Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

  It was a great idea….renting a mini-van equipped with all the camping gear, pots and pans, refrigerator, microwave, sink and range.  We would get off the plane, take a taxi and pick up the van and be on our way to Kakadu National Park.   And that really is what happened.  This is going to be a long post because a lot of other things happened too! We enjoyed the drive stopping at Mary’s River where we saw our first ‘in the wild’ kangaroo and the termite nest. Very Tall Termite Nest That is also where the T-belt warning light came on!  Trust me – that is not a good sign as I quickly found out in the manual.  The T-belt light is the timing belt and if that goes, the engine goes!  As there were no places to stop and call the rental company we drove on in the hopes that we had time to get to someplace that could help.  The further we drove, the more comfortable we became and Peter said, “Let’s go down this road a little ways”.  It was a sandy billabong road with abou

Cairns’ tropical climate definitely put me in vacation mode!  We stayed at The Cairns Plaza Hotel just across from the esplanade.  Nice hotel with a friendly helpful staff and a good breakfast.  We took walks along the water watching the many birds in an out of the water.  Masked Lapwing strolls along the beach Superb Fruit Dove and baby A large public swimming pool parallel to the seashore with people practicing snorkeling, swimming and generally enjoying the water was a major draw to the area.  Several large sculptures marked inviting resting spaces all along the esplanade.  We walked around the town, checking out the local grocery store, cafes, and parks.  Wi-fi was free in the town and we caught up on emails, news, etc while sitting on the park bench.  That was a real plus!  Generally internet cost from $10 (a day in Cairns hotel room) to $22(a half hour in Sydney).  So free wi-fi was appreciated!  We were interested in the cost of food – oranges were th

After picnicking at Mt.Wilson in the Tree Fern Cathedral and watching the Magpie and the Currawong fight over crumbs from our sandwiches, we went to Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens.  There are birds where there are gardens!   These gardens are stunning with mountains as backdrops, interesting art work and sculpture  integrated with plants and paths with water features to follow.  They showcase cool climate plants from around the world and cover about 623 acres. The Waratah /Annual Celebration was in full swing.  The Waratah grow in patches of sandy loam on ridges and plateaus in the Sydney basin, NSW Central and South Coast districts and in the Blue Mountains.  They are shrubs or trees that grow between 9 and 16 ft. tall!  Spectacular!  They are more often seen in parks and reserves than in nature now.  The Waratah is the floral emblem of New South Wales and there is an Aboriginal story.  I love this!   Waratah Visit a rock garden, a bog garden, rrhododen