Candle Heath (Richea continentis) Thriving in the sub-alpine bogs around the Guthega Pondage, the prickly candle heath was in full flower when we walked there late December.
It is supposed to be a nice summer walk to Mount Tate from Guthega Dam on the Snowy River in Australia’s High Country.
I wouldn’t know.
Three times I’ve driven over the bumpy dirt roads to Guthega, on the back side of Blue Cow Mountain, in search of the unmarked circuit through Consett Stephen Pass and across the Tate East Ridge. I have a book on Snowy Mountain Walks, published by the Geehi Bushwalking Club, and a husband who used to be and Eagle Scout, so finding a well-walked track should be easy.
But, no.
I can get lost in a car park, and my husband – in spite of his protestations – is not much better. I like to spend the change-of-year in the mountains (Alpine Bookends 2014) – after all, it is summertime in Australia. However, our attempt to make the Mount Tate circuit one of our last walks of December 2014, found us on a better-marked track, proceeding in pretty-much the opposite direction. We hiked south-east, from the closed and lonely-looking Guthega ski lodges, over the fens and bogs, to the privately owned (and also closed) Illawong Lodge.
Fortunately for us – while it wasn’t the walk we were aiming for – it is a delightful way to spend the afternoon.
Illawong Lodge Trail Head The first clue that were we on the “wrong” path should have been the fact that it was so clearly marked!
Illawong Lodge Trail The track leads southwest along the banks of the Snowy River, …
Alpine Mint Bush (Prostanthera Cuneata) … through sweet-smelling alpine mint, …
Candle Heath (Richea continentis) … and prickly clumps of candle heath.
Metal Bridge Metal grids take us over boggy creeks.
Bridge over Blue Cow Creek Built in 2010, the proper metal bridge eliminates the need for the old flying fox …
Flying Fox over Blue Cow Creek … which was used in the past to provide a safer option for crossing the rocks when the creek rose.
Flying Fox Erected by the Illawong Ski Tourers in 1961 and decommissioned in 2011, the old fox is now National-Trust listed.
Over the Snowy River Looking back over the Snowy River and Guthega Dam – part of the extensive Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme.
Snowy River Valley There’s not much water in the river – but you can be sure it’s cold!
Bog and Heath The sub-alpine ground is wet like a saturated sponge, complete with small “lakes” and puddles. Walkers do well to stay on the paths.
Steps Wooden steps divert water and protect the vegetation from run-off during the spring snow-melt.
Illawong Lodge The small hut on the hill has long been used as a winter base for ski clubs.
Illawong Lodge In 1956, the then-dilapidated hut was transformed into the present lodge. It is maintained by the Illawong Ski Tourers club. Although the National Trust lodge is for private use, there is emergency shelter at the back, underneath the main building.
Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe Even without access to the inside, it is a lovely spot for a picnic in the grass and clover.
Alpine Hillside To return to Guthega car park, we retrace our steps through the fragrant scrub.
Buttercups It might be the same path, but we notice different things as we work our way across the hillsides.
Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) Snow gums are nothing if not adaptable; this one stretches at ninety-degrees from the side of the hill, over the Snowy River below.
Snowy River The cold white water rushes over the rocks in the river bed.
Australian raven (Corvus coronoides) A raven welcomes us back to the patch of green below the car park.
That’s the beauty of walks in the Australian High Country –
No matter which one you are on, it’s a great way to finish up a wonderful year.
[…] at least one ambitious alpine walk (e.g.: Bookends on 2013, Alpine Bookends 2014, Illawong Lodge, Guthega, or Summer Walks in the High Country), but last summer we took it a bit easier. I […]ReplyCancel
[…] the sixteen major dams that make up the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectricity Scheme. We were attempting – not for the first time – to find the track to Mount […]ReplyCancel
Looking over Charlotte Pass The view from Mount Stillwell across the summer heath in Kosciuszko National Park.
The world has gone mad.
This last year has been a turbulent one: wars, acts of terror and insanity, massacres and tragedies – at home and overseas. The floods and droughts that accompany climactic extremes seem more common; the forced displacement of people is at its highest since the second world war; and the unprecedented ebola outbreak has claimed over 7000 lives.
Just this week, another passenger airplane has gone down…
Personally, I have been lucky. Although my family has experienced the ups and downs of unexpected marriages and splits, for the most part we have escaped the worst vagaries of misfortune. I have enjoyed a wonderful year, travelling and exploring on three continents with my husband, friends and family.
But, no man – nor any woman – is an island, and the news all around has indeed been distressing and depressing.
We all need an escape – a respite from the stress that the uncertainties in this modern world can induce. For me, that escape is in nature.
That is one of the reasons why I like to get away to the Australian Alps.
