Eye Care in Australia

 

Today we are looking into eye care in Australia, here most people go to an optometrist for routine eye exams. This is the primary eye‑care provider for checking vision, detecting early eye disease, and prescribing glasses or contact lenses. You don’t need a referral, and Medicare usually covers the cost of standard eye tests.

Generally, Australians will see an Optometrist every two years until the age of 65 when it drops to every year. However, if you have a medical condition such as diabetes you will need to have your eyes checked every year.

At an appointment your vision n will be checked if needed they will prescribe glasses or contacts.

You will also be screen for diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration and a retinal imaging photo will be taken. If needed, you will be refer you to an ophthalmologist.

Medicare covers most routine eye tests, and many clinics bulk bill, meaning no out‑of‑pocket cost.

General Practitioners (GPs) can check basic eye symptoms, but if they suspect a vision problem or eye disease, they will suggest you see an optometrist or refer you to an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) for medical treatment or surgery.

You see an ophthalmologist when a disease is detected such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease or if you need surgery for something like cataracts.

Children can see an optometrist every 1–2 years, with the first exam ideally around age 3–4. Some optometrists recommend a check at the start of each school year to monitor changes. However, many children only have their eyes checked if someone thinks there may be a problem.

The cost of seeing an Ophthalmologist vary depending on, whether you have a referral (needed for Medicare rebate) and if they charge above the Medicare schedule fee and if it’s an initial or follow‑up appointment.

If you don’t have private health insurance, here’s what you can expect:

• Optometrist: Often free (bulk‑billed) or $50–$120 for extra tests
• Ophthalmologist initial visit: $170–$290 out‑of‑pocket
• Ophthalmologist follow‑up: $100–$215 out‑of‑pocket
• Private surgery: $3,000+
• Public surgery: Free, but with waiting lists

 

 

Snakes

 

This week will look at snakes the legless reptiles, they are far more diverse and surprising than most people realise so here is some information about them.

It is believed that they evolved from four‑limbed lizards around 100 million years ago. Some species, like pythons and boas, still carry tiny vestigial leg bones — evolutionary leftovers.

They can be found everywhere except Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, and the polar regions.

They live in some amazing habitats such as forests, deserts, grasslands, mountains but only up to 16,000 feet, oceans and even 800 feet underwater of Australia.

They don’t hear airborne sound well but detect ground vibrations with great sensitivity. Their eyes are covered by a transparent scale called a spectacle, which sheds with the rest of the skin. Many species use heat‑sensing pits to detect warm‑blooded prey.

When it comes to moving, they use several locomotion styles depending on the terrain there is the classic slithering which is called lateral undulation, then there is rectilinear movement which is for slow, stalking. Some can glide from tree-to-tree others are excellent swimmers and when on loose sand the do something called sidewinding.

Do you know what they eat, well they are carnivores so small snakes eat insects, frogs, lizards and rodents. Larger ones can eat deer, antelope, capybaras and even jaguars, not something I have ever they would eat. Mostly because they swallow prey whole thanks to flexible jaws. Also, some can go two years without eating due to extremely slow metabolism.

Most snakes lay eggs, but some give birth to live young, babies are independent from birth needing no parental care. A few species (like pythons and king cobras) guard their nests. Some females can store sperm for years. The Brahminy blind snake is all‑female and reproduces without males.

There are about 725 venomous species, and 250 can kill a human with one bite.

The most dangerous snake globally (in terms of human deaths) is the saw‑scaled viper.

Australia’s inland taipan is the most venomous by toxicity but rarely kills because it avoids humans.

About one‑third of adults have some level of snake fear. Scientists believe this may be an evolutionary instinct — early humans who avoided snakes were more likely to survive.

 

Cowra Peace Bell

 

                                                                Cowra Peace Bell

This week we are still in Cowra, and I thought I would tell you a bit about the Peace Bell which is there.

Officially called The Australian World Peace Bell, but often called the Cowra Peace Bell, is a national peace symbol housed in Civic Square, Cowra NSW. It was awarded to Cowra in 1992, a rare honour usually reserved for capital cities. The choice reflects Cowra’s deep commitment to peace, especially its post‑war relationship with Japan.

