September; Spring in the wild garden;

Mainly native Australian trees, shrubs and flowers.

Warratah, flowering tree from the Atherton Tableland.

The mountain road goes up and down

From Gundagai to Tumut Town

And, branching off, there runs a track

Across the foothills grim and black,

Melaleuca, small, silvery white bottle brush flowers;

Across the plains and ranges grey

To Sydney city far away.

It came by chance one day that I

From Tumut rode to Gundagai,

Melaleuca, the tree covered in flowers.

And reached about the evening tide

The crossing where the roads divide;

And, waiting at the crossing place,

I saw a maiden fair of face,

Natural mulch;

Casuarina bark;

With eyes of deepest violet blue,

And cheeks to match the rose in hue –

Attractive Wilsonia, Shrub or rather small tree grows  slowly up with weeping branches.

The fairest maids Australia knows

Are bred among the mountain snows.

Rainforest tree Sloanea australis; Maiden's blush;  the flowers;

Sloanea australis tree; generously covered with these gorgeous flowers.

Then, fearing I might go astray,

I asked if she could show the way.

Her voice might well a man bewitch – 

Its tones so supple, deep, and rich.

Bauhinia variegata; white orchid tree;

 "The tracks are clear," she made reply,
"And this goes down to Sydney Town,
And that one goes to Gundagai."

Canopy;

Then slowly, looking coyly back,
She went along the Sydney track

Rainforest tree;

And I for one was well content
To go the road the lady went;

Cicada skins, hanging on a Staghornfern.

Like small ghosts,  just the skin is left, waiting for what?

Come summer they sing again the song of the bush;

But round the turn a swain she met – 

The kiss she gave him haunts me yet!

I turned and travelled with a sigh

The lonely road to Gundagai.

...and so the story ends...

The Road to Gundagai, Poetry by Banjo Patterson (1864-1941)

♥

Believe it or not:

Vegemite

An Aussie icon food with 90% of Aussies having a jar in the pantry. 

© Ts Lavender & Vanilla/Photos my garden;