nature and travel – Page 102

Word power: Moby Trump

Published April 6, 2019 by Pelidoug

“My” local daily paper – The West Australian – has recently become relentlessly parochial and adopted inane journalese as its house style.

Its headlines especially grate: almost all are prime examples of what smug dullards consider “clever”, of what twits mistake for wit.

The West‘s editor may or may not be a bona fide idiot; perhaps he is just a bright young lickspittle, fulfilling a brief to “dumb everything down, cut every cost and cross-promote the linked TV station, endlessly”.

So, it was a particular joy/relief to encounter some actual journalistic flair…

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Aoraki/Mount Cook in monochrome

Published March 28, 2019 by Pelidoug

Aoraki/Mount Cook in monochrome

Photos are copyright Doug Spencer.

Featured image shows New Zealand’s highest peak, viewed from its inland side, at 4.34 pm on March 27, 2019.

I suggest you zoom in on the high ridges to see the windblown fresh snow streaming into the air, like sand off a dune.

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Dining “off-piste”, at Fleurs Place, Moeraki, NZ

Published March 24, 2019 by Pelidoug

Dining “off-piste”, at Fleurs Place, Moeraki, NZ

Sitting beside a very rustic little jetty in a hamlet on New Zealand’s South Island is a delightfully “unlikely”, internationally renowned restaurant.

Fleurs Place (pictured above) is a one-off.

Fleur (real person) serves teethsqueakingly fresh seafood, cooked simply and superbly, without pretension.

However, the “diner” closest to us preferred to catch and prepare his (or her) own lunch!

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Wet side, dry side (NZ, South Island)

Published March 20, 2019 by Pelidoug

Wet side, dry side (NZ, South Island)

They are very close, as the proverbial crow flies – if the proverbial crow chose to cross New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

Equally beautiful, but quite unlike: the stark contrast between coastal side and inland side is reminiscent of Patagonia.

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New Zealand Alps visible, at last

Published March 17, 2019 by Pelidoug

New Zealand Alps visible, at last

After days of almost-continuous rain the clouds suddenly lifted…and the nation’s two highest peaks revealed themselves.

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Word power: climate change “unravelling” Australia’s forests

Published March 8, 2019 by Pelidoug

Word power: climate change “unravelling” Australia’s forests

What will happen is the system will crash faster than we realise. Yes, it will reassemble and there will be forests, but they won’t look anything like what we have now. We are going to see this transformation before our eyes…

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Lemurs (4th in series): Diademed Sifaka

Published March 6, 2019 by Pelidoug

Lemurs (4th in series): Diademed Sifaka

Propithecus diadema – the Diademed Sifaka or Diademed Simpona – is a large, utterly distinctive lemur.

It is critically endangered, but relatively easy to see in the (rapidly diminishing) wild, only a few hours away from Madagascar’s capital city.

The next image will explain why many people regard the Diademed Sifaka as the loveliest lemur.

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Lilac time, again…for Red-tails

Published February 23, 2019 by Pelidoug

Lilac time, again…for Red-tails

The former is a popular street tree in Perth.

Generally known as a “Cape Lilac”, it is in fact originally from the Himalayan region.

The latter is an endemic local – a magnificent, endangered bird.

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Barking mad: what tree’s skin is this?

Published February 21, 2019 by Pelidoug

Barking mad: what tree’s skin is this?

As regular readers/viewers know, Pelican Yoga is partial to eucalypts’ bark, most especially when those trees shed and renew their skin.

I am no expert on particular species, but I can positively identify this one.

The relevant sign (next image) will let you know if your guess is correct; chances are excellent that you will “bark up” the wrong tree!

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Réunion Island: from above

Published February 17, 2019 by Pelidoug

Réunion Island: from above

Madagascar-bound, flying from Australia?

Lucky you!

You’ll be even luckier if you spend some days on Réunion Island, en route; if the natural world is more your world than “resort world”, Réunion and Madagascar are infinitely more rewarding Indian Ocean island destinations than is Mauritius.

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Category: nature and travel