie natives, trees, shrubs and perennials. He had a succulent section, herbs, veggies, and a few flats of annuals.  The pear sculpture made of horseshoes is $824.  Nice!   They use different things for mulch out here, including sugar cane.

As soon as I say a couple of sentences, it's obvious that I'm not Australian.  Several people have asked if I'm from the Philipines.  Or when I say I'm American, they ask if I'm Hawaiian.   I tell people that I'm Chinese American and grew up in San Francisco, which has the largest Chinese population outside of China.  (Hong Kong and Taiwan, excluded.)   I guess Aussies think that America is mostly white, like Australia. 

As I've said before, after you get out of Sydney, it's mostly rural.  Well, this is rural.  The towns are small.  If you blink while you're driving through, you'll miss it.   Lots of cattle and open space.  People have to be self sufficient out here.  More about that next time.

G'day,

Cyn

Echidna and Kangaroo

 G'Day

Yay!  I made it to Kangaroo Valley on Monday.  It turns out that the bus I'm taking is the school bus.  I paid $5.40 for my 18km as the crow flies trip.  But we had stops at Cambewarra Public School, another school, Bomaderry High School and several bus stops after I got on.  And we had to wait for another bus that was late.  So I recognized the main roundabout 3 times and the ride took 40 minutes. But it was fun seeing the kids.

 I'm having a g'day!  I'm at my second wwoofing job.  Aniela of Galeria Aniela (check out her website) calls her wwoofers "angels" because we do work that otherwise would not get done.  She's very welcoming, practical, and clear.  We're getting along wonderfully.  I've  got a very  comfortable room on the opposite end of the house/gallery with a bathroom, fridge, microwave, toaster, tea kettle.  She asked me for a grocery list and got everything and more.  We're gonna share dinner duties.  We eat dinner 5-6 ish and I'm free after we do dishes.  She's not concerned about how many hours I work.  Just that I get the work done.  I get Sundays off, free!  I'm gonna walk into the village this Sunday, 2 km (?) away; it seemed further.  The Galeria is open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11-4.  

My primary job is picking berries!  Fun!  She's got about 15 bushes that are 5' -7' tall, multi-trunked, large thin blueberry-leafed bushes but the berries are burgundy and fruit earlier than blueberries.  They taste like blueberry too.  I'd do some research but there's no wifi here.  Mud brick walls, too thick.  They are ripe now and must be picked soon.  I picked 3 kilos (6.6 lbs) Tuesday and 9 kilos Thursday.  Probably ate 1/2 lb/day too. Yummy! 

I also repotted purple orchid tree and other seedlings.  On Wednesday, I reorganized and cleaned out the greenhouse.  You know me!  I love to organize.  We are both happy with the results.

While I was in the greenhouse on Tuesday, I heard a slow scurrying.  I wasn't concerned; it was slow;  probably one of the cats; not a rat.  It was an echidna!  I wasn't making much noise while I was repotting so I guess I didn't scare him.  I went to get my camera.  When I got back, I couldn't see him.  Almost an hour later, I heard scurrying 3' to my right.  He'd been asleep there the whole time!  He very briefly curled into a ball a couple times when I got within 3'of him but then waddled along the side of the greenhouse and pushed back under the shade cloth.  Echidna are Australian marsupials in the same family as platypuses.  They look like short-spined porcupine.  Soon after, Aniela called to me; she saw the echidna.  She'd never seen it so close up before.  She was very surprised when I said I had already seen it.

We also saw kangaroo that Tuesday.  I said, "Kangaroos in Kangaroo Valley."  Aniela said that she doesn't see them often as we both were taking pictures of them.  I must be good luck.  She was also surprised that her female cat came right up to me and rolled of her back to get scratched while we were being introduced. 

I'm so glad to be here.  That's what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving.  That and that I have lots of family and friends who support what I do, even when it sounds outlandish.  Please have a slice of turkey (white meat) and cranberry sauce, mash potatoes and lots of gravy, some veggies, and a small slice of pumpkin pie for me!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Cyn

Kangaroo Valley here I come!

Hi!

