As I drive around our beautiful little valley in the countryside just outside of Canberra, the wattle is in bloom everywhere and cute little lambs are beginning to appear in the paddocks. Our eldest grandson delights in pointing out every wattle he spots. It is a glorious reminder that Spring has sprung and we should take the time to smell the proverbial roses while basking in the sunshine and hint of warmth that this new season brings.
At 3 !/2 years, my grandson is learning the names of not only the wattle trees, but also pine trees, cherry blossoms, (although he calls them cherry blossom wattles at the moment), photinia with their white flowers and red tipped leaves, and the various varieties of gum trees on our property. Our neighbour’s hedge of callistemon (commonly referred to as bottle brush) is ready to burst in an abundance of reds and pinks any day. We may be still in lockdown, but at least we can enjoy the magnificent outdoors in the fresh country air. Fingers crossed we will slowly be able to emerge from our isolation cocoons somewhere around mid-October, and spread our wings and fly like brightly coloured butterflies. it is a perfect time to enjoy all the beauty that Spring has to offer,
As the Spring evenings begin to rise above freezing, hubby and I are also enjoying more dinners outside by our fireball as we watch the magnificent sunsets on the distant Brindabella Ranges. The sky’s colourful palette never ceases to amaze me. Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons to light our fireball, not too cold when the temperature plummets in Winter and before the Summer heatwaves bring essential fire bans.
As much as I am quite content to savour the delights of Spring from home, we are looking forward to the day when we are permitted to go a little further afield. Living in the border bubble between NSW and ACT, we have been avoiding entering Canberra whenever possible. This is usually the season when Floriade is in full bloom and friends and family visit us to stroll through the tulips. Due to covid, Floriade was cancelled for the second year in a row, however I believe like last year, pots of tulips have been planted in locations around the suburbs for locals to enjoy. If you live in Canberra, why not enjoy a blissful Spring day strolling through your suburb or along the foreshore and see if you can find any elusive tulips sprouting colour in pots for you to enjoy. Prefer a bike ride? Take the kids for a ride around the lake, it’s always great fun in the sun.
Floriade 2020
2020 Floriade when the tulips were spread around the Canberra foreshore.
Living in the surrounds of the ‘Bush Capital,’ (and Canberra is called that for good reason) also allows us plenty of access to wonderful bushwalks in National Parks. A picnic and walk in Tidbinbilla Nature reserve is fabulous at this time of year. See if you can find a mob of kangaroos or wallabies, maybe if you are lucky, you will see a platypus in the river or even a koala nibbling on a few gum leaves high above in the trees. Just be careful, snake season is upon us, they will be coming out of hibernation. If you do see a snake, don’t panic, stop and wait for it to pass, the snake is probably just as frightened of you. My friends and family in the Shire on the southern edge of Sydney can always take advantage of bushwalks in the Royal National Park too, a fabulous area I always loved to visit when I grew up.
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Lake Burley-Griffin, Canberra
We are hoping before Spring ends and the crowds start to flock to the beaches, that we will be able to take a drive to the coast for a lunch date with fish and chips at out favourite takeaway in Batemans Bay, The Boat Shed. The fish is always mouth wateringly fresh and the view of the Clyde River where it greets the bay is spectacular.
Batemans Bay
With restrictions still in place, it makes it hard to enjoy the Spring weather, but with a little thought there is plenty you can still do not far from your doorstep.
How will you spend your Spring days and evenings?
What is your favourite way to enjoy the new season? Please share in the comments below.
If you enjoyed these suggestions, but are still looking for more ideas to fill your Spring days, please read these other #Gr8tblogs from my author friends in our blog hop ‘Making The Most Out of the New Season.’
Fall Favourites Rebecca Lyndsey
3 Harmful Habits to Cast Aside in the New Season Julie Schooler
A Fall Self-Care Bucket List to Make the Most Out of Autumn Julie Gorges
Happy Autumn, Pumpkin Spice, and Everything Nice about Fall! Jim Milson
What’s Not To Love - Six Things To Make You Fall for Fall. Cat Michaels
Jumping Into Fall 2021 With Big News at Books by Rose. Rosie Russell
What’s On Your Fall Bucket list? Auden Johnson