Category Archives: Australia

Riding the Ghan

Posted on 21 June 2022 by sheg4184

“Welcome to the Ghan. Here is your carriage and cabin number. We’ll be boarding in an hour and a half. Coffee and tea are available while you wait, and we will be opening the champagne shortly.” At 11 am, champagne, … Continue reading →

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“And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain?”

Posted on 9 June 2022 by sheg4184

Winter has arrived in South Australia with a vengeance. Autumn was wet, but June has been wetter. The local papers suggest it may be the soggiest June on record.  Our water tanks are full to the brim and the tides … Continue reading →

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The Magical Land of Books

Posted on 17 May 2022 by sheg4184

“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your … Continue reading →

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Sunday Scribblings

Posted on 27 March 2022 by sheg4184

A week or two of wild winds, white skies, where’s-my-dressing-gown? Autumn has arrived. And then suddenly the wind drops, and the sky is clear, azure blue again. The trees stop churning and the pool glitters serenely, tempting me to cast … Continue reading →

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Not Another Brick in the Wall

Posted on 13 March 2022 by sheg4184

While I have always loved a good chat, I used to dread the thought of speaking in public. My voice and my hands would shake. My mouth would go dry. The page before me would go blank. I would wither … Continue reading →

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A Whistle-Stop Trip

Posted on 21 February 2022 by sheg4184

‘You can’t roller skate in as buffalo herdBut you can be happy if you’ve a mind to…’ What have we been up to lately? A whirlwind trip east to Melbourne: four days in the car, visiting friends en route; a … Continue reading →

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A Café by the Sea

Posted on 7 February 2022 by sheg4184

The sun is up and the early morning swimmers are trudging up the beach, damp and dripping, to gather for coffee on the veranda at the Normanville Kiosk & Café. In dribs and drabs, the dawn patrol of dog walkers … Continue reading →

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Ekhidna Wines

Posted on 17 January 2022 by sheg4184

A sunny day. A back road in McLaren Vale. A vast fig tree giving off a juicy scent of summer. An open air space tucked in among the grapevines. The view is sublime, the staff are terrific – cheerful and … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare in the Rain

Posted on 7 January 2022 by sheg4184

On a prime position, in the southern foothills above the Adelaide plains, sits a beautiful house that looks more like it belongs in the lush green English countryside than in the hot, dry southern hemisphere. Built in the late 1930s, … Continue reading →

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What Price to Pay?

Posted on 30 December 2021 by sheg4184

What on earth did we all talk about before Covid? Every conversation these days starts with the latest update. In every newspaper or TV report there is high drama about the latest figures and the latest advice on crossing borders. … Continue reading →

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