There's a Party at the Pond

There’s a natural little spring at the end of my street

Where I often love to wander and have a little peep

There’s a party at the pond, it happens all the time

When heavy rains subside and the sun begins to shine.

Common birdlife flock to this outdoor cabaret

Striking up a chorus, in celebration for this day.

Magpies alert the others in warbling chit and chatter

Crows respond by cawing, they understand the natter.

News is screeched by Cockatoos to parrots and galahs.

Butcherbirds and Honeyeaters sing their la la la’s

Black ducks gladly quacking and waddle in their cluster

Distinguished collared Shel ducks, honk to join the muster

Tweeting sounds of Silvereyes fetch a softer voice

Ibis step with elegance, partaking with rejoice.

Frogs croaking loudly, in hope of attracting a mate

Oblong Turtles pop their heads, hoping they’re not late

Forget about rehearsal, at this pond’s great event

Wildlife needs no practice, they sing with true intent

A smorgasbord of beetles and insects is in sight

The birds alert each other, sharing nature’s delight.

Worms commence to surface from sodden muddy ground

Grass is moist and juicy where morsels can be found

Sustenance aplenty, thanks to heaven’s skies

Providing native fauna with nourishing supplies

There’s a party at the pond, it happens all the time

When heavy rains subside and the sun begins to shine.

The Volunteer Firefighter

I'd like to share this poem I wrote out of respect and appreciation for all our volunteer firefighters.

All the men and women who risk their lives and give tirelessly to protect our beautiful country Australia.

Australia is at war with bloody red flames

burning our land until charcoal remains

Volunteer Firefighters, our heroes of hope

Risk their lives through billowing smoke

Through the crackling intensity and dreadful smell

Their eyes are straining as they push through hell

Pausing momentarily and gazing around

Seeing wildlife perishing – ash to the ground

Thirsty and shocked animals whimper with pain

They know our fauna will never be the same

The fighters may grab their water to share

with a wounded koala in a state of despair

Shattered, the fighter stares up in vain

Willing the heavens to send down rain

Though weariness shows on each blackened face

They won’t allow fatigue to slow down their pace

Julie Annette King

Yanchep National Park

This morning I was moved by an image showing a kangaroo and fresh vegetation emerging from charcoaled branches following the recent bushfires in Yanchep. A friend posted the picture on social media, thus motivating me to pack a few essentials, jump in my humble little car and head to the National Park to see the remarkable recovery of nature for myself.

One can never fully take into account, the area of destruction from bush fires until we actually witness it ourselves… images and reports through the media can never bring it home like this. 

Slowly I drove through the vast area where all that remains is blackened tree trunks and dirty brown bushes and branches, now sprouting with new green life upon the ashen dirt. I saw the remains of the fuel station which did not stand a chance in midst of it all and could plainly see how many homes were in the line of possible ruin.

Signs of new green life

When I veered into the entrance of Yanchep National Park, I felt the need to pull over and take a snap of the sign that stood lonely before the burnt out bush. The smell of smoke was still evident.

Birdlife is profuse in the wetlands

Once I parked my car, I set off on my stroll across the pristine picnic lawn area adjacent to the lake, teeming with birdlife. This brought back wonderful memories from my childhood where our family often came for picnics some fifty years ago, though it has changed a lot since then.

Koala sleeping

I have never seen so many Western Grey kangaroos grazing on the picnic grounds in Yanchep like this before and they don’t seem to mind the people either. They are clearly hungry.

just two of many kangaroos grazing

How shocked I was to see how really close the bushfires came to destroying this area. The fires burned as close as a few hundred metres from the koala sanctuary and walk trails are now closed off due to destruction from the fires that raged through.

"this is Australia"

Later I settled myself with a refreshing glass of sparkling under a canopy of trees and enjoyed the mellow music and singing by a duo playing in the beer garden of the magnificent Yanchep Inn. A cool breeze, adults relaxing, children playing and kangaroos grazing made for a typical Aussie Pub scene.

remains of a foot bridge

As I cast my eyes about a hundred metres from where I was sitting, there stood the remains of the footbridge over parched wetlands that previously flowed into the lake. Green shoots of vegetation are beginning to appear here as well from clumps of black roots. Frightening to see how close this came to the Inn.

new growth sprouting in dried up wetlands

The magnificent Yanchep Inn

I have a deep respect and appreciation for our volunteer firefighters who do an amazing job, working tirelessly to ensure the safety of humans and wildlife.