Peregrinations

Mid-western culture, Mudgee style

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Recently I spoke at Mudgee Library for the first time. Somehow I missed it for my first book, but It will definitely be on my list for any future ones. This Mid-western Council library is situated in a charming old shopfront building in the heart of Mudgee, which is itself full of lovely heritage buildings.

It is well supported by the Friends of the Library who organised the supper after my talk, patronised by the local booklovers who came to hear me, and most admirably run by Eilagh Rurenga (below).

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Eilagh gave me a most thoughtful and original introduction, and had thought of everything for the evening — including alerting me to possible loud thuds from books landing in the after-hours chute box behind my lectern.

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I took the opportunity to warn Mudgee folk of the spreading coal frenzy just to the north of them, not wanting this picturesque district to go the way of the Hunter — but I fear they can’t imagine the devastating effects of so many current mine approvals, let alone proposals and sneaky land buyups in advance of more. 

Mudgee has everything going for it, but they will lose it unless the community sees that the threat from unbridled coalmining is not just an issue for greenies: it’s a matter of local survival. Coal is not the smart way to create jobs — just the dirty way.

Photographer Brett Maguire took the pictures on the night; these are just a few. I was impressed with how few double chins he caught — thanks, Brett. He’s obviously a man who knows what women of a certain age want.

mudgee-3Brett and his wife Aimee are newcomers to Mudgee, seeking a quieter lifestyle, which  Mudgee still offers, along with a wealth of cultural, commercial and culinary facilities, not to mention being surrounded by wineries.

Julie from local bookshop Books in Mudgee provided books for sale and, as always, I had some great chats with people like Norman Leonard (left) while I signed their copies.

Brett Maguire, BRAW Photography: 0422 278 234.

The Woman in the Warrumbungles

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warrumbungles-1I was able to sneak a few days after recent book talk commitments out west to meet two cousins who were going camping in the Warrumbungle National Park near Coonabarabran, New South Wales,

It was the perfect time to try out my new tent, a Hamersley Tourer, which is intended to go with me on various future forays into other ‘wild edge’ places than my own Mountain.

It passed the first test in that I erected it on my own. That, and being able to stand upright in it, were two of my main criteria.

My cousins didn’t arrive until dark, by which time I had a fire going. Their tent was a much bigger dome tent with several layers: definitely not a one-person job to put up!
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Next morning was fine and we walked one of the many trails in the park, heading up to a ridge and around the base of a higher spire that mad rockclimbers undertake.

The Warrumbungles are dotted with strangely shaped, spectacular volcanic remnant plugs and crater walls.
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The symmetrical native cypress pines, looking like garden escapees, share the rocky ridges with blackened ironbarks, ethereal White Gums and decorative large Kurrajongs.

This was the first time I have seen Kurrajongs in their natural shape, unlopped over their lives as fodder for stock, their shining, almost heart-shaped leaves dangling from widely spread branches.

Such hardy trees seem to be able to take root in any crack and tiny ledge on the rugged cliffs.
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Caves abound, both large and small, and all clearly put to good use as shelter by the local critters.

Lichens and mosses paint the rocks with ice blues and sage greens, between dark weepings and a range of surface weatherings.

Coastwatching

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On the coast north of Coffs Harbour are many small beaches. Friends took me to one for a walk through sheltered tunnels in windswept bush, where pandanus and banksia trees lined the immediate rocky sea edge.
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Reaching the bare grassy headland, we sat to watch dolphins leaping and sea birds whirling and nosediving in splashy accuracy, and to wonder at the small islands off the coast, with apt names like Split Solitary.
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A small bird ran busily over and through the grass in front of us, barely stopping, so that I had trouble following it with the camera. I have no experience with seaside birds, or much with grassland ones, so is this an Australian Pipit? Or?
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The wild storms and high seas of May have cut away the long beaches, scoured the sand from the rock shelves and deposited long tangled tide-rows of driftwood, including very large logs, like this one, sandblasted to an intricate weaving of smooth strands and crevices.

The magical New England National Park

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On the way in to the New England National Park I began passing snow gums and trees so hoary with mosses and lichens that I couldn’t say what they were underneath.

At over 1500m above sea level, this park has spectacular views looking out but also looking in.
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Gondwanaland plants like Antarctic Beech and tree ferns make some of the walks here as eerie and green as a trip into the land of Lord of the Rings.
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Treading gingerly over damp tracks and beween giant mossy rocks on the side of the escarpment brought me to the Weeping Rock – whose tears were frozen mid-fall.
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And thence to Point Lookout itself, where I wasn’t game – yet again– to venture on to the cantilevered viewing platform.

By the time I got to the Wollomombi Falls, the highest in Australia, the sun had sunk too low to get a good photo of these rugged and quite scary falls. You’ll have to go there yourself!
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But I walked a little and heard so many bird calls, one after the other, that I knew a lyrebird was about. And then I saw him! In a small copse of shrubs, singing through his wide repertoire of mimickings, and displaying his beautiful tail. What a treat!
Aren’t national parks great?