So, what makes it special, well it’s made from melted coins donated by 106 UN member countries, symbolising global unity.

It is a replica of the original World Peace Bell at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Apparently, visitors can ring the bell, listen to an audio presentation, and read interpretive signage explaining its story. Tim and I listened to the audio and read the information about the bell but didn’t ring it

The bell sits in a pavilion designed and built by local Cowra community members, including hand‑decorated tiles at its base.

                        Cowra Peace Bell

You may be wondering why Cowra?

Well, it seems Cowra’s selection stems from its remarkable journey from wartime tragedy to international friendship. Its reconciliation efforts—especially with Japan after the 1944 Cowra Breakout—have made it a global symbol of peace.

Each September, Cowra hosts World Peace Day events, including youth forums, awards, and a Peace Day dinner. The bell is rung to mark the opening of UN Disarmament Week.

How many World Peace Bells exist?

There are more than 20 official World Peace Bells worldwide, installed in various countries as part of the World Peace Bell Association’s mission to promote peace. However, there are also regional peace bells, and bells inspired by the movement, but the official number is 20.

There are bells in: New York (UN Headquarters)

Cowra, Australia

Japan (multiple locations)

                   Toyko Peace Bell

Yes, there are multiple peace bells in Japan, there are so many peace bells because peace became a defining national identity after World War II, and bells are one of the most powerful symbols in Japanese culture. When you put those two things together, you get a tradition that feels both ancient and deeply modern.

Japan now has peace bells:

In Hiroshima

In Nagasaki

In Tokyo

In many regional cities

Nonofficial bells can be found in:

United Kingdom (London Olympic Bell)

United States (Tennessee’s International Friendship Bell)

Austria (Alpine Region Peace Bell)

 

 

Week 7 of 2026

 

Good morning world, here I am up washed and dressed, I have unpacked the dishwasher and took some rubbish to the bin.

My blood glucose level is 6.1 and I had around 8hrs of sleep, even though the watch said I had only 6hrs but that would be because it came loose during the night. It is 22c or 71f at 5am.

Been a sticky day but not hot, I did a load of washing and hung it on the clothes hoists to dry, I placed them in front of the fan.

Steps: 9,584 = 4.8k’s or 3 miles

Hello Monday, hello world, I slept good had 9hrs of sleep woke feeling good, I am washed, dressed and moisturised, I apply moisturiser to my face, neck, chest and arms each morning so my skin doesn't dry out.

Anyway, my BGL: was 6.3 this morning and it is 22c or 71f it is only supposed to reach 24c today.

We have had light rain on and off all day.

By 5.30pm I started to feel really tired.

Steps: 4,435 = 2.3k’s

Good morning, all, what a shit night I have had tossing and turning and not sleeping only managed 4hrs in total of sleep, I have been up since 4am. Tim also has had a shocking night not being able to sleep, he has been up   since 3am.

It is 22c this morning and my BGL was 5.9 and I except I will need a nap sometime this morning.

I managed to have a short nap sitting in my armchair, but I woke up when Tim got home.

I had the air cons on for a few hours this afternoon.

Had another incident with the tremor being bad so I took and extra half tablet and in 10 minutes I was ok everything had settled.

Tim rang me at 5.15pm to let me know he will be home late around 7pm, he rang again at 6.15 asking if I could order pizza and he would pick it up on his way, which I did.

Steps: 4,396 = 2.2k’s or 1.3 miles

 

 

Good morning, everyone I slept well I managed to get 7hrs of sleep, I was up at 4.10am as I woke up felt awake so got up. Tremor noticeable this morning settled 15 minutes after taking my meds.

It is a hot day temp of 30c or 86f, I have the air cons going. I cleaned the glass sliding doors.

I didn’t feel well between 12.30 & 2.15pm, I took my meds at 2pm and in 15 minutes I was feeling much better.

Steps: 7, 589 = 3.8k’s or 2.3 miles

Good morning, all who read this it is currently 5.30am I have been up for an hour, and I am drenched in sweat, waiting for Tim to leave for work so I c.an have a shower.

