Our friend artist Marie Dunkley has recently built her own web site to showcase her work.

Have a look --

http://marie-dunkley.artistwebsites.com/index.html

How wet has it been....?

It's been so wet even the birds are seeking shelter.
This guy found a spot under the over hang at the front of the house where he could get out of the rain for a while.
A few days later he brought a friend. Neither of them look happy.

I originally started this blog with the view of keeping you informed about goings on in Carlux. You will have noticed the subject matter has strayed somewhat.

There is, however, another blog created by our friend Michel, who is the driving force behind the renovation of Carlux's chateau...

http://lesamisdecarlux.over-blog.com/

It promises to be a continuing story.

When we first arrived in Australia we went to Chatswood for haircuts. Walking there I was surprised at the number of Asiatic people around, including the kid with the Santa's helper hat playing Christmas carols on his saxophone. I thought "Wow, I've been to Sydney and seen the future and it's Chinese!" (Nothing racist implied, just an observation.)

Quite by chance I picked up a book in our hosts library entitled "1421 - the year China discovered the world". It's quite amazing and talks about large fleets sailing around the world years before Columbus and the Portuguese.

His web site - http://www.1421.tv/

mentions a second book in which he details evidence of another Chinese fleet that sailed to Italy in 1434 and effectively started what we know as the Renaissance.

What goes around, comes around .... or words to that effect.

Near Protester Falls

The area around Protester Falls is subtropical rainforest and the falls are so named because of anti-logging protests during the 1970s.

The Nightcap National Park was declared in 1983 and the almost 5,000 hectares was given World Heritage status in 1989.

All the giant Red Cedars were taken in the 19th century.

Located in the Whian Whian State Conservation Area is the Minyou Falls, 100 metres straight down.

On entering the state of Queensland one is given fair warning.

In the Border Range National Park we found the biggest aspidistra in the world!

Nearby is the town of Woodenbong - really!

If I were to do another book, a title could be ..."To Woodenbong and Back!" or "Woodenbong to Woolongong,via Wagga Wagga and Woy Woy"

After a great breakfast at the Byron Beach Cafe, we headed to Australia's most easterly point, Cape Byron, to see the cape, the lighthouse, and our only wildlife so far, a not-very-wild wallaby having his breakfast.