We have just returned from a holiday at Porepunka, just a short distance from Bright, which is a 3.5 hours’ drive from Melbourne via the Freeway. Our cabin abutted the Ovens River which is depicted below and not far away is Mt Buffalo. Other scenes are from the surrounding country. The images don't do the scenery justice. Click to enlarge for a much better appreciation.
Below is a picture of yours truly and later on the right in blue is my wife Anne. We enjoyed the trip and company amongst friends immensely. Driving up I was struck with the sudden change in scenery which prompted this poem.
On the road to Bright
Brown paddocks and scrubby land beside the road,
The blue sky yields patches of grey, but still no hope of rain
A parched land whose streams end in empty water holes
Once filled with life, but now still, except for a lonely wind.
Llke sentries, the grey gums stand defiant,
Reservoirs of life, what memories stored in gnarled trunks,
of droughts and times of plenty, when new life abounds
Now a test of fortitude, to stand in timeless stoic pride.
But now we see a gentler hue, of patches of green,
Like a mirage in the desert, an oasis of hope,
As if by chance, a new land appears.
From brown to green, from scrub to forest thickets.
Now cattle graze, on green woodland glades,
content and sleek, by fast running streams,
What grace is this, a tiny slice of providence -
velvet green and autumn gold.
6 comments:
Looks beautiful!! I just posted a comment but it didn’t seem to work. Hopefully this will. Really love the photo with the view across the mountain rage and enjoyed the poem! Sounds like a great trip!
Hi Lindsay; The first half of your lovely poem reflects our experience of Australia. The pictures are lovely, a pastoral scene I tend not to associate with your country. You seem to have enjoyed your holiday, and that's good. Now we are off for a few days in Finistere.
Lindsay, you have reminded me that a day in Sidney does not qualify as a proper visit to Australia. Kathy and I must plan to return and see more of your country; such a variety of landscapes! But, I wonder now, could we manage it in only a few weeks?
All the best,
Deanna
Hi Rachael,
Indeed it was.
Best wishes
Hi Tom,
As you say it was such a marked difference, with the locals celebrating a good season.
Finistere looks like a delightful seaside location with an interesting history.
Best wishes
Hi Deanna,
In 2 weeks you can taste and see a wonderful array of scenery and experiences in world heritage sites. The mistake is to try to fit in too much. Flying in from Canada a possible theme might be to concentrate on the east coast, visiting the far north and the Great Barrier Reef, possibly Fraser Island.
A few days in Sydney, sometime in Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road (similar to the Californian coastline), then the outback either to the centre or as alternative to Flinders ranges in South Australia.
If you did decide to make the trip across the pond ideally we could show you around our area over a few days. That is from Eltham where we live, it’s a short trip to the picturesque Yarra valley and its wine growing regions plus champagne and Healesville sanctuary to view our wildlife. There are also some interesting sights to see locally.
Another blogger, Gary from Canada and his partner, from the blog http://withinsight.blogspot.com met up with us a few years ago and we really enjoyed showing them around and sampling the local produce.
Best wishes
That looks so beautiful; makes me want to take my family there - lovely poem
Divine scenery, Lindsay. And you and your wife look so refreshed and relaxed. I have a feeling you might have gone back on holiday. :-)
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