There is a stillness in the mountains. It helps me breathe. Centre. Refocus on all that is good…
So, the first and last days of 2014 found me – as is usual over the New Year’s break – in Kosciuszko National Park, walking through the snowless summer ski fields of Australia’s high country.
Early in January, my husband and I drove to Charlotte Pass to look over the Main Range, and to take a short walk up Mount Stillwell.
Out of Season The trail climbs up Mount Stillwell from the Charlotte Pass Lookout carpark, to the top of a forlorn chairlift. It was overcast, with intermittent rains, so we had the track almost to ourselves.
Alpine Shrubs Delicate sights and smells are all around.
Rocky Path It’s a charming – but moderately steep – climb up to the first lookout.
National Park Ranger My husband and I usually walk on our own, but every so often it is nice to have a NP Ranger along as an interpretive guide. As a local who’d lived in the area and worked with the National Parks many years, he was able to recount the varied interconnected changes wrought by recent differences in weather patterns. Australia’s alpine areas are particularly vulnerable to alterations in the length and timing of seasonal temperatures.
Roots on the Rocks As we climb out of the sub-alpine region into the alpine zone, vegetation is lower to the ground and hardier.
Alpine Meadows Delicate-looking but tough and resilient shrubs cover the hillside.
Silver Snow Daisies The colours of the heath are soft: the dusty blue-gray of the silver snow daisy leaves, red sheep sorrel flowers, and purple eyebright punctuate the hill.
Tiny Ground Cover
Shrubs in Flower Back down at the Charlotte Pass Lodge (1760m), we are again surrounded by sub-alpine shrubs and trees. The flowering season is brief – with late December through January usually the best time to catch the endemic blooms.
Snow Gum As the rain starts, the colours on the trunks of the snow gums (eucalyptus pauciflora) deepen.
[…] his protestations – is not much better. I like to spend the change-of-year in the mountains (Alpine Bookends 2014) – after all, it is summertime in Australia. However, our attempt to make the Mount Tate […]ReplyCancel
[…] “This last year has been a turbulent one: wars, acts of terror and insanity, massacres and t… Remove the ebola, which has finally been conquered, and add a devastating earthquake in Nepal, and it seems little has changed. […]ReplyCancel
[…] Park. Usually we plan at least one ambitious alpine walk (e.g.: Bookends on 2013, Alpine Bookends 2014, Illawong Lodge, Guthega, or Summer Walks in the High Country), but last summer we […]ReplyCancel
A good time to reconnect with family and loved ones, even though some might be far away, or missing completely.
An ideal time to reflect on the possibilities of love and peace – although the world at the moment seems to be providing few examples.
A good time to count one’s blessings, and, regardless of the hardships we might be facing, to be thankful for those opportunities and things we do have.
It’s not such a good time for the latest WordPress update – which doesn’t seem to allow me to upload photos in the relatively simple manner of old…
So, this will be brief: an afternoon’s sojourn into the Great Northern Desert of Rajasthan, a place where the air crackles with heat and hope, where life is hard (Life in the Thar Desert) and the nights are magic (Music and Magic). A place where, in the late afternoon, watching some men and their camels on the crest of a sandy hill, you can contemplate the rugged beauty of the place, and feel an expansive quietness – even while taking hundreds of pictures.
I will share only a few.
Camels on the Hill After a short camel ride over the dunes, we come into sight of another group of camels on the hills.
Three
Here comes our Guide!
That Look!
Regal Creature
A Boy and his Camel Children start work young – even if it seems to be a labour of love.
Afternoon Light
Camel Portrait
Waves in the Dunes
At Rest
Camels on the Crest Our local guide DV has a word to the camel drivers on the hill.
Walking the Camel
Camel in the Sunset One of the camel drivers canters across the sands against the lowering light.
Merry Christmas, Ursula. This week’s wanders is seasonal in a wonderful way, without snow, evergreens or feasting. It reflects one aspect of the multi – denominational or even the non – denominational nature of the date. I’m seeing caravans of camels snaking through the holy lands with exotic goods, beliefs and ideas; perhaps influencing a certain young, impressionable man, millenia ago. In my northrrn latitudes it the rebirth of the Sun that I celebrate. My Muslim, Punjabi, Christian and non-of-the-above friends all find reason to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and the promise of the end to the darkness at this time of year. Peace be with you!ReplyCancel
Merry Christmas, Thomas!
So nice to “see” you here on line.
I resisted including the photo I have of three wise women walking across the desert with metal pots on their heads. 😉
Best wishes for the New Year.ReplyCancel
I love the desert. I myself have also done in the Ra desert a tour on a camel. I wish you a great new year’s Eve and a healthy 2015 Ursula. Warm greetings DietmutReplyCancel
Rajasthani Gypsy Dancers Flickering light from a small fire in the temperate desert night, the haunting sounds of Indian woodwinds and syncopated drums, swirling dresses and rising song: it is a gypsy performance under the stars – guaranteed to make you smile.
