I'm playing catch-up here. I've been SO BUSY, and finally I have a bit of time to update on things.

So, on the 17th Sept, the Carer's Support Group had their monthly morning coffee meeting at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, which are lovely, and I haven't visited since I was 20-ish. It's changed a LOT. We had a tour of the First Creek Wetlands, which are pretty awesome, and then through the forest of native trees and into the Mediterranean Garden, then we got coffee. I did, of course, nip into the Diggers shop, because these days I'm incapable of passing a garden shop and not going into it. And yes, I did buy a few things, because reasons.

The Wetlands have been developed to help the community learn about wetlands, how they work and why they are important, especially in an urban environment. The garden shows visitors new plants and function of plants and form an important part of the water security plan for the Adelaide Botanic Garden. In five to eight years, the First Creek Wetland is expected to be able to recover up to 100ML of water a year from the aquifer, enough to irrigate the entire Adelaide Botanic Garden.

An amount of stormwater will be diverted from First Creek as it enters the garden, treated through the wetland, and then stored in and subsequently recovered from an underlying aquifer. The collection holds over 60,000 plants, many of which are Australian natives. Some are rare and endangered plants from South Australia which have been grown from seeds collected by our South Australian Seed Conservation Centre. Pathways and viewing platforms surround and go through the wetland and educational signs and other materials explain the wetland and aquifer system and the importance of wetlands.

The SA Water Mediterranean Garden showcases plants from the five Mediterranean climates around the world:

* South-western Australia
* South Africa
* Central Chile
* California
* The Mediterranean Basin.

The plants that live in these places are well adapted for Mediterranean climates just like southern South Australia where it's seasonally dry with frequent fire. Many of them have features that enable them to conserve water during dry times and take advantage of the rain when it does fall. There are three major elements to the garden--a water rill, interpretive spine and geographical drifts--that together tell the stories of Mediterranean plants.

And now, of course, photos! Click to see full size. :D






1. The Diggers shop. 2. Close up of one of the flowering plants in the Mediterranean garden. 3. Beautiful pavilion in the Mediterranean garden. 4. The Bottle Tree. Stores water in its trunk. Put your ear against ir and tap it. You'll hear the water inside. Not to be confused with the boab tree. 5. Magical path. Part of the walk through the forest of natives. 6. Close up of the trunk of a paper bark tree. Part of the forest of natives. It feels quite squishy! 7. One of the last vestiges of the old insane asylum--the morgue. Now a potting shed. 8. First Creek Wetlands. 9. The old tram barns. Now home to rare books and the Millennium seed bank. 10. The Goodman Building.

This is where I out myself as a costumer and historical reenactor. Although neither of those are really secret. It's been a goodly number of years since I've done anything like this, for several reasons, most having to do with health issues. (And yes, I miss it a LOT). Anyhoodle, before I got involved in historical reenacting (not the SCA), I was studying a degree in History and Film Studies. As part of the history major, I took classes in Byzantine History, Late Roman History, Early Medieval History and Renaissance Italy. My present day love for Byzantium and the period of the 12th-13th centuries (particularly the Third Crusade) comes from both university and reenacting. My love for ancient Chinese history comes from my early teens, when I was learning Mandarin.

What I did in my hobby is called Living History. And what is that, you wonder. Well, wonder no more! Living History is "[...] trying to bring the past to life again by reconstructing the clothes, equipment, weapons, armour and tools of the past. This often involves extensive research into original sources by those who have a fascination for this. Fortunately for most of us they are willing to share the knowledge with the rest of us so we all have a good time!

Once the research has been done and the equipment made or purchased or borrowed we can start wearing the clothes; fighting with the weapons and following the craftsmen's skill with the tools." (-Tudor Times.)

