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West Australian
28-06-2025
- West Australian
Withering Frights, the Blue Mountains and a 30th anniversary
When 12 women of a certain age head to the Blue Mountains to celebrate three decades of reading, rioting and ridiculous behaviour, it's fair to assume the group members already know everything about each other. Not necessarily. Surprises prevailed during the Withering Frights book club's 30th anniversary weekend at Blackheath's Glenella — a delightful 15-room heritage guesthouse which was the venue for what was supposed to be quiet reflection and scholarly focus on books. Not so, as Reading Retreats Australia discovered when they hosted the Withering Frights over three uproarious nights at the Federation Queen Anne-style former fine-dining restaurant built in 1905. The reading retreat was featured in these travel pages last year when the Frights were looking for a destination to celebrate their 30-year-long shared love of books — and other crazy things. The stunning Blue Mountains location, just two hours from Sydney by train or road, made it an ideal destination for interstate visitors. Who doesn't get a romantic primary-school memory of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth's famous 1813 crossing when they approach the blue haze blanketing the mountains? Who doesn't get a bit misty-eyed when they hear the story about these mountains being home to the rare Wollemi pines, which thrived 91 million years ago and were thought to be extinct until 1994, when an off-duty ranger stumbled across a grove of them hidden among the steep cliffs and eucalyptus canopy. All the more reason to base ourselves in Blackheath, one of four key charming villages known for its part in history along with pristine natural beauty and clean air, making it a popular destination for early pioneers seeking health and wellness in the fresh mountain air. For around $2500 per person (not including airfares) our package included accommodation, two dinners, three breakfasts, a high tea at the famous Hydro Majestic hotel, free-flowing local wines, tours of Leura and Wentworth Falls, walks in the Blue Mountains and — the icing on the literary cake — a dinner with celebrated author and Weekend Australian columnist Nikki Gemmell. Each Fright was also given a gift bag of six newly released novels. But amid the laughter, gossip, singing, jumping on couches, birdsong and music, one sound was strangely absent — that of turning pages in books. Instead, the women unleashed their inner Catherine and Heathcliff on unsuspecting locals when the mountain mist lifted to reveal stunning views and a mix of forest and cliff-top scenery, the perfect setting for a group which named itself after Emily Bronte's classic — and only — novel, Wuthering Heights. Books were abandoned as the women roamed the Wentworth Falls loop track, trying their hardest to get a sneaky look at waterfalls while getting themselves into the occasional spot of bother (read: lost). But if you think I am going to reveal any secrets here, no; what happens on book club weekends definitely stays on book club weekends. And I'm looking at you Patrick from Fret Buzz band, the Blackheath-based musos who got the septuagenarians rocking on Saturday night at the New Ivanhoe Hotel in a delirious frenzy of nostalgic J.J. Cale and Elvis classics. The New Ivanhoe Hotel is an art deco classic pub with friendly service, great chicken schnitzels and live entertainment. Pretending to be groupies was just one high point for the Frights. Others were the Friday night dinner with Nikki Gemmell, whose appearance was pure serendipity, as she joined the dots on three decades the club has been together with her latest novel, Wing, a modern-day take on Picnic At Hanging Rock, described variously as an explosive, contemporary literary thriller and a soul-stirring exploration of womanhood. The Frights had just finished this novel and could easily have emulated the story of four teenage girls who go missing while on a camping trip, as they roamed the Blue Mountains, getting lost. Gemmell's commentary on womanhood, power, patriarchy and resilience dovetailed uncannily back to the first book the Frights discussed in their inaugural meeting in May 1995. That was Helen Garner's non-fiction book, The First Stone, about two Ormond College students who accused a college master of sexual harassment. And then there is the novel which inspired the Frights' name, Wuthering Heights, the haunting gothic tale centred on the cruelty and bad male behaviour of Heathcliff. Did we discuss such things with Gemmell when we had her captive at the table? You bet we did. Along with subjects like private-school parents, whether pockets are part of the patriarchy, the Archibald Prize, the fallout from Gemmell's earlier novel, The Bride Stripped Bare — published anonymously in 2003— teal political candidates, newspaper ownership, whether she reads reviews on her novels, menopause, Adolescence and a host of other questions from the fan-girl Frights. The dinner, held at Glenella in the vast dining room, was over way too soon. But, as the Frights discovered, the Blue Mountains are not just for literary hounds. There were plenty of other options for weekend visitors. Here's just a few. There are markets at every turn for enthusiasts, ranging from organic foods and collectables to local arts and crafts. The Leura CWA Hall markets every first, second and third weekend of the month are a forgotten world, steeped in the comforting warmth of handcrafts, bacon and egg rolls and music. One particularly touching interaction for the Frights was to come across Brazilian man Marcos Thorne-Barbosa, who was deep in satisfied concentration over his crochet project, surrounded by crocheted animals — giraffes, turtles, ducks, mice. Somehow he