 Have you ever taken a cultural tour and learned about Australia's Indigenous people or taken the trouble to get to know many of themas friends and earned of their culture ? I have. I have made a few mistakes too like killing ants on the diner table before I learned that all living creatures are to be respected and not killed for no reason. I thank my good friend Bettina from Humpty Do for inviting me to her home as a guest and teaching me this and many other things. I had the pleasure of working side by side with Bettina during my art exhibition days in the Northern Territory and those were the days when I learned most of what I know about the bush communities and culture in Australia. This knowledge is assisting me in the writing of my novel.  I am editing in my novel about the Australian Indigenous women planning to dig for Witchetty grubs on the way home from town so I blogged about Witchetty grubs while I was at it. I am loving my novel having its own website and putting any notes like this there for others who might, in reading the novel when released, wont to know more about some aspect of country Australia or the time period . Witchetty Grubs. www.dreamingbillabong.com The witchetty or witchety grub was also commonly called witjuti grub and many other names given the many hundreds of Indigenous Australian languages. It is the large, white, wood-eating larvae of...  Images of Australia in the Paintings and Writing of Artist Author Kathy Shell Artist – Kathryn Shell Author Kathryn Shell is a published non-fiction and fiction author currently working on an Australian Novel. Feel welcome to reproduce the words in the above blog post provided you copy it in its entirety including this section with all its active links. The images may not be copied without permission of the artist, author. You can purchase prints from the art of Kathy Shell by selecting from those offered in the sidebars of her web blogs then Contact Kathy with your selection and these will be listed as a buy it now bundle in this EBay Store. You are most welcome to link to this blog post.Thank you. - Kathy Shell. Litchfield and Kakadu 06/17/2011
 Reg and I love both Litchfield National park and Kakadu. If you plan to visit either keep in mind that to appreciate Kakadau properly and not be one of the tourists who come out saying "much adoo about Kakadau," you must be prepared to get out of the car and bush walk and rock scramble. Oh and take lots of insect repellent. Kakadau is the most wonderful world heritage listed National Park you will be so tired at the end of the day enjoying exploring the many bush walks you will not need to bring any sporting equipment or the archery equipment. The main sport in this area appears to be climbing the escarpment an crocodile watching. Travels in the Northern Territory of Australia www.youtube.com Experience Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks in this informative and entertaining travelogue through Australia's Northern Territory in August 2008. If you haven't experienced Litchfield and Kakadu in the NT do yourself a favour and go there. It's a magic place!!!! Now I do apologize. I am currently in a remote area and the internet signal is not strong enough to post pictures. I will add them later.   Litchfield National Park is one of my favorite places in Australia. If it was not on the way to Darwin on a one road in and same road out and my having no desire whatever to go to Darwin again, I would include a visit to Litchfield in every tour north. It is simply too far out of the way fr me these days and the National Park status is a problem with the dog though you can stay at nearby Bachelor with your dog. A must see - the Buley Rock Pools in Litchfield National Park. Reg Loved these We hiked along the Florence Creek from Florence Falls, through beautiful scenery until we reached the Bluey Falls. You can drive to the falls though there is limited parking when we were there. There are many shallow swimming holes along the creek in this area. The water is cool, which is refreshing as this is in the tropics. We were there the year I turned 60.  You do need to arrive to the pool early in the day if you want to enjoy swimming in these pools between rapids. At 10.30 am the tourist buses arrive with hundreds of visitors.  You can begin your swim at the top f the falls, and slide over the rapids and work your way down to the base of the falls.  Reg liked to push his back into the waters in the rapids and get a back massage. Litchfield is very close to Darwin. We stayed at Wangi Falls camp site in a small rig. Wangi is lovely, not suited to large rigs. I do not remember if there were powered sites, we did not need one. The bush surrounding are beautiful.   I think that some degree of spontaneous is great when heading off for a long road trip. However if you want to work to a budget and avoid current local condition problems like floods, bad roads, fire hazards and mosquitoes, it will help to do your research before you leave. 2011 in particular is a year to take additional precaution. Central Australia might be beautiful and unusually green at the moment but don't go there if you hope to experience a red center. The ground is waist high in plant growth following the flood waters earlier this year. You might need more than oxy elite pro to outrun a grass fire if one caught hold in this country. If you are near the area and want to experience this, by all means do so. Be aware of nature's cycles. Good rains means good growth brings an increase in mice and insects, resulting in increased bird life and snakes. Some of these conditions you may love. Some can present a danger. Research and be aware. Be well aware of how the current local conditions will affect you. I seriously considered touting Central Australia again this year, reasoning that following the unusually good rain trough that affected Central Australia after Cyclone Yasi, the wildflowers would be at a peak this year. No doubt they will be if you were or are there at the right time to experience this. What I am however reading in my research is that inland conditions are being viewed by some as a fire hazard. I have viewed the MacDonnell Ranges, Central Australia, after a fire has swept through them and would not want to be camped there enjoying the view if a bushfire took hold. Nor even in a safe area inhaling the smoke if grass fires took hold. The red center will again return to the red center and this will come about by the current greenery drying out, most likely during their usually dry winter; then once dry, the results of man's activities whether accidental or deliberate, will create grass fires in Central Australia this year. I would not advice traveling there in winter 2011, if you have asthma or weakened lungs, without making first hand and or web search, inquiries before you leave. Wherever you go, enjoy your trip. A wonderful thing about visiting Central Australia is that it is a beautiful landscape regardless of the seasons and conditions. I am not saying, don't go. I am saying, be aware and this year you would need to be a little more snake and grass fire aware than normal and be open to enjoy a green center or the smoky haze f grass fires and prepare and follow directions of the locals, according to these or other conditions. My own decision on reading there will be a grass fire risk, was that this was not the year I would go again.   