Floriade is a flower and entertainment festival held annually in Canberra's Commonwealth Park featuring extensive displays of flowering bulbs with integrated sculptures and other artistic features. The festival attracts tourists from around Australia and overseas in spring from mid September to mid October each year, and is considered the most important regular event for tourism in the Australian Capital Territory. It is also called "Australia's Celebration of Spring".

This event started in 1988 as a one off celebration of Canberra's 75th birthday and Australia's bicentenary of European settlement. However even after this and due to the success and popularity of the event, it has run every year since then with each year having a new theme and is currently the largest flower festival in the Southern hemisphere with over 300,000 visitors each year.

Following are some of my selected images from this years Floriade:

Floriade 2009 - ( see more )

Over the course of the year and on the way to visiting my mum, who has a house in Sawtell by Coffs Harbour, myself and Wendy explored a few great places in the area of Northen NSW. This took us from the magic of the wonderful little seaside town of Yamba, 100km above Coffs to the splendour of the Warrumbungle National Park with a few days stop over in Sydney. Starting with Yamba we both warmly encourage everyone passing on the Pacific Highways, between Sydney and Brisbane to at least make a short coffee stop in this very charismatic town or better still, spending a few days there, you won't be disappointed... As to Warrumbungles this Heritage listed National Park offers some great walks and amazing scenery. It was there that we did a seven hour 20km walk and were completely spent but also very glad that we did so, both for the scenery and the photos...

This Park covers an area of 21,004 hectares. Visitors share the Park with the hundreds of native animals and a picnic could introduce you to kangaroos, koalas, emus and an abundance of birdlife. The Visitors Centre in the Warrumbungles is staffed each day and provides walking maps and camping information. Visitors are encouraged to wander the walking trails and tracks through the National Park and experience the peace and tranquillity of a protected, fragile environment guarded by the lofty mountains.

Walking tracks in the National Park are clearly marked and a map will give details of the terrain, time and features and there is abundance of camping sites and fire places. Also for those less comfortable with roughing it, there are amenities with running hot water, showers, etc.

Lastly we spend a week in Sydney with our friends in Chatswood from where we explored the city during both the day and night, with and without our cameras!

The following are several selected images from the past few months activities:

Yamba - ( see more )

Sydney - ( see more )

Warrumbungle National Park - ( see more )

Wanting a bit of break from the city we decided to head down for a weekend of camping at Gillards Beach in Tathra, NSW Mimosa Rocks National Park.

This park features a rugged and scenic coastline with many beaches enjoyed by surfers, fishers, snorkelers, birdwatchers and sightseers. Many natural sculptures occur on headlands, cliffs and rock stacks.

Bushcamping is permitted at Middle Beach, Picnic Point, Aragunnu and Gillards Beach. Fees apply, payable on site. Picnic facilities with barbecues also available.

The park is located 22 km north-east of Bega, off the Tathra-Bermagui Road.

The Kangaroos were quite tame and used to human presence, almost peering into our tent. Paradoxically this added to the sense of camping in the bush and made for very pleasant mornings, once the city slicker Canadian squatting lessons were concluded and over.

We've really enjoyed this weekend with beautiful sunrises, wide expenses of beaches and bushland and even some Aboriginal sacred sites in an adjoining National Park.

All in all an excellent weekend with the following being some of my selected images:

Canada - ( see more )

The April 2008 school holidays as opposed to the usual time away at a single destination comprised of number of shorter jaunts that included camping by the seaside, some challenging bike rides, bushwalking in the rainforest and exploring the local national parks, Namadgi and Tidbinbilla. The boys had a blast but did end up feeling a bit worn out by the myriad of activities thus this was balanced by a few in between days of computer games time.

While the bike riding was enjoyable and allowed me to continue building my fitness for the upcoming cycling trip in June/July this year, the camping and bushwalking allowed me for some great photo opportunities in my favourite times of dusk and dawn.

The following are several selected images from last months activities:

Batemans Bay - ( see more )

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve & Namadgi National Park - ( see more )

Budawang National Park - ( see more )