More May

We're still enjoying this beautiful (but cold!) month of May in Canberra. Its been full on winter this week with a -4oC frost one morning to boot! But the early morning fog on the lake is mysterious and wonderful......

and the avenue of Manchurian Pear trees by the lake is at peak colour this week.

Yesterday we waited for the fog to lift before heading out to the old 1920s era Strathnairn Homestead (now the site of a not for profit Arts Association) on the outer west fringe of Belconnen to see if we could warm ourselves by walking the 7.2km (return) track to Shepherds Lookout with its promised stunning views of the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor, the Brindabellas in the distance and the beautiful winding Murrumbidgee River.......... (and quite a few cows!)

Gruner's Vista, a lookout post about halfway along the winding track, is impressive! Its very easy from here to imagine where the painter Elioth Gruner gained his inspiration for "Weetangera, Canberra" (painted in 1937). I hadn't realised one of Australia's most successful early 20th century landscape painters worked around the Canberra region back in the day. I have always loved his "Spring Frost" - that painting of the cows with long shadows in early morning frosty light. I could easily imagine him painting that scene around here too!

We made it to Shepherd's Lookout, The ACT's northern-most viewing point of the Murrumbidgee River.

A spectacular vantage point - but looking into the sun at this time of day!

Looking south is better for the light, but from here its hard to obscure the view of the huge Lower Molonglo Water Quality (sewage!!) Control Centre (the largest inland treatment facility in Australia - right where the Molonglo River flows into the Murrumbidgee).

This is a very painterly landscape - no wonder its been a source of inspiration for our Claire's work too..