Wattles lean over the clear waters made aquamarine blue by dissolved limestone from the caves. There are lots of different varieties of wattle, many in flower the moment. Golden wattle is Australia's floral emblem.
Words to walk with:
The Wattle by Henry Lawson 1910.
"I saw it in the days gone by,
When the dead girl lay at rest,
And the wattle and the native rose
We placed upon her breast.
I saw it in the long ago
(And I've seen strong men die),
And who, to wear the wattle,
Hath better right than I?
I've fought it through the world since then,
And seen the best and worst,
But always in the lands of men
I held Australia first.
I wrote for her, I fought for her,
And when at last I lie,
Then who, to wear the wattle, has
A better right than I?"
Words to walk with:
The Wattle by Henry Lawson 1910.
"I saw it in the days gone by,
When the dead girl lay at rest,
And the wattle and the native rose
We placed upon her breast.
I saw it in the long ago
(And I've seen strong men die),
And who, to wear the wattle,
Hath better right than I?
I've fought it through the world since then,
And seen the best and worst,
But always in the lands of men
I held Australia first.
I wrote for her, I fought for her,
And when at last I lie,
Then who, to wear the wattle, has
A better right than I?"
This is a lovely post, Joan. The image is quite delightful and totally understated. The Lawson verse reminds me of William Deane when he was GG and the kids who died in the stormed gullies of Switzerland.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found your blog.
This is simple and lovely. It has an air of calmness. I fondly remember our family's visit to the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves 16 years ago. It's the only time we've been to Australia but we want to come back.
ReplyDeleteThe verse about wattled that is burned into my memory is:
This is the wattle,
The symbol of our land.
You can put it in a bottle
Or hold it in your hand.
Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia, we love you!
You probably know the reference.
This shot certainly appeals to me. That special green in the watery background blends well with the elegant Wattle twigs....it's the kind of picture I would take home as a souvenir of Australia.
ReplyDeleteTks for visiting RuT.