On Friday nights there is a train of vehicles heading to the coast. Small cars weighted down with kayaks or surfboards tied precariously to roof racks. Larger vehicles tow caravans or boats of every size. Many cars have riderless mountain bikes perched in a starting position on the roof, but mostly on racks behind the cars, the bike sizes reflecting the ages of the family. All fun stuff.

Summer fun. Getting away from the humdrum of modern life to the beach. To relax in the beauty of natural areas and experience some serious fun; swimming, fishing, bike riding or sandcastle making on the beach. We are attracted to areas of great natural beauty, especially those around our coastline. We can't wait for the weekend to leave the suburbs behind and go surfing.

Then there is a lightbulb moment, this is so much fun, why don't we buy a block of bush and build a beach house, then we don't have to cart all this fun stuff. And we want a view of the sea, so another level with a deck would be great, and clear the trees and coastal scrub to make it neat and tidy. Lastly, landscape the area with a fence to mark our territory, a concrete driveway and a pebble garden with a few colourful plants. Perfect.

It's perfect, but what we are creating is a fenced suburb next to the beach, one house at a time. The bush disappears into houses surrounded by concrete, and meandering walking tracks are replaced with sensible footpaths with kerb and guttering. It becomes organised, neat and tidy. Just like home. What we are leaving to get away from it all, we have just recreated, in a different location, one house at a time.

What if we thought about beach suburbs as a new way of living. Living in harmony with a natural area that enticed us here in the first place. Inviting nature into our lives so we benefit from their presence, to have wild birds that become so quiet they will eat out of our hands. What if we thought of fences as a strip of natural bush that allows echidnas to wander through, and wallabies to mow the native grass.  We can enjoy the antics of all the birds that feast on our bush fences. We don't have to visit national parks; we are actually living in one.

When we clear a bush block for a building site it will naturally regenerate itself without us doing a thing. We don't have to buy plants, water, or mow lawns. We can just lie back in a hammock with a glass of wine and relax. After all, this is what beach living is all about. Cheers.

Round Leaf Mint Bush isn't some shy wallflower, she is all dressed  up in her purple party dress and shouting out loud and proud, "Look at me, I'm so beautiful."

And she is.

At this time of year, Round Leaf Mint Bush is the belle of the ball. She is dressed in masses of purple flowers, you simply can't pass her by, she wants attention and indeed she gets it.

Beauty draws our eye however it is expressed and we all desire to be surrounded by beautiful people, places and plants. Beauty is an essential ingredient in our lives and Round Leaf Mint Bush is not only beautiful but her leaves make an exotic ingredient in our kitchen.  Her delicate round leaves are packed with flavour and hide beneath her purple garb. Her leaves have a minty flavour unlike regular mint flavours we are accustomed to in lollies, chocolate or toothpaste, but a more earthy, herb flavoured mint. When you crush the leaves, they have an amazing scent and that indicates the flavour you can expect.

Tasmania has three different mint bushes, and they make their homes along rivers and streams with the most breathtaking scenery. They enjoy absolute river frontage, watch platypus and fish cruising by and the antics of small birds attracted to their stunning beauty. They don't have to do anything, peace and serenity is their resting place, their centre of gravity, their home. And Mint Bush mirrors these tranquil surroundings in their flavour, reflecting back to us what is already within us, our true calm, serene self.
​

There has been wild weather over the last couple of weeks with plenty of rain, causing floods in streams and rivers. Rain is made up of many raindrops, and each raindrop has travelled from distant shores to land here. And they are most welcome.

When we see rivers in flood, we are really seeing the ditch at the bottom of the catchment. Excess water has run off the mountains and hills, down gullies and into streams which feed into the river. Although it appears to be water wasted, it has travelled far, and before its journey to the sea it has already completed  a great service within the landscape.

Large rainfall events are necessary to fill underground springs and aquifers. These are important to provide water for plants and animals on hillsides as they trickle out water all year, and are especially valuable during summer months.

Large rainfall events also fill wetlands Wetlands can be swamps, marshes, billabongs or any low-lying areas that hold water. Wetlands don't have to be large and impressive like the Tamar Wetlands, even small depressions are important as they hold up water in the landscape. These wetlands eek out water slowly and are valuable for providing ground moisture during the summer months. Wetlands are vital to feed water into streams and keep them flowing during low rainfall periods.

Rushes and reeds mark areas that lie wet and have the ability to trap and store sediment.  Rushes and reeds act as natural filters around wetlands by absorbing excess nutrients, thus preventing algal blooms. Within wetlands there are a variety of plants that are adapted to various levels of water. These plants also filter the water and keep it clean for the many animals and birds that use these wetlands. The greater the number of plant species, the better the wetland operates and functions.

Cities on the other hand have many hard surfaces including roofs, roads, pavements and driveways. Rain can't penetrate these surfaces, so excess water runs into concrete gutters which empty into stormwater drains. Because wetlands are so efficient as water filters, some cities construct wetlands as a water treatment system. Melbourne Water, for example, manages 450 wetlands throughout Melbourne to naturally treat water. They use plants and naturally occurring microorganisms to remove sediment, pollutants and pathogens from their stormwater, before the water enters creeks, rivers and oceans.

It's amazing to think how worldly each raindrop is and  how far it has travelled, and will continue to travel on its journey to the ocean. 
​