I'm off to a new wwoofing job today, Monday! Gotta catch the bus from the village shop/post office in Cambewarra to the Kangaroo Valley post office. Only 1 morning bus and 1 afternoon bus. So I think Kangaroo Valley can't be much bigger. I won't have wifi there so it may be a little tougher not to be homesick.

I have to admit that I'm a little homesick. I've been skypeing, talking, texting, chatting with family and friends but it's not quite the same. There's a difference when you know that you can't really reach out and touch someone and you know it's gonna be a while before you can. Or maybe it's because I don't have many of my own things around? Or maybe because I don't know how I fit in here? Probably a combo of it all. Bonus though! I've heard from and "talked" to some people I haven't talked to in ages. Really nice chatting with you, James!

I'm sure each wwoofing job will be different. The work, the accommodations, the food, and the atmosphere. I'm staying in a spare room of someone's home. (Nicely equipped with 2 twin size foldout cots, sink, fridge, microwave, tea kettle, rice cooker, TV, and separate entry.)

On my second day here, I was told that to provide stability for the kids, I was not to be part of the family. I was to stay in my room and would have more meals than not on my own. I wasn't quite expecting that. But I do understand. It's a leap of faith to accept a total stranger into your home. It's disruptive to have a string of strangers come for a few days, weeks or months and then have them leave. But for the wwoofer, it does get lonely. During my second week, while my host was out of town, I worked on my laptop in my room and saw the family for a few brief dinners. (I did meet 2 people while I was out on walks that talked to me.) It would be nice to have another wwoofer stay here (I think).

There is another wwoofer (from the UK) working with this host and he's happy to see me even if its only for a few minutes 3-4 times during the day cuz he gets lonely too. He chooses to stay on the "farm" at night. I'd stay there with him (2 double futons in a room next to the office) for the camaraderie except I don't want to take showers with a camp shower between 2 sheets of plastic in a glass greenhouse(!) or walk 600' to use the sink or potty in the dark (next to garage of the main house). Primitive! He finally figured he had to use some hot water from the tea kettle for the camp shower cuz the sun and clouds didn't get the water hot enough. This is after slogging in the mud all day. Among a lot of other chores, he's renovated and expanded the chicken run. If it weren't muddy and sometimes raining, I wouldn't have minded helping him pound fence posts into the ground, string chicken wire, and re-roof the hen house. He could've used a hand. He (and the entire countryside) would've heard me when he found the 3 rats though.

Kangaroo Valley is supposed to be upscale, where celebrities might have their holiday homes. There are supposed to be shops in the village for tourists. My new place is an art gallery featuring Aboriginal art and a sculpture garden about 2 km from town. I'm supposed to maintain the garden. I 'm sure (hope) that I'm additional help! We'll see. I'm excited!

TTYL!

Cyn

How to Play Cricket: Too much info

G'day mate!

I was told that the proper way to say that was to say it without moving your lips.  LOL!  Anyway,  that's what players say when they meet to play Cricket!

There's a cricket field in tiny Cambewarra village.  There's the village shop/post office, a community (primary) school with 3 - 4 teachers, a church, and a tennis court.  That's it.  But there's a big nicely kept cricket field. Apparently the players don't all live near here.  They have to drive in.

A cricket match is played between 2 teams of 11 players.  Most of the action occurs on the pitch which is a strip in the middle of the field about 20 meters long.  On either end are 3 upright sticks/stumps topped by 2 sticks/bails called wickets behind which stands the wicketkeeper.  Batsmen with protective leg padding stand in front of the wickets.  The bowler throws the ball at one of the batsmen, the striker.  If the striker hits the ball, he runs, with the bat, towards the other wicket while his team mate runs towards his set.   If they both make it free and clear, they will have scored a run.  A batsman continues to bat until he is "dismissed" or out.  Ten of the 11 team mates bats before the side retires and the fielding team is up to bat.

The bat (about 1 meter long) consists of a flat blade (100 mm wide) with a cylindrical handle.  The ball is about 225 mm (9" circumference) of hard leather and cork and should weigh about 160 grams (5.5 ounces)  Batsmen and wicketkeepers wear pads to protect themselves from the ball which can be thrown at speeds up to 140 kmh (90 mph).  Only the keeper has gloves.