Waterfall country

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Along the aptly-named Waterfall Way from Dorrigo to Armidale, there are plenty of opportunities to experience really wild country in several national parks: rugged escarpments and gorges, deeply incised rivers and breathtaking waterfalls.

I stopped first at Ebor Falls in the Guy Fawkes River National Park. It was still early in the morning so most of the gorge was in shadow.
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Some of the tracks were closed; it was plain that the strong winds and heavy rain in May had uprooted many trees and caused slips that would take a long time to fix. But the high altitude was already evident in the vivid lichen on the bark of trees, so vivid that I had to look twice to be sure it wasn’t out of a paint spraycan.
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As I don’t like heights I found myself walking with my body on an angle, sloped well away from the lower edge – and the ravines below. I was imagining crumbling edges and slipping feet, trees and rocks – and bodies – tumbling to the silver strip of river at the bottom of the gorge.

I can recommend a terrific little book by Roger Fryer, called Wildlife and Wilderness in the Waterfall Country as guide and background information for anyone going through this whole wonderful area. It’s available from the CSIRO (at the special price of $19.95 until mid-July, regularly $29.95)

Up among the mountains

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My travels have recently taken me up from the NSW north coast to a truly wild world of mountains. After my book talk at the new Bellingen Library I drove up a very winding road to the Dorrigo Plateau.

Concentrating on the bends, I couldn’t see much apart from tree ferns and tall tres and red mud road slips being mended.
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But right at the top was my motel, the Lookout Motor Inn. And look out it certainly did, all the way back to the sea.
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A nearby lookout further along the side road that the motel was on (Maynard Plains Road) gave stupendous views to the west, where mountains crumpled forever into the distance. My heart warmed at seeing such a vast wilderness area.
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Next morning I headed off towards Armidale, but the Dorrigo Plateau continued to offer car-stopping views.

Famous for dairying and potato growing as well as rainforest, the combination of the rich green man-made paddock foregrounds and the wild country just over the edge made beautiful compositions and contrasts.

North coast talks

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In June I will be speaking about and reading from Mountain Tails at several NSW north coast libraries – assuming the floods recede and do not re-occur.

Bellingen Library — 11 am Thursday 11th

Forster Library — 7pm Monday 15th

Kempsey Library — 1pm Tuesday 16th

Port Macquarie Library — 10 am Wednesday 17th

After that I’ll be mainly listening — at the 2009 Watermark Literary Muster (19-22) at Kendall. The theme is ‘Wood’  and I hope to talk with many of the guest speakers there, especially those with a passion for nature, like Peter Hay, Mark Tredinnick and Roger McDonald.

See the Watermark website for details.

Returning to Tuggerah

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Librarians are some of my favourite people, being book lovers like me. However, the grey-haired spinster in a drab cardigan no longer fits the bill. Nor are libraries just places of shush and half-asleep old men.

Take young, cheery and goatee-d Adam Holland and his Wyong Shire Library in the enormous Westfield Tuggerah Shoppingtown on the NSW Central Coast. 

Adam’s author talks and events welcome the community in, seat them in comfy armchairs, feed them tea and chocolate bickies and grapes, while writers like me talk about my books and read from them.  For free!

My visit there for my first book was lovely, so I was happy to return last week for Mountain Tails. And, as I had grown up on the Central Coast, and my sister Robyn has retired there, it almost feels like coming home.

It was a delight to see faces in the audience familiar to me from my last talk there.

I always enjoy the interaction during question time and the chats afterwards when I sign books. Rick Finucane from Borders bookshop in Westfields not only sold my books there but took the photos for me on my camera. Thank you, Rick!
tuggerah-rosesAn extra treat was that Adam presented me with a bunch of yellow roses and some chocolates.

Back home in my cabin that night, having just beaten nightfall and the rain, I lit the fire, arranged the roses, poured myself a glass of red wine, and indulged in a chocolate or two. You could say I felt appreciated.

Next day was grey and cold and windy, but the roses bloomed golden on my windowsill, extending the pleasure of my author talk well beyond its actual time. Thank you Adam and Tuggerah!
 

Author on the move

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After a week on the move, talking about the new book, Mountain Tails, I was glad to be home in the quiet of my natural world, especially in such beautiful Autumn weather.

But I am off again next week, as I am speaking at Tuggerah Library on the central coast of NSW.  This will be at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday 20th May, and if you live in that area,  it would be great to meet you there.

The first round of talks were in quite varied venues, some more successful than others, but as always it was terrific to get feedback from the audience afterwards. 

