Usually we go north during the Australian winter, following the sun. So this is the first time I have experienced a cold winter for a long time. I had forgotten that raw, tingling feeling inside your nose every time you take a deep breath, the running eyes and numb fingers, but with the help of thermal underwear and warm jacket, scarf and gloves, I am slowly acclimatizing.
Some mornings, after a frosty -2 deg night, the sun shines, the wind drops and it is a beautiful crisp, Canberra day. On these days it is a pleasure to take Millie, the dog, for her walks.
A walking track runs alongside the house
Notice how well wrapped up I am. I look like a round dumpling…
Our home away from home
Our home for the next 3 months nestles in a tree and bush filled section, very rustic. Inside it is beautifully warm with underfloor gas heating AND a log fire in the lounge area. To keep us warm in bed there are electric blankets. Not had that indulgence since the days I was milking cows back in New Zealand.
Go Millie…
Along the centre of the road is a wide tree filled median strip. The piles of mulch have been put there by council workers and it is to be used for mulching the many trees in the area.
Canberra Nature Park
A 10 minute walk along the median strip and we turn into Canberra Nature Park. A doggie heaven of smells and space to run, other dogs to meet and trees to check for and then leave doggie messages…
Tree lined streets
Canberra is known as the “Bush Capital” and this area has a very rural feel. The beautiful deciduous trees line all the streets and the rustic colours of Autumn still linger on some of the mighty oak trees. I love the wide verges and that there are no front fences hemming the sections in. I found out that it is not allowed, by law, to build a front fence, a hedge is ok and side and back fences are allowed. But the absence of a front fence gives a friendly, neighbourly feel to the suburb.
Another law I totally agree with is that if you own a cat it must have an enclosure and not be allowed to wander, and it must be registered. Now I am not too sure how that law is policed. Do they have a cat ranger who checks your property when you register your cat? Maybe a Canberrian cat owner can let me know.
So with the absence of cats wandering around and lots of trees there are lots of birds.
Evening line up.
Jack took this photo of his favourite birds, sulphur crested cockatoos and galahs. There are dozens of them turn up each evening, I think one of the neighbours feeds them. Notice the character on the right hanging upside down?
Galahs all fluffed up to keep warm
Thank you for the walk…
So we are back home after our walk. Millie is a Labradoodle and is adorable. I love taking her for walks twice a day and it is a great way to explore the neighbourhood.
I am a day early but I thought this would also be a good post to join in with Jo’s Monday walks.
gypsy life 
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Another lovely walk I had.. and love Millie, she is adorable. I love how those birds too hang upside down… great photos Thank you again..
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The cockatoos are real clowns, lovely to watch their antics. Millie is such a darling, really well behaved too.
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I remember this post… and can see the Labradoodle is very cute 🙂 Thank you for directing me back to her.. 🙂
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You’re welcome.
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Fabulous room mates and what I’d give for underfloor heating during our grim winters
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G’day Dallas, nice to have you drop in. Underfloor gas heating, with a timer, is the ultimate and we also have a log fire, how good is that and we don’t even get snow here…
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That is a beautiful walk! Lovely bird capture. Thank you for taking us along 🙂
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You’re welcome any time Amy
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Thanks for the link Jo
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Hi Good to see somewhere else has a law to keep cats inside. On the gold coast Qld you have to keep your cat inside or in a enclosure. You can also have this wire mesh that goes around your fence to keep them in your yard if it is put on properly. Our neighbors let their cats out at night as we caught them on our balcony, it finally killed our bird by causing it stress so the pound was informed and they were told to keep them inside or on their land with this form of barrier. They give them 3 warnings and then they get fined from what I have been told but they do have to be kept inside at night or in cage.like birdcage Some people don’t worry but if they are caught out its like a dog pay to get them back from the pound
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Some cat owners are very irresponsible Toni and it can be very hard to police. I also believe that if a person wants a cat as a pet they should be responsible for keeping it on their section. Sorry to hear about your bird. Are the neighbours now keeping their cat under control?
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they were for a while but will have to ring up and complain again as we have noticed them getting around at night time again. I caught them over her the other night. Our cat is kept inside all the time.
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Beautiful crisp clean photos to match the morning. Even Kurrimine Beach south of Cairns is needing extra blankets at night at the moment. The front fencing was evidently a European concept. Can see versions all through the outer Pacific Islands with strong missionary influence, most interesting the way we sometimes “have” to cordon off our little bit of land, possibly more of an ownership than security issue. Lovely to see the open shared park like fronts are also now part of Canberra and it will built its own Aussie tradition. You have your love to keep you warm, I know you”ll have a great Canberra experience.
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Hi Lyn and David, good to hear from you, Yes I think the ownership issue could be right, but in most cities I also think it is the fear factor of keeping strangers out. I’ve heard it is quite cool in your parts this winter…
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Yes, certainly is. Even at the beach we have been about 10 and that is right on the front row where we can see and hear the ocean. Lovely days though, even warm enough for swimmers, no, Not swimming but still ok getting wet when kayaking. Off home Thursday, will be colder there but lots of firewood stored. Pumpkins delicious and surprisingly our shared tomato tree still fruiting. Wonder if you added steroids in early stages. Miss you both.
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That tomato is really an amazing plant, I have never known tomatoes to last so long. Did you keep any seeds from it?