It is 22c or 71f, we are heading for a top temp of 32c. I had 8hrs of sleep and I feel good.

Sue’s blood tests showed her glucose level was too high, her liver function isn’t good, and her cholesterol is too high. She needs another test to check for diabetes as well as other stuff.

She also needs to have an ultrasound of her stomach.

It went from a hot day to a coldish day. I even had to shut the front door for a bit as the breeze on my legs was cold.

Steps: 4,396 = 2.2k’s or 1.3 miles

Had a good 7hrs of sleep woke feeling good, was up at 4.30, it is much cooler this morning only 19c or 66f, our top temp is supposed to be 22c.

Sandra came around to show me her new car; it is a 2011 Honda Odyssey silver in colour.

By 11am I was starting to not feel good so went and had an hour nap after which I was much better.

Had a phone call from Tim he is doing emergency rail and will be home late.

Steps: 5,447 = 2.7k’s pr 1.6 miles

NATASHA’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 39 TODAY

I slept well till 3am then the pain in my left shoulder and right hip got to so at 4am I got up.

It is 19c or 66f this morning and even though I needed the heater on in the bathroom when I got dressed, I had to change from long pants into shorts as I started sweating.

Tim came to bed at 1.20am but I have no idea what time he got home.

I have had a rough morning but doing much better after I ate.

Natasha and Blain are having an issue he isn’t coming to see her for her birthday, and this has upset Tasha. I get how she feels but she always says birthdays are just another day.

For some reason, I got it into my head that I had done something to piss Tasha off and sent her a text saying sorry, she came down gave me a hug and said I hadn’t said or done anything to upset her.

Tim has spent the afternoon cleaning     out the car.

Steps: 4,483=2.2k’s

 

 

 

 

The Post with Links to other Posts

 

My post with links to other posts and a few photos as well

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/sunday-stealing-on-monday.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/tuesdays-4.html

 https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/love-hodgepodge.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/share-your-world.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/getting-to-know-me_13.html

 

 

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Colour Blindness

 

This week my eye post is about colour blindness, my maternal grandfather was colour blind. This is a condition that affects around 8% of men and only 0.5% of women. It is estimated that 300 million people are colour blind.

The huge gender difference exists because the most common type is linked to the X chromosome.

Colour blindness is a colour vision deficiency, not a total inability to see colour. In fact, 99% of people with “colour blindness” still see colours, just with reduced discrimination between certain hues.

There are different types of colour blindness with most cases fall into three major categories:

Protan defects – reduced sensitivity to red light

Deutan defects – reduced sensitivity to green light

Tritan defects – reduced sensitivity to blue light
These correspond to the three cone types in the eye.

Red–green colour blindness is by far the most common, affecting 95–98% of people with colour vision deficiency. This is sex linked and recessive, passed through the mother. A father cannot pass red–green colour blindness to his sons. If a woman is red–green colour blind, all her sons will inherit it.

Colour blindness ranges from mild to absolute although it is rare for someone to have absolute which means they see everything in greyscale

People with strong colour blindness may distinguish only 20 hues, compared to over 100 for those with typical colour vision.

This condition may cause some to feel overlooked or misunderstood, as others often don’t realise how much it affects daily tasks.

Being asked “What colour is this?” is widely considered the most annoying question to colour‑blind people.

Colour blindness is detected through colour vision tests that check how well someone can distinguish between different colours. These tests are simple, non‑invasive, and usually take only a few minutes.

The most common test is the Ishihara Colour Plates

The test shows a series of circles filled with coloured dots. Inside each circle is a number or pattern made of dots in a different colour. People with red–green colour blindness often cannot see the number, or they see a different number.

There are other tests such as the Farnsworth D-15 test, Anomaloscope, HRR (Hardy–Rand–Rittler) Test. Online screening tests, however, these can give an indication but are not fully reliable because screen brightness and colour calibration vary.

Babies are born colour blind; full colour vision develops by about 6 months.

It’s possible—though rare—to be colour blind in one eye only (unilateral dichromacy).

The first scientific paper on colour blindness was written by John Dalton in 1794.

