Monday 28 August 2017

Burrewarra Point from Cook's Crescent, Rosedale


The lovely yard of this house reminds me of British TV shows set in Cornwall. I always think of it! We rented the house on this block several times in the 1990s.

Sunday 27 August 2017

Saturday 26 August 2017

Old Post Office B&B, Moruya


The Moruya Post Office was built here in 1887. It was moved in 1966. The old PO and residence is now a B&B and for sale. There are 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, dining rooms and casual lounge areas.

Price: It can be yours for $1.2 million- the price of a modest cottage or new apartment in Sydney!

For a glimpse inside, click here. (it's beautiful)

Friday 25 August 2017

Old Shire Offices, Moruya


This building dates from 1914. After Council moved to their new building in 1980 and sold the building, it was used as a medical centre, and now various community groups such as Relationships Australia.

Thursday 24 August 2017

Wednesday 23 August 2017

The bench, McKenzies Beach


A great place to sit and contemplate the ocean.  I wondered how many millions of years it's been since Jimmy's Island has been a headland.

Click here for more about this beach.

Monday 21 August 2017

Across the river

Moruya market from the northern bank of the river. The market is nestled under the flowering ornamental pear trees. It's spring time!

Sunday 20 August 2017

Spring blossoms at Moruya market


Every Saturday there is a market at Moruya Riverside Park (same location as the Tuesday farmers' market). The stalls are interspersed between the trees which are now blossoming. I think the trees are ornamental pears.


Thursday 17 August 2017

Wednesday 16 August 2017

Seagull at Nelligan



Here's a very posey seagull I encountered recently on the wharf at Nelligen, on the Clyde River, upriver of Batemans Bay.


Tuesday 15 August 2017

Moruya farmers' market



Every Tuesday afternoon at 3pm, there's a farmers' market in Moruya. We buy meat, eggs and seasonal veggies there. 

I think I need to buy a pretty basket! 



Monday 14 August 2017

Spotted gums and cycad (Burrawang 'palm')


Typical around Rosedale, and the South Coast general are forests of spotted gums (eucalypts) and cycads known erroneously as Burrawang 'palms'.

Bridge at Batemans Bay from northern side


There are plans to replace the bridge in the near future. It will be a shame in one way, because the current bridge will be demolished, but it is an opening bridge, and so high boats can only pass below at designated times. The new bridge will have the capacity to carry huge behomoths of trucks; weight is currently restricted, so B-Doubles for example, cannot go further south.

Friday 11 August 2017

Sunday 6 August 2017

Latitude 35.8167 degrees North

Heading northeast, Rosedale Beach

Today we're heading to the other side of the equator to discover places where latitude 35.8167 deg N hits various coastlines. We'll visit the west and east coasts of United States, Morocco, Algeris, Tunisia, Malta, Greece, Syria, China, South Korea and Japan.

 Setting off in a northeasterly direction the first place we come to is the rugged coastline of

Monterey County, California between Gorda and Ragged Point

The coastline here is rugged, making the waterline inaccessible in places. It is part of a marine and fresh water protection zone.

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/ocean/docs/asbs/asbs_areas/swqpa20.jpg






Heading across the United States, we reach the Atlantic coast in North Carolina

North Carolina coast: Alligator River National Wildlife Reserve and Cape Hatteras National Seashore

This area is one of the farthest most northerly homes for alligators. I'm glad there aren't any crocs at Rosedale.

The Alligator River National Wildlife Reserve is between the Alligator River and Croatan Sound. It was established in 1984 to protect and preserve a wetland habitat (the pocasin - bogs, water marshes and swamps) and its associated wildlife species - birds, raptors, American black bear, alligators. It is especially known for the red wolf.

Above: Cape Hatteras National Seashore: https://www.nags-head.com/images/uploads/place/65/beaches_hero_02.jpg?t=c



Cape Hatteras National Seashore https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000bPZxjmSgvsM/fit=1000x750/New-Inlet-Aerial.jpg




Zooming across the Atlantic, the next landfall is at

Cap Malabata, Mnar, near Tangier in Morocco

Located a short distance east of Tangier, facing the Strait of Gibraltar, it features a lighthouse.


Cap Malabata near Tangier




There's only a few places in northern Africa where this latitude hits the coast.  Next is in Algeria.

Gdyel, near Oran, Oran Province and near Stidia, Mostaganem Province, Algeria



Coastline near Oran

Beach near Stidia

Oran and Stidia 

Near Oran







Heading further east, the next port of call is the eastern coast of Tunisia, on the Mediterranean Sea.

Sousse Tunisia

The Medina at Sousse is a UNESCO World Heritage site (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/498)
For more information about this city: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousse

The Medina at Sousse




Sadly, on 26 June 2015, an Islamist gunman killed 38 people and wounded 39 on a beach and in the hotel nearby, just north of  Sousse. In October 2013 a suicide bomber blew himself up in a botched attempt at an attack at another Sousse beach.

Lat 35.8167 is just to the left (south) of the port area

We're sailing off into the Mediterranean, and stopping at:

The Blue Grotto, Malta







Next stop in the Mediterranean is the northern tip of the Greek island Karpathos.

Northern Karpathos, Greece

This is a remote and sparsely populated area, which can be seen on the satellite photo.
The coastline is spectacularly rugged.

The coastline north of the Agios Ioannis Vrikountas church (see map)

Coastline in the area


Karpathos


Latitude marker and church

Satellite picture of area

Now, to the eastern Mediterranean, and the coast of Syria

Between Al Issawiyah and Ras al Basit, north of Latakia, Syria 

A narrow coastal plain stretches south from the Turkish border to Lebanon. It is flat, covered with sand dunes, broken by promontories running down from the mountains to the sea. The population is predominantly Turkmen.

Al Issawiyah is about 15 km south of the Turkish border.


Northern Syrian coast

Satellite pic shows the mountains coming down to the coast at the latitude.



Ras Al Bisat and coast




Latitude 35.8167 N now zooms inland across Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, then hits the coast in Shandong province, China.


Huangdo, near Qingdao, Shandong Province, China

This is the most bizarre site. Remember news reports of green algae covered beaches in China's coastal playground? Well, this is it!

This is what the beach usually looks like











Across the Yellow Sea now to South Korea

Near Gunsan  on the western side of South Korea

There are plans for the harbour area to be redeveloped with development of reclaimed.



Here's some pretty cool cliffs just to the south - Jeokbyeokgang Cliffs:


Over on the eastern side of South Korea:

Near Gyeongju National Park

The landscape is a little more prosaic on the other side of South Korea where the latitude hits the coast. However, there is a pretty impressive national park a little further south.


Let's move across the Sea of Japan to near

Minamiechizen in Fukui Province, Japan

Ezichen coast


The last stop on a land coast before we come full circle back to California is a little east of Tokyo

Hasaki Beach

There is a beach camping ground (and wind farm) along this part of the coast.

Hasaki Beach