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I feel homesick looking at these pictures! Canberra is a beautiful place (but I don’t miss the cold) 😉
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I heard so many negative comments about Canberra when I told people where we would be for winter. No one mentioned how beautiful it is, they all just mentioned the climate…
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I know what you mean. I could never go back to the cold again. was bad enough when I went back in Feb a couple of years ago and I was so cold and my friend had the air-con on. it got to 2 deg through the night brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. so cold.
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Oh the Galahs!!! I so love them! And Labradoodles and Goldendoodles and all the doodles are just the most wonderful dogs!!
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The pure bred poodle seems to pass on it’s lovely temperament to all the “designer dogs” it helps create Cindy. The Galahs seem to be quite tame and when I walk the dog past a bunch of them feeding on the ground they never bother to fly away and good old Millie doesn’t chase them.
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What fun, as long as you bundle up!!!
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Oh yes it is all about lots of layers and keeping warm… 🙂
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My son once lived in Canberra, though I didn’t visit in the winter. His daughter lives there now with her mother. I like Canberra, it has a nice family feel to it and all the suburbs have amenities and good public transport and parks. I loved taking my granddaughter to her nursery in the city on the bus. I also enjoyed walking along the lake shore, having brunch in Manuka and taking a couple of days out to visit the Snowy Mountains. And crisp clear cold is fine by me – I just hate damp, dreary grey, which unfortunately we get a lot of here in the UK. I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun there for three months PP, kinda makes me want to house-sit!
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Canberra was a designer city specially built as the Nations Capital Jude and I think they did a very good job getting a good balance of parks and green space, very liveable.
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Only downside is that it is not on the coast.
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Hi Pauline and Jack ,Looks like lots fun with your new walking pet friend Pauline and Jack all the birds :0 I remember coming to your place GC and feeding the birds : 0
Keep warm give each other a hug from me Love Nic
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Hi Nic, good to hear from you. Jack always bonds with the birds! where ever we go… 😉
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Oh it does look nice all round there Pauline ! I can feel already you are going to enjoy this house sit . Millie looks like fun maybe you’ll soon not need those thermals running around in that park with her 😉
Lots of crispy photo shots coming up then with any luck -2 … oh don’t remind me .
Loved those birds so much when we visited ! Lol I have sulphur crested hand puppet hanging up in the kitchen I called Kiki 😀
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Well Poppy I don’t know about “running” a brisk walk is my maximum speed…:)
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Great walk, pommepal. I especially love the idea of no front fences
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Back on the Goldcoast almost every house has a solid fence (we don’t) so paranoid…. No front fences makes the suburbs feel friendlier. I like the look.
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Me too. Sadly on the street where we live, it’s quiet, no through traffic, more and more people are putting up solid six foot fences, with those automatic gates that slide open. We’ll be keeping our low picket fence. I’m happy for people to check out my garden, weeds and all, when they walk past. And if they happen to glance in my window and catch my eye I give them a wave!
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Millie is gorgeous, and those cockatoos are absolutely beautiful. Glad to see you’re well wrapped up against the cold. 🙂
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I’ve fallen in love with Millie, but then I do with all our house sitting companions.
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That’s understandable. 🙂
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Thanks, Pauline 🙂 Those birds are spectacular! I read somewhere that Summer feeding shouldn’t include peanuts so Michael duly bought a mix of sunflower seeds and put them out, in a newly purchased container. Of course, the birds have expressed no interest whatsoever, much to Mick’s annoyance. He’s almost at the point of going into the garden with a ‘this way!’ sign. 🙂
Many thanks for your contribution from far away.
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I bought some “wild bird mix” yesterday it has lots of sunflower seeds in it, so will see what they think of that. Hopefully it will give lots of bird photos opportunities.
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I really enjoy your blog, full of beautiful photos with small interesting details. Give Millie a cuddle from me.
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Thanks for the comment Jodie, Millie loves lots of cuddles
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Ugh hate winter. I hope yours is not too harsh.
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Well Dawn I think compared to some snow filled and frosty winters in the northern hemisphere, especially the long one they had last winter, this is comparatively mild, just that I am not used to the cold now-a-days. Old and cold do not mix….
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I am old enough to qualify that statement!
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🙂
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Only -2 overnight? Since we’ve been having 3s and 4s, you’re probably better off in wintry Canberra, where the houses are built to cope with the cold, than you would be at home! Even Cairns is 8 degrees below normal!
It’s terrific to see how the bushland has been incorporated into the suburban environment – and those street and garden trees, which I last saw as quite young plantings in the late 60s, now in all their glory. Beaut walk 🙂
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Yes our friends back home on the GC are really moaning about the cold. You are right the houses, shops, every where in Canberra is geared to the cold winter.
This is a beautiful city Meredith. I’m looking forward to exploring it, so much to see here.
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I’ll look forward to seeing it with you then, Pomme – it’s been ages, as I said, but even as a teenager I remember it being quite thrilling.
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It is a very unique capital city having been purpose built. I’ll be exploring more of the history in the next 3 months.
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I’ll look out for the posts 🙂
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I love the birds Pauline.
Now I have some seed and mince for them.
They will love me too.
When I fed the magpies mince they were friendly.
It was like having my old friend Andy back.
I still remember that bird but nothing lasts for ever.
Thank you for this lovely post featuring my favourites.
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You’ll soon have the back yard like an aviary Jack
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