Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sunday drivers

M and I took a drive to Yass today to check it out. On the way to we travelled down Mountain Creek Road - a lovely drive with plenty of winged wildlife to see, including diamond fire tails. 

I didn't realise but Yass was home to someone very famous - Hamilton Hume, the first Australian born explorer. He is buried in the Yass cemetery, which has many old and interesting looking headstones. And he lived in Cooma Cottage, just out of Yass. The cottage is owned by the National Trust - it was supposed to be open this afternoon, but we were out of luck. 



Hume discovered the Bogan!

Yass main street 
Cooma cottage
Apparently Hume and his fellow explorer Hovell were actually enemies, both trying to make claims about the expedition they made together. Perhaps it was a class thing - Hume was the currency lad, Hovell the Brit cit. 



On wintry pond
On the way home we detoured past West Belconnen Pond, a well-known twitcher hot spot. We think we saw some freckled ducks, and a blue billed duck with a fan tail. Unfortunately photo shy.