Cool sands underfoot. Starry, wide-open skies overhead. Firelight and music and drums.
There is magic in the desert air.
“Midnight at the oasis Send your camel to bed Shadows paintin’ our faces Traces of romance in our heads…”
– Midnight at the Oasis by David Nichtern for Maria Muldaur
It was nighttime in the middle of the Thar Desert.
The Great Indian Thar Desert in northwestern India forms an expansive boundary with Pakistan. Also called the Marusthali, or “Land of the Dead” in Sanskrit, the region is none-the-less rich with its own unique life. My travel companions and I, with photographer Karl Grobl and local guide DV, had spent a fascinating day visiting with villagers in the heart of the arid, rolling dunes (see: Everyday Life in the Great Thar Desert), and were now reclined on chairs set deep into the sand.
Camels snorted in the shadows. The soft lamp-light from the tents in the background didn’t reach the low tables in front of us as we snacked on spicy nibbles we could barely see. Seated cross-legged on a concrete “performance space”, Rajasthani Kalbelia or Kabeliya men entertained us with the traditional music of the nomadic desert tribes: music played on the morchang, or jaw-harp; the sarangi, the most important stringed instrument in north-Indian folk music; the dufli or daf, a goat-skin tambourine; and various percussion instruments, including the dholak, or two-headed drum.
Rajasthani Gypsy Musicians Seated on the concrete “performance space”, musicians entertain us with plaintive melodies and syncopated beats.
Rajasthani Gypsy Musicians
Family of Kalbelia Dancers “Back stage”, two Kalbelia gypsy dancers and their young brother pose for pictures.
In the darkness behind the musicians, the evening’s “main attractions” – two Kalbelia gypsy dancers – were getting ready for their performance. With their younger brother and apprentice musician, they paused for photos in the dark, before their entrance onto the stage.
The songs and dances themselves are part of an oral tradition based on stories taken from folklore and mythology, and handed down through the generations. But neither the dances nor the songs are codified: the Kalbelia have a reputation for composing lyrics spontaneously and for creating improvisations between the dancers and the musicians.
Kalbelia Dancer The dancer weaves to the rhythm of the music – and the musicians follow her lead.
Gypsy Dancer In a swirl of skirts, with feet flashing, the dancer twirls…
Kalbelia Sisters … before being joined “on stage” by her sister …
Kalbelia Sisters … and spinning together with her. The flowing skirts are known for their intricate embroidery with silver thread and small mirrors.
Fire in the Foreground
Musicians Performing A male performer, keeping time with his rhythm sticks, sways gracefully as he sings traditional songs of the Bhopas, the another nomadic tribe. His companions accompany him on a matka, an earthenware pot; and a morchang, the plaintive desert mouth-harp.
Gypsy Backbend Kalbeliyan dancing requires a balance between suppleness and strength. When the women come back, they demonstrate their flexibility. The younger sister performs backbends …
Collecting Money … picking up money with her teeth.
Gypsy Backbend The elder sister goes one better …
Pick-up-Rings … and picks up rings with her eyes.
Portrait of a Dancer
Dancers Spinning Hands twisting gracefully, skirts flying, the sisters circle and spin…
Dancers Spinning … until they almost disappear.
Swirling Fabric
Dancer in Abstract
Black Swirl
A Dancer’s Smile
“… You don’t have to answer There’s no need to speak I’ll be your belly dancer, prancer And you can be my sheik.”
[…] crackles with heat and hope, where life is hard (Life in the Thar Desert) and the nights are magic (Music and Magic). A place where, in the late afternoon, watching some men and their camels on the crest of a sandy […]ReplyCancel
[…] We headed back to our camp for a dinner and entertainment under the stars: the nights are filled with traditional gypsy folk music and dance (Celebrating Music and Motion). […]ReplyCancel
Temple on Taung Kalat – Pedestal Hill Popa Taung Kalat Monastery sits high on top of a volcanic plug in the Mount Popa National Park. Traditionally, the Mount Popa area is the most important home of the Nats – Burmese spirits.
Nats (နတ်), or spirits, have been a central part of Burmese life since time immemorial.
Nats are everywhere in Myanmar: they are in the trees, the wind, the stones and the waterways. They act as personal and village guardians, but can be troublesome if not properly propitiated. Every Burmese village has a shrine to curry favour with the local Nats; ritualised offerings are hung in houses; amulets are worn; and car rear-view mirrors are festooned with talismans to ward off mischief. Festivals to appease the major Nats are held regularly.
