Diana Australis' photos

In far North Pakistan heading along the KKH towards the Passu Cones( locally known as Tupopdan) on the way to the Chinese border at Khunjerav Pass. Sending sincere wishes for a happy and peaceful Friday, and a marvellous weekend to you and your loved ones. Thank you for visiting…D

Up in the highest area of Australia, the Snowy Mountains, are huge expanses of alpine and sub alpine plains. Though the climate is harsh and the soil poor, they are populated by sheep and cattle, which eat the tussock grass. This is a huge storm about to hit the unsuspecting cattle! Sending very best to all for Friday and for a weekend which is peaceful and happy

Happy Friday! This is Gulmit in North Pakistan on the Karakoram Highway. My much loved ‘adopted’ family lives here and I love staying and spending time in this remote little village which I first visited 24 years ago. The mountains in the distance are 6-7000m and the highway climbs up to the Chinese border on the high Khunjerav Pass at 4700m, about 2 hours along from here. Hope you have a fabulous weekend. I have been busy rehearsing and performing a lot lately, so have been a bit absent,…sorry! Cheers…Diana

HFF. The park across the street from my home ( which is at the rear right side of the picture, near the tree). It is a popular and very well used recreational park. On the rear left of the photo, at the end of the street, is an enormous conservation park, with walking trails down to the Murrumbidgee River. There are lots of kangaroos and native animals in the area. I hope you really enjoy your Friday, and that the weekend brings happiness and joy. Peace and good health to all

Pakistan. In the high Pamir, surrounded by 6000m + peaks. The lake has farm fields with stone fences. The mountains cut off the light increasingly early in the afternoons as autumn progresses. I thank you for your visit. Wishing you a peaceful and pleasant Friday, and a weekend with enjoyable weather and activities.

The Commander Islands, Komandorski Islands, or Komandorskie Islands (Russian: Командо́рские острова́, Komandorskiye ostrova) are a series of islands in the Russian Far East, a part of the Aleutian Islands, located about 175 km (109 mi) east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea. Treeless and sparsely populated, the islands consist of Bering Island (95 km (59 mi) by 15 km (9.3 mi)) and Medny Island. Nikolskoye, a small village, is the only settlement on these islands, the others being unpopulated nature reserves. Not on any tourist agendas. We were on a 47 passenger no frills expedition cruise to tramp in wellington boots around Kamchatka and remote places searching for bears and wild things! We did see huge Kamchatka bears, rusty- coloured, trotting on deserted shores, swimming, scooping up salmon at river mouths. And walrus, sea lions, millions of different birds, eagles…whales of many kinds. And no people apart from us. A great museum of dead things…boats, ships, fishing gear, oil drums etc.. what comes in never goes out again! Have a fab Friday and an interestingly happy weekend….

The Commander Islands, Komandorski Islands, or Komandorskie Islands (Russian: Командо́рские острова́, Komandorskiye ostrova) are a series of islands in the Russian Far East, a part of the Aleutian Islands, located about 175 km (109 mi) east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea. Treeless and sparsely populated, the islands consist of Bering Island (95 km (59 mi) by 15 km (9.3 mi)), Medny Island (55 km (34 mi) by 5 km (3.1 mi)) and fifteen islets and rocks. The largest of the latter are Tufted Puffin Rock (Kamen Toporkov or Ostrov Toporkov), 15 ha (37 acres), and Kamen Ariy, which are between 3 km (1.9 mi) and 13 km (8.1 mi) west of the only settlement, Nikolskoye. Administratively, the Commanders compose the Aleutsky District of the Kamchatka Krai (Wikipedia) We visited this, the only small village on any of these islands, the others being unpopulated nature reserves. This building is one of a large number of nineteenth century buildings then used as fur trapping and trading enterprises, when much of the marine life was exterminated by the Russians and Americans to supply a hungry fur trade. Now just relics. Not on any tourist agendas. We were on a 47 passenger no frills expedition cruise to tramp in wellington boots around Kamchatka and remote places searching for bears and wild things! We did see huge Kamchatka bears, rusty- coloured, trotting on deserted shores, swimming, scooping up salmon at river mouths. And walrus, sea lions, millions of different birds, eagles…whales of many kinds. And no people apart from us. A great museum of dead things…boats, ships, fishing gear, oil drums etc..

