Just thought I’d share a picture of these two guys.
We rarely see Goldfinches in our garden, just maybe once or twice a year, and this is the first time I have managed to get a photo. The focus is a bit soft due to the effect of shooting through double glazing and being at full zoom.
On arriving at Kalbarri we managed to locate our accommodation, despite the best efforts of our sat-nav which was intent on sending us off-road again. We were also confused by the name of the motel. All of my paperwork from the booking referred to Kalbarri Reef Villas. On the same street we found Kalbarri Seafront Villas and immediately behind was Reef Villas. No mention of Kalbarri on their signage but a quick chat with the manager confirmed we were in the right place. So Reef Villas it was and we were soon checked in, car unloaded and ready to explore.
The beach was just five minutes walk from the motel.
Kalbarri is to be found at the mouth of the Murchison River where it joins the Indian Ocean.
Unfortunately, Gerry ricked her back on our first morning here. This meant that we had to curtail some of our exploring. So a tour of the gorges to see Natures Window & “Z” Bend was kicked into touch. The problem with these attractions is that they are only accessible along some sixteen kilometers of dirt road, not really conducive to reducing back pain.
As an alternative we decided to visit the numerous local ocean lookouts, all of which have paved roads right up to the car parks and also, in most cases, smooth pathways to the lookout. The following are a selection of the photo’s I took. I hope they give you a flavour of this area.
Some of the Aussies were really chuffed to see a car, with references to an English football team, sporting the Aussie flags.
While we were at the Blue Holes, a fellow Brit spotted the Pompey stickers and the rego plate. He was originally from Salisbury and knew all about our home area in Hampshire.
Every day pelicans are fed down on the Kalbarri foreshore. There is a seated arena for the early risers to use and children are invited to feed the pelicans. The couple that run the feed are very informative, with a touch of humour.
After touring the coastline, we returned to Kalbarri and found a site on the foreshore so that I could go fishing.
Although I did get a few bites, I didn’t manage to catch anything.
The fish weren’t the only things biting. There were crabs in the river who were taking a repeated interest in my feet. The canoeists were friendly and chatty, interested in how I was doing. I think they were also amused by how far out in the river I was.
Later the same day we were, again, down on the foreshore to watch the Australia Day fireworks.
During our all too brief stay in Kalbarri we were lucky enough to eat at the Black Rock Cafe. Here we had our evening meal on the day that we arrived. Good food and a table to watch the sunset. For our breakfasts, we visited Angies Cafe where they do a really tasty Bacon, Egg and Tomato Toasty as well as filling Tuna Patties (fish cake). Both establishments seem to be very popular.
Angies was our last stop in Kalbarri, before heading off to Jurien Bay.
Just wanted to put a shout out there for Greens of Wickham.
We had the pleasure of dining and relaxing in this establishment on Saturday. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The staff were friendly, attentive but not intrusive. And, most importantly, the food was superb.
Our choices from the menu were all from the Set Lunch Menu, well initially. By accident we selected one of each of the starters. “Soup of the moment” (I’ve forgotten wha it was), Warm Goats’ Cheese, Smoked salmon & crayfish tails (this looked spectacular) and Pressed ham hock terrine.
All agreed that the food was very tasty and there was ample for a starter, although some concern was voiced that there was too much goats cheese !! Didn’t see any left on the plate though.
For the mains our selections included a Steak pie (with a proper pastry top instead of the usual puff pastry shrapnel), Pork loin and I had the Hampshire ribeye which was beautifully cooked.
Nobody had room for a sweet which says it all really.
We had booked for 13:00 and were seated shortly thereafter. Given the current weather it was nice to be sat near an open log fire. And then it was 16:00 before we knew it. I had asked at the bar if we could have more coffee and was very politely informed that they were closed. Actually they had been closed since 15:00 but had not pressed us to leave. And we weren’t the only ones as there was another group of folks, at the far end of the restaurant, equally involved in their own socialising.
I cannot recommend this establishment highly enough. We will be back.
Barry Manilow Fans at the Ageas Bowl, West End, Hampshire, England
Fears over future of field at centre of three Hampshire villages – Portsmouth News.
The developers are out for one thing and one thing only, to line their own pockets and the sad thing is that our local planners are letting them get away with it. Taylor Wimpey are threatening to build 220 new homes on a beautiful piece of countryside just a short distance away from an existing development of 275 homes.
Lynn McIver, speaking for Taylor Wimpey, has said
‘We are confident that this scheme will provide an attractive and sustainable development of much-needed housing in the area, as well as delivering affordable housing for local people.’
Decimating our local heritage, our beautiful countryside is never “attractive”. Hampshire is being eroded, one plot, one field, one farm at a time. This is just the latest foray by the developers and if allowed to proceed will be a disaster.
A consultation is scheduled to be held in Clanfield Memorial Hall, South Lane, on March 7, from 2pm to 7.30pm.
Be there and make your voices heard.
See also http://wp.me/pVDP6-1WO
Weird cloud formations as seen over Queen Alexandra Hospital yesterday afternoon.
Update: Apparently this kind of formation is known as Mammatus, also known as mammatocumulus (meaning “mammary cloud” or “breast cloud”), is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. The name mammatus is derived from the Latin mamma (meaning “udder” or “breast”).
Sparrow – Manor Farm, Hampshire
Eagle Owl – Manor Farm, Hampshire
Peregrin Falcon – Manor Farm, Hampshire
WrAnTz 