The creek

This is a creek in Swansea, Tasmania.  Swansea is on the east coast, it goes to the sea and is a  popular area in summer for humans up towards the sea.

Sturt Desert Pea

Blooming time.  I just love these Sturt Desert Peas the native flower that grows wild in Western Australia and (few other place) where I took the photos a few years back.  They grow low on the ground somewhat like a runner, they certainly make the ground pretty.

In 1896 the HEAT

 Hearing how hot it is in many northern countries I remembered this article I read online a few years ago.

Sharing the link for those that wish to read it as it's interesting how the heat effected people in Australia way back in 1896.  Hundreds of people died in Australia. In North Dakota in 1936, 5 thousand people died when the temperature topped  48.89 deg C (120deg F) according to the Washington Post.

You can read it [ here ]

Apparently the heat waves occurred in Spain, Germany, England, America, India, Borneo and Burma too, just to name a few countries.  If you wish to read the articles make sure you scroll to the end of the page as there is a big space after the first bit of reading.

There have been hotter days since in many areas of this world since then so I believe.  In 2009 there was another heat wave in Australia which wasn't as hot apparently.

Photos are from the Internet.

Carlton Beach

Carlton Beach is 40km east of Hobart in Tasmania.  Every time I've been there it's been very windy, nearly blows the camera out of your hands.

The beach was given the name by a whaler in 1806.

Carlton has a good surf club and holds competitions as in a surfing carnival. The club was established in 1975, the first surf carnival being held in 1956.

The area of Carlton is both rural and urban.

Further update of the caravan - it's been sold :) photos below the first two of when the caravan was new back in May 2015.  It had a bathroom which included a separate shower, toilet, wash basin, washing machine and cupboards.

The Crocodile

We visited Litchfield National Park in 2015 in the Northern Territory. I did a post on it so copied what I wrote.  The purpose to show 3 photos of this area is that just a couple of days ago a man got scratched and bitten by a crocodile where people swim in what is known as Wangi Falls. There are several wire meshed areas to help keep the crocodiles out but unfortunately it had been raining rather heavy and the water had risen thus a crocodile got in.  

As you can see by the map at the bottom of the post we were a very long way from home.

Litchfield National Park, covering approximately 1500 km², is near the township of Batchelor, 100 km south-west of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Each year the park attracts over 260,000 visitors.  The park was established in 1986.

Aboriginal people have lived throughout the area for thousands of years. It is important to the Mak Mak Marranunggu (northern portion), Werat and Waray (southern portion) Aboriginal people whose Ancestral Spirits formed the landscape, plants and animals and are still present in the landscape today.

The day we went there it was 35degC, a lovely winter's day though rather warm.  The waterfalls are a welcome sight with many people taking advantage of the water to cool down.

The first photo is borrowed and the crocodile is 3.2 meters long, it will be relocated to another area I guess but I did read where a crocodile will be euthanised, so have no idea which article is true.

The remaining photos are mine taken back when we were there.

The Bay of Fires

This area of Tasmanian North East Coast is called 'Bay of Fires' which we visited in the summer, early autumn.

The Bay of Fires was named by English navigator Tobias Furneaux in 1773 when he saw fires burning along the coast, lit by Tasmanian Aboriginal people.  Aptly, the are of larapuna, which includes the Bay of Fries, is the setting for one of Tasmania's first Aboriginal tourism ventures.

The Bay of Fires is famous for its crystal-clear waters, white sandy beaches and beautiful vegetation. But it's the orange lichen-covered granite boulders that attract most visitors.  Those orange rocks in fact make the bay look like it's set on fire, especially during the sunset.

We visited the Bay of Fires mid afternoon so the sun was a bit harsh.

                             

Smithton and the Duck River

I thought we would venture to another area of Tasmania and away from the sea, but somehow the river is not far from the sea.

We stayed at the Smithton Caravan Park and it was a lovely stay back in March of this year.  The caravan park is next to the Duck River in the town of Smithton on the North West Coast.   

The photos are of the river when the tide is out, then when the tide is in as the river goes to the sea.

Part of the caravan park looking from the river, our caravan is the 3rd in the distance.

My husband had an accident in the caravan on that trip - he dropped all the ice cream cones and that's the mess..lol.

Swimcart Beach

In the St. Helens area is Swimcart Beach on the east coast of Tasmania which is lovely, many people camp there in the summer, I'm told it's very hard to get a place to park the caravan or pitch a tent.  There are toilets there and as far as I'm aware it's all free.

I've included a photo of the Australian bush which is opposite one of the scenic views along the road.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) says Irma, her website is [ here ] and well worth the visit as Irma takes such beautiful photos.  This is the bird that visited us at the St. Helens Caravan Park.