Wordless Wednesday : The Mighty Darling

Old North Bourke Bridge - Friday !

Paddle boats were the major transportation means with wool and other produce, travelling all the way from the rail head at Bourke to the Murray junction at Wentworth. 

  PV Jandra is a faithful reproduction of the original 1894 steam paddle boat. We didn't get to cruise it.

It has been badly affected by drough, salinity and runs through very flat country and plains ...hence the murky , muddy look.

The Historic wharf is very impressive. The three-tiered wharf is a reproduction of the original wharf built in 1897.

The Darling River was busy with boats carrying wool bales and prodcue -

Port of Bourke was once Australia’s busiest inland ports.

Sunday - I ran across here - not to the end as it has been barricaded. The Bridge opened up here - from the look of it.

Last weekend we headed to Bourke to give the enthusiastic folk of far Western NSW a try of Dragon Boating, on the Darling River - the outback's most famous waterway.

The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, 1,472 kilometres from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, NSW

Officially the Darling River begins between Brewarrina and Bourke at the confluence of the Culgoa and Barwon rivers. Wikipedia

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Muse and Song ~ I am

I love this song and Australia day is just around the corner.



Another quintessential Aussie song.

Linking up with Thea's

because it is still Sunday somewhere !
What are your favourite Australian songs ? What songs inspire you ?

♥

Animal Encounters ~ Wild Life Sydney

This morning we had an incredible experience at Wild Life Sydney, Darling Harbour. My boys loved the opportunity to pat and feel the animals. The staff are very friendly and encourage children to participate and gently touch the animals.

It was fun to get up close and personal with so many endangered and dangerous animals. Imagine being metres away from psychopathic predators like  crocodiles , venomous Tiger snakes and the little jail birds "Emu Chicks"

Due to extreme time constraints I have to post the press release with permission ...since I am leaving on caravan adventure holiday any time soon.

WILD LIFE Sydney opens its doors at Darling Harbour

WILD LIFE Sydney welcomes baby emu chicks as it officially launches the new Australian Animal Adventure in time for September school holidays

Sydney – 13 September, 2011 – WILD LIFE Sydney today opened its doors to a new Australian animal adventure in the heart of Sydney. To coincide with the September school holidays, Merlin Entertainments Group revealed its newest attraction – a journey through the iconic regions of Australia and the animals that live within them – as it officially launched WILD LIFE Sydney, at Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour. 

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To mark the unveiling of the new attraction – formerly Sydney Wildlife World – WILD LIFE Sydney today welcomed baby emus to the all-Aussie animal experience.

The cute, striped baby emu chicks were introduced into their new home in The Outback – one of eight iconic walk-through habitats that make up the new Australian animal journey – following a unique upbringing and very successful partnership between *John Morony Wildlife Care Centre and WILD LIFE Sydney. The centre housed the baby emus throughout their month-long quarantine period with the baby chicks being cared for by John Morony staff and inmates.  

Following from their quarantine period, the striped baby emus – endearingly termed the ‘Jail Birds’ – have now made the trip to their new home at WILD LIFE Sydney where they will play a star role throughout the September school holidays. 

Alongside their neighbour – the towering Red Kangaroo - the baby emus will call the Outback’s Red Centre habitat home, completing Australia’s Coat of Arms in one iconic habitat.

On the new Australian animal adventure at WILD LIFE Sydney, visitors will be taken on an amazing Australian journey as they travel into Australia’s most famous and traveled locations. Walking through eight iconic Australian habitats, this Australian animal adventure takes on average 1.5 to 2 hours from start to finish and will see visitors encounter Australia’s most loved and feared animals as they travel to Kakadu Gorge, The Outback, Gum Tree Valley, Daintree Rainforest, Butterfly Tropics and more.

Mike Drinkwater, WILD LIFE Sydney Life Sciences Manger, commented: “WILD LIFE Sydney is more than just a new name. Our goal was to recreate the iconic regions of Australia, complete with the animals you would find in that geographical area. It’s great to be able to bring domestic and international visitors a new Australian animal experience with enhanced interactive displays, more entertaining shows, feeding sessions and enhanced walk-through habitats. Our visitors get a chance to experience first-hand the diversity of Australia’s incredible flora and fauna, all without leaving the city.”

WILD LIFE Sydney is home to the un-bearably cute koala, Australia’s largest kangaroo, the world’s deadliest bird and WILD LIFE’s monster croc, Rex! 

When: The Australian Animal Adventure official launch Tuesday, 13 September

Where: WILD LIFE Sydney, Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour (right next door to Sydney Aquarium)

Opening hours: 9am to 5pm every day of the year

Cost: Prices from $17.50 when you book online at www.wild-life.com.au. Walk-up price: Adult $35 Children $18, combo tickets also available combining entry to WILD LIFE Sydney with Sydney Aquarium, and/or the new Sydney Tower Eye experience, and/or Oceanworld Manly starting at $50 for an adult and $30 for a child. 

For more information and exciting updates on WILD LIFE Sydney, please visit: www.wild-life.com.au

PS * The John Morony centre is not far from where we live . Once I took a Baby Sugar Glider Possum we found ,at the top of my MIL's curtains, to JMC who are also WIRES carers. They had lots of rescued and injured Aussie animals recuperating there.

This is not a sponsored post but we were at Wild Life Sydney as invited guests via Hausmann Communciations. All opinions expressed are my own.

♥ Never miss a post

Flickr Friday - Trees

Credits
1. stretching boughs, 2. beyond the grey stump, 3. sky orchestra, 4. milsons point view, 5. Koala, 6. Bridal Veil Falls, 7. World Wide Web, 8. Street of Jacaranda Trees, 9. Picture 391, 10. Dripping Springs Trees, 11. Framed opera house, 12. ONE LAST LEAF..., 13. Kookaburra

I used Compfight and Big Huge labs to make this mosaic.
Click on the links to see them larger or whole image larger.
Thanks to Kate @Lazycowdesign for hosting this fun meme -go sign her MR Linky

Smiley Saturday -Happy Australia Day

Another week and lots of reasons to smile - thanks to Lightening Online go and checkout her blog quick because she has an Australia Day competition running and you can win some cool prizes.

So friends , Australians, international country men and friends I know not yet lend me your ears . I am a 5th generation Australian -though I acknowledge others are much more Australian than me.

I wanted to share this song . I have seen it on a few blogs today no doubt you have heard it before. This song always makes me smile and sing along.



I did my post about Australia day - here .

The greatest thing for me in Australia is mateship - well I say friendship and this last week I had a lovely visit from a few friends ... Tiff and her children from Three Ring Circus .The kids made me smile with their exuberance , happy go lucky attitude, the kind way they treated each other and their impeccable manners . Noah & Ivy made me smile with a special kiss and hug goodbye. Thanks matey we had a beaut day ! I have been smiling all week.

*Another shameless plug warning* - we are still on Top Momma so please keep clicking - and keep me smiling.

Update - Lyrics for the sing a long to the song have been posted at Mad Goat lady - another favourite Aussie Blog Mate .

Wordless Wednesday #13- Aussie Santa ...

Santa in Australia on Christmas day

I liked this funny one too but don't want to scare the kids

Wordless Wednesday -OZ Mud Map

Can you see the mud map of Australia -
what's a Mud map

ps I didn't take it but if it was you let me know and I will add your details.

I had another picture but it has gone missing arghh !
Okay I found them will save for another WW.


wordless wednesday