Alligator Gorge started with the worst coffee that I ever partially drank. Then a descent into the Gorge which was gorgeous in the early morning light and featured many tiny birds.

Dad and I looped anti-clockwise through the Gorge and then up onto the ridge. We followed the ridge road around until we got to the kingfisher track turn off, and we took a detour down that for a few kilometres past burnt scrub until we reached a little oasis camp ground with a mostly dry creek and some rocks in the shade to eat lunch on. I took probably the best photo of the day just sitting around eating my second sandwich while a large monitor lizard approached to drink from a puddle.

After lunch we reached the part called "The Narrows" which was also spectacular.

After 16 kilometres of trekking, we drove back to Wilmington to buy the double-strength iced coffee I'd been regretting not buying all morning at the servo. Unfortunately the servo was closed, but a standard FUIC from the vending machine down the street helped with the caffeine withdrawals a little bit.

After freshening up, we drove to Melrose for some beer and pizza at Jackas brewery, and the very attractive fire pit.

The night concluded with some milky way photography on the way back to the cabin, which this photo does not do justice.

Drove with Dad to Wilmington. Took the Germein Gorge road onto Survey Road up the back of Melrose, around sunset. A beautiful, rural valley canyon with many trees and red rocks and the silhouettes of sheep that I did not take any photos of and will probably forget about if I don't consolidate that thought here.

I spent the first three days of this week doing online training from 4:30pm to after midnight, along with online workshops every afternoon as well. This threw me back briefly into uni lifestyle, where I got to sleep in and take mornings easy. I also had bad facial hair because my Series 9 died and I had to wrap it in an old Amazon envelope and send it through the post for servicing. The main difference, other than how much I was paid for this week compared to twenty years ago, is that I was the international student. And yes, I did contribute to my group assignment.

This week nearly threw me all the way back into childhood, because I also spent the days riding bikes, playing games, bouldering, winning a quiz night, and playing putt putt. The only thing that prevented that was that the mini golf was booked out so we went and got ice cream instead.

Bradism.com in September so far has been very reflective. It's not surprising, considering that winter ended with a few major milestones (including the end of winter). And contrarily, the month so far has been quite an uneventful story for me for various reasons, and perhaps because of the main characters is off on a side quest for the past ten days.

Right now spring is like an unbloomed flower, ready to go but presently coiled and waiting. This made me think, too often I have taken photos of flowers but rarely of buds. So here's today's mood in picture form from the garden.