Wetland sanctuary
Jan. 1st, 2014 06:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calissaThe first day of 2014 is already drawing to a close and I'm a little bit glad. Yesterday Sahaquiel came down with the same cold that I caught and we didn't get much sleep last night. A number of neighbours in the area were letting off illegal fireworks which sent our dog Hannah into a terrible panic. She is fearless about many things but thunder and fireworks are her Achilles heel.
It was a slow start to the morning. We exchanged presents and eventually decided that we were feeling well enough to go out to Tidbinbilla National Park, as we had planned. So we dropped the dogs off with Sahaquiel's parents and headed out to the park. It didn't take us long--we're closer to the park than we are to the city centre.
Once we arrived at the visitor centre, Sahaquiel surprised me by buying an annual pass. "We should come out more often," he said. I couldn't but agree.
This year I made an effort to overcome my self-consciousness and tried to take more photos.
A granite outcropping by the entrance to the Wetland sanctuary. It's pretty typical for the area.
The sanctuary is beautifully put together and has these quotes scattered all over the place.
We stopped at the platypus pond first, but didn't see any sign of one this year.
Below is the platypus pond in profile.
Nearby was the brolga enclosure and for the first time I saw a ranger setting out food. My poor iPhone was able to get only the blurriest of shots, even with my fancy lenses.
Brolgas were once common in the area but became extinct. This was partly because they were considered a pest and hunted but also due to loss of habitat when the local creeks were converted into concrete channels to promote urbanisation.
A view of part of the wetland. If you look carefully, you can see an ibis sitting in the dead branches of the tree in the top right corner.
There were quite a number of wildflowers in bloom, including this hyacinth orchid (Dipodeum roseum).
Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Not entirely sure what these others were.
We didn't stay as long as we would have liked but we had made the foolish decision not to pack lunch. However, we both agreed that we would head back again soon.
It was a slow start to the morning. We exchanged presents and eventually decided that we were feeling well enough to go out to Tidbinbilla National Park, as we had planned. So we dropped the dogs off with Sahaquiel's parents and headed out to the park. It didn't take us long--we're closer to the park than we are to the city centre.
Once we arrived at the visitor centre, Sahaquiel surprised me by buying an annual pass. "We should come out more often," he said. I couldn't but agree.
This year I made an effort to overcome my self-consciousness and tried to take more photos.
A granite outcropping by the entrance to the Wetland sanctuary. It's pretty typical for the area.
The sanctuary is beautifully put together and has these quotes scattered all over the place.
We stopped at the platypus pond first, but didn't see any sign of one this year.
Below is the platypus pond in profile.
Nearby was the brolga enclosure and for the first time I saw a ranger setting out food. My poor iPhone was able to get only the blurriest of shots, even with my fancy lenses.
Brolgas were once common in the area but became extinct. This was partly because they were considered a pest and hunted but also due to loss of habitat when the local creeks were converted into concrete channels to promote urbanisation.
A view of part of the wetland. If you look carefully, you can see an ibis sitting in the dead branches of the tree in the top right corner.
There were quite a number of wildflowers in bloom, including this hyacinth orchid (Dipodeum roseum).
Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Not entirely sure what these others were.
We didn't stay as long as we would have liked but we had made the foolish decision not to pack lunch. However, we both agreed that we would head back again soon.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 10:50 am (UTC)The pond wall really confused me for a moment because the perspective looks like the water comes right up and just stops, like a cross-section, and then you put 'in profile', too...
May you feel better and park often!
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 11:54 pm (UTC)Speaking of which, the platypus pond does look a bit strange, doesn't it?
Thank you! I certainly intend to... and I imagine there will be more photos when I do.
I also recently discovered that one of the nearby hills (there are lots of nature reserves in my city) is known for its diversity of flowers and has some sites of significance relating to Indigenous Australians. I'm going to have to do some exploring.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 11:56 pm (UTC)I shall definitely be going back soon and taking more photos. I'm glad you liked them; it makes me happy to share this amazing world with friends who appreciate it.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 04:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 11:58 pm (UTC)And thank you. I am feeling almost back to normal now.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 06:05 pm (UTC)Beautiful photos. It looks like a wonderful park and I would love to visit some day. One of these years I'm going to take a trip to the Southern Hemisphere and visit all the awesome people I know down there...
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 11:59 pm (UTC)If you ever make it down this way, let me know. It would be my delight to show you around :)
no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 10:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-02 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-02 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-02 12:52 am (UTC)