Photo Friday: Silence

The topic for this week's Photo Friday is Silence.

One of the fascinations for such a topic is how does one grab the feeling visually. When I think of silence, one of the images which comes to mind is something from an old British black and white movie which has a pea-soup fog and the echo-ing sound of footsteps.

It seems to me that such a thick, thick fog provides a blanket or wall of silence against which sound echoes.

Here in Melbourne, we can experience thick fogs - especially in or close to the mountains. Upper Gully is in the foothills of The Dandenongs which are thick with temperate rainforest. The further up the hills you go - on some days - the thicker the fog. My picture was taken early one July morning at the Upper Gully railway station: an early morning blanket of silence which could echo with the footsteps of each new arrival to the platform to wait for the train.

Kath and Kim: tunnelling through

It is nearly ready! Melbourne's latest Freeway - the Mitcham to Frankston or the Scoresby as it is often known. It is only ten minutes from Upper Gully and Miss Eagle will probably love its convenience. Shame on me - as I remember the beautiful farmland it subsumed - including a place with miniature ponies.

Now they are asking us to name the twin tunnels of the project.

Herself can be a clever drawers at times and - as soon as she heard the announcement - she had the names: Kath and Kim.

I don't think the names are worth entering because you see, dear Reader, there are guidelines. And, after a read of those, it seems that Kath and Kim may not cut the mustard.

But that, dear Reader, should not really matter. The tunnels can have a flash, guide-line meeting name for the toffs. But for the rest of us we know that, just as at Fountain Gate in south-east Melbourne, Kath and Kim are stars so their names can become through common and widespread usage the names for the stars of convenience in private transport in south-east Melbourne.

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Off to Mallacoota

Orbost was my first stop en route to Mallacoota after leaving Red Bluff. This is a beautiful little country town on the Snowy River and the gateway to all that Snowy River country offers. The real estate prices are modest and the main street is well maintained and looks prosperous. Three real estate agents in town indicate optimism. Is this a town about to take off? Off again, with a pit-stop at Cann River. The General Store was busy, busy. Running out of coins, already out of bread rolls and using bread for the burgers, and unable to take specific orders only selling ready made food. On the main coastal highway from Sydney to Melbourne what else could be expected at this time of year. Then on to Mallacoota.

Detoured into Gipsy Point and made a note that the Gipsy Point Lodge looked worth the trip on a return visit sometime. Karbeethong Drive at Mallacoota, which is clearly the domain of the well-heeled, is quite attractive. The views are wonderful and reminiscent of the Hawkesbury in NSW. Then on into the town centre. The main camping site was packed with dome tent upon caravan upon marquee. Masses of people. How did they all manage showers and toilets with crowds like this? I imagined the noise at night once all the kids came home to roost. I had spent two marvellous nights without this lack of privacy and decided this was not my cup of tea. I beat it out of there. Mallacoota is far too crowded at this time of year. Clearly, most people love this. Any return to Mallcoota by me will be when school's in.

Red Bluff

Unfortunately, this is not me.
This is to let you know something of what the surf is like at Red Bluff, Lake Tyers.
This is where I camped on my second night away.
Camping may not have been allowed there - but I didn't see any signs banning it.
There I was in splendid isolation atop the Red Bluff cliffs
with the Bass Strait rollers sounding in my ears.
This is a beautiful site maintained with the assistance of boardriders.
Down the track to the beach are memorials to two boardriders who lost their lives in the surf here.
The waves were feirce when I arrived in late afternoon/early evening
after a day of galeforce winds.
I was not surprised that such mighty forces might have taken young lives.
Again, I didn't get to swim but I paddled at the water's edge just to get wet.
The next morning the water was quiet by comparison.
First came the recreational fishers, then came the board riders
and human life at one of Victoria's best surf beaches was underway.

Lakes Entrance

After Loch Sport, it was off to Lakes Entrance - beautiful, magical Lakes Entrance.

In the afternoon, I was off to Metung - trendiness by the Lake.

I went cruising on Lake King in The Director.

A big thank you to Adrian and crew for their helpfulness

and for the informative trip.

It was a delight.

It is also value for money. It was the cheapest cruise on offer at the Visitor's Centre.

The price included nibblies and a complementary champagne or beer.

We walked from lake's edge up and over the dunes to The 90 Mile Beach and Bass Strait

absorbing, with the help of Adrian, the history of the place.

A wonderful day!

Loch Sport

Got off early on Tuesday morning. Gale force winds off Bass Strait and being cold were not conducive to a leisurely outdoor breakfast. Got in the car out of the wind where I could be warm and was off to Loch Sport. Loch Sport is situated on a sort of isthmus between Lake Reeve (a dry salt pan) and Lake Victoria a beautiful boat-strewn water sports heaven. It is a lovely place with some beautiful homes. The picture above was taken from The Causeway between Loch Sport and The 90 Mile Beach. There were thousands of little birds eating away in the shallows. Someone might like to tell me what sort of birds they are?

Bass Strait

The rollers come in from Bass Strait at Paradise Beach.
Paradise Beach (otherwise known as Letts Beach) is part of The 90 Mile Beach.
I camped here the first night.
Parks Victoria has a campsite here.
The site is very simple. There are toilets and tables in a shelter.
There is no water view because the ocean front is lined with melaleuca
to a depth of about 50 metres. Needful to avoid erosion.
There would have been about 20 people camped there.

I awoke in the morning to gale force winds
which prevented me from entering the water while taking note of the warning above

Wild Life

This sign is on the road between Longford and The 90 Mile Beach.
On my journey, neither a roo nor a wombat to be seen

Meself to Mallacoota

On 2 January in the afternoon, I took off for a camping trip I had been planning a while. Just a few days to explore parts of country Victoria that I had not seen. (Only been in Vic 16 months.) I have a Mitsubishi station wagon and I planned to camp in this - because I enjoy camping and also to cut down on motel bills. I have a single rubber mattrress covered in plastic - obtained from someone's footpath before the Hard Waste Collection. You can see my bed made up in the wagon complete with a pair of pillows in vintage embroidered pillowcases with crocheted edges. How the genteel shabby chic elder lady goes camping :-) LOL!

Of course, who gets in the car every chance he can get - none other than FootFoot! He esconced himself there while I finished the rest of the packing. He could tell he wasn't going - but the look in his eyes!

More to follow............