Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 7 October 2012

Sunday Selections #90

Sunday Selections, was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock,  as an ongoing theme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The theme is now continued by  River at Drifting through life.

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  I seem to have been in a bit of a mad garden gnome mode recently so, despite taking many, many garden photos, I am going to go somewhere different.  Very different.  After my mother's death I used a very substantial chunk of my inheritance to go to Antarctica.  As part of that trip I also went to the Falkland Islands which is where I am going to take you now.  (The gardening obsession will undoubtedly return.)

As usual clicking on any of the photos will enlarge them.



The yellow bushes were gorse.

Government House (I think)


Rock Hopper Penguins - and they do



A typical cottage - which I liked more than the Government House building

Port Stanley from the sea.  The bright colours might serve as an antidote to long, cold and grey winters.



75 comments:

  1. Bonza photos. Didn't know the Falkland Islands had such a picturesque landscape. The penguins are cute and the cottage is better than government house.

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    1. Windsmoke: We were there at the start of summer - I suspect in the winter snow and ice would be everywhere. I loved it though.

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  2. Lovely pics, the cottage looks like such a nice place to live too. I think the light you have on these photos is lifting too, makes me think of clean air. We don't have so much of that here heh.

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    1. All Consuming: The air was clean for all of the adventure. Frequently crisp and clean, but almost always (except for some of Argentina) clean.

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  3. I love that pink roof! Thanks for bringing me along on your adventure to the Falklands. I do hope you will show me some more. And it's always so nice to visit you Down Under! :-)

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    1. DJan: Coming in to land I started to smile as soon as I saw the coloured roof line. And then I wondered whether that was how you recognised your home in winter? And then I smiled some more.

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  4. So you have had these lovely pictures stashed away somewhere ... you must be enjoying going through them again as much as we are. The quaint village, the cottage and penguins on the rocks ... what a wonderful place. I can just feel the tranquility ... Thank you, this was really like a breath of fresh air.

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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    1. Andrea: It was just lovely. Sadly, after the Falklands war much of the ground is mined. I don't understand war...

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  5. Wow! Much as I love your garden and bird pics, it was really interesting to see these shots. Have a lovely Sunday!

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    1. Alexia: Thank you - and a wonderful Sunday to you as well.

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  6. It's wonderful to see photos of such a different location. I find it fascinating that you have shared such a visual from the Falklands. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.
    In kindness, Gary :)

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    1. klahanie: It was an interesting part of the holiday I have loved most of anywhere I have been. Enjoy your weekend as well.

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  7. Funny how context works. When I first looked at the photos I thought 'mmm...nice enough' then I saw the Port Stanley reference and realised it was the Falklands. My father-in-law was there as a minister (not sure of the year but after the war) so they took on a different meaning! Thank you.

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    1. J Cosmo Newbery: Context is often everything. It is the hook that gets us in and keeps us.

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  8. I wish I could see penguins up close

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    1. Adam: I had baby seals gumming on my knee and penguins pecking at my boots in Antarctica. It was absolutely amazing. I would do it again in a heart beat. If I win a lottery. Which, since I don't buy tickets, isn't going to be a happening thing.

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  9. I could use a couple weeks vacationing in a cottage like that, away from everything but a bed.

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    1. John Wiswell: I would need books as well, but yes, it does look the perfect spot for an indulgent break. Cottages have a great deal more charm for me than mansions.

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  10. That's the prettiest Government House I've ever seen. But that sweet little cottage beats it, I could easily live in that, if only I could pick it up and transport it a little closer to my family.
    I love the rock-hopper penguins.
    Now as I search for my atlas, I'm ashamed to say I don't know the exact location of the Falklands...

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    1. River: It seems that we are all agreed about the cottage. It was just enchanting.

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  12. Terrific captures! Thanks so much for sharing. I love to travel, but find it difficult now. Your photos of your travels, fill a void.

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    1. Karen: It is a bit of a pain when travel becomes challenging isn't it? I am glad that my photos filled a void for you. And me.

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  13. Wonderful photographs, discovering such views is giving much joy. I am greeting

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  14. Much thanks for this. Love the rock hopper penguins and Port Stanley from the sea.

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  15. such cute little fellows, those penguins! Love the whole look of the place....

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    1. Molly: It was a lovely place, which I recognised even though I was itching to get to Antarctica.

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  16. I've never heard of rock hopper penguins before. They're adorable. Thanks EC!

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    1. Austan: There are so many more types of penguins that I had never heard of. And they are all cute.

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  17. I totally want to go visit, what a lovely looking place.

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    1. Riot Kitty: It is lovely. I suspect a little bleak in winter though.

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  18. penguins? are you serious? FabULOUS.

    Can you video tape them? Xx Looooove.

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    1. My Inner Chick: I am too far away to video tape them now. I would LOVE to go back to Antartica, and the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and...

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  19. I love your photos, the last one should be framed really...it's such a romantic view :).

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  20. Thank you for sharing your visit to the Falklands with us. I just love that cottage too. The penguins are always worth a few frames. I remember the fairy penguins when we visited Phillip Island years ago. Delightful creatures. Thanks. xx

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    1. Mimsie: I adore penguins - all of them. I might have to repost and create a penguin parade.

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  21. The roofs are a welcome sight with all the gray in the sky, lovely place to see, the yellow bushes hugging the shore are so peaceful looking.

