Going south on the Princes Highway you pass through the lovely old village of Cobargo, where you can turn right over the bridge and drive towards the Great Dividing Range. Picturesque valleys gradually lead you out to Peak Alone, a striking mountain overlooking Wandella and Yowrie. We stopped at Wandella, to visit our friends for the night. Perhaps another time we will drive on into the mountains and maybe even continue up to Nimitabel in the High Country.
working on the terrace roof
When we arrived our friend was on the roof, late afternoon sunshine lighting the scene. We had not seen the house for a few years, so it was exciting to see the main section almost complete.
pine trees
This is dairy country. An electric fence keeps cattle out of the building site. I was fascinated by the huge old pine trees, where I could hear a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo crunching pine cones and talking softly to himself.
yellow tailed black cockatoo
Even though he was right at the top my zoom could reach him! See how he is holding the pine cone with one foot while he tears it apart.
spring blossom
Then I investigated the spring blossom. Although our friends are not living here full-time yet, they have a small orchard doing well in the rich soil.
sunset
As the sun dropped lower clouds began to light up. By now we were sitting on the terrace with some refreshments, catching up with each other. I wanted to zoom closer to that striking tree on the near horizon … a dead pine stark against the glowing sky.
pine branches south
Evening shades of purple were reaching our to envelope us … until turning to the north-west revealed a golden sky, with great old gums along the creek bed silhouetted like standing sentinels.
gumtrees to the north
We slept so well in the luxurious guest room on the completed lower section of the house, warmed by the sunny day and embraced by the vegetable garden. I had my camera ready for dawn, and when the sun had risen over the trees the whole valley lit up beautifully.
view to Peak Alone
and here is the wider valley continuing north-west into the ranges … a road beckoning for a future adventure.
dairy country north-west towards Wadbilliga
Would you like to come too?
dadirridreaming 
Yes I would. These photographs look fantastic. It’s really nice to see your friends are/have spent time on their gardens, creating fruit, as well as the building work. With all that space I bet they could grow almost anything. It looks wonderful.
When they live there full-time in a few years I am sure the gardens will thrive! Right now with Spring bursting forth they are being tempted to plant things, but they might only be there every fortnight and would be dependent on rain … which is always rare here. It was lovely to see them!
Thank you for wonderful photographs and great company. Today we have another helper with building experience, who is helping position the corrugated sheets to protect the end doors. Exciting to see another milestone accomplished. Love L
Sure is! Thanks for your wonderful hospitality …. and we are looking forward to the next visit and drive into the mountains 🙂
buongiorno cara, mentre la primavera con i ciliegi in fiore sta esplodendo nell’emisfero australe, qui in Italia l’estate sta finendo e ci si avvicina all’autunno.
Sempre lieta di stare in viaggio con te. le tue magnifiche foto mi fanno vivere le tue emozioni, e pian piano sti imparando a conoscere e ad amare la terra in cui vivi, la foto che più amato quella dei fiori di ciliegio, albero che amo moltissimo
ti auguro una giornata serena, con affetto
un grande abbraccio, a presto
Ventis
good morning dear , while spring with cherry blossoms is exploding in the southern hemisphere, here in Italy the summer is ending and you get closer to autumn.
Always proud to be traveling with you. your lovely photos make me live your emotions, and slowly the TSI learning to know and love the land where you live, the most loved that picture of cherry blossoms, the tree that I love so much
I wish you a peaceful day, with love
a big hug and see you soon
Ventis
hello Ventis … so happy you enjoyed the blossom … I love it too … and so do the bees 🙂 I am glad you came travelling with me! Wishing you a wonderful week, and sweet dreams tonight, Christine xx
Yes, please, Christine. I would really like to come along for a visit. 🙂 What absolutely gorgeous landscape. Those pink skies are so compelling. And we are having such extreme heat right now and everything is dry with summer’s end–those spring blossoms are a sight for sore eyes!
Sorry things are so dry for you Debra! I hope you stay safe from fires too. The end of summer is a challenging time here, unless we have had rain when the bushfire risk is less. Right now Spring is rather too warm, but always so pretty with wattle trees flowering abundantly as well as blossom and heaps of wildflowers … 🙂
The beginning of your spring and our fall…love seeing your changing seasons.
and me yours … I especially love seeing snow as I rarely see it here!
Oh yes… your images are marvellous, from the black cocky to the spring blossom and the sigh inducing vista’s… 🙂
we loved it, since here we have trees, beaches, ocean … and there were the mountains, and sky, and silence where we always have the hush or rumble of the waves … and even their frogs were much quieter than ours … plus we heard mopokes and boobook owls 🙂
I love waking up during the night and the only sound is the mopokes and owls 🙂
does that happen at your place?
At Taylors Arm – yes 🙂 In the city we hear the odd currawong, plover and of course the trains during the night.
well … there is something nice about trains … but maybe not city trains … I like the long ones that pass through country towns at night!
wow..I want to have such frined with such an amazing garden as all my friends live in city so no retreat to such a place…u are lucky and you have done a wonderful job with the pics dear…love them all
we live in the country too … 🙂
Yes definitely, they are creating a real paradise and I’m sure they need you to visit frequently 😉
we thought we should go back in summer and take a drive into the mountains!
Just beautiful. Love the man in the roof.
He was up there as we drove in, so I had a chance to snap the photo before he could get down!
Perfect timing then!
Breathtaking views via your lens, Christina! I was wondering about black cockatoo, glad you explain that he was holding the pine cone 🙂
yes, his head is almost hidden behind the pine cone, since he was at the top of the tree and I was on the ground!
A piece of paradise, Christine. Wonderful views. 🙂
How could I not Christine??? Fabulous shots of an amazing landscape, particularly the spring blossoms and that cockatoo!
A lovely taste of the landscape and peace from city sirens that awaits me when I return to the South Coast next week, and a beautiful appreciation of what is clearly a piece of paradise.
Yes, I WOULD like to come along please! Margie
Yes! 🙂