                                              

Books Read in 2025

 

       BOOKS & STORIES READ IN 2025

My Story Factory Girl                        Pamela Oldfield

My Story Workhouse                            Pamela Oldfield

My Story The Great Plague                    Pamela Oldfield

My Story Suffragette                         Carol Drinkwater

My Story 1900 A Brand New Century            Carol Drinkwater

The Story of Andrew &n Molly              Linda Swain Bertha

The Psychic                                     Dawn Pisturino

My Story Young Nanny                      Frances Mary Hendry

My Story Slave Girl                     Patricia C McKissack

My Story No Way Back                         Valerie Wilding

My Story Australia                          Goldie Alexander   

Song of Comfortable Chairs           Alexander McCall Smith

From a Far & Lovely Country          Alexander McCall Smith

Pavilion in the Clouds               Alexander McCall Smith

The good pilot Peter Woodhouse       Alexander McCall Smith

The Talented Mr Yarg                 Alexander McCall Smith

The Private Life of Spies            Alexander McCall Smith

The Man with the Silver Saab         Alexander McCall Smith

The Discreet Charm of the Wolf       Alexander McCall Smith

Mandatory Murder                              Steven Schubert

A Memory for Murder                                 Anne Holt

Australian Christmas Yarns book 2            Mary Grant Bruce

Noelle                                             Greg Kincaid

Chameleons

This week we are looking at another reptile the chameleon.

Chameleons are believed to have been around for 65 million years. There are over 200 species across Africa and Europe and Asia, with Madagascar as the stronghold—home to more than half of all known species.

They range in size from very tiny, no bigger than a thumbnail up to 2 feet.

Their eyes can move independently, giving them nearly 360° vision. Many species can see ultraviolet light, which helps with communication and mate selection.

We all know that they are able to change colour, many may think this is done solo as a form of camouflage but that’s not the case, they also change colour to communicate and to regulate temperature.

A chameleon’s natural colour as in the one it displays when calm, unstressed, and not trying to communicate—is usually a blend of greens and browns, sometimes with muted yellows or greys depending on the species. These resting tones provide passive camouflage in their typical habitats.

These baseline colours are part of their camouflage strategy, helping them blend into vegetation without needing dramatic colour shifts.

The brighter blues, reds, oranges, and yellows only appear when they are communicating, regulating temperature, or reacting to stress.

Colour change happens through layers of pigment‑filled skin cells that expand or contract under neural control.

When it comes to feeding and hunting their tongues can shoot out at high speed—up to about 13 miles per hour—to snatch prey. They most eat insects although larger ones may eat small birds or lizards.

Many species have prehensile tails for gripping branches, they can be found in rainforests, deserts, and mountainous regions, depending on the species.

How long they live varies, but a typical wild chameleon lives around 12 years.

In Madagascar, chameleons appear in folklore and proverb’s, sometimes viewed as mystical or omens of luck.

 

 

 

Australian Internment Camps During WW11

 

 

Last week I wrote about the escape from the POW camp at Cowra and in the comments Chris from Tilting at Windmills found here: https://humbleauthorbsp.blogspot.com/ mentioned about internment camps for Asian Americans. America isn’t the only country with such camps here in Australia we had them too.

In fact, we operated a large network of internment camps during World War II, holding more than 12,000 people classified as “enemy aliens” as well as prisoners of war. These camps existed in every state and territory and included men, women, and children of German, Italian, and Japanese background.

Who was interned?

Well, it was civilians of German, Italian, and Japanese descent (including long‑term residents and even Australian‑born descendants).

POWs captured overseas and sent to Australia by Allied nations.

As well as a small number of Australians with extreme political views.

Why did internment happen?

Obviously, there were concerns about national security as well as public anxiety about espionage, sabotage, and later, Japanese invasion.

However, many were detained without evidence of any wrongdoing. There were around 7,000 Australian residents, with around 8,000 POWs sent from overseas.

Internment and POW camps were spread nationwide, including:

Cowra (NSW) — later the site of the Cowra Breakout.

