Thornleigh

The litte suburb that we live in, Thornleigh, is about 30-40 minutes away from the CBD (Central Business District) of Sydney and about 20 minutes from Epping, where I work (if the roads are totally clear, which doesn't happen often). Most of the houses here are well kept up and pleasant, quite a change from Socorro where we had a reputed drug dealer living in a crappy trailer no more than 400 yards from our house.

Thornleigh is edged on the north and west by large areas of bush. The Great North Walk which goes through here on the way to Newcastle is a favorite of many people we know. We have yet to set foot on it.

Our house is in a steep sided valley down which a little stream runs, falling over one 10 foot waterfall and many smaller drops. The sides of the valley are very rocky. Many houses, like ours, are built on top of very substantial boulders.

There are trees all around. Our kitchen is at the level of the treetops so we see the crowns swaying in the wind, and birds perching in the most precarious places.

Every day, flocks of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos fly past, to the west in the morning and back east in the evening. The general effect is of an avian West Side Story. You can almost see the sneers on the beaks of these feathered hoodlums. They screak continuously in flight. I'm glad they don't live nearby. By comparison, my buddies the Lorikeets are delightful, friendly, happy, good company - always ready for a visit and a burbling, whistling chat.

Althought it is winter, evenings here are fine. It's very dry at the moment and so we see few clouds. The stars are surprisingly bright and clear. Summer evenings should be a real pleasure, especially from our gazebo at the back of the house. I can't wait.

Tim