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    1. Linda Starr: The yellow bushes were gorse and I suspect that in winter the coloured roofs might be the only colour in the landscape.

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  22. Of course, the Falklands are practically on your doorstep, aren't they? Well, in the southern hemisphere anyway.

    That must have been an exciting trip, Antarctica and the Falklands. Have you posted about it? With descriptions, I mean?

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    1. Friko: The Falklands seemed to be half a world away. It was a wonderful trip, and I may repost about it soon.

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  23. These are really neat pictures, I haven't seen many pictures from the Falklands so this was a real treat. Thank you my friend :)

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    1. DeniseinVA: The only time the Falklands seem to hit the news is when either the UK or Argentina are squabbling about who owns it. The war memorial was, as they always are, heartbreaking. The scenery on the other hand...

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  24. These are such nice pics...love penguins

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    1. Kim @ Stuff: Penguins are wonderful aren't they?

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  25. I have never wondered what the Falkland Islands look like. Sad. I still remember the war over them, so ridiculous.
    Great penguins - they are so funny and so distinctive.

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    1. Carola Bartz: Such a small place and, from what I saw, war is never far from their minds. On the day we arrived the police were out putting out a fire in the peat and worried that it might set off explosives which apparently still litter the islands. Such pretty islands and home to some endangered wild life as well.

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  26. The penguins are so cute, especially with those little frills above their eyes!

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    1. jenny_o: They were very, very cute. And I thoroughly enjoyed watching them hopping up and over rocks as well.

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  27. What lovely bright colours - but it must be very cold and desolate there in the winter. I'd love to see some of your Antarctic shots!

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    1. ladyfi: Cold and desolate probably doesn't begin to cover it. I will hunt out some Antarctica photos again soon.

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  28. I like the jolly penguins!


    Aloha from Waikiki,

    Comfort Spiral

    > < } } ( ° >

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    1. Cloudia: We all like the penguins don't we. Thank you.

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  29. You see the best sights! I would love to live in a little cottage. Yep, who doesn't love a penguin! :)

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    1. CarrieBoo: All of my trip to Antarctica, the Falklands, and South Georgia provides me with treasured memories. I had a baby seal gumming on my knee, and penguins pecking at my boots. Heaven on a stick.

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  30. Hi E-Child - yep, I'm baaaaaack!

    Love these photos and Government House has some real character and, hopefully, excellent heating.....

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    1. Kath Lockett: Welcome back - you have been missed.

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  31. I love the penguins and the albatrosses. It really puts in perspective how little the penguins are and how big the albatrosses are.

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    1. Angela: The rockhoppers were the smallest penguins I saw on that trip. They are still a little larger than the fairy penguins we have here in Oz. And the albatrosses were simply amazing.

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  32. Your photographs are always so beautiful and inspiring. I love those penguins. I want one. And those colorful houses are uplifting. But my favorite is the lone cottage with the sparse little picket fence. Thanks for posting these.

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    1. spectrumwoman: Thank you. I really liked the little cottage myself.

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  33. What a treat to see these photos of such a remote place.

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    1. Ron Dudley: Thank you so much. I think I will have to do another post on Antarctica soon. A beautiful, inspiring place.

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  34. E.C.
    This was the trip of a lifetime. I've always wanted to see Antartica. Of course, OZ is higher up on the list. This looks fairly warm, what was the temperature when you visited? Did you wear a coat all the time?

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    1. lutheranladiescircle: It was moderately warm - but it was summer. And when I say warm, I don't think it got much above 15C. And of course less when we got to Antarctica proper. One of the advantages to MS is that while I do feel the cold, it takes a long time, and I feel cold at much lower temperatures than most. So, while I took a coat with me, I only wore it once or twice. And why/how I went swimming (sans wetsuit) at Antarctica. Twice.
      I would recommend you did Antarctica before you visited us here. I think Antarctica will disappear before Oz does.

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  35. So lovely! Falkland Islands was just a place I heard about back in the 80s. Never realized how lovely it is.

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  36. Gorse was brought here to Oregon to stop coastal erosion, and immediately took over. Scots Broom was likewise brought to the Valley, and it too is now a major pest. I did love these photos (I'm partial to landscape photos as opposed to close-ups), especially the top one, but what the heck is that green thing that looks like a garden hose, but surely isn't? It does carry water, I suppose.

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    1. Snowbrush: We have trouble with a lot of introduced species here as well. Cane toad, prickly pear, agapanthus, willows to name but a few. One of my friends prefers landscapes to close ups whereas I am largely the opposite. I lean towards the minutae in many things.
      I couldn't find anyone to tell me about the green hosing. Yes it did carry water, but sea water can't have been used for irrigation purposes, so I really don't know. And it bothered me.

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  37. Dear EC, I'm glad that your pointed out what was the gorse. I've never been sure when I've read novels about Scotland especially. I don't really know anything about the Falklands except that they "belong" to England and a war was fought over them a 30 or so years ago.
    I just viewed the movie "Iron Lady" about Margaret Thatcher and there were some intense scenes about her insistence on getting them back! I've never been a Thatcher fan, but as played by Meryl Streep she seemed a poignant figure. Peace.

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    1. Dee: Argentina also beleives that the Falklands 'belong' to them. Consequently much of the Falklands is mined, and unsafe.
      I had very strong reservations about Margaret Thatcher myself. I haven't seen the movie, but suspect that poignant figure or not, lots of her policies would be ananthema to me.

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