liresius | Entries tagged with australia

I had a wonderful trip to Australia - 8 days and I rented a car for 4 days, so I did a lot of traveling around early each day before checking in with my students after they had finished lessons at the University of Western Australia each afternoon. There was a bit of rain on some days, but generally it was glorious weather and such amazing blue skies!

I also saw my son a lot, met his girlfriend and caught up with his flatmate Paul for the 2nd time. We had some good times. I had dinner with an ex-colleague from Japan - we had re-connected when they came to Japan last winter and we went skiing together then. I also did my clothes shopping early and on the last couple of days of the trip, so I had lots of time in between for travel.

One major trip involved a 2 hour drive to a National Park north of Perth, colloquially known as the Pinnacles (in Nambung NP). It is basically desert country but the wildflowers were all around and I saw some galahs and even an emu (although I didn't manage to catch a pic of the latter).

Here is a flikr photostream of just a few of my pics of the Nambung / Pinnacles day trip.

Nambung and the Pinnacles

The Wielangta Forest case
I know, there's a million worthy causes out there - but I'd hate to see such a wonderful champion for the environment lose his senate seat for fighting, and winning then losing in the Federal court in this case, to save forests and endangered species.

ETA: The funds have been raised!

Current Location: planet earth

The Wielangta Forest case
I know, there's a million worthy causes out there - but I'd hate to see such a wonderful champion for the environment lose his senate seat for fighting, and winning and then losing in the Federal Court, in this case, to save forests and endangered species.

Current Location: planet earth

The Chaser ... in fine form

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: where else?
Current Music: AM

Heh! You must be sick to death of me bleating on about Sammy the Koala by now! Anyway, I wanted to collect together some vids of her and David Tree and other relevant animals & people for posterity. There's repeat footage in them (Sorry!), but all the clips under the cut have something a bit different. Poor David isn't used to the limelight and he stumbles a bit and gets things wrong, but he's a real dear, and it's lovely seeing him trying to give credit to the other deserving volunteer workers. You can read what he says about the timing of the footage, the international attention and how much he is out of his comfort zone here.

( read more )
Article: Firefighter recognised for aiding koala

Portrait Shot and Burned koala paw (not Sam's)
It looks like Sam has been posed for this shot! Her legs and paws are in a different position to the other pic like this. I was really interested to read somewhere that the Strezlecki Range koalas are much fluffier, (long-furred) and rarer than other more common varieties of Eastern Seaboard Koalas. She's very pretty in this shot, isn't she?

( 6 clips under here )

Current Mood: pensive
Current Location: far from the sapphire-misted mountains

Snippets of news ... mashed from NZ Herald AP and newser

Caretaker Lynn Raymond said Thursday, "Bob is her protector - as soon as she is moved, he's on the move, too. It really looks like he's making sure she's OK. They're good company for each other."

Neither koala is likely to be healthy enough for release for at least four months, and are being comforted by caretakers who salve their scorched paws every few hours.

Both Sam and Bob were given painkillers when they first arrived, but they're off the drugs now, Raymond said. The two are still receiving antibiotics and have their bandages changed regularly to stave off infections.

The koalas are likely to be in the shelter at least four months, depending on how quickly their burns heal, Raymond said. For now, though, the famously thirsty marsupial appears to be on the mend.

"I'm just looking at Sam now - she is fast asleep," Raymond said. "She's doing very, very well."

( more ... )

( Vid of Sam in pink booties and Carer ) or you can watch it in better quality Here on news.com.au And just to take the focus from Sam and show that the awful hurt is not restricted to cute koalas, there's another vid interviewing a vet at work taking care of other burnt animals. Warning: It may distress some people, although it's nothing too graphic.

There's also a gallery of Sam and Bob pics here but I've posted the newer ones I haven't previously posted behind the cut.

( Gallery pics )

Current Mood: lazy
Current Location: far from the sapphire-misted mountains
Current Music: Underbelly

Thank you so much to

vida_boheme for the link. You rock! You can watch the whole heart-warming event in action ...

