A Little Bit Of (Down Under) Heaven On Earth... I live (and work) on the NSW Central Coast, about an hour's drive north of Australia’s largest city, Sydney (home of the 2000 Olympics). This is a holiday resort area which boasts a sub-tropical climate, spectacular scenery, huge inland waterways (the only place in the world where five separate waterways meet), and some of the best surfing beaches in the world. So very hard to take... There is a variety of wildlife (not just the bikini-clad young ladies), and plenty of fishing – both inland waters and ocean. The area abounds with pelicans – pterodactyls, my wife calls them – and you can see them everywhere (specially if you want to sit outside near the water and eat a meal). Seagulls are bad enough scavengers, but they ain't as big as pelicans... We have so many parrots around us here (a cacophony of colour – mainly reds and greens ) we sometimes complain about the noise they make when they feed. Other birds include the cockatoo and the kookaburra – a noisy crew but a noise we're happy to hear. Pic Caption: Wild cockatoos abound on the Central Coast The region has a large aged population which has led to a large number of very good retirement villages being established here. This has encouraged older people to move to the region from all over Australia. The surf beaches along the Pacific Ocean are a magnet for young (and not so young!!!) surfers who enjoy the ocean beaches, with lifesaving clubs providing protection for swimmers on many beaches. I am fortunate to live just a few hundred metres away from a quiet (as far as tourists go) surf beach! Pic Caption: Pelicans feeding The Coast also has a number of great tourist facilities, like Australian Reptile Park (a great wildlife sanctuary where snakes and spiders are milked of their venom for medical research), and heaps of other attractions like National Parks, horse riding (including the largest free-range horse riding centre in Australia on over 1000 hectares), art galleries, etc, etc, etc. Pic Caption: Kangaroo & joey The Central Coast has a sub-tropical climate, with summer temperatures averaging about 28º C (approx 82º F) during the day and 23 (approx 73º F) at night. Winter temperatures average around 18 (approx 64º F) during the day and down to just below 7º C (approx 45º F) at night. Needless to say, a pleasant place to live with a lot of local entertainment, and magic scenery.   My Country Australia’s most popular poem is My Country by Dorothea McKellar, often called “The Sunburnt Country” (shortened from “I love a sunburnt country” which is the first line of the second verse). Click on the poem’s title and experience a feel for Australia – more than just the Sydney Opera House or the Sydney Harbour Bridge but a vast dry land which hides an enormous mineral wealth, the oldest continent on this planet. Two views of Australia – the dry red centre and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Enter your search terms Submit search form   Graham's Homepage Web Graham’s Christian writing: "Graham Pockett doesn't mince any words, but he writes with a kind heart. If you have questions about such things as "once saved, always saved", or why so many different ideas can come from the same scripture, or how much what we see and do affects us as spiritual beings, you'll find much to think about here."  from This Christian Life Download these articles: GrahamsWriting.zip The Key To Heaven  (an analogy about commitment) I Am A Cynic; Therefore I Am A Christian “Once Saved Always Saved” – a dangerous delusion? Who is my Neighbor? – featuring "The Parable of the Good Muslim" Bashing The Bible – misusing & abusing Scripture Two Billion Doctrines – the strange religion called Christianity Does God Ever Change His Mind? – Calvin would turn in his grave! New Wine In An Old Skin – the problem of legalism in the church today Are You Hard Boiled, Or Soft & Runny? – doctrines are like an egg shell The Bible is an "iffy" book – a look at the conditional promises of God Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? – what did Jesus really look like? The Truth Will Set You Free! – the Holy Tarantula??? Why I Quote The NIV Bible – is it an heretical Bible? “Omissions” from the NIV Bible – a look at 17 missing verses Do You Believe In Miracles? – you do when they happen to you! "Why Didn't God Answer My Prayer For A Miracle?" – my response Christian Concepts – the cavern of life  (an analogy) Christian Concepts – the three crosses  (an analogy) Christian Concepts – we are what we eat Christian Concepts – when are we saved?  (an analogy) Christian Concepts – when we are saved, part 1  ...part 2 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:34c NIV Could this key save your life? Click on it to find out. To Button Bar © Graham Pockett Last Updated: Tuesday, January 05, 2010