Canberra, the capital of Australia, was created to appease the established cities of Melbourne and Sydney…..both of whom thought they should be the capital!
As a result Canberrans are lucky enough to live in a small manageable size city….. not too far away from big cities…and with two other holiday choices, the pretty South Coast beaches, and the Snowy Mountains, which is the highest Alpine Region in Australia.
In the summer time, Paul and I often come to Lake Crackenback, which is just outside Kosciuszko National Park, to enjoy the cooler mountain air, and to do some walking and see the alpine flowers.
Lake Crackenback has a Lodge and some self-contained apartments, and nearby the kangaroos are frequent visitors.
These kangaroos easily hop over fences to graze on the lawns, but will also hop away if you come too close.
We drove from Crackenback up to Charlotte’s Pass amidst flower-covered borders along the road….for me this is reminiscent of Scotland (where my father was born)
We took the walk from Charlotte’s Pass down to the head waters of the Snowy River seen below….Paul had ideas of walking up the path on the other side which goes to the Blue Lake…..but I thought we should quit while we were ahead!
These Alpine plants cope with harsh conditions during the winter….
and then create this patchwork of colour during summer..
Australia is the only country in the world where a single genus of tree, Eucalypt (commonly called gum trees), occurs from the desert to the mountains, to the sea.
The Snow-gum trees are very imposing, often looking dramatically twisted and stunted, and able to repair themselves from wind and snow damage.
The Silver Snow Daisy makes a lovely carpet of flowers beneath the Snow gums.
It is impossible to go past one of these trees without touching the silk-smooth trunk and branches.
The sign nearby says ”these grandfather trees are two or three hundred years old. Aboriginal tradition says that the spirits of the ancestral travellers live in these warraganj (old snow-gums)”
The water here is cool and clear…a lovely place to stop and take some photos..
Australia is such a dry country, water is always a delight to see..
Time to turn back….unfortunately what comes down……must go up….
However, the scenery along the way is worth it..
Meanwhile, at Lake Crackenback, the kangaroos are snoozing on the edge of the golf course…..amazing really..
and near our self-contained accomodation…we’ve interrupted a bit of grazing on the grass
Just as well we walked that day, the next morning the Scottish weather had rolled in… dramatic and beautiful in its own way…
Many thanks for dropping by to read about my place in the world, and I hope you are enjoying your own green spaces, city or country, where ever that may be….
Copyright: Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved
