The Melbourne International Flower show includes a view over the veteran Exhibition Building.  The straightforward style, yet with restrained elegant decoration - not so apparent in this photo - is unique in this country in my humble opinion.

Taking the easy way out with this photo.  What's not to like?        Melbourne Flower Show.

A zany poster is found everywhere in city Malbourne.  'A tram can weigh over 30 rhinos.... check for trams'.
Just how to go about driving on a road that is a tram route has one firstly checking out how others go about it before taking that first run. Multiple sets of traffic lights and road markings are a bit of a mystery at first.
A veteran (it is presumed) tram was part of the city circle's free transport.  The trams are frequent.

Mystery photo, not a lot is visible!

At Glenrowan, Ned lives forever, the mythology is strong, a most notorious bush ranger.  Today, Ned Kelly, would be akin to a terrorist. 
 Glenrowan, Vic, is not far from the free way.  There, the site of all the action is marked and interpreted in a street on the other side of the rail line. It is free..
  A contest is on in between the towns of  Glenrowan and Beechworth to secure a centre devoted to all things Ned Kelly. His trial was held in Beechworth.

Group of grand old Bunya Pines in Beechworth, Vic, no doubt growing since colonial days and the local gold rush. .
 The town is a great place for trees and full grown beech trees. 

Borobudur Indonesia

The vast monument of Borodudur, oft visited, oft filmed, Buddhist inspired in 1.17 minutes by slides.

Devotional or ornamental pieces with a likeness of the face and head of Buddha are very commonplace in our decor.  Did this idea arise from the destruction of the ancient statues?  Many of the figures have been plundered and disfigured and suffered bizarre head hunting but the general grandeur remains to be seen..

  
 I had a little nut tree, nothing would it bear,
     But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear.........

William Bartlett pears $1 kg.  Four pears cost 60 cents.
 We need more respect for the little treasures from the farm.  An orchard is tended and pruned, the fruit is picked and packed and transported long distances to distribution centres and then moved to the supermarket.  All this for next to zero return.  This low price is very unusual.  Think of the grower who works for nothing.
5, 6, 7 or 8 serves of fruit and vegies each day is declared mandatory for good health and illness prevention. 
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   On Scott Street Newcastle.
Teas and coffee. Industrial chic?  Originally many of these corners in the city were the site of a hotel.

Beer drinking is overtaken by change of old routines and by coffee drinking.                               Coffee from Timor Leste can be found sold by friends of that newest little nation to our north.  Their economy relies on oil export alone.  Their economic wealth is tiny.    In the past we witnessed their struggles and a referendum and the bullying tactics then they were done over by unfriendly neighbours with wholesale destruction of the infrastructure .       Australian policy towards ownership of off shore oil is almost as bad in cheating Timor Leste out of their oil resources.  It is our responsibility to hand over the oil developments that are within the domain of Timor and withdraw claims of ownership of the seas in question.   

Down horse stud lane it was different to see the surroundings in softer light after rain.

Do you believe in miracles?  Anything is possible.  Our political man at the top has phoned Tesla.
 Mr Turnbull has deceived us in ignoring renewable energy in the past, failing to debate or plan and all the while he has solar and a battery storage at his own residence it is said.
 Tesla had twitted that the company would build battery storage for South Australia within 100 days or no charge (!). More words go back and forth
  South Australia is now taking charge of its own electricity.  No more ridicule.  The state will develop renewables.  It will develop natural gas and use it to power new generation. This is unlike others who export too much natural gas and leave us short as they seek the higher returns.
  Soon our household is going onto batteries. Whether off the grid or not remains to be seen.  Other aspect of the house need work done and that will come in time. Inshalla.
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This week big thunder storms are occurring around the state and recently a 'cloudburst' round Jerrys Plains made driving difficult and we stopped and pulled over a couple of times. Rain was as heavy as.

36 seconds in Beaumont Street yesterday

Following the pack.  Camel rides and belly dancers were out in force at Hamilton street fest known for staging cultural presentations from new comers from other lands. The belly dancers were probably not in that category.
Despite the exotic vendors I couldn't go past the sushi bar....conveyor....automaton.. .. . . maybe Korean style is best as sushi varies a little.
Sushi -  another rice product. Is nothing sacred, a program with good credentials told us that rice is naturally contaminated with arsenic and suggested that soaking and rinsing and boiling in a large volume of water is mandatory.  Amazing. We wondered if the contaminate has cleared up, used up, leeched out of the environment in Eurasia where rice has been grown for centuries. However, contaminate might arrive with each new flood from the rivers or from the rain fall.

This property was in total disarray after fire went through.  Below is a fire free scene.
It could be said some farms look topsy-turvy at the best of times.
Every second vehicle was a B Double hauling a bumper wheat crop grown out west. 'Make hay while the sun shines' for research has found that wheat cropping is compromised long term by climate change.
 Gradually farmers will become unable to compensate for change in temperature and water resources and a region will cease production, less wheat, while a different climatic region might continue on.  

 Fences have been replaced as thousands of kilometers were lost to the fires.  Donations of materials have been made and fencing teams have been to work but there are not enough to go round.
 Blaze Aid gathers volunteers to work as fencing teams at trouble spots such as this.  Blaze Aid is on the web.

Stock were lost in the fires.  Left with no pastures or fences, live stock has gone on agistment.  At the same time truckloads of feed has been donated and transported by growers.

A lot of farm houses and sheds were burnt down in the bush fires. Pastures and grazing lands with even short ground cover were engulfed by flames.  Two weeks on and green shoots are breaking through.

 
Bush fires have raged in the central west of the state seen here yesterday beyond Cassilis.
Photo in panoramic mode which for various reasons distorts the semi and has it driving in the opposite direction as in left hand right hand drive.  Fake views!

The Greens and community survival

It was dangerous and it took bravery to go along to a meeting with the most disrespected disliked group in the community.  Of all things, The Greens seek to preserve the environment and our health and the Great Barrier Reef by means of more renewable energy production and by phasing out thermal coal mining.
 Senator, Dr Richard Di Natale, Leader of the Australian Greens, (at the rostrum), Senator Lee Rhiannon, MLC Jeremy Buckingham presented daring plans for more employment on coal mine remediation among other plans, during an ordered transition from coal.

 Coal is a major contributor to climate change.  As the largest coal export port, Newcastle succeeds in shipping destructive climate change to the globe.  Day and night.... day and night....

Newcastle or Newie

                              .....Warts and all

Retromania

Unlikely yet inventive motor home from the fifties or sixties.  Probably a recent import from the USA of an old model.
The rest of the show room was full of motor homes each with 16 rooms at least.  And two by two trailers unfold to reveal about 10 rooms. Not.