Gymea Lilies

Posted on July 31, 2018 by vanbraman

I am usually here in Sydney at the wrong time to see the gymea lilies blooming, but this year they are in full bloom.

Gymea Lilies, doryanthes excelsa, tall lilies, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

I usually see the gymea lilies after they have bloomed and are just a tall stalks or scapes with dead leaves on top of them. I think I may have some pictures, but they are not easily available tonight.

These do look pretty spectacular lined up in front of the building our office is in.

gymea lilies, doryanthes excelsa, Australian lilies, gardening

The gymea lily (doryanthes excelsa) scape can grow up to 20 feet tall and is topped with a beautiful red flower in the spring or late winter.

gymea lily, australian flowers, gardens, lilies

Here is one of the scapes with a lily that is about to open up. you can see that it is very tall and reaches up along the tree.

You can also see why these are also referred to as spear lilies.

Tall australian lily, gymea lily, doryanthes excelsa, New South Wales

This lily is opening up, and has a nice background of the trees up above it. You almost get a sore neck looking at these flowers if you are standing by them. They are so tall.

Gymea lily, red lily, australian lily, spike lily

Here is a closer look at the gymea lily bloom. They have a very intricate pattern of petals. I plan on taking more pictures of the lilies over the next two weeks to try and get some better ones as these are some fantastic flowers.

Have you ever seen a gymea lily?

Steven

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Australian Apartment

Posted on July 30, 2018 by vanbraman

While here in Australia I am staying in a serviced apartment. There are a couple reasons. The first is that it is simply cheaper in this area as there are not enough hotels and the room rates are ridiculous. The other is that apartment life is a little more like home when you are on the road.

Apartment, serviced apartment, Meriton, North Ryde, Australia

I have a full kitchen so that if I want to cook I have all that I need. The cupboards and drawers are filled with the things that I need. I won’t cook much, but will definitely be using the fridge and microwave.

rice cooker, chopsticks, coffee, serviced apartment

There are even reminders that if you don’t have what you need that you can call guest services. I may just have to check out what type of teapot they have. There is a nice store that sells whole leaf tea in the mall and if it is a good teapot with a filter I may need to borrow one.

Apartment Laundry, serviced apartment

I also have a washer and dryer and packed accordingly. I am able to have a slightly lighter suitcase when I stay in an apartment as I can do a few loads of laundry. I can also wash everything here at the end of the trip and go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes.

australia, solo, soft drink, food

With having the fridge I can buy a large bottle of Solo and drink it little by little. This is one of my exceptions to the no soda rule that I have been following for the past years. When I come here I am allowed my lemon soda. It is nice when you are making the rules 🙂

Australian Cheese, block of cheese, aged cheese, cutting board

It is nice to have a cutting board so that I could buy a nice block of Australian cheese for a nice snack when I get back from the office, wake up in the morning, before I go to bed, after breakfast, before dinner …..

Basically anytime is a good time for this cheese.

OK, must get this posted and get some breakfast before a long day in the classroom.

I need to get on an evening schedule for posting so I have more time. Maybe tonight.

Steven

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