Author Andrew Turner / Koh Lin ◦
Ausemade is a treasure trove of things to search through and to read, with many visitors to our website having arrived here as the result of an internet search.
Expanding beyond the initial concept of a tourism and travel site, Ausemade now covers topics that people have an interest in and enjoy, from festival and events to flora and fauna. Our growing and popular blog sections highlight the passions of our writers, from reflections on their personal experiences, to diverse topics of interest to the readers.
Our website is more than a hobby that we enjoy, it also allows us to link with other passionate people, with our greatest resource, being the many contributors to Ausemade…
Walk with us as we take you on a casual stroll through a selection of blogs… and enjoy.
“Art for art’s sake”
by Koh Lin ◦
“Art for art’s sake” or l’art pour l’art… is a phrase describing a philosophy that art should be valued for its inherent beauty and aesthetic qualities, that is independent of any social, moral, or political purpose. Yet art can be more then art, it can be multifaceted and it can be personal to the viewer, overlaid with the viewers own experiences and memories attached to it… walk with us to share some of the art that came into our lives.
Firetail
by Gary Taylor ◦
The “Firetail” Stenotritus… 4 years ago I spotted a male Stenotritidae with an unusual bright orange tuft of bum fluff that didn’t match anything I could find in any records. (Of the five major families of native bees in Aus, Stenotritidae is by far the smallest in number of species, less than a couple dozen spread over only two genera, it’s not like trying to ID a “new looking” Lasioglossum 😅)… read more…
The existence of Fair Folk in our bush…
by Marianne Broug ◦
“We’ve all heard tales of Bunyips and Drop Bears, large mythical creatures that instill fear in locals and alarm tourists. But there are far gentler beings out there in the Aussie bush. They’re extremely quiet and shy, never seen by those who brush quickly past on their exercise regimes or on their phones … read more…
Whose there…
by Andrew Turner ◦
When all there is… Is a piece of reflective glass… But then you know, that one of them knows… read more…
This pretty girl is the Vase-cell Mud-dauber Wasp
by Norm Farmer ◦
This pretty girl is the Vase-cell Mud-dauber Wasp (Sceliphron formosum) a type of mud-dauber wasp that builds pot-shaped nests out of mud. She pops into the granny flat each day, makes her nest in the kitchen cupboard out of mud, fills them up with spiders from the garden by stinging and paralysing them… read more…
obliging enough to pose…
by Deb Taylor ◦
This wasp was first sighted moving across gravel and mulch on the ground (as shown in last 3 photos) but after flying away alighted in a nearby Cotoneaster where it stayed for quite some time… read more…
Australia’s “Marsupial” bee
by Ken Walker ◦
Australia’s “Marsupial” bee — a world first. It is known that female bees carry mites on their body. While these mites are on the bee, they are in the non-feeding dormant stage called hypopial nymphs. Once the female bee has provisioned her brood cell with damp pollen, she sealed up the cell. This is a bit like putting a damp sock into a sealed, plastic container- it soon goes mouldy with fungus… read more…
is it still really necessary to get pinned specimens in order to get published?
by Phil Warburton ◦
I found this interesting wasp at the Ulladulla Wildflower Reserve on the NSW south Coast. I believe it is a Calopompilus sp. and I think it is an undescribed species… read more…
we experienced something that reminded me of my childhood…
by Jean and Fred Hort ◦
As a child I spent many happy days with my brothers, sister and friends running to the top of sand hills and jumping off. Yesterday, we experienced something that reminded me very much of my childhood fun… read more…
Creatures so strange…
by Michael Doe ◦
Creatures so strange… that maybe they only exist in fantasy and science fiction… Yet stare long enough… you are ensnared by their hypnotic beauty… Believe in the reality… read more…
the males didn’t seem to care…
by Mark Hanlon ◦
This is Julodimorpha saundersii from Kalbarri in W.A. today. I found them quite commonly flying over the heath and the females walking across the road (females cannot fly). Unfortunately many were hit by cars however the males didn’t seem to care and were happily trying to mate with the dead females. The male on my car tail light landed on the red brake light thinking it was a female… read more…
the magnificent Hakea victoria
by Terry Dunham ◦
The outstanding beauty of the magnificent Hakea victoria (Royal Hakea) adorned in colourful foliage and bloom is a very rewarding sight to enjoy… read more…
Wish I could fly…
by Dorothy L. ◦ Wish I could fly… Like high in the sky…read more…
The Real Housebees of Berrinba
by Annette Fraser-Dunn ◦
Wow. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns and fluffy bunny slippers in Golden-browed Resin Bee society is it? At least not between two of my residents in Megachile Mansions. I was out there this morning and watched some behaviour that I thought was rather bizarre. Or perhaps it’s perfectly normal. I don’t know… read more…
The Red Centre / Central Australia
by Emily Simpsons ◦
With its many names… The Heart of Australia, The Red Centre, The Arid Centre, The Dead Centre… this region is like a faceted precious gemstone, a place also known as Central Australia, that reflects aspects of all these names and more. Alice Springs and Uluṟu are recognised as being in the heart of Australia, with neither really being the geographic centre of Australia, but for those planning to visit, it is the main transport hub for this region of Australia… the beating heart… read more…
The Punk Ant
by Matthew Connors ◦
Alright, it’s time! Finally, I present to you all: The Best Ant! Isn’t she beautiful?? This gorgeous girl is a major worker of Camponotus thadeus, or as I like to call her, the Punk Ant 😂 … read more…
You can read more blogs of our contributors by clicking on their name. This will take you to our Guest Authors / Contributors section and a list of contributions.
Check out other blogs by Koh Lin.