ETA: I'm re-posting the various links for donations to the bushfire victims, both human and bush babies here. It appears the CFA itself is not set up for electronic international donations unless you have an Australian bank account but they direct you to the Red Cross, as well.

The Australian Red Cross's Victorian Bushfires Appeal is probably the best place, if you have a credit card and can afford it. Also, the forms are internationally friendly.

Another alternative is The Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation Bushfire Appeal 2009, which will go to a range of charities helping the victims directly on site.

And for any touched by the plight of the animals there's Wildlife Victoria. Thanks to

ancientcitadel for the link.

Lastly, the Herald Sun have realised they could generate money out of this photo and are offering 5x7 copies for $20 per copy here. All proceeds go to the The CFA apparently.

And for an update on Sam the Koala's condition ...

( pics and info ... )

Current Mood: relieved

Last entry for the night ... I promise!

Paul Kelly and the Michael Gudinski-led Frontier Touring Company have joined forces with Leonard Cohen and AEGLive UK to donate $200,000 to victims of the Victorian bushfires.

What a dear, dear man! And of course Paul Kelly and the tour company! Apparently, he gave some message to that effect that his thoughts were with the victims, at the concert in Melbourne tonight.

I was so jealous of my Mum - she saw him in Brisbane last week! And I'm the one who turned her on to him!

Current Mood: envious

I've noticed some poetry posts of late and what with the fires in Australia, this one was brought to mind. It's not the most sophisticated structurally speaking, but I still love it for how it speaks to me and mirrors what I feel about Australia. *sniffles*

My Country
© 1904 Dorothea MacKellar

The love of field and coppice, of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance, brown streams and soft, dim skies-
I know but cannot share it, my love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror- the wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests, all tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains, the hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops, and ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us we see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather, and we can bless again
The drumming of an army, the steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks, watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness that thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country, a wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her, you will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours, wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country my homing thoughts will fly.

Thanks to

ancientcitadel for the link! *hugs*

Current Mood: homesick
Current Location: far from the sapphire-misted mountains

I haven't done anything at home for the last 4 days. I've just been following the news on the fires. It's times like these I feel I should be back in Australia. I feel so terribly for the people who have lost loved ones and property. My thoughts are with you all.

I collected together some photos images of the bushfires in Victoria and NSW. They are all over the Net but I wanted to put them in one place, because I'll never find them later.

My friend L, who just flew back to Victoria for the spring break is ok. I rang her this morning and she said the fires stopped about 15 km north of her.

It's all been emotionally devastating and I keep tearing up.

ETA: Anyone wanting to make a donation I think The Australian Red Cross's Victorian Bushfires Appeal is probably the best place, if you have a credit card and can afford it. Also, the forms are internationally friendly.

Another alternative is The Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation Bushfire Appeal 2009, which will go to a range of charities helping the victims directly on site.

And for any touched by the plight of the animals there's Wildlife Victoria. Thanks to

ancientcitadel for the link.

( her beauty and her terror )

Current Mood: sympathetic
Current Location: where I don't want to be
Current Music: ABC radio ~ PM

I've updated my Profile Page with the few banners I've ever received. Yes, I know, a paltry number, but I'm rather proud of them anyways!

And you should get a load of this! Ah, Nature!

You are what you eat

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Location: 'ome
Current Music: Verbatim

For the Aussies on the f-list, or if you have any political background on Aus. politics, you can catch the amusing The 2008 Wharf Revue: Waiting for Garnaut here on the ABC site. I don't think the audio will be up for long now. Alternatively, I upped it here on Megaupload.

Warning: Strong, coarse language, including expletives and just generally iconoclastic in the as per usual, fine Australian tradition! You'll recognise a lot of the songs used.

