Can the centre of government be fifteen minutes walk away from this bay?
I often think our grandchildren will hardly be able to comprehend this innocent time when Parliament House is surrounded by quiet suburbs like Yarralumla, where people walk dogs, ride bikes, and play golf.
Yarralumla is named after the Indigenous people’s term for the area, and means ”echo”.
Yarralumla has lovely walking tracks with views of the Governor General’s residence.
This is a working property where heads of state, and royalty visit, and many events are hosted during the year.
Despite the grandeur, one of the challenges of the Governor General’s House and garden is the ongoing problem of the resident cockatoos and kangaroos….
These kangaroos are having a charmed life near the entrance to the Governor General’s House with all the lush greenery around …meanwhile a strange sounding hooter is attempting to frighten away the cockatoos from the main gardens….although I imagine it would take more than a hooter to frighten a determined cockatoo.
Walter Burley Griffin, the talented architect from Chicago who designed this garden city, could not have imagined that kangaroos and cockatoos could be such a problem in the future!
Along the walking track at Yarralumla is the Royal Golf Club. A few years ago, this photo below made headlines in many parts of the world……
Australian Open Interrupted by Kangaroos
In 2013 golfer Karrie Webb waits for the kangaroos to clear the fairway during the Australian Open….
I believe someone kindly lifted some fencing for this mob to jump out of the limelight!
Meanwhile on this spring day in Yarralumla…
Amongst the great variety of trees we saw many birds feeding..
The young Australian King Parrots almost disappearing into the oak leaves…
The adults are watching over them from above….
Crimson rosellas feasting on spring flowers..
We pass the Heritage Nursery…this is a place where plants just leap out to be bought, but today I’m going to show restraint with plants (and chocolate!)
…..and to end a lovely day’s walk.. here is a view of Telstra Tower on Black Mountain..
This tower is disliked by many, but for me…and I know for others, when we are travelling back to Canberra after a long car trip…the sight of the Telstra Tower silhouetted against the sky means we are nearly home..
and there is no place like home….
I hope this is true for you too.
Enjoy your home and green spaces where ever you are in the world…
