I have never seen these peas before, but they are delicate and pretty.
Mount Annan Gardens – Part 3
There were plants from all over Australia, some very strange-looking. This one looks kind of like a bottle-brush, but not.
Mount Annan Gardens – Part 2
We entered the garden and were surrounded by giant ferns. It’s easy to imagine dinosaurs roaming through this landscape.
Mount Annan Gardens – Part 1
We visited Mount Annan Botanical gardens a few weeks ago. It was a glorious autumn day – a perfect time for discovering the gardens. Mount Annan’s speciality is Australian plants. We will start with the ancient trees and shrubs.
Birthday Cowl
I knitted this for my friend Nina’s birthday – a belated present since her birthday was all the way back in November. She feels the cold so I thought that this cowl would be great for her. I used leftovers of my favourite yarn, in my favourite colour, and got to practise some cables and the kitchener stitch.
It looks and feels so good that my other friends want one too.
Volcanoes and all that – Part 6
We end our visit to the quarry, and our geology excursion, looking over the quarry and the bush behind. Who knew that such geological wonders was at our doorstep!
Volcanoes and All That – Part 5
We also found different minerals in all different shapes and sizes.
The minerals here formed inside a cooling rock, and looks like an egg.
These minerals have formed between two layers of bedding.
But the most fascinating was this specimen, which looks like a miniature garden of crystal.
Volcanoes and All That – Part 4
There was a variety of heavy machinery at the quarry. Some were in every day use.
But there were some older machinery in the less used corners of the mine which reflects the quarry’s 50 years of use. I found these more interesting.
Volcanoes and All That – Part 3
When the rock is blasted it forms nice columns, like these. The Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland have similar basalt columns, but in a seaside setting.
They are surprisingly heavy for their size, and are really hard rocks. These are crushed and used to make super concrete. This is the concrete for really big structures, like the World Square building and Anzac Bridge in Sydney.
We were allowed to take some home, and our columns sit happily in our garden at home.
Volcanoes and All That – Part 2
Looking at the walls of the quarry up close, you notice that the grooves lean this way and that, like someone has sketched it.
The grooves are formed when magma, coming out of the volcano, cools. Hubby the geologist says that the way the grooves lean point to the coolest point. Since the grooves on each layer point in different directions, it tells you that the volcano was active many, many times.
Close up, it looks very beautiful, like artwork.
The kids were pretty enthralled too.
Static and Silence 