Approx 54kms from Melbourne itself, it can be easily reached via Wellington Road for a lovely outing.

While it was a cool afternoon it was certainly pleasant and there were few people around as we visited it.  A couple of pics below but if you want to see more then visit my blog at KathiesPhotos.com.

The following photos were taken at the George Tindale Memorial Garden which is in Kallista, almost 40 kms out of the city, in the Mt Dandenong ranges. Graham and I visited there on Mother’s Day and enjoyed our time in that area, visiting a couple of grounds and looking at houses.

Below are just a small selection of photos I took when we recently visited the picnic grounds on Mother’s Day. There were a lot of people there and it was a beautiful day to make a visit.

I knew it was reclaimed land that had been turned into a wetland reserve and this occurred sometime after 1994 when we’d shifted into this area.  But this week as I dropped into a business across the road from it I decided this would be my next planned photography shoot and I’m so glad I did.

Here are two links that tell you more about it:

Parks Victoria

Fisher & Fisher

For the first time in my life I saw a Flame Robin and that was thanks to a couple who regularly walk their dogs there. They’d seen me taking pictures of the birds and they pointed me towards a path they’d walked on where they had seen the robin. So when I went looking it was very obvious as the bright colour showed up easily amongst all the greens and browns.

Today we had a field trip and went to a park I didn’t know existed only a few minutes from my home because it’s hidden away from main roads and in the middle of a residential suburb.  It was a cold crisp and very clear morning and we all had a good time playing with our cameras.  I was hoping for some fog but another time.

Anyway, hope you like these shots and you can see more at my photoblog.

We have a new gourmet cheese shop just opened, lovely lady called Natasha Davis has opened ‘The Larder’ in Camp St, opposite the bakery. She was the guest speaker at the Beechworth BPW meeting last night and everyone enjoyed a beautiful selection of French and Italian cheeses with lots of interesting history. Natasha will shortly be expanding into pastries and coffee.

So far, the firemen have kept things under control as they’ve worked hard during the past week backburning and setting up other strategies to protect towns around our state.  But today everyone was on tenterhooks waiting to see what might occur.

The cool change is just sweeping through the state now, it hasn’t quite hit where I am in the south east but we know it’s on its way and ahead of it is rain – wonderful sweet-smelling rain. I hadn’t realised how much I missed that smell!  It’s not heavy but hopefully it will keep up regularly, even if it’s soft rain. They’re forecasting showers for the next week – nothing heavy unfortunately but it might finally help get the fires put out which have been going for weeks now.

The fire started at the edge of one road (Nixon Road) and then headed north as it was fanned by the strong winds and heat of the day.  It also has burnt some of Lysterfield Park – the very place my husband and his mate ride every weekend and where I was taking photos just yesterday.  The fire is further up the hill from where we were.

I can’t understand this.  There was no thunder and lightening and unless there were problems with a powerline there, that pretty much leaves it to two possible things:

1.  Someone threw a cigarette butt out of their car window – something I’ve seen happen so many times in the past, or

2.  Someone deliberately lit the fire.

Either way it was a deliberate act and I can’t help feeling that the person in number 1 above is just as liable for the damage and terror as the person in number 2 above.  And the person in number 1 could have driven on their way merrily totally oblivious to what they have done.

I don’t like the fact that smokers litter places anywhere – you just have to walk around cities and suburbs and see cigarette butts where smokers congregate. There aren’t always ashtrays or sandboxes available and it seems to me that many just seem oblivious to their actions. But to throw a live butt out of a car window as they drive along is totally irresponsible and I expect they’ll be eligible for a jail sentence if ever anyone was seen to do that immediately before a fire was started.

Tonight the wind is blowing strongly and I remember back to the year we first shifted to Melbourne.  It seemed to rain all year long in 1992 and we wondered what on earth we had done, shifting to such a wet city!  How I wish it were like that again, this drought has gone on for far too long and our beautiful state is really suffering.

The emblems of Victoria include…

Floral emblem: Pink Heath
Animal emblem: Leadbeater’s Possum
Bird emblem: Helmeted Honey-eater
Marine Faunal Emblem: Weedy Seadragon

Sadly, the Leadbeater’s Possum and Helmeted Honey-eater are considered to be endangered species in 2007.

You can find out more about our emblems here.

We are above the smoke haze here in Beechworth and it’s the most beautiful clear day with a light wind. Quite surreal…. except for the occasional fire plane surveying the countryside.

One thing that is impacting on Beechworth and Yackandandah is that people are staying away, even cancelling accommodation as far ahead as June. It’s been very immediate, and understandable.

Because the fire started at Beechworth and it’s being called the Beechworth Fire, people believe that we have been destroyed too which is certainly not the case. All our traders and accommodation houses are now extremely worried about how to get people back to our beautiful towns. Our local councils and Tourism Vic have started to deal with what looks like having a huge impact on the North East.

While being respectful of those that have lost everything, the flow on effect of no tourists in a tourism town can be extreme and affect every member of our community, as businesses and shops close. This is our major industry and it’s very much like when a large manufacturing plant or similar closes in a small town.

So please spread the word that Beechworth is safe and we would love to have you come and visit.

If you’re one of those who have booked accomodation in these areas please don’t cancel it, especially if it’s going to be in the cooler weather. Why not contact the Beechworth Visitor’s Centre and check with them?  And if you’re looking for a place to visit for a day or a weekend, then Beechworth and surrounding areas certainly have a lot to offer!

Beechworth, Yackandadah, safe from bushfires, Australia