Diana Australis' photos

From Collector, a small historic township just outside Canberra, with a colourful past of the local police being shot by bush rangers in the 19th century. The old church has the simple slip rail fence rarely seen or used these days. Taken in the afternoon last winter Have a lovely Friday and a top weekend

Now a picturesque piece of decor….in the giant nature reserve adjacent to my home. Lots of flowers and still green this summer after so much more rain than usual. It would normally be more yellowed and dry by now. Wishing à HFFand a top weekend. Many thanks for any visit. I do appreciate it very much

No, I am not here..I am at home! It’s one of my old favourites up at 4000meters in the Spiti Valley in far North India. I look at it when I think of challenges and ways of living a life. It is winter here, and the yaks need to be taken out daily to high altitude pastures, and brought home at night to be locked away from snow leopards, wolves and bears. It is formidable daily work in this harsh terrain. Hoping that your 2024 is much more manageable and enjoyable than this yak herder ( female) and her daily chores! Good health, happiness and magical moments to make your life have odd sparkles…this is what I wish you for this New Year ahead. Diana ❤️

At 4000 meters in the Karakoram Range, close to the Afghan border in Chipurson. This fence and gate merely mark land division….it certainly does not keep out the snow leopards and wolves which predate on stock. At the end ..left side..of the wall is a precipitous drop of about 500m into a raging glacial river which has deeply etched this huge chasm. It is very remote and wild territory. The gate closes across the narrow 4WD road if it needs closing off after landslides, earthquakes or flooding, which frequently affect these unstable hillsides. Wishing you all the very, very best for 2024. I hope it brings you health and good fortune. Happy New Year. ❤️

And HFF from my front fence with a blaze of scarlet kangaroo paws( Anigozanthos …native flower) running riot. I added some flowers from the garden too for good measure. It is very hard here sometimes to see Christmas as snowy manger scenes when it occurs here in midsummer. Maybe a touch of sun and colour will bring some cheer, just as your winter photos do to me when sometimes it is so hot here! Wishing you and your loved ones a most loving and convivial Christmas, and a 2024 which brings good health and happiness. On a global level….please let there be peace. Sincerely, Diana ❤️

HFF from the bridge over the Kuching River in Sarawak. I adore its sweeping curves and soaring shapes. It is almost on the equator, with a moody wet season sky. Wishing you a fabulous Friday and a safe and happy weekend.

In Kuching, Sarawak. The Sarawak River runs through the capital city of Kuching, and the colourful fishing fleet is part of the daily life in this small, equatorial city. Sorry to be a bit absent. I have been involved with rehearsals and Christmas performances several nights and days a week. I am exhausted! Hope you are well. Have a lovely day…Diana

View from my hotel window in Kuching, Sarawak. The man is on the roof / verandah at second floor level, spreading out foodstuffs to dry in the equatorial sun. He had to take them inside quite often to escape the monsoonal showers. It was interesting to be an observer. Wishing you all a fabulous Friday. Have a safe, healthy and happy weekend. Wishing the world was at peace. Diana Thanks for your visits

HFF from a wild proboscis monkey at Labuk Bay in Borneo. It was holding onto the fence and looking directly at me before dropping down to sit near me. Quite an experience. I love the hand! Hope your Friday is friendly and fantastic, and your weekend happy and positive.

Wild hornbill in Sandakan, Borneo. Drops in occasionally for banana treats. I had not seen one up close before, so found it really fascinating. HFF and a peaceful, happy and fulfilling weekend to you . Thanks for the visit

Far North Pakistan, heading up to a remote valley on the mountainous Afghan border. Stopped for a bite to eat. Loved this marvellous menu wall. Lots of fresh mountain trout up here from the clean streams. Have a terrific day.

In a higher altitude mountainous area, wood is in short supply. Most fences are dry stone walls. Precious timber is saved for gates and ladders. Gulmit village, North Pakistan. In this troubled world, may your Friday be peaceful and positive.

Thé 19C Cavenagh Bridge, part of old Colonial Singapore, down on the river. In the background, the now Fullerton Hotel was the old Colonial GPO for Singapore city. The whole area down here by the river is green and beautiful, the river clean, and lots of tourist spots and older colonial buildings. It used to be the dirty, heavily polluted port and harbour for old Singapore and was a filthy dive in the 70’s. Enjoy your Friday…big hug to all…Diana

I found this very unusual flower in a deserted corner of Singapore’s amazing Botanic Gardens. I have never seen anything quite like it. It was unlabelled and not part of any display. Google Lens identifies it as a Bat Flower, a species of tropical flowering yam. I did not have a macro lens so photos not as clear as I would have loved. The second picture is the bud, yet to flower. I thought you might be interested to look at this curious flower. WIKIPEDIA: Tacca chantrieri is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. It was first described in 1901 by Édouard André.!' т. chantrieri is native to southeastern Asia. It is commonly known as the black bat flower due to its shape and coloring!?! The bat flower has unique pollination method in that it is mostly autonomous self pollinating. 131 T. chantrieri prefers environments similar to its native region with tropical, moist conditions. 12] The bat flower has been commonly used in Chinese medicine. It uses are wide in range from common aliments to more complex conditions such as cancer. I hope you enjoy this curiosity. Have a fabulous day!

At the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, I heard a sound from behind me, and turned to see this beautiful wild animal 1 meter away, holding onto the fence. I love his eyes and expression. I took lots of shots and have done no editing other than to add a small frame. This Sanctuary has been rescued from extensive felled jungle and palm oil plantations to provide a haven for these extraordinary animals, found only in Borneo. They are very large monkeys, quite gentle and quiet, and these here are wild, though there is supplementary feeding offered twice a day until the area regenerates sufficiently to provide all the necessary food for them. Their normal diet is mangrove leaves, and the supplementary feeding is cucumbers and sugar free pancakes! They often sit quietly among visitors and offer great opportunities for observation and photography. The local name for them is ‘monyet Belanda’ or Dutch monkey, as the locals thought they look like fat, big nosed Dutchmen. That said, HFF and enjoy your day immensely! Dx

This elegant juvenile pit viper was on a low plant beside the walking trail in the jungle at Bako in Sarawak. It was almost defying gravity, seeming to float. I was entranced by it…but did not get closer than 1.5 meters just in case….they do bite. Have a fabulous weekend

I am in Kuching, in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. This amazing bridge spans the Sarawak River in the city. The golden building is the State Legislative Assembly building on the other bank.The curving and high raised bridge has enough fences and rails to keep any fence aficionado happy for weeks, and they also prevent any possible plunges to the water far below! I hope you are having a fabulous Friday, and wish you an inspiring weekend. Thanks for a visit….

Thankfully. I am in Singapore and this massive mollusc, the size of my hand when fully out if its shell is in my friend’s garden. About 10cm long. It is massive. I am grateful it lives here to be photographed by me, but glad it lives here and not in my garden. It was too big and too hard shelled to even think of squashing it! Have a happy Sunday, nature livers and friends. Thanks for your visits