A WALK IN THE PARK 15

I managed to pry Bill away from his computer and get him to go for a walk. Walked through part of the park and the we left the park and visited Lake Dennis which is short distance away. We sat and watched the ducks and the peaceful lake before returning home through the park on a different track.

EXPLORING THE NEW FIRE BREAK

 After six months of dilly dallying, the workmen finally finished making a wider firebreak around the perimeter of the Daisy Hill Conservation Park and they have opened the walking tracks that were closed off while they were working. Part of that perimeter borders our village. So we have a new firebreak around our village. Yesterday my friend , Helen and I went to explore the firebreak now that the tracks are open again. Not all the tracks were closed, just the ones near our village and the perimeter of the forest.

We set off behind the village.

There were more hills than I expected. We walked parallel to the village border.

Trees that were cut down were mulched and spread on the side of the break.

Then we veered away from the village and skirted the neighbours property. It was a bit of a climb.

At the top I turned around and could see the village workshop and greenhouse.

We climbed up even higher. Then we could see the firebreak disappeared following the perimeter of the forest so we decided to find our way back on an old track.

 

I had walked this track some years ago and was sure it would get us back to the village via a different route. So that we actually made a circuit.  We hope that this fire break keeps us safe in summer and I hope the fires are not as bad as last year or as bad as in USA. We were lucky last year. There were no fires in our forest. We have had more rain this year than usual so hopefully the forest isn't too dry. 

TAPHOPHILE TRAGIC'S TUESDAY

Most readers know that I walk in our local forest every morning. 

Just inside the main entry there is a tiny little private cemetery.

 It is called "Dennis Family Cemetery". The Dennis family were early settlers and pioneers of this area where we live, now called Daisy Hill.  James Dennis came to Australia on the ship, "Flying Cloud" in 1864. In 1867 he married Mary Ann Markwell and they had 18 children.

It is sad to see how many children died within the first month of their life. How awful for the parents. It shows how tough pioneering life was.

In 1870 James took up a selection of land here (I think that means he was given the land by the government to encourage settlement in the area.) Later he bought more land adjacent. He grazed cattle and planted mango trees which are still here today. In 1880 he built a bigger home. In 1893 he died and Mary continued on with the work. She died in 1920 and her son Joseph buys the property. In 1940 Joseph enlarged the lagoons in the area to provide irrigation. 

In 1950, Joseph's son Frank runs the property and buys it from his father. He builds this dam to help the farm succeed. He had 50 acres of small crops. In 1962, Frank won an award for harvesting water and irrigating crops.

I walk past here every morning. It is now called Dennis Lake.

Frank built an island in the lake as a bird sanctuary. We sometimes walk here in the evening too.

A Magpie Goose

In 1968 the land was subdivided and the suburb of Daisy Hill began. He also donated a huge parcel of land to the state under the provisor that it remained as a park for the community to enjoy. That is now "The Daisy Hill Conservation Park". Frank became a Taxi Driver in his later years and he often picked me up and took me to the airport and brought me home, when I visited Sydney regularly to see my dying father. Now I walk in his beautiful park everyday.Frank died in 2000 and is buried in the family cemetery. 

This is my contribution to Julie's Taphophile Tragic's meme.

WALKING in DAISY HILL

On our morning walk.

We walk along the ring road for a while then.....

....take one of the many walking tracks.

Stop to admire the plants (I think this might be an imported one that has become a weed.)

As we enter the picnic area we bump into some wallabies having breakfast.

This one has a Joey in her pouch.

Many people like getting married in the forest and they hire this bush chapel with its rows of log seats.

Then back out onto the ring road to the exit, but before that, admire........

...the morning sun shining through the wattle seed pods. Then walk home for breakfast.