Sunrayasia...Mildura...Monday Afternoon...

After spending the morning indoors on the Monday I headed over the river to the NSW side and spent the afternoon outdoors...at the Inland Botanical Gardens...

There is a "rule" that a copy of the gardens map is obtained from the coffee shop before taking the one-way self-drive tour (I hadn't seen the sign so luckily the ladies in the coffee shop put me right when I went in for sustenance first off)...the gardens are large at 124 acres with parking spots so area can be explored along the way.

I walked around the Nature Trail Walk (1) and the Mallee Flora area (2) and Sturt Desert Pea Display (4) before hopping back in the car and heading onto the park circuit...I was ridiculously excited to see flowering Sturt's Desert Peas...

It was quite a warm (OK veering mighty close to hot) day and I was starting to get a bit tired so once back in the car didn't get out in all the areas...

There was one big foray out of the car...I parked near the Rare Fish Habitat and found this fellow by the ponds...

The point of the walk in was to find the WOW Tree...a 2,500 year old mallee tree!...

...while this particular tree (Eucalyptus oleosa) is estimated at 2,500 years old it's oldest stem is estimated at 700 years old...the tree will have withstood many many fires and regrowth of its aboveground stems from its 2,500 year old lignotuber...all the generations that would have benefited from this one tree!...

 

After a few hours I'd barely touched the surface of these gardens! On Saturdays at a particular time there is a tractor train ride guided tour...something to remember for another time...

Happy Stitching

Sunraysia...Mildura...Monday Morning...

On the Monday morning I waved goodbye to Jo and Tony (world's best hosts) and set off to play tourist around Mildura.  I had no idea what I was going to do or even if I was going to spend the whole day or set out back south...mmm...first thought was the Arts Centre...but it was too early so I went for a bit of walk around Mildura Station Homestead, the buildings weren't yet opened but I peeked in a window or two and that was good enough, it filled in the time to go for a wander around the site until the Arts Centre opened. The Arts Centre site includes the gallery space, Rio Vista and in the grounds a sculpture park.

I started with coffee and a scone in the cafe then I took a look at the exhibition in the gallery space which is on two levels...the exhibition was "Botanic", a variety of media and styles inspired by flora and botany.  Of course no photos were allowed of the exhibition but it was worth the look...

On into Rio Vista...I sat and watched the "on loop" documentary that was playing in one of the rooms which was interesting and included interviews with local family members of the Chaffey brothers, including (now deceased) grandchildren who actually remembered that generation, and I wandered at will through the lovely old house...a selection of the leadlight...

beautiful tiles...of course there are "oh that would make a nice patchwork" moments whenever I see lovely tiles...these ones are a fireplace hearth...

looking down the stairs to the front door...

the entry way tiles...looking down from the landing...nothing plain or simple about the tiling in this house...

and...of course the essential item in any well appointed home...

This short vimeo takes a walk through the house...the wallpapers...even on ceilings!...

That filled in the morning...

Happy Stitching...

Sunrayasia...The Mighty Murray River...

Back in Red Cliffs for the quilt show I took a wee detour out to the Red Cliffs Lookout.  At dinner at the Club the night before there was a photo on the wall behind our table of the cliffs, which raised the observation of "so there are red cliffs in Red Cliffs?" It's only a few kilometres out to the Red Cliffs Scenic Reserve with a short flat walking track to the river and lookout platform.  

For the non-Aussies, that's New South Wales on the other side...the Murray River forms the Victoria/New South Wales border.

Lots of spring flora as well in the Reserve...

Sunday night Jo and her family had a dinner to go to, so I got take-away for tea, went down to the river...and watched the sun go down...

 

The Mighty Murray...I think it might just be my favourite river, no matter which part and it is a very long river...I drove over the bridge Sunday night to the NSW side and back before I ate tea...just because I could...

Happy Stitching...

Sunrayasia...Out to Werrimull...

(*warning lots of photos)There was some playing tourist when I visited Jo for the Mildura Quilt Show...Sunday morning, before heading to Red Cliffs for the show, I ventured out to Werrimull...a small town in the Millewa west of Mildura to see the painted field bins (only about 65 kms/45 minutes so an easy trip out and back to Red Cliffs to the show)...coming in to town I found something else to stop for first...the local war memorial...

 

The poppies are permanent - they are ceramic and each one is different from the next exactly as in nature...just beautiful...behind is the Pioneer Plantation, the trees have plaques with the names of early settlers and their families, kind of like a variation on the theme of an Avenue of Honour but not lining a road, a really lovely way to honour the local community...

Lots of happy yellow flowering gums in the district...

In town, opposite the pub, the recreation oval has been developed by the local school students into the Mandala: Trail of Discovery and the painted field bins are in the front area of the reserve...they all look fantastic with the focus of local fauna and flora...

The budgie is my favourite...

 

I didn't have time (or wearing the right footwear - it was a warm day, sandals and the bush are not a good combo in potential snake territory!) so I didn't walk the trail...and anyway I was keen to get back to Red Cliffs for the show.

Happy Stitching...