I went walking...

Today I did that just that.  Put on my walking shoes, shorts, grabbed a very excited dog and went for a walk.  Today, even though it is nearly officially winter, it is a beautiful crisp sunny day.  We have been so lucky with the weather this year.

Anyway, Joe and I headed to the beach.  Yes, just a beach, but a beach that makes one smile.

I live about 5 mins drive from one of Tasmania's most lovely and safe beaches.

It is nestled into an estuary that has been a family favourite for many for years.

 It is a breeding area for our Gulls and Turns.  A nursery for the Gummy shark and the worlds smallest Penguin.  How lucky we are.



It is a beach that has very high tides but also very low.  When the tide is low it is a great place to look for crabs and anemones.  There are thousands of Soldier Crabs that appear at low tide on the sand to feed.  If you are quiet one can hear them scuttle over the sand.  The ferals love to collect them. They don't nip so are the perfect kid friendly beach crab to play with. There is a huge bio- diversity of creatures to explore with-in this estuary.

In the summer when the weather fills our souls with warmth, we are at this beach at least every other day.  The ferals go exploring and build sand castles for the collected crabs, then swim and surf in the waves.

They find rock pools to lay in with water so warm.  Rocks to climb and explore.  The rocks at this beach are tinged a beautiful orange.  It is unique to this area. 

It is an unpolluted beach.  A beach for fishing and boating.  A beach for picnics and at certain times dog walking.  Joe loves it.  He is a mad swimmer.  I can throw him a stick 50 times and he will always retrieve it no matter how deep he has to go.  He is stick and ball obsessed so a trip to the beach for some retrieving suits him just fine.

It is a beach opposite one of Tasmania's finest National Parks.  You can swim over if good enough but most take boats for a days picnic.  It is a National Park that is renowned for its native wildlife.  A National Park where there is a huge population of Wombats, so it is rather close to my heart.  I love this estuary.  I often see the White Bellied Sea eagle glide over head.  It is reassuring to know that this area can still make way for such a majestic bird.

When a child you could still camp at this beach on the foreshore so close to the water you could almost touch it from your tent.  It was days of sun, friends and camp fires all rolled into one big fun experience.  Unfortunately this is unable to happen now.  Its called progress, but at least we still have the beach.

I spent many days when a kid at this beach with my family.  Days of swimming with friends and picnics.  The beach its self has not changed.  A bit of sand movement is all that is different.  The surrounding  environment though has made way for housing progress. Many of the old shacks that once graced the former dirt road have given way to luxury homes.  But one can still see the occasional original beach shack and the stories the walls of these buildings could tell would probably fill their own book.

The water is always beautiful.  When the tide has been out the sun heats up the sand so the water that comes flowing back over it warms to a bath.  It is the perfect water to just enjoy. 

 The ferals love to snorkel its hidden charms.  In Tasmania we may not have the brightest coloured fish due to the colder waters compared to up North, but we still have plenty of beautiful visions to see.  Rays, Puffer Fish and if lucky Sea Horses will materialise before you.  There is enough to make even the hardiest Feral squeal with excitement. It is a wonderland of the marine world that is right on our door step.



 So my walk today was a breath taking one.  A walk full of fresh air and sea breeze.  Of beautiful expanses of sand and water that is just waiting for the influx of swimmers next summer. 

Joe enjoyed himself and collapsed into the car for the trip home.  A tired dog totally exhausted by the joy of running, chasing gulls and swimming.  A happy tired dog if ever I saw one.

I aim to walk again tomorrow.  I hope the weather is just as beautiful but even if not I know the beach will do the day justice no matter what.  I know I am fortunate to live where I do and I hope all that are in these areas realise this too. 

It is an area that needs to be protected for generations to come so others can see the Penguins return year after year.  A beach for future ferals to explore with as much enthusiasm as mine do.

                     Cheers Dilly xx