Hay (NSW)

Tatura & Dhurringile (VIC)

Loveday (SA)

Gaythorne & Stuart (QLD)

Marrinup (WA)

Many of the camps were purpose‑built but some were repurposed gaols or military facilities.

Life in the Camps were heavily regulated, with restricted movement and limited freedoms. Some camps held families together; others separated men from women and children.

Internees worked in agriculture, woodcutting, and camp maintenance.

The camps operated for most of the war starting in 1939 through to early in 1946, they started to close after Japan’s surrender in 1945.

Internment was tied directly to wartime security laws. So as long as Australia remained at war with Germany, Italy, and Japan, internees were legally held.

Many internees (especially Japanese nationals) could not be released until repatriation ships were available after the war.

Most internees spent anything from a few months to several years in the camps. Some Japanese and Italian internees were held for between four to six years, depending on when they were arrested and when repatriation occurred.

Most ordinary Australians supported internment during WWII because they were frightened of invasion and espionage, but there was also discomfort and criticism—especially when long‑time neighbours were taken away without evidence. Public opinion was mixed, shaped by fear, patriotism, racism, and later regret.

After the fall of Singapore (1942) and attacks on Darwin, many Australians believed Japanese residents—even families who had lived here for decades—might aid an invasion.

This led to widespread acceptance of mass internment of Japanese people, even without evidence of them being a threat.

However, as the war progressed, some Australians became uncomfortable seeing their neighbours and shopkeepers, taken away suddenly. They also didn’t like seeing families split up, with many being seen as loyal Australians.

This created tension: some locals supported internment, others protested because they knew these families personally .

After 1945, public opinion changed with many coming to see internment as discriminatory, especially toward Japanese and Italian Australians and harmful to innocent families who had contributed to local communities.

Week 6 of 2026

 

Had a good night but I don’t think Tim did as he is asleep in his armchair behind me and I am trying not to disturb him. Even though Sunday is my no alarm day so I can sleep in I was still wide awake at 5am so I got up.

The temp this morning is 20c or 69.8f and my BGL was 5.5, I had a good 8hrs sleep.

By 11am I turned the air con as the temp was 30c or 86f.

At 3pm Tim fell asleep in his chair; after spending a lot of time outside, 'for 30 minutes.

At 6.30pm it started to rain which cooled things down.

Steps: 6,226 = 3.1k’s or 1.8 miles

Had a good 10hrs of sleep, woke up to a wet morning the temp is only 18c or 64f my BGL was 5.5.

Tim home from work between shifts.

It hasn’t rained all day thankfully and it hasn’t been hot either.

Other than the usual housework this morning I have done very little.

Tim bought himself a new flag as the one we have out the back has been damaged by strong winds, well it came today along with a transgender flag he bought for Sam. Sam was  pleased but sceptical as he said Tim has a couple of times in the past said all was ok with them only to turn around and again say something hurtful to Sam. Also, Sam things I talked Tim into getting it, but I didn’t know anything about it.

Steps: 3,001

Had a good night till 4am when I woke with a headache, I think it was caused by how tight Tim had done the straps on my Cpap mask last night. After 10 minutes I had to get up due to the pain.

Since I was up, I decided to have my shower while Tim was still in bed while I was showering, I realised the headache had gone.

It is 19c or 66f this morning we are headed for a top of 23c or 73f.

My BGL was 5.9 again and I had a good 9hrs of sleep.

I went with Sue for her ultrasound she isn’t good very lightheaded and when she laid down for the ultrasound the room started to spin, and she didn’t feel good.

After that was down, we went to the plaza so I go drop some scripts off at the chemist, while we were there Sue had them take her blood pressure, she thought it might be a bit low, but it was too high instead.  She did find out the medication she takes for her anxiety is also for high blood pressure and she didn’t take it for a couple of days as she ran out.

This arvo she is still not doing good still lightheaded and feeling unwell. I hope she is feeling better tomorrow.

Steps: 6,917 = 3.4k’s or 1.8miles

Had a good night, up at 4.50am no headache today as I loosened the strap around my forehead on the Cpap mask. It is a nice 18c or 64f this morning my BGL was 6.0 and I had 7hrs of sleep according to my watch which is only a rough estimate but at least something to go by.