I was chatting with acosmistmachine on Twitter about Star Wars and Star Trek and tattoos, and the conversation moved to the topic of costumes. I said that in my past, I'd worn a Star Trek costume, and it convinced me that in the Trek future, people had no bladders. The costume I'd worn was a dress uniform, so a dress tunic over the onesie affair, which, having had to use the bathroom while wearing it, I can attest to the fact that in the future, if it's Trek, we will be free from bladders. Also, these things are damn uncomfortable, because they are form fitting, so unless you're supremely self-confident, you're constantly sucking in your stomach or stressing about your arse. (I should hastily add that this is the ST: TNG costume.) The costumer who made this is an extremely talented woman who has a real eye for recreation of clothing, whether it be history based of media based.

So, here's a photo. Beneath the cut. I'm 25 in this (oh so young! LOL!) and I don't recall what I was saying when the photo was taken, but I'd be willing to believe it was something to do with having no bladder.

(These aren't the greatest scans, I apologise, and they were scanned not long after they were taken, over 15 years ago, which probably doesn't help the quality. But they're viewable.)

Click to see the full size image.

( Star Trek costume and history costume. )

So day before yesterday we went to lunch at Seoul Korean restaurant and it was delish. Mum wasn't convinced she'd like it, as she's becoming a picky eater in her old age, but she loved it. I? I am still daydreaming of those lightly fried dumplings, the kimchi pancake and the garlic grilled chicken. Nomomom. I fully intend to go back again soon.

Mum gave me a microwave and some scratchies for my birthday, the microwave, I hasten to add, was delivered the week before the 23rd, I didn't have to somehow lug it around Adelaide and a restaurant and home. XD



How delicious does this look? It was amazing. Top shot is dumplings and kimchi pancake, with a glass of punch made of ginger, cinammon and persimmon; bottom shot is beef bibimbap with sides and red pepper paste. Castiel approves!

It's still Thursday somewhere, right? ;)

So this is thirteen places I've visited that I love, for various reasons, and I hope you enjoy this entry. It's a little late because I have a cold (again! Argh!), so yeah. Onward!


13 of my fave places

1. Shaniko, Oregon.
Good article about it. The only photos of inside the hotel.

I visited Shaniko with corellian_sugar when I was in the US last year and it totally exceeded my hopes as to how awesome it would be. My only regret is that we didn't spend more time there. (And at Bridal Veil and Antelope, but that's how daylight lasting only X hours goes.) This ghost town that isn't quite is awesome. I love the fact it was like walking back in time, the place is so lovingly preserved by the few residents that live nearby, on the outskirts of the town or in the town of Antelope. The whole area was simply breathtaking - all this yellow rolling hills with sharp vicious rocky outcrops and then suddenly... an old west town. I toy idly with one day setting a story in Shaniko or having Shaniko play a small part in my Archangels novel.

2. Centralia, Pensylvania.
Good article about the town. And another one. Centralia is the inspiration for the Silent Hill films and is used as a location in the film.

Totally worth hiking around through the undergrowth to find a miner's wash station hidden away, look and poke at coal shale, smell sulfur and generally be an abandoned places geek. g_shadowslayer braved the narrow, winding path behind the hill of dirt with me to find the wash station and we pawed through it wondering what the hell it used to be. Consensus on the abandonedplaces comm suggested it was a wash station/house, not a residence as we'd thought. I'm a bit sad we didn't see the smoking road with all its holes and lumpiness, but hey, we saw ruins and weirdness and all round awesomeness.

3. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC.
The Byzantine collection.

Another one I visited while overseas, this time at the suggestion of strangemuses, who told me it had a huge collection of Byzantine artefacts and as I am a Byzantine loving history geek, I jumped at the chance to visit. It didn't disappoint, and as I doubt I'll actually get to Istanbul, this was a very brilliant substitue. What she didn't tell me about, however, was the Music Room. The whole room is late medieval/early Renaissance artefacts, art and furniture and the ceiling is just breathtaking. I sort of leaned against the wall while the curator eyed me suspiciously and stared at the ceiling. I may have shed a tear, but thankfully no one saw that. And why? Unless the V&A or the Louvre or the London Museum or the York Museum do a travelling exhibition of medieval art, etc, I will never see these things. And this was just... well, it was. Basically.

