Magical Morocco
Streets of Casablanca, Morocco
Magical Morocco!
That says it all.
From visiting our daughter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for two weeks we flew out in the early hours to Casablanca. We couldn’t get a direct flight so we had to go via Cairo. Sadly we didn’t have more than a few hours there – and spent all of our “visit” to Egypt in the transit lounge. I was also disappointed that we were on the wrong side of the plane coming into Cairo. The pilot announced that the pyramids could be see off to the left; we were sitting on the right-hand side of the plane. The pyramids will have to wait until another trip; I guess they’re not going anywhere in a hurry.
The flights to Casablanca were uneventful. Getting through customs, however, took forever. After the delay we were united again with our daughter who had arrived on a different flight as we couldn’t get seats on the same flights. We also met our tour guide for our time in Morocco, Said, who we instantly took a liking to; he was the perfect guide for our two week tour of his country.
As we left the airport our first views of Morocco were rain soaked. This was the first rain we’d had since leaving home, and the last for the whole trip – except for a light drizzle one day a few weeks later. Our driver quickly whisked us through down-town Casablanca to our hotel for the night, and we quickly settled into our very comfortable rooms.
Today I’ve posted several photos taken of Casablanca from the balcony of our hotel. Not very exciting, and rain splattered as well.
Streets of Casablanca, Morocco
Streets of Casablanca, Morocco
Streets of Casablanca, Morocco
The Murray River at Mannum, South Australia
Murray River, Mannum, South Australia
The river town of Mannum is less than a half hour drive from our home in Murray Bridge. This popular tourist town is quiet with a good range of facilities including an excellent caravan park and several hotels. The picnic area at Mary Ann Reserve on the banks of the river is a popular spot. It is also where several touring boats moor, including those which provide meals, short trips of the river and longer week long cruises.
An excellent Tourist Information Centre which features the historic nature of the old Mannum River Port which was in its heyday in the paddle steamer era of the late 1800s.
Murray River, Mannum, South Australia
Silver Gulls and the Murray River, Mannum, South Australia
Lunch at Lake Hattah
Lake Hattah, Victoria, June 2011
Sydney Trip June 2011
On the last day of our trip home from Sydney in June this year, we stopped at Lake Hattah for lunch. We found a convenient log on which to sit and enjoyed a quiet, peaceful time. We reminisced about the many times we’d been camping here over the years. This area still holds a special place in the memories of our children too, now long since grown up.
We’ve also enjoyed many hours of canoeing on the system of lakes which fill from the nearby River Murray when it’s in flood. Sadly, the lakes have suffered over the last decade due to severe drought. Now they are once again full there is some hope for the future of this wonderful environment.
Lake Hattah, Victoria, June 2011
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Sydney Trip June 2011
On our way home from visiting family in Sydney earlier this year we stopped for a short break in the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, just a short detour from the main road through the city. We only stayed long enough to have a quick bite to eat, a refreshing cuppa and to have a brief look at some of the flowers blooming in the gardens. Yesterday I showed some of the photos I took; today I add a few more, including some beautiful grevilleas.
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens
Lameroo, South Australia
Lake Roberts, Lameroo, South Australia
Earlier this year my wife and I drove from our home in Murray Bridge in South Australia to Sydney in New South Wales. We were going there to play with our precious grandson – oh, and see our son and daughter in law. On our first day of travelling we left early and reached Lameroo in the Murray Mallee region of eastern South Australia.
We stopped at our favourite place on the edge of town at Lake Roberts. Here we had morning tea and a cuppa. The sunshine was lovely but the breeze was bitterly cold. I managed a few photos of the local birds before we headed east again. We had a great distance to cover before bed time.
Grain silos, Lameroo, South Australia
Lameroo is a small town in a prominent farming region. The main agricultural pursuits are wheat and barley crops with potatoes grown at nearby Parilla. Many farmers also run sheep and cattle on their farms.
After leaving Lameroo we continued driving for about an hour and half before finding a convenient roadside parking area where we stopped to have a picnic lunch. There was a interesting patch of scrub next to the car park, complete with a short walking trail featuring a good range of local native flora (see photo below). This was of particular interest to my wife but the bird life was keeping a low profile and rather quiet so I didn’t get a long list species seen in this location.
Roadside walking trail between Lameroo and Ouyen