These little creatures are called echidnas /ekidnaz/. They are (or were) plentiful in the bush, or country areas. I fear the fires will have killed many because they cannot run. They eat insects, and are great in a garden, because they eat ants. Echidnas often used to come to my garden when I lived by … Continue reading Too cute. How did they go in Victoria’s bushfires?
Tag: Living in Australia
This is a typical holiday shop on Phillip Island. Everything in the window is made from cheap imported plastic. It will last for a holiday but it will not keep until next year. If we didn't import such rubbish, we could hire out better quality beach toys, and reduce the need to dispose of such … Continue reading Stop selling plastic junk
A horse drawn carriage ride for anyone?The Yarra River flows close to the main train station. You can sit or walk and watch people stroll along the walkways. Southbank has some good bars and restaurants, where you can watch the world go by. In summer (December-February), it is sometimes very hot, so you might like … Continue reading Melbourne on the Yarra
Our old buildings are not old by world standards. Fremantle, or "Freo" as the locals call it, has some buildings dating from the early days of white settlement. This is still a busy market, and a great place to buy fruit and vegetables. The sweetest, juiciest mangoes I have ever tasted were from here. It … Continue reading A little bit of history
It is hot. Nearly 40 degrees Celsius. So hot heavy food does not sound good. A barbecue on the deck sounds good though. Potato salad, Cypriot grain salad, cold roast vegetables, and cold meats, with some bubbly. And then a swim in the sea, at Mount Eliza beach maybe. Or Sorrento, but with a wetsuit … Continue reading New Year in Australia 2019
Magic Melbourne...Christmas here can be weird and wonderful.Weird- well who would knit a jumper for a tree and put a whole lot of them around a city which can reach 40 degrees Celsius at Christmas? Wonderful- because shops try to outdo each other by making their windows spectacular at Christmas.There are many of these knitted … Continue reading Christmas in Melbourne
The secret to a good sponge is a good recipe. This one is called Joan’s Sponge, and was passed on to me by Marie Cavin. It is super easy to make, and should work for you. The passion fruit icing on the top is an Australian touch, but you could make a plain icing or … Continue reading Sponge with passion fruit icing
My Japanese friend in Melbourne gave me some tips for making gyosa. Basically they are-: 1. Knead the meat for quite a while to make the dumplings tender. 2. Grate the ginger and add the juice not the ginger bits to the mixture. 3. Use Japanese gyosa wraps not Chinese ones- the Japanese ones are … Continue reading Hints on making gyosa dumplings
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash When you live in a new place, it can be difficult to understand how to do things the way people expect you to do them. How do you “do” a kids’ birthday party? Well, the answer is of course you can plan a party many different ways. Here … Continue reading An Australian Birthday Party
Last week a young woman in Melbourne was murdered. She was walking through a park. She was alone, and it was late at night. She was attacked, raped and murdered. She had almost arrived at her flat. She was just 22 years old. A man is in custody, but his lawyer says he is suffering … Continue reading Take a Walk in the Park
