Beautiful day for a peaceful bushwalk.

[Goldfields]

I decided to pop down to the Grampians National Park today just for a short bushwalk. Of course the minute I started taking photo's of the kangaroos I got the Change the batteries message , and no charged batteries with me, but I managed to squeeze a little bit more life out of the oldies. There was quite a good number of emus but I'd have to have gone accross a wide open part to get close enough to take shots of them, and that would either have spooked them, or if they'd tamed down because of tourists they may have decided to investigate me. Don't mind admitting I'm wary of a beak that size.

A girlfriend up the road will go with me next time I think, she had to take her GSD puppy to obedience today though. I'll charge the batteries and hope for some koala photo's too.

[hazelrunpack]

Pretty cool, GF! I can't imagine taking a walk and meeting up with kangaroos. I have to say, though, that we've had an emu strolling the township before--there was an emu farm not too far from here and an escapee took a liking to a local resident. He still gets kidded about it--they call him Capt Emu.

And it's not the bills you have to worry about--most of the big flightless birds are great kickers

Koalas would be

[Goldfields]

I had to go out to Lake Bellfield just to rejoice in seeing how full it is now. During the drought it got very low. The second photo is just one taken from the deck at the Brambuk Cultural Centre(managed by local aboriginals), where I sat for a while over a capuccino in the sun. What a wonderful place for them to work. The building is beautifully designed to blend into the surroundings.

[Goldfields]

Yeah, those emus test you with the beak before they kick you to death, Hazel. LOL. I wasn't going to get up close and personal with the roos either, some were taller than me and they can rip you up well and truly if they get stroppy.
First photo, just some Australiana.
On my way home I visited an alpaca farm just on a whim, I know better than to approach our friend Rowan with my questions as he always has baby alpacas and would talk me into one. This guy leases/rents out herd guards though and is not selling anything, he wants to build up his numbers. I included the photo of the black blob because anyone with a black dog will understand how hard it is to get a decent photo of anything black.

I'll go back down there soon with my friend and do some bird watching. Unfortunately 80% of the park remains closed after the devastating floods back in January, there was a lot of damage including a 3klm landslip at Mt Abrupt, which I'm told might be a world record for a slip.

[erykah1310]

Amazing...
I'm moving down there

So beautiful, I wish you would post more nature shots and wildlife. Austrailia is one of my top 5 place I will visit in my lifetime

[chico2]

GF,great pictures,love the Alpacas

[hazelrunpack]

Beautiful country! I love those alpacas, too! Even the black blobby one.

[Goldfields]

Originally Posted by erykah1310

Amazing...
I'm moving down there

So beautiful, I wish you would post more nature shots and wildlife. Austrailia is one of my top 5 place I will visit in my lifetime

Ill post some more for you after my next trip, Erykah. I often see something as I am driving, absolutely beautiful big gums, maybe a shearing shed, maybe just colours that are so, so Australian and think I should start snapping ....if only I could lift my foot off the accelerator. LOL. But you know, your own country is magnificent and I like seeing photo's from there too, people tend to be so used to what they have they can lose sight of how special it is.
That black blob - darn shame it wasn't clear - it was having a bad hair day. They hadn't shorn anything off the head.

[Goldfields]

I tend to do funny things like waylay farmers so I can take a photo of their kelpies. This black and tan dog had big splayed feet but by golly he was a fast worker. He'd paid a lot of money for him. Sad to say the owner died not that long after I spoke to him, fell from his sheep truck crate while loading or unloading sheep.