Thursday, March 27, 2008

Manly & Muriel

(Random Sydney walkies)

Up to my arse in work today. Took these at Easter just out the back of Manly Beach. Manly is the beach at North Head, which is at the mouth of Sydney Harbour. There used to be a Quarantine Station there. You can do a ghost tour.


Manly Weir

Went to a mate of a mate's birthday, ate an ear off of an Easter bilby, messed about in boats, and helped rescue the birthday boy when he got drunk and fell in. A good time was had by all.

Lovely spot. There was hardly anyone around. It rained in the morning and the sky was still pretty black. We fossicked about in the bush on the shore and had a barbie and were only mildly eaten to death by the ants.


Manly Weir Manly

Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)

"This small, stocky wallaby has dark brown fur, often with rusty patches on the belly, chest and base of the ears. It feeds on shrubs, grasses and ferns, Swamp Wallabies have been spotted at here in recent times."

"Body 66-85 cm, tail 64-86 cm." says Faunanet

For yer average non-biologist person, there's bugger-all difference between a wallaby and a roo except roos can get as tall as people and wallabies are short-arses.


Manly Weir Manly

Long-Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta)

"The long-nosed Bandicoot is probably best known for small, round conical holes it leaves behind as it forages at night. Dug with the front feet, the holes are for the animal's long, sensitive snout to reach in and detect insects, small inverterbrate prey and succulent plant material.

Once common in Sydney, it now occurs in isolated populations in bushland areas to the south and north of Sydney, including Manly. The small colony at nearby North Head is classified as an 'endangered population'."


Manly Weir Manly

Short-Beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) (left) and Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes)

Wee beasties native to the area.


Muriel

West Street Umina

Back to Woy Woy for this one, to West Street Umina to be exact. There's an empty shop on the corner near the brick church. Sacred Heart or something. The one that's due for demolition. Anyways. Shop's empty and there's these big murals left on the walls.

There's another one with a unicorn.


Time off for good behaviour

I am off for an unexpected holiday. And I bloody need it I can tell you. Comments and emails will go unanswered. I will be putting my feet up and resting my weary brian. And my weary brain.

See you in three weeks.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hope you have a good time wherever you are going and see you back here in 3 weeks

Mal Kiely [Lancelots Pram] said...

Enjoy your break.

I literally grew-up on just the other side of Manly Dam. I spent many a summers swimming right where that pic was taken. Thanks for sharing.

Cyalayta
Mal (Bathurst NSW)

Spike said...

Thank yer kindly for the inclusion, RTW. Like your site.

Mal, yer welcome. Looked like a great place for kids. Dive bombing off the wall and messing about in ingies and stuff.