So those are the basics.  The very abbreviated basics.  There are a whole bunch of ways a batsman can be dismissed.  And a bowler only bowls 6 balls (an over) at a time.  Then another bowler takes over on the other end.  That's why there is a batsman on each end.  The fielders including the keeper and the umpires change ends each time.  Confused yet?

 So, how can the batsman  get dismissed?  The simplest way for us to understand is for a fly ball to be caught. Then there are ways involving the wicket.  One of the striker's primary goals is to prevent the ball from hitting the wicket.  If the bowled ball hits the wicket  and at least one of the bails falls off or if the batsman somehow knocks a bail off while at bat or after hitting the ball, or if he uses his legs to block the ball from hitting the wicket (as judged by the ump), the batsman is dismissed.  If the fielding team gets the ball to one of the wickets and tags it before the running batsman does, that's an out.  The batsman is also out if the wicketkeeper tags the wicket with the ball after the batsman has missed the bowled ball.  There are a bunch of other ways to get dismissed but they're less usual.

 Besides the 2 umps, there's usually a scorekeeper that keeps track of the overs ( 6 balls thrown by the bowler) and the runs.  I think the scorekeeper is kept pretty busy because up to 6 runs can be earned each time the ball is hit.  The batsmen have to touch the ground (crease) near the wicket with his body or the bat (the striker keeps the bat as he runs) to earn a run.  They can run as long as they think they can beat the ball back to a wicket and not get thrown out.   If the ball reaches the field boundary on a bounce, 4 runs are scored.  If the ball clears the boundary without touching the ground, 6 runs are scored.  The batsmen don't have to run for these points.

In Australia, a team's score is reported in terms of the number of batsmen that have been dismissed and  the number of runs scored. For example, if five batsmen are out and the team has scored 224 runs, they are said to have scored "five for 224" or 5/224. When 10 of the 11 members of the batting team is dismissed, their innings is over and the other team's innings begins.  Innings is singular and plural.  Depending on the type of match, each team might have one or two innings.  Other game lengths depend on the number of overs, weather, or time.

Players have to abide by Spirit of the Game.  The standard of sportsmanship has been so high that the phrase "it's just not cricket" is still used to describe any unfair or underhanded behavior. In the last few decades, cricket has become increasingly fast-paced and competitive.   Players are expected to abide by the umpires' rulings without argument and for the most part, they do.

It seems confusing and complicated to me.  Especially keeping track of the overs and the runs.  But the game's been widely played for a long time and there are lots of fanatics. I wouldn't mind actually watching and trying to understand the game.  At least once.

That's cricket!
Cyn

Update:  I've since watched several cricket games, including the Ashes Test matches.  What a shock I got when I saw the first ball bowled.  It bounced!!!  Nowhere on the several web sites where I researched about cricket did it mention that the ball could bounce!  I was wondering what the big deal was since American baseball features fast pitches too.  Ah.... Well, the fact that the ball can bounce changes the whole ball game.  Who knows where that ball will bounce.  That's the reason for the big pads on the batsmen's legs.  It's becoming more clear.  Well, as clear as it can be to an American novice.  Cheers!  Cyn

Cyn Down Under? Down Under Cyn?

G'day!
I know my blog name Aussie-Cyn is boring.  It was the best name I could think of that was politically correct.  My first thought was Cyn Down Under. Well ....  There could be problems with that name.   How about Down Under Cyn?   Yeah...    There could be even more problems with that.   LOL!!

What do you think?
Plain, safe, boring Aussie-Cyn

Kikuyu and water

Hey!

