Time to be out and about now the fire risk has subsided. My own garden is a disaster, with only the natives and hydrangeas holding up. But how is everything else going in this awful heatwave I wonder? Well, to my great surprise an ibis has taken
Read more →And so Christmas in the Blue Mountains village of Blackheath has come to an end. The saddest, happiest, strangest and scariest festive season I’ve experienced in the twenty years we have lived here. In mid December my husband Rob and I attended a delightful nativity play at
Read more →Here in the Blue Mountains we have a powerful emotional attachment to the glorious Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens. I remember how surprised I was when the entry fee was removed. How often does that happen anywhere? It’s not the issue of saving a few dollars that delights
Read more →Here in the Blue Mountains the boughs of Leura’s main street avenue of cherry trees have been decorated for Christmas in a unique manner. Admittedly the seasonal creations have created some controversy, but I love them. They seem to suit Leura’s trendy, boutique shops and are quirky
Read more →I never could resist a nativity play. They are usually performed by sweet little schoolchildren, so an adult version was something of a novelty for me. Titled, The Shepherds’ Play, it was held in the dining room of The New Ivanhoe Hotel last night. All seats were
Read more →Approaching the recently launched Blackheath Creative shop in Station Street there is a heavenly aroma from Christmassy scented candles. I stopped outside to chat to friends and they asked if I had some exotic perfume on. But don’t just wander past…..walk in! Everything here is locally sourced
Read more →My young friend Miss Milly has not always been comfortable around nature. Here she is hiding behind Editor Des when our Kookaburra called Taffy came to visit. She thought he might fly off with her to Govett’s Leap. Or pull her hair. Her idea of nature is
Read more →It was a delight to see young ‘Blackheathens’ Luke and Fergus back at their lemonade stall in Soldiers’ Memorial Park this year during the Blackheath Rhododendron Festival. Apparently they made a decent profit in 2018, but I’m tipping an even better result this time around because they
Read more →Recently I told the story of our dear Mr Wonga, an Aussie native pigeon who fell in love with four delightful ‘ladies’. Unfortunately they were all reflected in the shiny hubcaps of our house painter Rebekah’s restored, VW van. It just became too terrible to watch, as
Read more →The name New Ivanhoe Hotel is a delightful contradiction in terms. Little has changed at this Blue Mountains pub in 70 years. It’s located at 231 Great Western Highway, Blackheath. It has been owned by the Ray family for over four decades. I’ve been working on my
Read more →