Friday, September 16, 2005

Kings Park




I have been stagnating in my house for weeks now (because I keep working the flipping weekends! I know I have no life but please....?). So anyway I decided I would go on a nature trek (read stroll, much more fitting) around Kings Park.

For those who do not know about Kings Park it is this mass of 'real aussie bush' plonked right in the middle (or just left of it!) of the central business district. Bill Bryson even claims to have seen an echidnea (big spikey hedgehog thingy with a cloaca) ambling past when he was there. Dave says this is impossible seeing as they are essentially nocturnal and incredibly shy. Dave hates old Bill and says that he makes up fiction and tries to pass it off as fact. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story and all that! Like the story that Bill tells about people in the Northern Terroritories not being able to vote because they don't live in a state!...but I digress.

Anyway Kings Park is made up of bushland and botanical gardens all overlooking the skyscrapers. It is pretty amazing. It's about 1000 acres and is set on Mount Eliza but was renamed Kings Park after some visiting King. Edward I think (Peter, this is where you can correct me!!).

As everyone around here knows it is now the time of the wild flower season. I haven't seen this flower madness in full swing yet but have been promised a fairly wild time! (see what I did there?!!) Apparently I am to expect carpets of colour everywhere I look and hundreds of different flowers growing in differing regions of WA depending on the alkalinity of the soil and the concentration of varying minerals. I have been excitedly pointing out flowers to Dave asking 'Is that one? Or is that one?' Only to be answered with the same thing 'No, Natalie, that is a weed! No, that is a coke can' etc etc.

And so off I went to confront nature and become a flower snapping photographic genius. I was dressed in my full walking regalia: tough jeans so the mossies can't get me, knee high clomping boots so the snakes can't bite me and sparkly top in case I get lost within its gum tree prison and have to use the mirrors decorating it to attract the attention of the helicopter rescue brigade (up here for thinking!) I had decided to start tramping through the bushland like some intrepid explorer but got a little bit scared of the snakes which were obviously lying in wait for my juicy ankles and was convinced some red back spider would fall out of a red gum and land on my shoulder, hiss and then sink his teeth into my shoulder (also juicy! It's this country, I can't stop eating!!). So when I saw a sign saying 'Nature Trail, this way. Suitable for wheelchairs and prams' I couldn't help myself!

Pretty soon I was enveloped by the gum trees and banksias. There was nothing but bushland and I couldn't even see the tops of the skyscrapers anymore. I would have felt all brave and conquering was it not for the concrete path I had not strayed from and the frequent joggers overtaking me. So I did something daring. I tiptoed gingerly over the tops of the wild orchids, kangaroo paws and shrubs and clung to the eucalypts whilst watching closely for the slithering out of the corner of my eye.

And guess what? I saw NO snakes, spiders or other assorted dangerous animals. I think it's all a big myth to frighten away the poms. I mean who would want to share a country with dangerous things that could easily kill them in their beds? The Aussies know that we're all scaredy cats and could possibly pee ourselves with fear when confronted with something with teeth! They just want to keep this paradise all to themselves so they make up stories about monsters and peddle their horror tales back to Blighty!

So from here on in it's flipflops all the way!

8 comments:

Sparkle said...

Nat don't do the flip flops yet that is what those flipping snakes want. I saw them with my own eyes on the telly in Perth slithering into somebodies laundry room. Don't throw all precaution to the wind just yet you could be being lulled into a sense of false security, that is their cunning plan. Love you so much Sparkle.x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

H x said...

Cool pictures! You could probably make them into postcards. H x

shazza said...

i agree with sparkle nat. NO FLIP FLOPS! unless, a. you are walking around indoors in your own house with all the windows and doors locked and b. you suddenly develop a death wish!! the flowers are beautiful, that sounds cool a big beautiful park in the middle of the city.

sparkle, am too addicted to this blog thingy! so do check it first thing and when ever i get home from work!!! interview on frid 23rd at 11am!! will keep you posted! xxxxxx

J.J said...

Ha! I get it now. The black widow spider and various nasty slitherng things are just an urban myth put about to stop us poms daring to venture Downunderwards....in case we might mention the cricket:-)
Hello from up here!

Thanks for the comment Nat. Really glad to make your acquaintance.

Spunky Trunks said...

I reckon you've stumbled on something there! If it was so nasty how do you explain 'Neighbours'. It's all a con.
Get those flippers on!

PS I can now categorically state that Bucharest is the stray dog capital of Europe (if not the world)((I don't go to the world)).

PPS Though strangely not the dog poo capital of the world. That is Skelmersdale in Merseyside.

PPPS I have been awake for two days and am bginning to hallucinate.

Sparkle said...

Hi Nat
Saw Paul today he sends you his love he is getting better and he is going to read the blog.
Love Sparkle x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Nat said...

Sparkle, Don't worry. Haven't got to the tramping about in flippies yet. Although, I really don't see what the fuss is all about!!!!!

H, Yep, I like the piccies too. Would make them into cards but would prob have to do a lot of pre work as in designing and stuff. They don't like moving fast out here!!

Shaz, NOPE, no flippies. Promise. And everything. Yet! Hope the flowers are more beautiful when you get here! I hope you're not disapointed.

J.Jane, Thanks for posting back. felt all heathen and 'durty' just browsing your site. Is very witty and never fails to give me a 'blog complex': As in I cannot write for 36 hours after reading someone else's fabulous site!

Spunky, That's fascinating about the dog poo. However it can never be as interesting as human poo!! We have VRE on our ward.....it's very exciting and can never leave the body. Tres dramatique.
We have to stick cotton swabs up boys BTM's, swirl them around and then send them off to the lab, whilst we giggle behind our hands of course!

Ma, Am glad you saw Paulie-Poo. PC-Hope you are well. Will post a 'neighbours' update soon......well as soon as the boy will allow me to watch it! Can you believe he deprives me of it even in it's intended country! All I know is that Skye is going out with a footy star in real life...is that allowed? They looked like a right slapper couple! Perfect for Plymouth, but Oz? Surely they should have been leaning on piers and waxing their boards or something?

H x said...

Stop being lazy you :o) All you'd have to do is buy some of those pre cut cards (with 'windows' for the photos) from a craft shop and stick 'em in. No hassle!