Pot holders I saw in Berry

I finally did some garden related work this week.   I had to supervise installation of 250 sq meters of turf over the new EcoMAX sewerage system.  I had arranged for the purchase, delivery and installation of the kikuyu grass 2 weeks ago.  (Too wet to cut until now - barely. Two days of no rain!)  I kept calling it "sod" which is what we call it in Cali. Although no one corrected me (with my obvious American accent), several  of the salespeople asked if I wanted to buy "turf".  I had forgotten; sod and sodding are cuss words for the Brit and I know now, the Aussies.   We also had problems with "kikuyu" which I pronounced "key koo yoo" and several people pronounced  differently, "kay kaw yo" or "kaw ke yoo" something like that.  At times, I thought maybe we were talking about 2 different grasses but how many warm season lawn grasses can there be that start with a K and end with a vowel?  LOL!

hose
mender/
connector

Then I had to make sure the turf was watered.  I had to connect 3 garden hoses together with a sprinkler head.   I could not even identify the connector from the bowlful of spare parts.  They are nothing like ours.  So easy to use!!  No screws or tools needed.  Don't have to worry about male/female.  Each side of the connector has a collar nut that you slide onto the hose.  Then you push the raw hose end (about 3/4") into the connector over the pronged/ridged gasket that holds the hose in place. Tighten the collar nut.  You're done!!  Makes hose repair so easy!!!  They also have click in hose connectors and nozzle/sprinkler heads. The click in is like the type for socket wrenches except instead of a square head, it's round or a ball.   Click in is so much easier to use.

click in
connector

click in/screw
adapter

 We have some available in America.  We should convert to that design.  (And maybe to metric like the rest of the world so parts would truly be universal.)  Hoses come in 12mm (standard for garden use) or 18mm.  We went to the irrigation store - field trip!  There is no connector that will connect different size hoses.  You can buy hose with hardware/nozzle on it or hose with the ends still crimped.  I didn't recognized any brands except Hunter.   Wide variety of water storage tanks are available in various sizes, colors, and shapes.

Rainwater catchment system at house

Each house in the village has a water storage tank. They also get water from Shoalhaven Water District pipes.  There is a regular sewerage system.  The "farm" takes water from the creek ($60/year to the Water District) and has several storage tanks, some underground.  That's it for water.  There are pumps and filters attached to the water tanks.  One summer, during the height of the drought, they had to buy jugs of water for the farm.  They also had to buy hay for the cattle, pre-ordered and at inflated prices.

Okay, back to gardening.  They tried to save the peaches from the birds.  But you have to totally enclosed the tree or branch or it doesn't work.   I know the theory, but I've never done this before.  Do you know how hard it is to take fine netting off a tree?  By yourself?  Well, I managed with a ladder and just a little cussing.   More LOL!   Then I wrapped another tree.  Much easier.  It should work.  The birds can't get in or under.  They can peck at the ones through the net but their toes might get tangled.

Gigantor ant!  Crikey!!!

I've been bitten.  I don't think by mosquitoes.  I think by flies.  I think they have thicker wings here.  They seem to make more noise.  Take a look at this ant.  Can you believe the jaws!  I don't want to get bit by that.  And there are cicadas.  They sound like very loud crickets.  Apparently, they have cicadas every year, some years with more than others.  Kids collect the empty cicada shells.  To do what with, I don't know.  I think they're gross.

A girl's dorm at Eva's Backpackers' Hostel

G'day!
Cyn

Nowra Wildlife Park, Part 2

Hi again!
More animals from the Nowra Wildlife Park!  To answer Candace's question...

This peacock keeps strutting his stuff!

What do kangaroos eat.  They are strict herbivores and eat mostly grass and fungi, although some species will eat shrubs.  Their teeth are specially adapted for chewing the abrasive silica in grass by falling out as they get worn with new teeth taking their place.  Kangaroos, even though their diet is similiar to that of cows, do not produce methane gas!  The hydrogen byproducts of fermentation is converted into acetate which is used as energy by the kangaroos.  Scientists are considering trying to transfer the bacteria into cows to reduce greenhouse gases!

What's the first thing you think about when you think about Australia?  Kangaroos.   Kangaroos are a national symbol of Australia.  But there are lots of them here (15 -50 million in the harvested areas) and the government has a harvesting plan for the 4 most common kangaroos and 2 wallabies.  The quotas are renewed every year and based on population size and trends and long term climate projections.  Kangaroos are like deer in America.  They are often hit by cars and signs warning about kangaroos are common.  Since a large male can be up to 2 metres (6 ' 7 ") tall and weigh up to 90 kg (200 lbs), they can do a lot of damage.

