All posts by Sandra Graham

I am an artist and blogger living in Sydney, Australia. I am interested in Australian landscapes and lost suburbia, capturing them in photographs, paintings, prints and mixed media. @s_graham_art

Bathurst – Part 3

Also in the main precinct, and the purpose of our visit, was the old Primary School. Its size gave you an idea of how big the town was in the gold rush.

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum

Now it houses the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum.

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum

Inside, there was a very beautiful collection of minerals from all over Australia and the world, but I was more interested in fossils. There was an impressive cast of a T-Rex skeleton.

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum

But this weekend trip was all about marine fossils, particularly trilobites, an animal crossed between a crustacean and a centipede. These were common-place around 400 million years ago, but were wiped out in an extinction event 375 million years ago, possibly when the sea-level changed dramatically and the oxygen content in seawater decreased.

Their fossils are now found all over the world. The most spectacular specimens are from Morocco.

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum

But Australia also has its fair share. These great specimens are from Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum

Hunter Valley – Part 2

Up the road from Broke in Milbrodale, we visited Baiame Cave. The cave is a rock overhang at the end of the valley, on a private farm.

Baiame Cave

Baiame is the creator in these parts.

Baiame Cave

Befitting a creator, his painting was a good four metres wide.

Baiame Cave

It was only the second time I’ve seen rock art in the Blue Mountains area. I remember seeing some hand stencils on the other side of the mountains near Newnes, but this was much grander.

Baiame Cave

Hunter Valley – Part 1

A few weeks ago we spent a weekend in the Hunter Valley to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary (my, doesn’t three years fly). Instead of visiting the same old wineries, we decided to branch out and explore the wineries near the town of Broke. Even though these towns was only 20-odd kilometres, they were worlds apart.

Broke

Broke was a sleepy backwater compared to the tourist hub of Pokolbin with nary a car in sight – perhaps how Pokolbin was before it became a wine mecca. The wineries we visited in Broke were the kind that we liked – small places producing great drops, with the cellar door being manned by the winemakers themselves. They were always happy to explain away their wines and methods. Mount Broke Wines let cattle graze among the vines in the winter months to keep the weeds down.

Broke

Sawtell

One last beach to visit on our trip to the Mid North Coast. Boambee Beach stretches north from Sawtell all the way to Coffs Harbour, almost 6km away.

Sawtell

Once again, it was a leash-free beach, so Bridie enjoyed another scamper through the sandbanks. She certainly was spoilt by all the leash-free beaches on this trip.

Sawtell

There were many sniffs, but she behaved well, unlike a beagle x poodle dog we saw, who stole a lady’s chips while she sunbathed! Thankfully, Bridie was happy just to feel the wind in her ears.

Sawtell

That’s the end of our Northern NSW journey. We’ll once again go closer to home next time.