At 12.45 I had to turn the air con on as I was starting to feel unwell due to the heat.

I made myself an egg and cheese roll but only managed to eat less than half of it.

I had a hot cross bun at 2pm as I started to feel a bit unwell.

It is 6pm and I am falling asleep so will be in bed soonish.

Tasha came down she bought herself a new sewing machine so Tim could hem some pants for her, he said on the weekend he will show he how to us it. She bought a cool storage bag for it which is on wheels, Tim asked how much the bag was she paid $40 so he gave her money to go get one for his sewing machine.

Steps: 6,143 = 3.10k’s or 2.4miles

I have been up since 4.20am I did have 8hs & 30mins of sleep and was feeling awake, so I got up. My BGL was 5.4 the temp is 20c or 68f.

I wore my new shoes when I went shopping this more, they fit ok but after a while I had to take them off as my feet started to hurt, my right shoe felt tight and the left felt too loose. They didn’t start out feeling like that.

I haven’t been good this morning with the tremor returning in my legs, jaw and internal, so I decided to take one of the strong Madopar instead of the lower dosage at 10am and I took the lower dosage at 2pm and I am feeling much better after that.

I will see how I go tomorrow.

It is another hot day reach a top temperature of 32c or 89.6f.

Steps: 4,368 = 2.5k’s or 1.2miles

Good morning world it is 6.15am on Friday morning, I have showered dressed applied make-up now for breakfast. My BGL was 5.6 at 5am the temp was 22c or 71.6f we are heading for a top of only 28c or 82.4f.

Saw the doctor about my depression he has increased my medication, so we will see how that goes.

It is hot at 1pm it is 28c or 82.4f and I’m starting to find unwell.

It started to rain here around 6pm but didn’t last long.

Steps:4,111 = 2.5k’s

I had a good 9hrs of sleep been up since 4.30am it is currently 22c or 71f and my BGL at 5am was 5.9.

It is another stinking hot day; this afternoon Tim went and picked up the new computer desk chair I bought from Officeworks yesterday. He should put it together later this evening.

My BGL at 6pm was 5.3

Steps:6,739 = 3.4k’s or 2 miles

 

 

 

 

 

Caturday with Archie

Good afternoon everyone, it's Archie here sharing a couple of photos of me checking out this basket mum has and getting into it and having to get mum to hold it while I backed out of it.

Memories

 

Hello everyone, here I am on this hot Friday afternoon sitting and thinking about well nothing much my mind has been all over the pale I thought about how when I was younger, I wasn’t bothered by the heat and how I think that is part of aging. As a child I was outside in the stinking heat all day and we didn’t have air conditioning.

I think we got an air conditioner sometime in the mid 1970’s we had a large window unit in the loungeroom and at night it would be left on with the hallway door open as well as bedroom doors to try and cool the rest of the house down. At some point my parents got an air con for their bedroom as dad did shift work and it made it easier for him to sleep during the day.

I also remember when my parents bought a pool a large above ground pool, which I loved and spent a lot of time in. I remember the day dad with my uncle John took it apart as were moving to a larger house this was back in May 1980, after we moved dad worked on the new yard and put the pool back together again. We had that pool a long time I can’t remember when dad finally took it down and tossed it.

I can also remember when my parents go air conditioning in the car it wasn’t factory fitted but an added extra this was also sometime in the 1970’s.

 

The post with links to other posts

 

My post with links to other posts and a few photos as well

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/getting-to-know-me.html’

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/this-weeks-tuesdays-4.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/sunday-stealing.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2026/02/not-sporting-hodgepodge.html

 

 

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Longsighted

 

Today we are looking at long sighted people this condition is called hyperopia people with this condition can see clearly things far away but things up close are blurry.

What causes this condition well since it is the opposite of being short sighted the causes are the opposite of those that, such as the eyeball being too short and the lens too thin, with the shorter the eyeball and the thinner the lens the more long sighted a person will be.

In a long-sighted person light rays are not focused on the retina, the actual point of focus is further away from the retina, so a blurred image forms on the retina.

