Look What Arrived in the Post!

The door bell rang at 8am just as I was cleaning my teeth and DS2 staggered in clutching a big box. I had a momentary panic that I had ordered too many books of The French Doctor’s Midwife Bride which had arrived the week before.

But when I opened the box I was so excited to see the compilation book of five of the RUBY finalists (the Australian Romantic book of the Year). There were all the covers of these books and mine in the middle.

I am excited, stunned, honored, humbled and thrilled to be one of the finalists and holding this big book makes it suddenly seem real.

The Countdown is on!

In two and a half weeks time I will be at the Romance Writers of Australia’s annual conference and chewing my nails at the Awards night. To celebrate being a RUBY nominee, I’m blogging over at eharlequin!

So, please join me and the other finalists over the next three weeks as we talk about the excitement of being a finalist,about the books which got us nominated, the glamour of the awards dinner as well as hearing from past RUBY winners and a Harlequin Mills and Boon Editor.

It should be lots of fun!

And I promise the holiday photos will continue soon

Next topic is Aboriginal art!

All over the Net

I interrupt holiday blogging to let you know that today I seem to be all over the net

Check me out at The Pink Hearts Society talking about the movie, The Holiday.

I’m also over at Coffee Time Romance giving away a book So please come by and say hi!!  This blog will revert to my holiday report really soon. Check back in to read all about the Tiwi Islands:-)

Bush Tucker and Medicine

The aborigines have been in the Kakadu area for 40,000 + years and their knowledge of their land is awe- inspiring. Aborigines are the true conservationists. They respect the land, take only what they need rather than greed, and they tune into the seasons. We were lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time with the traditional owners and here are some of the things I learned.

There are six seasons in Kakadu and we were there in the first part of the dry or what they call, Wurrgeng.  Eucalyptus Miniata, (the Darwin woolly butt) is in flower and the bright orange flowers signal that it is time to start burning the land. Burning regenerates the land but also forces the wildlife out which is good for hunting. Six weeks later new shoots attract the wildlife again and hunting is good.

The yellow Kapok flower means the kangaroo are fat and tasty and the crocodiles and turtles are laying their eggs. When the seed pods break open that means the eggs have hatched.

Got a cold? Sinuses all blocked up? Grab yourself a green ant nest and try some Gubbo!  

I found the aroma very similar to Wasabi or  very strong english mustard!  The taste of the green ant is citrus and they are loaded with Vitamin C. I loved them! If you’re really sad with a cold then you grab some paperback leaves and dig a pit. Put the fire in the put, cover it and lie on top of it and inhale the eucalyptus smoke.These leaves are also great for stuffing kangaroo and giving it flavour when you cook it.

Wanting something sweet? Keep your eye out for bees and sugar bag (wild honey). Or you might want a Billy goat plum. Sweet to eat, they also make yummy chutney.

The Pandanus also has fruit to eat and its leaves are used for basket weaving  but mind those spikes!!

And if you’re caught short, hungry but don’t have a fishing line the put some ground up quinine into the water hole and the fish float to the surface.

Happy Birthday

It’s birthday month in our house. In the next two weeks and two days there are many birthdays to be celebrated. It’s my birthday today, my eldest son’s tomorrow, and then it is my mothers, four good friends and my youngest son!  July is actually more stressful than Christmas cos at least Christmas is only one day! I spend a LOT of time making cakes and wrapping presents
I have learned that it is important to ’stage-manage’ my birthday so it doesn’t disappear under the weight of children’s parties so looking at the week ahead, I shifted my birthday to yesterday (sunday) cos everyone was home. I had the best time…reading and breakfast in bed, opening pressies, we took in the new Harry Potter film and then went out to a lovely Balinese Restaurant with friends.

It was a great day!

Wildlife in Kakadu

Kakdadu is FULL of wildlife. About 60 mammal species-marsupials and placental mammals-have been recorded in the Park. Kakadu’s many habitats support more than 280 species of birds, or about one-third of Australia’s bird species and to date, 117 species of reptiles have been recorded including the largest on the planet…the saltwater crocodile. Plus there are fish, frogs and insects!

We did an amazing sunset cruise on ‘Yellow Waters’ the huge billabongs in Kakadu and we saw so many birds and crocodiles. My fave bird is the tiny Red crested Jacana…a little bird that runs across the lily pads. They have the BIGGEST feet you have ever seen and the female birds run around mating with every big foot male they see and the moment they have laid their eggs they are off on the hunt again leaving dad to raise the chicks.

Here are some of DH’s photos…I really love the sunset:-)

Next up will be Plants and Bush Medicine of Kakadu. 

Kakadu

Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia is a world heritage listed site for so many reasons. One is that it has had continuous occupation for about 40,000+ years. The name ‘Kakadu’ comes from an Aboriginal floodplain language called Gagudju which was one of the languages spoken in the north of the park at the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, Kadadu is jointly managed by its Aboriginal traditional owners and the Director of National Parks.

We spent four wonderful days camping in the park. The days were sunny and the evenings unseasonably chilly so we loved our campfire every night. What is it about boys and fire? Is it the hunter coming out in them? Doesn’t matter how young or old the boy is, they just love to sit and poke the fire with a stick!

We had a full moon every night. One night before the moon rose I took a walk admiring the stars. I was really relaxed…we were not near water so no fear of a croc attack and snakes generally get out of your way. The next morning they evacuated the camp due to a rogue buffalo that had come into camp!!!

Here are some photos of us swimming in the glorious rock pools…I only swam in the really high ones that crocodiles wouldn’t really be able to get into!

It’s a Party!

 

Today I’m blogging at Kate Hardy’s blog. She’s a fellow Medical author and last year extended her many talents into the new Modern Extra line (Sexy Sensation in Australia.)

Talented and prolific, Kate is celebrating her 25th book and it only took her five years. Yes! Five years…Fiona fans herself as she swoons in shock.

So call by and say hi and help Kate celebrate 25

The Holiday that Ended

 

HI, I’m back! It was a wonderful holiday and a great relax. I know this because I am struggling to cope with the 22 degree Celsius temperature drop!! Home seems mighty cold after the warmth and sunshine of the Northern Territory. We walked in monsoon rain forests, we swam in rock pools carved out by millions of years of pounding water and we managed to avoid an up close and personal with a crocodile. The most amazing sight I saw was a salt water crocodile surfing in the ocean!!! I’ll post some photos over the next few days.

Meanwhile, reality hit with a bang and I have just finished the copy edits of A Wedding In Warragurra. The children have a week left of holidays and birthday season is about to start so it’s going to be a busy time as I juggle it all and get reacquainted with Emily and Linton in A Reluctant Groom.  Oh, and two new characters are niggling at me, wanting their story told from their island paradise in the Timor Sea.