Panoramic View (Post#25) : Walu Wugirriga (Mount Alexandra Lookout)
I had a chance to see some part of the tropical state of Australia which is Queensland. One of the places that I had a chance to reach was Mount Alexandra Lookout or “Walu Wugirriga” which means “look about” in Kimberley. The lookout offers the scenic view of Mount Alexandra foothills, Cape Kimberley, Snapper Island and Daintree River mouth. The snapshot was captured as part of my Cairns adventure happened last October 2013.
This post has been updated to add the link of and to participate in the following:
It was almost a month after I returned to Melbourne last October 2014, it was my first day to really go out again to explore some places that I haven’t seen yet. The place we were targeting was somewhere near the city which was Dandenong Ranges National Park. On this trip, I discovered and learned that this National Park has a lot to offer to anyone.
As my friends got a map of the national park, when they were discussing places visit near the city, they selected a garden. At first I really don’t understand the name of the garden because I was somewhat unfamiliar with the term. The name of the garden became clear to me when we arrived at the place. The day we went out was still Spring season and since we were technically inside the mountain, it was really cold and it felt like it was winter.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The name of the garden we visited is National Rhododendron Garden. I honestly not familiar with that flower family. I felt that I never heard it before or I forgot it from my secondary school years.
We had lunch first at the parking area as the garden does not have a facility such as picnic area where we can eat. After lunch, we went inside the National Rhododendron Garden through the store beside the closed main gate and stopped for a while to look around inside the store. In the store I found out what Rhododendron flower family look like. After spending sometime at the store I left my friends and took my chances to walk inside the garden. I remembered one funny thing happened to me inside the garden. At the time I was there and following the path walk, I was a fool looking around and taking photos using my DSLR and yet I never immediately noticed that I am taking photos without knowing that my camera does not have memory card. Yes, I was crazy taking photos without checking the screen of my camera after takings shots where some messages that my memory card slot was empty, because of the situation I never able to save all my shots. Since I already spent time walking in the garden, I was quite sensitive with the time and I knew that my friends were waiting at the store. I tried to return to the garden using my iPhone and all I was able to do was to have a couple of shots as my souvenir to the garden. Most of the memories of Rhododendron garden were all in my memory.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
–Some photos that I quickly captured with my iPhone before leaving the garden
I returned to the store and in few minutes we left the garden. When we were back on the road, my friends checked again the map of Dandenong Ranges and then they agreed to visit a picnic ground which became our next stop that day. We went at Grant Picnic Ground. I honestly had no idea what to expect in the place until we saw a lot of visitors looking around at the bird feeding area. Since we had limited time in the place as it will close at 5PM, my friends bought seeds so they can enter in the fenced feeding area and to have a moment with the birds such as Rosella, native and wild birds.
I let my friends feed the bird while I take in charge of photo shoot. There still birds in the feeding area but when my friends entered in the fenced area, birds started to flock together and slowly approached my friends as they saw the food/seeds. We started to laugh as we heard screaming. It was fun-filled sight as my mates felt a little bit nervous when birds were so close to them physically, some birds flew to their heads, some stepped on their arms or feet, birds comes wherever the food was. My friends were screaming as they felt the bird’s claws and its pointed toes. All of us were enjoying what we were seeing inside the feeding area.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
–Crimson Rosella
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
–King Parrot (the one that I tried to chase with my camera as its colour is really striking)
Last thing I did was I went inside the souvenir shop just to look around and just check if I can find post cards that will leave memories of Grant Picnic Ground. Then after few more minutes had been passed, we decided to leave the place as it closed the feeding area and the shop since the business day is over for the day. This how we ended our adventure.
Life Of Others (Post#1) : Wilson Promontory – Crimson Rosella
During the tour in Wilson Promontory National Park, one of the things I enjoyed while at the parking area was being up close and personal with the birds specifically Crimson Rosella (parrot native in Australia). This bird is commonly found in forests, parks, and farmlands. The young one has green with red patches and the mature one has red and blue with a patch of blue on their throats. I observed that they don’t afraid with humans and they easily approached you if you have foods with you. Snapshot captured last May 2014.
This post has been updated to add the link of and to participate in the following: Saturday’s Critters – February 20, 2016
Precious Moment In The Mountain (Post#5) : Mount Oberon
Captured this photo from the latest mountain that I had been with last May 2014. During my Wilson Promontory tour in Victoria Australia, trekking Mount Oberon is part of the itinerary.
The photo above is Tidal River with the background of mountains and I captured this photo last May 2014 during my Wilson Promontory (The Prom) National Park tour in Victoria Australia. We crossed the river to be able reach Squeaky Beach.
I had been in Australia, specifically in Melbourne for more than a year, but I it was only last May this year that I got a chance to visit Wilsons Promontory National Park (Wilsons Prom or The Prom) . One of the reason why it took me so long to visit this beautiful park was because there is only one tour company that offers a day tour in this amazing park from Melbourne and it only happens during Wednesday and Sunday of the week (sometimes during Friday in summer season). I am not really available every Sunday (only free in some special occasion) and I am working during weekdays. What are my options? File a vacation leave on Wednesday. It was my third assignment in Melbourne and it was my last two weeks in Melbourne as well. My overtime at work has been filed up and I am a person who prefers to offset my working time to a leisure time especially if I am outside my country home.
