on Barrenjoey Headland

I was trying to get a decent photograph of this tea-tree. So far, using Rachel's camera produces better photos than I can using my fancy Nikon SLR....

Now, in summer, the riot of flowering heath of late winter has gone, but there were still some lone flannel flowers and native fuchsia. I was chasing this tea-tree, but the rain kept on coming down, so I had to put my camera away and come away..


Leptospermum


Looking up the Pittwater from Barrenjoey


Looking across to West Head in the misty rain

Strelitzia nicolai

I hadn't noticed this giant strelitzia before. Well that is to say, I hadn't recognised it as a strelitzia, until I noticed the flowers today. About 20 ft high with a paperbark behind it on Whale Beach Road. And of course, when you notice one, you notice dozens.

I took lots of photos, but this one showed the wonderful plaited habit of the fanning stems, which lie in the one plane. I saw it in at least 4 gardens, looking splendid. (Garden plant, introduced from South Africa.)

Once more, without my camera, I would have been entirely blind to it.