WALKING ALONG THE COAST NO.2

 Another walk on another day.  We headed towards Phillip Island this particular day & decided to stop & eat our picnic lunch at San Remo & then thought, why don't we walk the beach here, down to the headland & up the stairs, which we'd not done before.  Not many people were about, so off we went, camera in hand and basically had the beach to ourselves.  I'll take you along in photos.

Driftwood on the track leading down to the sand.

We walked along the track for a way before making our way onto the sand.
Notice the absence of people?

I like to think these are strings of squidgy pearls.

Pretty patterns adorning the rocks.

Never sure what these are, but so many shells encasing itty bitty creatures.

Looking towards San Remo & over to Phillip Island.

Looking back again to the first set of stairs, but we continued on to the second set & headed upwards.

Reaching the top, you realise there is a new estate with roads and houses taking shape.
I cannot believe all the new developments happening everywhere we go.
Depressing...........

Looking from the top of the first set of stairs to the second in the distance where we climbed up.

Looking once again, across to Phillip Island.

As we passed the Primary School, we noticed a beautiful Spoonsville.
There are still some about, well looked after, although the small one near us has disappeared.

I snapped these wonderful gum nuts still attached to a wayward branch in someones lovely garden.

Well that was a great walk, with very few people around until we were heading back into town past homes & school.  We never did go over the bridge to Phillip Island that day, but it's only just over an hour's drive for us from home and we do go a few times each year.

Today has been lovely & sunny so we took ourselves off for a local walk after we'd been pottering about this morning.  DH washed the car (much needed) & played in his shed for a little bit & I did a load of washing, popped our evening meal into the slow cooker, sewed 2 quilt blocks, then went outside & did some potting so I can show some progress in a later post.

Enough of my waffling, take care all, stay safe & hugs from down under.

Susan.

FRIDAY PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT - LOOK UP/LOOK DOWN

I'm finally able to join in & link up with Kate of I live, I love, I craft, I am me for the photo hunt this week.  Sorry I've been AWOL  & explanation will follow at the end of this post.

INVERLOCH.

An afternoon out, way back in 2016 and while walking along the beach I happened to look down. 

Jellyfish

Octopus

Turtle

I think some children must have been having some fun.  Definitely better than I could do.

Still walking along and saw one of these & yes I've shown them before..............

BUT.....................lay down on your back underneath and what do you see when you look up-------

SALTBURN.

Again these were taken in 2016, but a long way from home.

Looking up from the footpath & watching the tram starting to descend.

Travelling to the top and looking down from where we'd come.  A most enjoyable experience.

ARTHUR'S SEAT.

Back on home soil once more and a day out on the Mornington Peninsular in May 2018.

Looking up at the cable cars hanging precariously off their steel cable.  

Looking up to see a Wedgetail Eagle soaring overhead on the thermals.  I absolutely adore birds of prey.

And looking down, a plaque about Matthew Flinders who along with George Bass circumnavigated Australia in a small boat.

Aha, fungi, so it must have been Autumn.

That's my lot for today, cobbled together very quickly, although I'm sure I could have found plenty more.

Now for the explanation.................We've had a month of malfunctions here in the Smith household, one of them being me losing the plot somewhat.  

Remember I needed a new iron & the one I've bought just doesn't like playing with a quilter, so will probably be replaced with another Tefal when they come in.  Next, just after I posted the last February Photo Hunt, my PC gave up on us and to top it all off, my breadmaker shredded it''s belt while I was making some more blueberry jam.  To be truthful it was all too much for me after the year everyone has experienced (not just me), and along with my back playing up again, I wondered whether it was worthwhile sorting out the computer & keeping up with my blog.

Good news is that it was only the monitor that needed replacing, so here I am once more & will endeavour to stay focused on being grateful that we are both OK & able to enjoy life a little at the moment without being in full lockdown.  Hopefully, motivation will return & I'll get things done.

Thanks for reading, if you've got this far, take care all & stay safe.

Hugs Susan.

HOLIDAY BREAK DAYS 2 & 3.

TUESDAY.

The day again arrived overcast and drizzly, but we packed some lunch & thermos and headed towards Loch Sport, somewhere we've not been to before.  Loch Sport is a holiday destination & not much else, a spit of land sandwiched between the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach.

Emus.

Along the way we spotted these and I took a photo from my window, due to it being very overgrown along the verge & I'd probably have disappeared into it, but DH braved getting out and................oh my...... the car filled with mosquitoes.  Hundreds of them, which we then swatted at, all the way to Loch Sport.

Finding a car park not far from the beach we parked up, ate our lunch, then with a break in the misty showers, we quickly walked down to the beach.  A few photos follow.

Walking against the wind.

Looking at the small sand-hills & bordering scrub. 

Another misty shower as I took this snap of the information board.

Looking down the track to the car park from the information board.

Turning back toward the sea.

More of the coastal ti-tree beside the car park.

We decided to head for the caravan taking another unexplored route along the coastal road beside Ninety Mile Beach.  First we had to cross a small inlet to take us back through town & I just had to snap this.................

Big Nessie & Little Nessie.
Somebody has an imagination.

Oh and this was the surprise of the day and I couldn't believe my eyes.  Pulled over quickly and at least got one good photo as she turned to look at us, then hopped away to follow her two companions.

