It's Warming Up!

Tuesday 14^th January

This morning after the usual coffee we walked down to the Kingston foreshore, a huge new development on the lake. New apartments, businesses and shops going up, with views over the lake. A bit like a building site now, but give it a few years and every up and running, and the place will be great to go for drinks for a dinner (as would never be able to afford any of the apartments).

There has been two devastating fires over the past 15 years in Canberra, the first one at the end of 2001 which took out most of the forests in the West of the city, followed by an even more horrible one that started on the 18^th January 2003, which swept through the suburbs and killed at least 4 people. It raged to within one block of Kate's house.

On the site where the forests were, an Aboretum has been established and work started in 2005, and it is still very much in it's infancy. We drove up there in the afternoon, and what a wonderful spot. I would very much like to come back at least every five years to see how it is progressing. It's a brilliant site and a wonderful idea.

 

                                           Looking down into the City - planting just begun

Eagles Nest made out of Farm scrap metal

                                They are planting blocks of native Australian and other trees

They have built a fabulous centre at the top of this hill and in the café there are sheet glass windows that look out over the city. Inside are beams of Australian wood.

                                                         Arty Farty picture of the floor

After G&T on the balcony we took Kate out for dinner to Figaro's in Kingston and had mega pizza and red wine.   I will sleep well tonight.