seemed to have imbued each lovingly crafted animal with his own gentle personality and sad eyes. The Frights fell in love with him and raided the little store with gifts for their grandies. Outside the 1950s building we stopped by Nev's Record Crate, run by Neville Sergent, a man whose mouth waters at the sight of vinyl. Here the Frights, in another moment of serendipity, picked up a $5 soundtrack of the film Wuthering Heights. And this one starred the best Heathcliff of all — Timothy Dalton, which got the Frights gushing. Whether you're searching for a pair of Mollini boots, a fluffy pale-blue jacket, a lambswool jumper, a pair of London Boy track pants normally retailing for $230 or a pair of sparkly sequinned boots, you'll find it — or something better — at Red Cross, Anglicare, Sweet Charity and Leura Vintage. All are ideal places, on the quaint old streets, for a fossick. And the Frights came away decked with the bounty listed above. It's almost a cliche to have a high tea in the Blue Mountains. But if you are going to succumb you may as well do it in grand white-tableclothed style with a pianist tinkering away nearby. The views of Megalong Valley from the classy Wintergarden restaurant of the historic heritage-listed building, which once operated as a health retreat, are spectacular. For $70pp (bubbles at $15 a glass) there's three tiers of sandwiches, pastries and homemade scones with cream and jam. Afterwards you can tour the building and soak up some of its varied history. The beauty of travel is stumbling across the unexpected. And that's what the Frights did when wandering around Blackheath on a Saturday morning. Peering through the window of this cute little cocktail bar we discovered a heap of vinyl among the mid-century decor and vowed to come back later when the bar was open. Owner Michael O'Brien was behind the bar overseeing a live jazz trio and said there was no room at the inn. But some friendly locals let the Frights share their table and, two negronis later, we emerged with a couple of new mates and warm fuzzies all round. At an altitude of 1000m, these gardens, specialising in cool-climate plants, are the highest in Australia and the only ones in the world located within a World Heritage-listed area. Take the Gondwana Walk on the south-east edge of the gardens and you'll not only get spectacular views and, maybe, a peek at 150 bird species, but it's also one of the few places to see the Wollemi pines which were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's rarest and oldest tree species and was presumed extinct until 1994 when it was rediscovered in a rugged canyon in the Wollemi National Park. The exact location of these wild pines with dark green foliage and bubbly black bark remain a closely guarded secret, but the species has been successfully propagated, with the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden playing a crucial role in saving this 'living fossil' from extinction. Definitely one for the bucket list. Almost as exhilarating as the Wollemi pines story is the discovery of the little known fact that Chris Darwin, the great-great-grandson of British naturalist Charles Darwin, is a Blue Mountains resident and a passionate guide of the area. Sydney Bespoke Tours offers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the 'father of the theory of evolution' with Chris Darwin in a guided tour through the Wentworth Falls trail with a two-course lunch included. Chris and his wife Jacqui and their three children live in Glenbrook and founded the not-for-profit charity The Darwin Challenge, with the vision to help humanity adapt to the realities of the 21st century, and have created a mobile app to encourage people to eat a meat-free diet. Chris is available to take groups on a half-day or full-day walk in which he weaves the story of Charles and wife Emma's Blue Mountains visit in 1836 as part of the HMS Beagle journey. This labyrinthine store is a warm, welcoming haven stocking fiction, non-fiction and second-hand books. It's also a safe place for anyone regardless of gender, sexuality, religion and politics. Dogs, too, are welcome. Echo, the 16-year-old Labrador of owners Zac and Cath, thumps his tail to anyone browsing for a treasure such as Ronnie Wood's biography or Gough Whitlam sayings — both of which were snapped up by the Frights. There is also a section devoted to books written by refugees so their plight is never forgotten and the bookstore donates 50 per cent of profits to charities supporting refugees. There's much, much more to explore in the Blue Mountains and the Frights vowed to be back soon. But we'll do it a bit sooner than for our 60th anniversary when we'll all be approaching 100. But beware the Fret Buzz band. We will still be rocking the dance floor. + Expect to pay $2300 per night to book the whole Glenella house with 15 bedrooms on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It has a policy of a two-night minimum and there are seven en-suite bedrooms on the main floor. + Reading Retreats Australia has another retreat coming up at a luxurious country estate in the Yass River Valley for two nights on September 12-13, which starts at $1499 per person.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scientists Studying Earth's Trees Issued a Stark Warning to Humanity