Because of this, the eye has to work harder to focus on near objects.

Those with long‑sightedness often notice:

Blurry vision when reading or doing close work

Eye strain or headaches after focusing for a while

Squinting to see clearly

Fatigue, especially later in the day

Some children can “auto‑focus” using their eye muscles, so the problem isn’t obvious until they get tired.

This condition is treated in a few ways such as glasses with convex lenses, contact lenses and surgery.

As people age, the lens becomes less flexible, making it harder to compensate for hyperopia. That’s why many people find reading harder in their 40s and beyond.

 

Turtles

This week we are looking at turtles, did you know they are cold blooded reptiles, which is why they are often seen basking in the sun.

Some feel they seem ancient and mysterious as well as strangely comforting. This may have something to do with the fact that they have been around for more than 220 million years, what the hell that means they were around during the time of the dinosaurs.

Their slow, steady way of life hides a surprising amount of diversity and evolutionary brilliance.

Their shells are part of the skeleton which means they can’t leave it and it grows with them.

There are three main species, sea turtles, freshwater turtles and tortoises, they often live a long time some giant tortoises can live over 150 years.

Sea Turtles are graceful ocean wanderers that migrate thousands of kilometres. Females return to the exact beach where they hatched to lay eggs, sadly many species of sea turtles are endangered due to fishing nets, pollution, and habitat loss. Examples are the Green Turtle, Logerhead, Hawksbill.

Then there are Freshwater Turtles, which are found in rivers, lakes and wetlands, with some of the most unique species being found in Australia. Examples are the Murry River Turtle, Mary River Turtle which has punk-rock algae hair.

Lastly, we have tortoises which are land dwelling, slow moving, long living with thick domed shells. They are herbivores a famous one is Jonathan who holds the recorded for being the longest living.

All turtles lay eggs on land, even sea turtles with hatchlings relying on moonlight to guide them to the ocean, sex is determined by temperature warmer nest produce more females.

They may not be fast, but they’re far from simple, as Sea turtles navigate using Earth’s magnetic field, Freshwater turtles recognise individual humans and some species communicate through low‑frequency sounds.

They play essential roles in ecosystems with sea turtles keep seagrass meadows healthy, freshwater turtles clean waterways by scavenging and tortoises shape landscapes by grazing and digging.

 

Cowra Breakout

Hi, everyone, this today’s post was inspired by the holiday taken back in December after visiting the site of the Cowra POW Camp.

Cowra may be the best-known camp due to the 1944 Cowra Breakout, which was the largest prison breakout in Australian history and of the largest of World War 11.

Over 1,000 Japanese prisoners attempted a mass escape leading to the deaths of over 200 people. The escape took place on the 5 August 1944.

In total about 235 Japanese prisoners died along with 4 Australian soldiers, it is one of the deadliest prison escape attempts in modern military history.

The soldiers who died were Privates Hardy, Jones, Shepherd, and Lieutenant Doncaster.

There was no single person in charge of the breakout but was driven by a group of non-commissioned who planned and initiated the escape.

This was because the prisoners were bound by the Bushido code, which viewed surrender as shameful. This created a shared determination among many prisoners to die honourably rather than be transferred to another camp. As a result, the breakout emerged from group consensus rather than top‑down command.

The escape was triggered by an unauthorised bugle call, sounded by a Japanese prisoner whose identity is not definitively recorded in official sources.

The event is widely studied in military history and commemorated in Japan and Australia. The Japanese Garden and War Cemetery were established as symbols of peace and reconciliation, further cementing Cowra’s global recognition.

Cowra wasn’t the only POW camp in Australia; in fact, there was over 50 POW and internment camps across all states and territories. This includes major, purpose‑built POW camps as well as smaller labour detachments, hostels, and temporary internment facilities.

Other major camps could be found at Hay, Loveday, Tatura, and Marrinup.

There was one Over 12,000 people were interned or held as POWs in Australia at the peak of the war. When I read this, I wondered why so many well it seems that Australia became a major Allied holding country because of its location being so far from the front lines and we had available land for secure camps.