The Commander Islands, Komandorski Islands, or Komandorskie Islands (Russian: Командо́рские острова́, Komandorskiye ostrova) are a series of islands in the Russian Far East, a part of the Aleutian Islands, located about 175 km (109 mi) east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea. Treeless and sparsely populated, the islands consist of Bering Island (95 km (59 mi) by 15 km (9.3 mi)), Medny Island (55 km (34 mi) by 5 km (3.1 mi)) and fifteen islets and rocks. The largest of the latter are Tufted Puffin Rock (Kamen Toporkov or Ostrov Toporkov), 15 ha (37 acres), and Kamen Ariy, which are between 3 km (1.9 mi) and 13 km (8.1 mi) west of the only settlement, Nikolskoye. Administratively, the Commanders compose the Aleutsky District of the Kamchatka Krai (Wikipedia) We visited this, the only small village on any of these islands, the others being unpopulated nature reserves. This building is one of a large number of nineteenth century buildings then used as fur trapping and trading enterprises, when much of the marine life was exterminated by the Russians and Americans to supply a hungry fur trade. Now just relics. Not on any tourist agendas. We were on a 47 passenger no frills expedition cruise to tramp in wellington boots around Kamchatka and remote places searching for bears and wild things! We did see huge Kamchatka bears, rusty- coloured, trotting on deserted shores, swimming, scooping up salmon at river mouths. And walrus, sea lions, millions of different birds, eagles…whales of many kinds. And no people apart from us.

HFF and apologies for absence..crazy couple of weeks. The restored Main Street of the town of Iquique situated in N Chile, bordered by the Pacific Ocean, and the Atacama Desert. Travel memories… Keep warm and hopefully dry, or cool if you live in a hot climate, like here! Best wishes.. Diana

HFF from the omnipresent stone fences of far north Pakistan in the high mountainous landscapes of rocks and jagged peaks. These are the Passu Cones, or Tupopdan to the locals. All above 6000meters in height and marking the beginning of the twisting climb along the Karakoram Highway to the high altitude border post with China. A beautiful and remote place. One of my very favourite. Wishing you a calm and satisfying Friday, and a mild and enjoyable weekend. Bisous, hugs, abraços…..and good wishes. Diana

Virtual travel, an old pic. La Habana, Cuba. In the central area of the old city, surplus old cannons are used to ‘fence’ off streets to through traffic. In the 15 and 1600s Havana was a giant commercial city, the centre of trans-shipment of Spanish wealth from its South American colonies to Spain. Thus it was a target of pirates..hence the profusions of cannons. It must have been a dangerous place to be! Hope your weekend is less dangerous and far more pleasant….and that the weather is kind to you, wherever you are

La Havana, Cuba. I have been going through older travel pics, virtually journeying. I loved this square where we sat as night fell and watched the locals drifting out to sit, play and relax as the heat of the day faded. I hope you are keeping warm and dry … or cool and dry, depending on where you live. Have a wonderful weekend.

Taken a while ago on the Isle of Harris, Western Isles of Scotland. Sorry I have been absent lately..life has been more than hectic, but starting to see the path ahead. Will get back to visits in the next day or two. Meanwhile, have a wonderful weekend, and may we all be fortunate enough to have moderate weather and lots of photo opps,!

Tierra del Fuego. Sentinel to force and direction of the wind! Taken a while ago, but I have always liked it! Have a good week. Those in the Northern Hemisphere, keep warm and dry. Those at my end of the world..stay cool and dry!

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. ❤️