Part of a rich heritage of early animist religions in the Burmese countryside, Nat worship predates Buddhism. When King Anawrahta of Bagan (1044–1077) first introduced Buddhism into Myanmar, he tried to ban the worship of the old spirits. However, his attempts backfired, and Nat worship was simply driven underground. Clever enough to recognise his failure, he decided to incorporate a hierarchical pantheon of 37 Great Nats – also known as the Mahagiri Nats – into the local Buddhist practice. The chief of these Nats is Thagyamin Nat (the Indian god Indra, protector of royalty) and the others are ghosts or spirits of dead Burmese heroes, many of whom were killed prematurely. All of these principal Nats are known nation-wide. They have their own personalities and histories; many have their own ceremonies and festivals. Nats are not saints or angels. They have the same human characteristics and flaws as they had in life, and they are often angry or jealous of the living. So, while the Burmese might ask the Nats for good fortune, they are also concerned with appeasing them to avoid harm.
Mount Popa, a long-extinct solitary volcano standing out from the dry plains of Central Myanmar, has long been designated home of the Nats. Four kilometres from the main peak is one of Myanmar’s most sacred places: Taung Kalat (Pedestal Hill), an incredible magma plug rising straight up some 170 – 180 meters from the surrounding rock and jungle. The Popa Taung Kalat Temple, a Buddhist monastery and pilgrimage site, including shrines to all 37 Nats, perches precariously on the summit.
What we did do, however, was equally fascinating: starting with a visit the Mahagiri Shrine at the foot of Mount Popa.
Mahagiri Shrine Hawkers, with their baskets full of offerings for the spirits and snacks for the pilgrims, congregate out the front of the colourfully decorated Mahagiri Shrine – a temple at the base of Mount Popa dedicated to the 37 principal nats.
Flower Seller Inside the Mahagiri Shrine, a young girl sells garlands, intended as offerings to the spirits.
Three of the 37 Nats King Anawrahta of Bagan designated an official pantheon of 37 Great Nats.
Offering Nats are very human in their desires: gifts to them include alcohol, cigarettes, goods, flowers, and money. Money they have blessed is considered especially lucky.
Locals on the Stoop Rhesus macaques have run of the town of Popa.
Rhesus Macaque Although very cute, the monkeys expect their share of “offerings”.
Rhesus Macaque
Popa Mountain Resort We lunched at a wonderful resort …
Playing the Saung … with traditional burmese harp music …
Temple on Taung Kalat (Pedestal Hill) … and amazing views of the Buddhist temple that perches on the top of the volcanic plug at the Southwest of Mount Popa.
Each of the 37 Great Nats was, in at least one of their previous incarnations, associated with members of the royal family; Nat worship therefore, affords commoners some protection against misfortune.
As we discovered in a nearby rural village, it does not, however, bring electricity or running water.
Children at the Window At a small school near Taung Kalat …
Teacher Marking … children study and teachers work without the benefit of electric lights or fans.
Child at the Schoolhouse Window
Kids in the Classroom
Cow in the Barn In spite of the lack of modern conveniences, this rural village is neat and tidy.
Man on the Stoop The community has received a recent injection of funding, and some of the buildings are quite new.
Woman in the Barn Workers always seem happy to take a moment out …
Chopping Grass … from monotonous manual labour …
A Burmese Smile … to flash a brilliant smile for the camera.
Old Burmese Man A community elder pauses to take stock of the visitors …
Old Man … and to pose.
Piglets in the Yard A mainstay of any “rich” tropical community, pigs are the perfect grain-storage units in damp or rainy climates where grains grow mouldy quickly after harvest.
Young Girl Not all the children are in school –
Village Children – and those running loose in the dirt are happy to have their pictures taken.
Young Boy
On the Dirt Path A woman from the village carries laden water buckets home in the afternoon light.
Although some people say that Nat worship is dying out, this is more true in the developed, urban centres. In fact, the many annual Nat Festivals are still well-attended – and it is easy to see why rural people would want some surety in their uncertain and labour-intensive days.
It’s a hard life. I hope the Nats can help people make the necessary transitions into the modern world.
I’m not sure of the date, but it’s old! One legend goes back to the 6th century B.C, and Maung Tint Dai, a blacksmith in the Tagaung Kingdom.ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
Music and magic in the night.
It’s a hard life. I hope the Nats can help people make the necessary transitions into the modern world.
[…] at least one ambitious alpine walk (e.g.: Bookends on 2013, Alpine Bookends 2014, Illawong Lodge, Guthega, or Summer Walks in the High Country), but last summer we took it a bit easier. I […]
[…] the sixteen major dams that make up the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectricity Scheme. We were attempting – not for the first time – to find the track to Mount […]