It's nearly Springtime

 Such a beautiful time of the year  @Grandmum's Place 

The bush is bursting with wildflowers and native orchids, colour is everywhere, you just need to look and you will see them, popping up in sometimes unusual places, but there for anyone who looks hard enough to find. 

Walking where there's bush is one of my favourite things, and I'm always looking to see what treasures I can find to photograph. If there's a track I'll take it using my phone to track where I am ..... this way I can't get lost, I might not know where I am but I can return to where I came from!

A beautiful Curly Locks Orchid on one of my bush wanders

These stairs go all the way down to the edge of the water ..... approximately 500 of them, they're a great way to test fitness. see the crashing waves, and hear the roar of the Southern Ocean 

 

A resting place on the Bibbulmum Track, looking across Princess Royal Harbour to Albany 

I enjoy watching these amazing birds, Pelicans are so big and gangly and yet so graceful 

Red Leschenaultia growing on the side of a gravel road about an hour from home 

These are just some of the treats of living in this wonderful and diverse place, I can go from the beach to the bush, on walking trails and bush tracks every day close to home, or just a short drive away.

Every day is different on Princess Royal Harbour, Albany, Western Australia ...........

One of my favourite things is to check out the light at various times of the day. The colours and reflections depend on the weather, and every day is different but always beautiful, the Pelicans arrive around sunrise and come and go throughout the day, leaving again at twilight 

 

My favourite time of the year

This is my favourite time of the year, the new seasons orchids are flowering and the days are cool and usually quite still, when the tides are low I enjoy a walk along the edge of Princess Royal Habour and through the Bird Sanctuary. 

Drosera 

Early stage of a new season orchid 

My walks in Torndirrup National Park are always enjoyable, and seeing the new seasons orchids is a treat I look forward to. 

Bunny Orchid

Hare Orchid 

The Albany Windfarm is another of my favourite places to walk to go down at least the top section of stairs to the beach and watch the ocean as it rolls in.  

The sunsets here are a treat, even when there's a dense smoke haze, the colours are fabulous, especially after the sun has set for the evening. 

 

 

Beautiful places I like to walk ...............

 Today was another great walk on Middleton Beach, the water was beautiful, blue, and refreshing, and the sky was also blue with a few scattered fluffy white clouds. There were a number of people walking and a few enjoying a dip in the water. I enjoyed walking in bare feet on the firm sand with the waves lapping around my feet. 

I will take photographs and my footprints will be washed away by the waves.

Walking on Middleton Beach in Albany, Western Australia

 Middleton Beach in King George Sound is a fabulous place for a nice long walk, the beach is about 6km return from end to end.  It is a flat and even surface from beginning to end, which is great for walking.  

Today I walked a total of 5.5km in just under 1.5hrs, slow and steady is my motto as I get older, I don't push to huffing and puffing, but get my strides a bit longer and faster over short distances, and at the end, I feel invigorated and happy, not sweaty and exhausted. 

Very enjoyablale walking on the edge or in the shallow water as it laps on the beach.  A few groups of fellow walkers some with dogs took advantage of the mild weather; the middle part of this beach is allocated for "dogs". 

The views over the waters of The Sound are always different, today there was lots of movement, under a rather grey sky. The colour of the water is sometimes very pale green and sometimes bright blue, today it was a beautiful shade of green.

 

Hiking in Torndirrup National Park

I love it when I come to the end of the gravel road and see this sign.  This entry is just over 2km from my home and the beginning of some beautiful open trails through the Park. 

Today's hike to "Family Rocks" was nearly 6km return, it was great weather for hiking except for the very strong easterly wind,  it helped blow me up the hill, and I'm pleased the return journey was downhill most of the way. 

I don't go close to that edge, so I don't know what's past this, except water! This was taken with a telephoto lens from about 30m away. 

The land in the distance is West Cape Howe National Park, another fabulous place with fantastic rock cliffs, small beaches, and areas to explore and take photographs, all connected by 4x4 driving tracks.

I know I say "I love my life" and why not with such beautiful places to explore, find peace and solitude, and listen and watch the treasures of the Australian bush close up. 

 

The Jetty and the "locals"

 

Sometimes no Pelicans and sometimes many, but the Jetty is always there as a landing place in all weather. 

The waters of Princess Royal Harbour, the changing tides, the clouds, and the colours of the late afternoon are part of the beauty of this special place I call home. 

Been a while, but I'm back!

 I'm back and would like to remember what and how I do this, so please be patient with me!

The Albany Windfarm is a fabulous place for a walk amongst the coastal heath with beautiful views along the Southern Coast. 

The glorious colours of the Southern Ocean have a way of enticing me to take more photos every time I come here.

There are around 500 steps from the top to the bottom, I haven't gone to the bottom for some time, but I'm going to be doing it very soon.