Hello, I am very lucky to be alive and able to tell this story. The full details have never been revealed before. You are reading what is known in my profession as A SCOOP! Well down in the corner of our garden in the Blue Mountains there
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Mrs Edna Wood came into our lives several years ago, after an acacia tree was felled. Right from the outset she had a penchant for hats, especially with extravagant floral trimmings. We live in the beautiful Blue Mountains, where rhododendrons and camellias provided her with an unlimited
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Several years ago I had to spend a few weeks in a major Sydney hospital. I didn’t actually feel sick, and since I was editing a book I took along my notebooks and computer. There was no restriction at all on visitors. In fact, my husband Rob
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TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING OK, all packed for our trip across the Nullarbor on the Indian Pacific train. It’s a VERY long train. Had to catch the train to Sydney first. For heavens sake…..why couldn’t it pick us
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CONTINUED FROM – Westward Ho!-on the Indian Pacific TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING…. Up in time to see the sunrise as the Indian-Pacific approaches the outback mining town of Broken Hill at 6.00am. Indian Pacific passengers have a choice of excursions here and Rob and I are going to
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As someone who frequently writes on crime, a tale of death on the Indian Pacific Railway came to mind when my partner Rob and I booked our trip from Sydney to Perth. I even checked Dr Google to see if anyone had written a murder mystery inspired
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Below is a photo taken in 1933, during the Great Depression. It is a Christmas lily farm at Pennant Hills, in New South wales. The farm produced 100,000 cut flowers for the Australian florist trade that year. It seems that Christmas lilies are no longer
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I’ve always loved lavender. When I was a child in Tasmania we used to buy quaint cardboard dolls with muslin aprons full of dried English lavender. My mother didn’t grow it as far as I remember, but the island state is home to the remarkable Bridestowe
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THE LUCERNE TREE One of my favourite childhood books was The Magic Faraway tree, by Enid Blyton. It actually belonged to my sister. Who could not be enchanted by The Saucepan Man, Mr Moonface, Mrs Washalot et al. The
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SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR LATEST UPDATE! My guardian Pauline Conolly grew a special rose called Hot Chocolate. ‘Come and smell it Des’ she said. So I did, just to make her happy. I took a deep breath of
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