The EU and Russia are the largest importers of kangaroo meat which has a well-flavored, slightly gamey taste. Kangaroo meat contains very little saturated fat (2%?) and is high in protein, zinc and iron.  Other exports or products are skins and leather.  Kangaroo leather is very strong and lightweight.  Most international soccer shoes are made with it.

Kookaburra not sitting in the old gum tree

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.  Merry, merry king of the bush is he.  Laugh, kookaburra, laugh.  Gay your life must be.

Do you know that song?  Or do I just remember it cuz I'm fascinated with Australia?  Kookaburras are kingfishers and are best known for their call which sounds like loud, rather hysterical human laughter.  They are found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, but also in suburban and residential areas near running water and where food can be searched for easily.  I hear them regularly where I'm staying.  Maniacal! Kookaburras are carnivores eating lizards, snakes, insects, mice, other small birds, and raw meat.

Eddie, the alpha male dingo.  Yes, it was raining.

Did Meryl Streep's character kill her daughter? Or did a dingo really take the infant?  A Cry in the Dark was released in America and released as Evil Angels in Australia in 1988, 2 months after Lindy Chamberlain was pardoned.  Dingoes are related to dogs and wolves. The majority of dingoes are hybrids with domesticated dogs.  So purebred dingoes are classified as vulnerable (just under endangered).  They are Australia's largest terrestrial predator and are considered a pest by sheep ranchers.  These dingoes looked and acted like skinny dogs.  Apparently, they would be considered fat by wild dingoes. All of the dingoes here are from the same litter except the smallest one which is the pup of the dominant female and not subject to pack order.  Males constantly vie to be leader of the pack.  Defeated males go to the bottom and are mistreated by all members of the pack. They seemed to be very smart, can jump high and climb trees; two of them have escaped from the habitat multiple times despite improvements.

This is not John, the croc.  It's a cousin.

Oh yeah!  John the croc!  John is the Park's saltie.   Salt water crocodiles don't have to live in salt water.  They can live in brackish or even fresh water.  However, they are ectothermic, that is, they regulate body temperature mostly by exchanging heat with its surrounding and thus, like warm water and are found only in Australia's northern states.   Salties are the world's biggest reptile and can grow to 6 meters (20') long - yikes!  John is 3.6 meters (12'), about average.  Dawn, John's mate is 2.6 meters (8.6').  They are named after the founders of the Park.  Highly territorial (200 square meters), they are opportunistic eaters.  They like easy meat and usually sit in the water and wait for unsuspecting prey.  The black dots on their nose are vibration sensors which is why their prey can't see them.  They are usually only dangerous to humans who are foolish.  Crocs are fast, especially in water and potential prey should stay out of range. Female crocs are mature at 10-12 years while males take at least 16 years to mature.  Females lay 40-60 eggs on land and carry hatchlings to the water in her mouth.

What a cool looking bird! - Cassowary

I wanted to see koalas, kangaroos, and kookaburras.  I wanted to see a platypus and a dingo and a crocodile. These are the animals I think of when I think of Australia.  I saw all of these except the platypus.  I asked the owner, Nick, why he didn't have a platypus.  He said the cost of building and maintaining a decent habitat would be very high as would be the platypus' food bill.  He is getting 4 lions in June 2011 and the habitat and food costs for them are less than it would be for one platypus.  Besides, his patrons would rather have the lions.  I came to Australia to see Australian animals.  I'd rather see the platypus.  Ah, well. I did see other Australian animals I hadn't thought of.

Emu and cassowary are both indigenous to Australia and have similar structure.  Emu have black and white or brown and white feathers on its body while the cassowary's feathers are a lustrous black.  The primary difference is the coloration of the neck and head.  Emu skin is pale blue and the top of its head has patches of black downy feathers.  The cassowary skin is bright blue with orange wattles.  It has a hard crest on top of its head.  They are gorgeous but apparently very shy and bad tempered.  Guinea fowl also have the bony ridge on top of its head and color similar to that of the cassowary.  Its slate grey body feathers have round white dots on them.

