Australia Day

Saturday 26 January was Australia Day, a day similar to July 4th in the USA. Here is a description compliments of Google:

"From the earliest white settlement at the end of the 18th century, Australians have striven to celebrate a national day, and in so doing, define what it means to be Australian. January 26 has traditionally marked the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip at Port Jackson in present-day Sydney, thereby claiming Australia for the British Empire. Early settlers, perhaps naturally, marked the anniversary. Australia Day has evolved from a small commemorative New South Wales holiday into a major national celebration. It is the most inclusive celebration of a national day in Australia, expressing the diversity which has become such an important part of the Australian character. Australia Day today celebrates diversity and tolerance in Australian society. Whereas once it celebrated the staunchly British nature of Australian society, it now embraces multicultural Australia, including all ethnic backgrounds, racial differences and political viewpoints."

The Australia Day celebration in Jabiru featured a thong throwing contest as well as a wheatbix and ginger beer eating contest and of course a sausage sizzle. Ian gave a speech, see the picture below:



The best part of the celebration is always the singing of my favorite song. If you go to this site on You Tube, you can hear and
see a wonderful rendition of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBI3xiDzxMM&feature=related

Here are the words just in case you don't speak Australian.

I came from the dream time, from the dusty red soil plains,
I am the ancient heart - the keeper of the flame,
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come,
For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian.

We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

I came upon the prison ship bound down by iron chains
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.
I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come
I'm a bushy, I'm a battler, I am Australian.

We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira, and I paint the ghostly gums
I am Clancy on his horse, I'm Ned Kelly on the run
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian.
I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains
I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky, the rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land, I am Australian.

We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

Cloudy Sky, Birds and a Lily Too!

The rain is coming in fast, just one little patch still clear.


I love their long necks!


Caught this one of a jabiru flying overhead.


Here are some Magpie geese hiding in the grass.


And this is the way they look when they all take off.


The white spots you see in the fields in the above pics are swamp lilies, here is a close up. I like them and planted some in my yard over a year ago but they still haven't bloomed, I think they really need a swamp to thrive.


And this is my very favorite, a flock of herons taking off into the black sky.

Kookaburra

Judging from the appearance of the sign, this kookaburra has been sitting here for some time and not showing much respect!!