The overtime that filed-up during deployment in my project, I was able to offset and used it to see Wilsons Prom. Last May 14, 2014, I was book on one day tour for this park and I was honestly excited, it’s been so long since I was with mountain or hills and I really missed it. My last climb that I did back home was last October 2012, a little bit trek in Red Center (Ayers Rock, Kata Juta, Kings Canyon) last March 2013 and in Grampians last July 2013.
It was Wednesday, I woke-up and prepared myself early, though I was a bit of nervous, because I knew for myself that it maybe difficult for me since I was not really physically active and fit for the climb. Because of my eagerness to see great scenery in my tour and because its nature trip which I really love, it did not stopped me to push this tour. The tourist bus came to my hotel where I was staying in Melbourne and dropped us to their office to gather other tourist that will join the same tour.
After few minutes passed, we hit the road to Wilson Prom. Since the The Prom Park is the southern most point of mainland Australia, it took us around four hours to reach the vicinity area of Mount Oberon where the tour starts. The park is part of Gippsland, one of the areas of Victoria that I haven’t really explored yet. One thing that I observed along the way, I can say that Gippsland is a country place in Victoria, most of the things that I saw are farms. I saw similar settings when I went to Howqua Valley and this scenery made me feel relax and calm. I like the scenery because life in the city is really tiring. I felt re-energize every time I will be out-of-town with nature.
We drove halfway of Mount Oberon from the Wilson Promontory Road to Car Park (which part of the mountain), and we trekked half or lesser up to the summit of the mountain. The trek was not the same to my previous climb back home, because the trail is a road that one vehicle can pass through it, I don’t need to crawl or hang to tree branches and roots. The ascent was literally walking in steady incline road and it was difficult for me since I am not used to exercise. I think I was the last person to reach the summit because I did not put pressure to myself to be with my group, most of them were fast and I knew that it was really easy for them. I felt again being like asthmatic that I always catch my breath, but I knew that it was normal for me because I am always like that in the first part of my every climb.
Walking trail track
Boulder Part before the summit of Mount Oberon
Some views while climbing the boulder before summit
While ascending, I appreciated the nature and felt the fresh air, then thought that kind of feeling cannot be experience while living in the city. The road trail were ended and the boulder part of the summit appears, the good thing about it is that trail has handrail that made the climb easier. The weather was great and I was able to reach the peak. Though I was tired but the view that I saw at the top was stunning that I felt every fatigue that I had while on my way to the summit were all gone. From the peak, I saw the following panoramic views of some coastline of Wilson Prom peninsula, bays, beaches and some islands. After spending sometime for photos, we had our lunch in the summit and took some time to rest while enjoying the views.
Norman Bay and Beach Norman Bay, Norman Beach, Pillar Point, Squeaky Beach Mount Oberon Summit Panoramic Views
After sometime, our tourist guide decided to descend the mountain, then we moved to another area and discussed the next activity that we will be doing around Wilson Prom. The plan was to walk in two beaches around the area namely Norman Beach and Squeaky Beach. From the car park where we ended the hike in Mount Oberon , we drove to Norman Beach car park area. And from there we did walk in the beach. It’s in Norman beach where we found the beautiful waves coming to the coast at the summit of Mount Oberon. After enjoying few minutes of taking photos in Norman bay we moved to another parking area where we did a little bit of trek to go around Pillar Point where the Tidal River track and Squeaky Beach Track are joined. During the walk and trek I saw the beautiful river of Tidal River when crossed it from Tidal River Track. Aside from panoramic and scenic view of the river, I did enjoy as well the views of the coastline until we reach Squeaky Beach.
Some Snapshots at Norman Beach
Some birds at Norman Beach Car Park
Norman Beach Car Park
Bridge in Tidal River
Tidal River
Panoramic View With Tidal River
Panoramic View of Norman Beach
Panoramic View of Squeaky Beach
Panoramic View of Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach Track
Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach Track
Panoramic View of Squeaky Beach
Near Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach Car Park
After bush walk and beach walk, the tour was finished and before we totally left Wilsons Prom, we stopped in one area in the national park after we saw animals beside the road, we saw wombats and kangaroos and I enjoyed watching wombats because they were hiding and avoiding people. Wombat is an animal that is nice to hug like a teddy bear.
I also learned that name of the national park was came from Thomas Wilson (when he was honored by their friends namely Matthew Flinders and George Bass – Explorers who discovered one part or another of Australia).
Walking trail track
Boulder Part before the summit of Mount Oberon
Norman Bay and Beach
Norman Bay, Norman Beach, Pillar Point, Squeaky Beach
Mount Oberon Summit Panoramic Views
Some birds at Norman Beach Car Park
Norman Beach Car Park
Bridge in Tidal River
Tidal River
Panoramic View With Tidal River
Panoramic View of Norman Beach
Panoramic View of Squeaky Beach
Panoramic View of Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach Track
Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach Track
Panoramic View of Squeaky Beach
Near Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach Car Park
You must be logged in to post a comment.