Stawell & Hollow Mountain

With water restrictions in place as a result of the ongoing drought more locals are switching to native Australian gardens rather than the English garden look which soaked up so much water. The good thing is that native gardens are also low maintenance and seems to work well with a variety 0f different architectural styles. Never knew that native grasses would suit an Edwardian era home in the photo above but it all seems to work.

Mt Stapleton and Hollow Mountain are at the northern end of the Grampians National Park, one of the few remaining areas still open to hikers after a huge bushfire destroyed more than half the park in a matter of days. I shudder to think of all those poor koalas and other wildlife too slow moving to escape the twenty metre flames that engulfed the region and burnt on for days.
I love the natural amphitheatre above for two reasons: 1. you have to jump across hair-raising canyons along the top of the mountain in order to complete the trail, and 2. it is one of only a few mountains I've climbed that gives a humongous six echoes of "Koo-ee" (for Koreans that's "Yahoo" in Australia) when you bellow into the walls of the main amphitheatre.

Back in Oz (Australia) once more

Those of you reading this blog may think that my life revolves around extended international trapsing, and you wouldn't be too far off the mark thinking so. I get around two months off per year, once in summer, and once again in winter, and I certainly make the most of it. This is one of the best perks about working at a uni job here in South Korea.

Right now I'm back in Australia staying with my mother in the gold-mining town of Stawell in Victoria. It recently made world news because of the bushfires that have burned out half the Grampians National Park in the background. Add to that, the ominous signs the local mine is running out of gold and laying off workers, and a prolonged drought due to global warming/climate change, and you can get some idea of the local mood in town. Bring on the rain! Quickly now...

My mum is in the process of selling the family home so she can move up to Sydney and be closer to my sister and her family. There always was a bit of a city-slicker stride hidden away in her country-upbringing exterior. Let's hope there's a buyer for our colonial mansion built around 1866. It'll be sad to say goodbye to it after so many wonderful memories surrounded by family, but such a huge home is becoming too much bother for mum to handle on her own.