Mum with her joey in someone's front yard in Loch Sport.

Also spotted these two murals on private houses.

And a better photo of the emus, who had moved to a more open paddock.

Plus more of the coastal ti-tree and heath in both pink & white.

Finally driving along the coastal road, we discovered this..................

The last remains of the shipwreck Trinculo which you can read about on the board .

A small curly sponge I spotted beside the wreck.

After capturing the last photo, I was suddenly inundated with mosquitoes once again & made a quick retreat towards the track back to the car.   Luckily they didn't follow us and we could take the track at our leisure & more photo spotting for me.

Lichen covered trees.

                     A carpet of lime green moss.

WEDNESDAY.

Breakfast finished, we had already planned to have lunch at Port Albert on one of the days as a little luxury treat.  They have a great fish and chip shop, so off we went.  Murky weather once again and also very windy.  Taking another new to us road, we came upon the little locality of Tarraville, which boasts a handful of houses, an old school and church, so out with the camera once again.

The church, above & below.

The school, above and below.

I also spotted this beautiful derelict building and anyone who knows me well, must know that I can't resist these evocative structures.

Isn't it lovely?

Arrived in Port Albert to howling wind & much misty rain, so no decent photos.  I'll remedy that some day, but the fish & chips were lovely.  Headed for home along the South Gippsland Highway, where you pass through the small township of Alberton where I found a mural on the side of the Hotel on an earlier trip down this way.  Hence the clearer sky, as we'd had better weather back then early in the year.

Another lovely (although wet & windy) day was had, and discovering lots of new to us roads off main highways is something we delight in.  Not for everyone I know.

I'll catch up again hopefully tomorrow with the last bit of the trip, as I've lost count of all the things I've been going to post about over the last 2 months, namely some of our local walks & drives and lots of crafty bits.  Thanks for following & still commenting everyone.

Take care, stay safe & huggles.

Susan.

THIS 'N' THAT.

A little bit of what has happened in the last few weeks. 
I've not always  remembered my camera for our local walks, but did take it one day last week.

 From the small park behind our court, we head down the next street and this is the view that beholds us.  A big new estate with clouds of steam from a La Trobe Valley power station in the distance.

 The new school on that estate under construction.  Looks to be quite colourful.

And further along a new wetlands appearing.  We saw a lone pelican circling over this and I didn't have the camera with me.

A DAY OUT.
Before we headed back into lockdown in Melbourne once again, we had a day out in our own area.  We can still do that, being a regional shire, but due to our car being in for repairs, we are a little stuck for going anywhere.
This particular day we made for the coast, picnic basket & thermos in the back & looking forward to a nice walk along the beach.

Just as we headed south, we noticed the mist hanging between the hills, so stopped and took this                                                                                          photo.

Our destination was Shallow Inlet on the south coast of Victoria, about an hour's drive away.

Looking across the inlet to the mountains on Wilson's Promontory. 

 Our car sitting on the sand of the deserted northern side of the inlet.  There were some cars at the southern end with trailers, as this is where fishermen launch their boats to go fishing.

 Walking to the end of the sand, you see this vegetation leading on into marshy land at the head of the inlet.

                                                       DH all rugged up on the track.

                                                       Looking out over the marshy ground.

              Back on the beach, I noticed these 3 pelicans had dropped by to do some fishing.

A FAMILY VISIT.
One of the best days happened about 3 weeks ago now, when some restrictions had been lifted and DD & family could make their way across Melbourne & visit us.  It was wonderful & although I don't show photos of them, DD did bring some of her crafty stuff for both a fun playing session. Crochet blocks & fabric star blocks and also a quilt for me to pop on the big machine when I can get some appropriate backing fabric.  Still can't get to my favourite quilt shops.

The crochet squares on the floor.

And the stars being played with.  A few more are needed, then she has big ideas for some borders.

This the quilt she left here for me to quilt.  I remember her appliqueing these hearts many years ago.
The round plaque on the wall above the ladder was made for me by my younger brother who is intellectually disabled,  at the support group he attends in Sydney.  A mosaic of pebbles & colourful pieces of glass arrived in the post last Christmas & was a lovely surprise.

Occasionally over the last few weeks, we've driven 5 minutes out of town, whichever way we feel like, to give our Morris Minor a run to keep her going.  Taking my camera I was able to snap a few photos on different days.
South of town we have a DAFFODIL farm & it's fun to spot where they have put the bulbs each year.

Rows of daffs in flower last week.
I'll try and remember to see if I can get another photo, maybe soon, to show more.

To the north of town we often spot this camel and lucky for me he was in the front paddock this particular day.

TRYING TO STAY BUSY.
Although I've always plenty to do, I'm struggling to find my mojo at the moment, with this crisis not going away and our cold and dreary weather.  Over the weekend I did some baking & put a little quilt on the machine.

Blueberry Muffins.

Malted Mocha Slice.

                                                                     The small quilt. 
I'm not exactly happy with the quilting, but so be it.  The blue stars were made many years ago & the stitcheries a little later.  Not sure what I had in mind for either, so they ended up as this.

OK, enough waffling from me and I'm off to make us some lunch & wait to see if our car is ready for picking up.
Take care all, stay safe & huggles from down under.