Valentine’s Day Down Under
It’s already Sunday, February 14, here in Auckland, New Zealand, where The Legal Genealogist is getting ready to set sail with the good folks from the Unlock Your Past Cruises for the next 18 days in New Zealand and Australia.
And oh my… I’m already in love with this part of the world.
Here’s just a smattering of why.
Look what I got to hold:
This Eastern Rosella is a backyard bird in Australia:
This pied cormorant is a typical seabird:
And these wallabies were just sitting at the side of the road posing:
How can you NOT fall in love with a place like this?
It’s been a wonderful opportunity to share some of Down Under’s wonders with you.
Can’t thank you and Peter enough for your hospitality on picnic day!
Always enjoy reading your blogs, Judy .. welcome to NZ. However, as written your blog implies you found the wildlife in NZ rather than Australia (wouldn’t want people coming to Auckland looking for kangaroos on the side of the road because they will be disappointed. 🙂
You’re quite right and I’ll get some NZ pictures posted as soon as I can!
Judy, you just showed us the cute and pretty stuff. We all know everything else there will bite you or kill you…(grin)…outside of that the Aussie’s are great people.
You were probably told the story, but “rosella” is not an aboriginal word.
When first attempts at farming in the new colony were going badly, Cornish convict James Ruse tried his hand, with government help, and succeeded, so was given the first grant of land. That area was (mis)named “Rose Hill” after him, and some birds in the area “Rose-Hill-ers” which became “Rosellas”. It takes a genealogist to understand these changes in a flash.
There is also a native hibiscus known as rosella which makes a tasty jam, and some find the flowers in syrup are an attractive addition to a glass of sparkling wine.
Enjoy! Just avoid the Drop Bears.
The wallabies look like they’re smiling at you!