4. Sci-fi/Rock n Roll museum, Seattle.
Main info page.

The funnel of guitars from floor to ceiling! The Jimi Hendrix collection! The life size Gort saying hi! The singing Death Star! The first edition pulp SF novels! The SF Wall of Fame! Yeah, I was in my element here. Health shit notwithstanding. corellian_sugar took me here on the way back from Canada and it was *awesome*.

5. Stonehenge, Washington.
Good article about Stonehenge. And another with great photos.

I am a lover of the weird, wonderful, crazy and kitsch and when corellian_sugar told me about Stonehenge and sent me a photo, I knew I had to see it. I hobbled around it cackling like a delighted hyena and took a ton of photos, including getting T to take one of me doing my 'I am the high priestess of the sun!' pose. Also the view from Stonehenge of the Gorge and the river is breathtaking. It's such a beautiful spot and another one I'd like to feature in a story at some point, somewhere. The idea of Archangels fighting demons in the middle of a Stonehenge in the US appeals to me a lot.

6. Talc Alf/Ochre Pits/Parachilna Gorge
Talc Alf, video of the Ochre Pits, which doesn't really do it justice, Parachilna Gorge.

When I was a little Star, aged 12, my primary school took us on a week long school camp. We went to the Flinders Ranges and Leigh Creek, so right up to central and northern South Australia. This was my first time in this part of my country and it really stayed with me. So much so, that everytime I go up there, these places are a must to visit. Talc Alf may well be an eccentric bloke in the bush with some strange ideas, but he carves the most gorgeous things in talc stone, and I still have the piece I bought back then, a dove. (If anyone wants to see it, let me know, and I'll take a photo of it.) The Ochre Pits are still used by the local Aboriginals to this day, for the ochre used in their tribal rituals and the vids and photos really don't do it justice - the richness of the colours, the softness of the ochre pits themselves, these just don't come across until you actually see and touch it for yourself. Parachilna Gorge is one of many gorges around Australia, but I like it because it's a pretty walk and it's peaceful and you can get chased by pink and grey galahs. Also, Ochre's coloru meanings: yellow represents the sun and means rebirth and new beginnings (and who couldn't use one of those every now and then), pink is the colour of lungs and therefore breath, purple means cleansing.

7. Wilpena Pound
One of the most majestic places on Earth. The Age article is a good one. Wilpena is Aboriginal for 'The place of bent fingers.'

I have climbed up the sides of this thing and down into the flat center then up again. The view is amazing. The hike is hard. I couldn't do these days. I've done it many times in my youth, teens and twenties. It's a natural amphitheatre which is full of wildlife and scrub - the hike can be arduous and the rangers do recommend if you're not used to it, to do the beginners hike. That takes two hours. The experienced hike is six hours up, six hours down, rinse, repeat, and yep, I've done that one too. It really is beautiful and you don't really notice the passage of time, because there's so much to look at.

8. Kanyaka Ruins
Info page for the ruins.

Kanyaka is one of those many stories in outback colonial Australia - Europeans, ignorant of just how harsh it is to live outback decide to do it anyway, either for gold mining, sheep farming, cattle farming or crop farming. Kanyaka was a livestock station and for a while, it did very well. Then, Australia's climate being what it is, drought hit. Everything died and finally, the station owner and his surviving family and workers moved to the nearby town of Quorn and the station was left to fall into ruins. It's not a heritage listed site and it's really eerie to walk through the ruins of a huge homestead that used to house over 100 people and was such a major part of the livestock trade in the nineteenth century. Eerie, but beautiful too - I love these ruins and I always get a sense of hope and tenacity from them, unlike other ruins I've visited in the Flinders Ranges which have been nothing but despairing and sad. So yeah, Kanyaka is awesome.

9. La Perouse, New South Wales.
I'm actually amazed there's a good site about La Perouse! And another one!

Sydneysiders (I'm looking at meredith_shayne!) are probably looking at me askance right now and wondering, "La Perouse? Really? Seriously, Star?" But yep, really and seriously. I've been there a few times with my brother and he's got friends there, but I've always enjoyed myself, poking around it. Next time I'm in Sydney, he's taking me there again, so I can trot over to the fort on Bare Island there, I've decided.