First talk (below) was at Parramatta Library, back in the area of my birth, the western suburbs of Sydney! It was a good venue and a receptive audience, with Borders bookshop coming along to this one, for the first time.
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Next was outdoors, at the café in Heritage Gardens near Maitland, where what you might call an intimate group shared afternoon tea and conversation afterwards. Thanks to Helen of Angus & Robertson at Greenhills and Jenny at the café for their support and the idea.
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On Friday I spoke at the environmentally designed Wallsend Library, in their spacious multi-purpose room.

Despite the heavy rain outside, it was a good turnout, with several familiar faces and, as always, a pleasure to meet new ones. Sue-Ellen and Catherine from A & R at Kotara  were there to sell the books and give support.  

I went there the next day to sign books and was delighted that, while most people bought one or the other, at least four discerning young men bought both my books for their mothers!
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On Mothers’ Day itself I was up early for a great guided walk around the Hunter Wetlands (which they do every second month). A beautiful spot, and the rain held off just long enough.
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 Most striking sight was the endangered desert species, the Freckled Duck (photo by Dael Allison), which were raised from eggs as part of a conservation programme and are now managing to breed on their own.
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Back at the Wetlands Centre we had breakfast, and then a small group patiently tried to hear me (mike and all) over the many other Mothers’ Day breakfasters in the café’s deck area. Clearly a favourite spot.

A special treat was meeting fellow nature blogger Gaye whose site, Snippets and Sentiments, has provided me with insights many a time.

I’ll certainly go back to the Wetlands on a quieter day and walk around to the many birdwatching spots.

Thai dualities

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dual-1Modern Thais obviously value their legacy from antiquity and its incredible cratfsmanship; temple restoration work was everywhere.

But they have the knack of also living very much in the real and modern world, and we saw energy-saving light globes everywhere – unapologetically even in shrines.

They don’t waste as much as we do in the West; I loved that many garbage bins and their stands, like these pictured below at the Forest Wat, were made from old tyres, turned inside out and cut to suit.
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But in the midst of all the beauty of the temples and gardens, there is an awful lot of cement. It reminded me of the old touristy Katoomba in the Blue Mountains of NSW, where fake grottoes of cement were a feature.
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Here they do a lot of fake log bridges and railings and paint them brown, but they also do fake timber outdoor tables and chairs with fake bark edgings and paint them quite hideously garish in glossy orange or lime green.

We saw them everywhere, private and public, and our bus passed a place where they make them: hundreds of settings glared at us by the roadside, awaiting buyers.

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These seem most incongruous for such an aesthetically conscious people, but they do love colour! This tour bus ( not ours) was at a hot springs/national park;  the ‘antennae’ mirrors make them look like giant bugs.

dual-5And then there was the knowingly-garish, like at the Condoms and Cabbages restaurant in Chiang Rai, adjoining the Hill Tribes Museum and Education Centre (a better choice than taking a tour to gawk at the downtrodden and much-exploited inhabitants of a hill tribe village!)

Associated with and raising funds for the NGO, the Population and Community Development Association, Cabbages and Condoms had great food plus fun models wearing condoms in a way you probably hadn’t considered!

Their menu promises ‘Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy!’

They also need warm clothes for hill tribe children for the winter if you know any grannies with no-one to knit for. What modern Mum really wants handwashable knits as gifts for their kids anymore? Our Xmas time is their cold season. More information here.

Chiang Mai skyline

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This is the view from the cool tiled haven of our room in the great value guesthouse, Safe House.

In the old walled city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, the gold and mirror mosaics of the wat and chedi spires jostle for sky space with the bright scalloped reds of temple tiles, the rusting browns of water tanks and corrugated iron roofs, and the greys of untreated timber and asbestos roofing.

Threaded amongst them is the green of trees: papaws and flowering mangoes and wide spreading trees I cannot name, except for the sacred Bodhi tree with its heart-shaped leaves. This is the shape of the wind-catchers that hang below the small temple bells ting-tinging from the chests of the finial creatures I see everywhere.

I heard the bells tinging often; I brought one at the markets and now it hangs on my verandah, giving me tings that are pure Thailand for me.

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I didn’t find out what they represent, but they seemed familiar; then I realised it was Michael Leunig’s Mr Curly I was thinking of, with no disrespect to either.

Safe House Court Guesthouse is at 178 Ratchapakhinai Road, very central, very clean, very cheap.  It has a good Thai restaurant in the tree-shaded front courtyard, and life was made much easier for us by the delightful Yo in reception, a knowledgeable and helpful young man with fluent English.

We also found it useful to be opposite a well-known landmark, Wat U Mong, for giving directions and thus getting home in tuk-tuks and sawng-thaews (open-air mini-cabs and ute-buses).

Back soon

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stationI am going travelling so I will be out of regular internet contact for a few weeks and I may be unable to reply to comments straight away.

But posts already in the system will still go up and I’ll do my best to catch up when I get back to my beloved mountain.

See you soon

Sharyn