From towering coastal redwoods to dinosaur-era Wollemi pines and firs that make the perfect Christmas trees, even our most revered woody plants are in grave danger. But the loss of these species isn't just a blow to local forests – it threatens entire ecosystems, research shows. In 2021, the State of the World's Trees report revealed a startling finding: one-third of all tree species are on the brink of extinction, totaling around 17,500 endangered tree species. This is more than double the number of all threatened mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles combined. Some tree species are so rare that only a single known individual remains, such as the solitary palm, Hyophorbe amaricaulis, in Mauritius. In a subsequent study from 2022, the same researchers issued a "warning to humanity" about the far-reaching consequences of losing these trees, backed by 45 other scientists from 20 different countries. Conservation biologist Malin Rivers from Botanic Gardens Conservation International and colleagues outline the many impacts these losses will have on our economies, livelihoods, and food. Most of our fruit comes from trees, as do many nuts and medicines, with non-timber products amounting to about US$88 billion worth of trade. In the developing world, 880 million people rely on firewood for fuel, and 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of a forest, relying on them for food and income. All up, trees contribute about US$1.3 trillion annually to the global economy, yet we're destroying billions of them every year – clearing massive tracts of land for farming and development. Trees are each their own little worlds, teeming with all sorts of single- and multicellular-life forms, including other plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals. Lose a tree, and this entire world dies too. They often form the supportive base for the whole web of life around them. In fact, half of all the world's animals and plants rely on treed habitats. "Habitat loss is frequently tree loss, it is at the root of that when we look at extinction concerns for animals or birds," Rivers told Nature World News in 2022. "There is no way we can take care of all the other creatures there if we don't take care of the trees." As with all living systems, losing diversity makes the whole jumble of living connections more vulnerable. This is because less variation means less diversity in immune response, in genes, and responses to environmental conditions, meaning lower chances of surviving the many threats battering the complex web of interactions that is life on Earth. Some tree species provide unique interactions and can't be replaced by other species. This includes the distinctive dragonsblood trees (Dracaena cinnabari), leftover from the ancient Oligocene woodlands, which are host to many other species that are entirely dependent on them, including many other plants and the gecko that pollinates them. So the extinction of a single species can cause a massive domino effect across everything else that interacts with it, even if they're already rare. Species that rely on our dwindling forests have already declined by around 53 percent since 1970, and more forests around the world are showing signs of increasing stress. This doesn't just impact the other life trees interact with either. Trees are interwoven with Earth's soil, atmosphere, and weather, too – cleaning our air, producing oxygen, and making it rain. They store three-quarters of the world's accessible freshwater and more than half its problematic carbon dioxide. Lose enough trees and our planet's cycling of carbon, water, and nutrients will be thrown into disarray. "We're showing that diverse forests store more carbon than monocultures," Rivers told The Guardian. "That's true for many ecological functions, not just carbon capture, but providing habitat to animals, soil stabilization, resilience to pests and diseases, resilience to storms and adverse weather. By losing tree diversity, we'll also lose diversity in all organisms: birds, animals, fungi, microorganisms, insects." A few tree species are getting lucky and are able to take advantage of the rapid environmental changes we've caused, like those creeping into territory that fires have cleared. But many more are being obliterated by the same processes. Much needs to be done to combat this at a collective level, but we all can play a part by recognizing the importance of trees and fighting our own plant blindness. In 2022, researchers pointed out that fewer people than ever are taking up botanical education in the UK at a time when we need plants more than ever. We must all think of the trees. The research was published in Plants, People, Planet. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2022. Dramatic Collapse of Swiss Glacier a Chilling Warning, Experts Say South Africa Is Rising Up Out of The Ocean, Scientists Reveal An Extreme Drop in Oxygen Will Eventually Suffocate Most Life on Earth
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dinosaurs' snack that survived T-Rex extension bears fruit for couple
One of the oldest and rarest tree species that once formed part of a dinosaur's diet is now bearing fruit for the first time, after a retired couple planted a specimen in their garden. Wollemi pines, referred to as dinosaur trees, boast a history exceeding 90 million years and were initially believed to have been wiped out by the time the last T-Rex roamed the Earth. However, a cluster of these ancient conifers was discovered in 1994 in a region 125 miles west of Sydney, Australia. Saplings and cuttings were subsequently sold worldwide, including one purchased by retired couple Pamela and Alistair Thompson. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The couple invested £70 in an 18-inch (45.7 cm) tall sapling acquired from the Shopping Channel. In 2010, they replanted the tree in their garden in Wichenford, Malvern, Worcestershire, and following years of dedicated nurturing, it has flourished and now stands over 13 feet (4 meters) tall. READ MORE: £2.8m dream home in Britain's celeb capital up for grabs - for £10 READ MORE: Anticipation over when Costco will build and open its new Gloucester warehouse Pamela and Alistair Thompson from Wichenford are very proud of their Wollemi pine -Credit:Emma Trimble / SWNS This month, retired police officer Pamela, 75, was astonished to discover that the tree had produced fruit for the first time. Her aspiration is to propagate seeds from the evergreen tree to cultivate more of this endangered species. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pamela expressed her excitement, saying: "It would be amazing, absolutely amazing, to have seedlings and to propagate from the world's rarest tree. "I couldn't imagine being so lucky to do it. I saw a small tree for sale for more than £1,000 which shows just how rare they are." One of the world's rarest and oldest trees which dinosaurs used to snack on is bearing fruit for the first time after a retired couple planted it in their garden -Credit:SWNS Wollemi pines are related to monkey puzzle trees and bear both male and female fruit. Pamela, who has three-grandchildren, added: "The long pendulous fruits are actually the male cone and the globular spiky fruits are the female cones. "So what we're really hoping later in the year would be to collect and germinate some of the seeds from it. That would be really something but we will just have to wait and see.' Pamela and Alistair, 75, a retired spinal surgeon, are opening their garden to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme on Sunday, May 4.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
One of the world's rarest trees, once snacked on by dinosaurs, bears fruit in Britain for the first time after a retired couple planted a sapling bought by their friend on The Shopping Channel
Its spiky cones were a favourite snack for dinosaurs that roamed the Earth more than 200million years ago. Experts thought it had gone the way of the diplodocus, but now the 'dinosaur' tree is very much alive — and bearing fruit in Britain for the first time — after a retired couple planted a rare sapling in their garden. The Wollemi pine, one of the world's rarest trees, was believed to have become extinct two million years ago until it was rediscovered by a group of hikers in 1994, 125 miles west of Sydney, Australia. Saplings and cuttings of the endangered tree were sold off around the world, catching the attention of Pamela and Alistair Thompson. The couple paid £70 for an 18in sapling, bought initially on the Shopping Channel by a friend. Now, after 15 years of care, the tree stands more than 13ft tall in their garden in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. Retired police officer Mrs Thompson, 75, was stunned to discover the rare tree bearing fruit for the first time ever this month. She now hopes the evergreen can be propagated to produce seeds that can be used to grow more trees. She said: 'It would be amazing, absolutely amazing, to have seedlings and to propagate from the world's rarest tree. I couldn't imagine being so lucky to do it. 'I saw a small tree for sale for more than £1,000 which shows just how rare they are.' Wollemi pines are related to monkey puzzle trees and bear both male and female fruit. The grandmother added: 'The long pendulous fruits are actually the male cone and the globular spiky fruits are the female cones. 'So what we're really hoping later in the year would be to collect and germinate some of the seeds. That would be really something but we will just have to wait and see.' To share the excitement, Mr Thompson, 75, a retired spinal surgeon, will open the couple's garden to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme on May 4.
Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Tree from dinosaur age bears fruit for first time
One of the world's rarest trees is bearing fruit for the first time in a garden in Worcestershire. A retired couple in Wichenford, Malvern, are hoping their Wollemi pine can be propagated to help the endangered species. Dubbed 'dinosaur trees', the species dates back more than 90 million years and was thought to have died out with the T-Rex. But a cluster of the prehistoric conifers was discovered in 1994, in a remote valley 125 miles west of Sydney, Australia. In 2010, saplings and cuttings of the Wollemi pine were sold around the world, and one was replanted by Pamela and Alistair Thompson. They planted it in their garden in Wichenford and discovered it bearing fruit for the first time this month. Pamela, a 75-year-old retired police officer, said: 'It would be amazing, absolutely amazing, to have seedlings and to propagate from the world's rarest tree. 'I couldn't imagine being so lucky to do it. 'I saw a small tree for sale for more than £1,000, which shows just how rare they are.' Pamela and her husband Alistair, a 75-year-old retired spinal surgeon, are opening their garden to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme on May 4. The grandmother of three said: 'The long pendulous fruits are actually the male cones and the globular spiky fruits are the female cones. 'So, what we're really hoping later in the year would be to collect and germinate some of the seeds from it. 'That would be really something, but we will just have to wait and see.' The Wollemi pine, which flourished about 200 million years ago, is thought to be the first endangered tree to be protected through mass commercial cultivation. The tree is related to monkey puzzle trees and bears both male and female fruit. It became the most significant botanical discovery of the 20th century when a cluster was found by a parks ranger as he abseiled into a remote canyon in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, in 1994. After a decade of secret survival trials, it made its first European appearance in 2005, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Sir David Attenborough, who planted the tree, said at the time: 'How exciting that we should discover this rare survivor from such an ancient past. It is romantic that something has survived 200 million years unchanged.'