The Daly Waters Pub is a must to stop off at and enjoy the Barra and Beef dinner and entertainment on your journey up though the center towards Darwin. Last time we stayed an underpowered caravan site was $6. for the night and there were clean shower rooms if you did not mind being watched by many resident green frogs, all part of the fun of the top end. This is a part of the world apart from technology like iphone 4. The entertainment at Daly Waters is hilarious Aussie outback humour, something to be experiences at least once in your life. People usually only stay overnight, in fact the local joke is if you stay for a week they appoint you the town mayor as you would be the longest staying resident. This "Daly Waters Pub" Northern Territory, postcard, features an image from the original acrylic painting by Kathy Shell. This was painted when Kathy Shell was on painting and exhibition tour in the top end of Australia. The word copyright is not written on the postcard you purchase, though this image remains copyright to Kathy Shell. To Purchase this postcard, click here -> Daly Waters Pub, Northern Territory, Kathy Shell, Art Image, Postcard. Rainbow Valley, Central Australia 08/21/2010
  These are images of my two oil paintings of The Rainbow Valley in Central Australia. It was two years ago that Reg and I took the desert road drive over the sand dunes towards Rainbow Valley an area of scenic sandstone bluffs, a part of the James Range, beautiful during the day time, We went for a long walk around the base off the free standing cliffs, admiring the effects of Weathering and erosion responsible for the valley shape. Sandstone blocks have eroded away and the rock face forms many squared towers. There were pools of water on the desert floor and sandy rises covered with yellow and white daisies that seemed to be made from dry waxed paper, these are the everlasting daisies, much loved Australian wildflowers. I have painted the coloured rock with its bands of red iron dark on the surface and white where the cliff was weathered away. I love this sandy desert country with its grey green foliage and wildflowers. This sort of country is spellbinding to jog in using my couch to 5 K program in ipods. In this sort of country, I am on an exhilarated high. I know I must write about these places and the people the indigenous Australians, the desert dwellers. I need to return to the outback. Stuarts Well Roadhouse and a Singing Dingo. 08/20/2010
  90km south from Alice Springs, you will see a large sign at the Stuarts Well Roadhouse. FREE CAMPING. The red desert sand dunes made way for interesting ridges of weathered rocks and mountain views, this is Jim's Place.' It has been a couple of years since Reg and I stopped off at 'Jim's Place', so costings may have changed, I cannot guarantee there are still free camp sites there, but we have also stayed in the caravan park in shady drive through sites and they were great value. Good laundry facilities very much appreachiated too after a week driving up from South Australia. This is a great place to freshen up before heading into Alice Springs. Showers for campers were $2. each when we stayed there. The road house is spacious and friendly though very basic, no modern faux wood blinds here. Jim Cotteril loves to spin a yarn if you have the time to listen. Dinky the central desert dingo entertains tourists by playing on and singing to the sounds of the piano. While not a huge fan of performing wild animals we learned that Dinky was the sole survivor of his family from dingo bait, he is lives with rather than is owned by Jim Cotterill who runs Stuarts Well ad it is quite obvious he howls or sings to the piano by choice when anyone plays it.. It is a great place to stop and take a tour into Rainbow Valley.    I was asked recently where the 'Endless Swimmer', was, that I love and have spend many wonderful weeks each year swimming in. It is the rapids pool at the lower end of the Katherine Hot Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. Reg and I usually stay at one of the Family Friendly Parks, the Riverside Caravan Park is at the top of the rise above the Katherine River and the Katherine Hot Springs. The water is actually warm here, not hot. Very pleasant for exercising :-).  It's 10.30pm here at Katherine, the last TV has gone off, windows are open because it's a warm night and the sound of snoring, surrounds me on several sides here in the gray nomad camp. Preparing to move on. 06/28/2009
 The time we have left to stay in Katherine, Northern territory is drawing to a close, we must move on soon. Images of Australia in the Paintings and Writing of Artist Author Kathy Shell Artist – Kathryn Shell Author Kathryn Shell is a published non-fiction and fiction author currently working on an Australian Novel. Feel welcome to reproduce the words in the above blog post provided you copy it in its entirety including this section with all its active links. The images may not be copied without permission of the artist, author. You can purchase prints from the art of Kathy Shell by selecting from those offered in the sidebars of her web blogs then Contact Kathy with your selection and these will be listed as a buy it now bundle in this EBay Store. You are most welcome to link to this page.Thank you. - Kathy Shell. |  Images of Australia in the Paintings and Writing of Artist Author Kathy Shell are created on location while touring in an Eco-Tourer Caravan. `````````````````````````
If you would like Kathy to review, write or paint, your location, please contact the artist author with your offer. National Parks Passes Art and art print sales are available from
|
RSS Feed