Guinea hens

Wombats.  I thought wombats were a type of bat.  On my walks, I saw signs warning about what I thought was a wild piglike animal.  Well, it turns out they are for wombats, a nocturnal  marsupial with sandy brown or grey to black fur.  Wombats can get up to 1 meter (39 in) long and weigh 20 - 35 kg (44 - 77 lb).  The weirdest thing about wombats is that their pouch is backward facing so that dirt doesn't enter their pouch when they are digging their burrows.  They have been known to suffocate dogs that follow them into their burrows by crushing them against the side. I haven't seen a wild one yet although there is one that comes around the house.  We see its scat.

Wombat

I'm not all that into reptiles, but they were there and they are Australian.  So.... I have to admit that the Frilled Lizard is very cool, the Blue Tongue lizard's tongue really is really blue, and the Lace Goanna, a monitor lizard, is big (4') and creepy.  I saw that tiger snakes, the 4th most venomous snake in the world can look very different.  One was striped orange and white with a bluish background and light bluish white belly and the other was black with a green belly.  The water python with its beautiful irridescent skin is thought to be the rainbow serpent of aboriginal mythology.

Then there were the birds.  Lots of birds.  A variety of gorgeous Lorikeets, Parrots, Cockatoos (the GangGang male has a ridiculous red crest), Plovers, etc.  I  had a wonderful day and it was well worth the $16 admission/adult.  Now, if only I could see some of these animals in the wild.

HaHaHa HaHaHa HaHaHaHaHa Ha Ha Ha!!!

Rainbow Lorikeet - Gorgeous!

That's my imitation of a Kookaburra!
Cyn

PS:  The Shoalhaven Ski Park is right next to Nowra Animal Park.  I'm so used to thinking about snow skiing.  I wondered briefly how they could have skiing here!  Then I realized it was water skiing that was offered.  Duh!

Koalas! and Kangaroos!

G'day!

Hanging Rock - with cassowary and llama habitats at base

In my eagerness to see Australian animals, I went to the Nowra Wildlife Park.  The 16 acre park  is situated between the base of a cliff called Hanging Rock and the Shoalhaven River.  Many of the habitats use the cliff as at least one of their walls.  The park is small but had most of the animals I wanted to see.  They also featured shows so that we could learn more about some of the residents.

Tough, low nutrition gumtree leaves - yum!

Cute and cuddly  koala

My first stop was to see the koalas.  They are so cute and cuddly.  Actually, they really are!  I was able to get up close and pet several of them.  And smell one.  Their fur is supposed to smell citrusy and their armpits, like passionfruit.  Well, I stuck my nose into a koala's back and it smelled Eucalyptusy.  Not unpleasant and not strong.  I didn't smell his armpit though; I didn't want to get too familiar at our first meeting.

The kangaroos/humans are free to roam 

 Koalas have very strong arms; they can hang for hours by their rough, padded hands.  Speaking of hands, theirs have 2 thumbs opposed to 3 fingers on each.  And their feet only have 4 toes, all in a row.  Their big toe has a split claw for grooming.

Hopalong kanga

 Koalas are fussy about their food.  They primarily eat eucalyptus leaves.  But they are really fussy.  Out of about 800 species of Eucalypts, koalas only will eat 40-50 species, and usually only about 10 are preferred. Even in Australia, they only eat leaves from 1 - 2 species in any given region.


And they won't eat the leaves if the trees grow in a certain type of soil.  But there's a reason for that.  Eucalyptus have toxins in their leaves, are very fibrous and have low nutrition. Koalas' very slow metabolism makes them one of the very few animals that can digest the leaves.  Apparently trees that grow in less fertile soils have more toxins in them.  So being picky puts less of a load on their already overworked digestive system.   Each koala eats 200-500 grams (7 - 16 ounces) of Eucalyptus leaves per day. Their specialized diet is why koalas aren't found in many zoos.  They rest or sleep about 18 -20 hours a day.

Lazy and/or hot kangaroo

I visited the kangaroos.  Their habitat is bounded on one side by Hanging Rock cliff and on two sides by dense shrubbery.  The fourth side is the four foot high fence to keep the emu in their area.  Visitors have to pass through double gates on either end so that kangaroos can't leave with them.  We are able to go right up to the animals, although there are areas designated with small logs that are sanctuary areas.  These kangaroos were lazy.  Or maybe they were just hot, like me. (30*C, 86F, 70% humidity - yuck.)  Most of them were sprawled out  under trees and shrubs.