10. The Big Macadamia, Queensland.
Yup.

It's a big macadamia nut. Seriously. You see, Australia is a land of big things. Big orange, pineapple, rocking horse, Murray cod, koala - you name it, there's probably a big thing somewhere of it. How the trend of big things came to be isn't known, but there's lots of them and they constantly crack me up. The first time I saw the macadamia, I laughed so hard, I couldn't stop. It's part of the now closed Big Pineapple complex (and I'm sad it's closed, the whole place is wonderfully cracktastic), and inside the nut is a shop where you can buy, you guessed it, macadamia nuts!

11. Simpsons Gap, Northern Territory.
One site, small article and more detailed information.

In my bio, I talk about how when I was a very little Star, perhaps aged 6 or 7, I won a competition by drawing Humpty Dumpty with an Aussie hat, complete with corks and writing a little story about it. My prize was a holiday to the Northern Territory, so mum and I took five days and up we went to Alice Springs. My teacher at the time, I remember mum telling me, was thrilled I was doing this because she felt that travel was one of the best teachers for a child. I remember that week in the Alice with great fondness - we stayed at a youth hostel and I made friends with other guests and the owner, we went to the River Todd and I had baramundi for the first time (best fish EVER), I rode a camel for the first time while mum went "Eeeeeeeek!", and we visited Simpson's Gap. Simpson's Gap is an image that's stayed with me all these years because I remember how cold it was in the middle of the gap. The water was cool, the rock walls were cold and red and it was amazingly silent. I loved it. So, Simpson's Gap is one of those places that stays with you forever.

12. The Big Merino, NSW.
He's really the biggest merino in the world. And he's in Goulburn.

Another big thing. The Big Merino is awesome. Inside his belly is a shop where you can buy... wait for it... wool! And wool products! You can also buy jam, which is a big part of Goulburn's industry. But he's a big concrete merino sheep in the middle of nothing. I was coming home from one of my many visits to Sydney, and doing it the cheap way, ie, by very cramped bus. The drive is something like 16 hours, and it's all in one hit. Yeah, we're hard arse here. XD So, I'd had a nap, and I woke up, it was around mid-morning and heading towards lunch time and the bus driver said we were stopping at Goulburn for lunch. For miles around was nothing but flat arable land, crops as far as the eye could see... and this big grey thing rearing out of the middle of it all. It got bigger and bigger as we got closer and then I realised that oh. It was a giant fucking sheep in the middle of nowhere. And I love it. It's been moved to a different location in Goulburn since I first saw it, but I'm happy to have seen it and hung out there a few times, in the original and new locations.

13. Noosa Heads, Queensland.
General info and a little more.

If Heaven is a beach, it's Noosa Heads. This is the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, and I live in a country full of beautiful beaches, where each curve of the coastline is more beautiful and breathtaking than the one before it. The water is blue and crystal clear, the rainforest is lush and green, the wildlife is *everywhere*, the air is warm and comfortable, the sand is white, the town shopping precinct is like a lazy, easygoing, non-rushed area, it's just amazing. If I was going to retire anywhere outside of South Australia, Noosa would be it. Alas, that I am not rich. Noosa Heads really is a paradise.

And now some pics. I didn't take these, no. Under the cut to save flists.

( Pics )

Shamelessly stealing the idea from the lovely xakara - Thursday Thirteen is thirteen things on a Thursday that fit a theme pulled out of my head. And my theme for this Thursday is purely shallow. I have the flu and a kidney infection and looking at pretty things/people/places makes me happy. So this one, first of my Thursday Thirteens, is: Thirteen Celebrities I Enjoy (With pictorial support because pictures make everything better.)

Onward ho, beneath the cut. (And click the thumbnail to embiggen.)

( Thursday Thirteen )

It was difficult to narrow down to thirteen. I wanted to include others like Ewan McGreggor, Natalie Dormer, Craig Parker, Dave Wenham, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Eliza Dushku, Alexei Chadov, Bruce Boxleitner, Shahid Kapoor, Christopher Meloni, and, and, and...