Great news from Greenpeace Link: Unexpectedly: The whales are winning! - Ocean Defenders - the weblog. Walking out to Nobby's breakwater this morning, a crowd of us were treated to the sight of a pod of whales passing within 100m from where we stood. A glimpse of these amazing mammals is a privilege and we have them going past our beaches every year - once a rare sight. Thank you Greenpeace for helping to fight the whaling industry in the Southern Oceans!
It is very dry at the moment - not much rain in sight. You can see from this photo taken near Jerry's Plains in the Hunter Valley that the pastures are suffering also. In the background are the great cliffs bordering the Wollemi National Park. A large part of it is practically inpenetrable to humans thus making it a perfect refuge for rare plants and animals. We had no idea what could be living up there...that is until an experienced bush walker came across a grove of unusual trees in 1994. These trees were thought to have become extinct and until their discovery, there were only fossil records of it's existence. You can read more about the pine here.