Albino common wallaby

When they do move, they can hop quickly, supposedly up to 70 kph although their normal speed is 20-25 kph (13-16 mph).   It's weird to see them move; they stand up on their tail and then hop onto their hind legs.  And they look dainty with the elbows tucked in and the wrists raised.   I also saw wallaroos, swamp wallabies, common wallabies and  2 albino wallabies.  Apparently, the main difference between kangaroos, walleroos and wallabies is size with kangas being the biggest and wallabies the smallest.

That's all for now.
Cyn

Swamp wallaby family

The Seasons

Hi Guys!

Sorry, but I have a question that I need to get out of my system.  The BBC describes the seasons:

Our wonky planet The central axis that goes through the poles is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees, so it's not at right angles to the way we're travelling. As we move around the Sun during the year, the amount of light each area of the planet receives varies in length. Here's a description of how the seasons change in the northern hemisphere. (If you live in the southern hemisphere, then you need to reverse the seasons).

As the Earth orbits the Sun it tilts on its axis

Summer The day the north pole is nearest the Sun is called the 'summer solstice'. (You can see this from the picture on the right). Looking from Earth, the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky all year. This means it takes the most amount of time to cross the sky. So this is the longest day of the year and happens around 21 June. Astronomers call this the start of summer and after this date, days start getting shorter. Autumn As we continue our journey around the Sun, the north pole moves away from the Sun. The Sun rises lower in the sky so the days continue getting shorter. When the Sun is at its mid-point in the sky, we reach the 'autumn equinox', around 22 September. Day and night are both 12 hours long and its the beginning of autumn. Winter The day when the north pole is furthest from the Sun is called the 'winter solstice'. The Sun crosses the sky at its lowest point all year. Therefore it crosses the sky in the quickest time so this is the shortest day of the year. Winter solstice happens around 22 December and marks the start of winter. From then on, the days start getting longer. Spring The Earth continues on its path, and our north pole starts moving towards the Sun again. The Sun moves upwards in our skies and the days continue getting longer. Again, we reach a midpoint when day and night are both 12 hours long. This is called the 'vernal (or spring) equinox' and happens around 21 March.

I understand how the dates of the equinoxes and solstices were determined and I'm okay with that.  But how about the season start dates?  We use different ways to define the seasons.  Take summer for instance.  If we define "summer" by its day lengths, wouldn't that make June 21 the middle of summer in the northern hemisphere? Shouldn't the longest day of the year be the middle of summer? What do you think about that?

What if we use another measure, say temperature.  Well, I've lived in Vermont, Utah, and California and I would have to say that the 3 warmest months in each of those states are July, August, and September. So I guess saying that June 21 is the first day of summer is acceptable if you're measuring the seasons by temperature.

If you are a gardener or farmer, when do you plant your crops?  If you go by average last frost dates, for many states, it's usually safe to plant your summer veggies during some time in May. The growing season is usually June, July, August, and September. Okay, I guess June 21 as the start of summer is good for growing too.

Why am I thinking about the seasons?  Well, the main reason is because I'm upside down.  I just left the Indian Summer of California and I'm headed into Summer Down Under.  The SF Bay Area is at 37.7* North latitude, Los Angeles at 34*, and Sydney is at 33.9* South latitude, Melbourne at 38*.  We both have Mediterranean like weather with dry summers and wet winters. (One of the reasons why I'm so into Australian plants.  They do so well in California!)  So I figured that the weather would be similar to that in Cali.  And so it might be.  I haven't been here long enough to see and people are telling me that the weather we've been having since I got here 3 weeks ago, is not typical.  All I know is, it's raining a lot and when the sun is shining, it's hot and humid (60%!  I really liked how dry it was in Utah.). And it's only November 14, "spring".  What's summer gonna be like?!

Let me know what you think!

Cyn

PS:  Australia is the only (?) country where the seasons start on the first of the month and not on the 21st or 22nd.  

PPS:  In the tropical northern parts of Australia, there are really only 2 seasons, the wet and the dry (May-November).