A gentle walk

Last weekend we went for a walk. Not on an established trail nor in a conservation park. It was up in the hills beyond our home on a road I had walked a few weeks back but had not gone that far and turned around after an hour; I wanted to know where it went. As it turned out, it didn't really go anywhere. It just meandered past farmland, a deserted cottage, over a creek, through the bush and then more farmland.  The weather was dull but great for walking, with low-flung clouds, no breeze, and the occasional glimpse of sunshine and a pale blue sky. We set off in this muted atmosphere. 

Seen better days

Swarms of Monarch butterflies swarmed around us, swooping and darting in a seemingly choreographed dance, before alighting on flowers for a millisecond then soaring skywards again.
How lucky was I, then, to capture this shot!

We continued our stroll ('walk' sounds a little too energetic on this balmy afternoon).

I think it may have been because we had recently returned from Europe where for weeks all we saw were cobbled city streets, old-world architecture, ordered gardens and outdoor cafes buzzing with people.  Whereas here, it was all peace and calm as we ambled along the gravelly road, surrounded by all things Australia. We could smell the fresh scent of the gum trees and marvelled at their white gnarled trunks and peeling bark. I loved spotting the prickly grass trees that loomed quite large in this section of the road and the rolled hay stooks that dotted the vast golden fields, signalling the beginning of summer.

And then I spotted a kangaroo. I still get excited when I see one as I love their effortless leaps and bounds. This one, however, stood as still as a statue. Soon it was joined by another one.  

Steve captured this better shot later on as they bounded off when they detected us.

We turned around and headed back to the car feeling that we were well and truly back home in the Australian countryside.

And to show it wasn't such a dull day after all, a spot of colour on our way back to the car!