Apropos of nothing: I have graded all 20 students at one university, 120 out of 160 at another university and am still teaching at the last one (2 weeks to go there). The sorta holidays will start then, but I'll be doing stuff for the last university both on campus and at home, as the full time job starts officially in April.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: The Wharf Revue

Nicked from

ancientcitadel ... ( Australian Meme )

Current Mood: awake

The place that I grew up (The Gap, in Brisbane) has been devastated by a terrifying 5 hour storm. My brother is currently without power, but has a gas stove so they can boil water, although apparently the roof of the water reservoir has collapsed in on the water so it may not be safe to drink. He should be okay in his imitation Tuscany house though, despite the carpets being soaked. Others were not so lucky with roofs being ripped off or being smashed by fallen gum trees.

Brisbane declared natural disaster zone in storm's wake

Pair of Japanese mangoes fetches $2,000

A pair of Japanese mangoes known as "Eggs of the Sun" for their fiery colour and juicy flesh have hatched a sweet deal for their owner, fetching a record $2,150 dollars at auction.

The mangoes, produced in southern Miyazaki Prefecture, were sold for 200,000 yen in the season's first auction, an official at fruit wholesaler Tokyo Seika said. The buyer's identity was not disclosed.

The price far surpassed the previous Japanese record of 38,000 yen ($406) bid last year for a similar pair.

Products from the Miyazaki region have become popular following frequent appearances on television by comedian turned local governor Hideo Higashikokubaru, who has actively promoted local specialities.

Visitors to Japan are frequently surprised by the high price of fruit, which is often given as a seasonal gift. Last year, a pair of melons fetched a record two million yen ($20,000 dollars) at auction.

Yeah I think I pay $2 max for a mango here, but they're usually pale substitutes from the Philipines. I MISS Australian Bowens and Ox heart mangoes from the far North :(

Current Mood: homesick for mangoes
Current Location: By the window in the rain
Current Music: Because

Well, I've decided to move to Nagoya. It's more expensive, but I'm sick to death of this dive I'm living in. Sure the rent is great, but I sooo badly need a change to lift my spirits. Tho, the main reason for moving is to cut down on the commuting time. I'm just getting totally worn down by it. Seven years is enough. The only bad thing about the decision is that as soon as I decide to move I finally get some work in this city (Gifu). So I'll have to commute back here at least once a week. But this lioness' share (4 out of 5) days of the work is definitely in Nagoya so it still makes sense to move.

( The good news is ... )

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: boiling kettle

This made me smile ...

( Chooky Dancers on Youtube ~ Zorba the Greek Yolngu Style )

Apparently they're going to do a Bollywood song as well.

Profile

liresius

Actual Minds Possible Worlds

April 2017

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

Syndicate

Page Summary

Trip to Australia
Appeal
Appeal
Those naughty boys again ...
Tidbits on Sam and David Tree aka "When will that woman stop annoying me with Sammy the Koala pics?"
Sam and Bob Update
SAM the Koala is a she, and she's doing fine!
Leonard Cohen ~ Bushfire Aid
My homing thoughts do fly!
her beauty and her terror
Two things ...
Amusing political radio play musical
Australian meme
Storm
Just so ya know it wasn't ME that bought them ...
newsy mestuff
Chooky Dancers Youtube Vid

Style Credit

Style: Adjustable Gradient for Bannering by branchandroot

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jul. 5th, 2025 05:10 am

Liresius' Fandom Journal

Entries tagged with australia

Trip to Australia

Appeal

Appeal

Those naughty boys again ...

Tidbits on Sam and David Tree aka "When will that woman stop annoying me with Sammy the Koala pics?"

Sam and Bob Update

SAM the Koala is a she, and she's doing fine!

Leonard Cohen ~ Bushfire Aid

My homing thoughts do fly!

My Country
© 1904 Dorothea MacKellar

her beauty and her terror

Two things ...

Amusing political radio play musical

Australian meme

Storm

Just so ya know it wasn't ME that bought them ...

newsy mestuff

Chooky Dancers Youtube Vid

Profile

April 2017

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

Entries tagged with australia

My Country © 1904 Dorothea MacKellar

Syndicate

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

My Country
© 1904 Dorothea MacKellar