Hello everyone.
No foundation, Milobina, and Manager Nonko are always welcome.
It's been a while since my last post, but I'd like to talk about the forest of giant trees I encountered during a trip to Western Australia this spring, when I accompanied my Australian partner on his visit home.
Please stay with us until the end.
This trip was a week shorter than usual, lasting only two weeks, so the schedule was quite packed.
For the first 10 days or so, I had a pretty tough schedule, staying overnight to paint a rental house owned by my partner!
With that finally come to an end, we decided, "Okay, let's go on our annual trip!" and we packed up and set off at lightning speed.
To the southernmost tip of Western Australia
The place I visited this time was Albany, a peaceful town at the southernmost tip of Western Australia.
Just as I arrived, gasoline prices were skyrocketing due to the global situation (the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz).
At the rural gas station, I heard some people saying things like, "We won't get any gas until next week," which made me quite nervous, but thankfully everything worked out during my stay.
The term "southernmost point" might not immediately conjure up a clear image for everyone.
I was the same at first, but as we were looking out at the sea from a rock along the coast, my partner suddenly said this:
"The nearest island ahead is Antarctica."
Wait, Antarctica?!
Hearing those words, I truly felt that I was at the southernmost point.
A place where ancient energy still thrives
This region was apparently an ancient continent.
I don't have any particular psychic abilities, but when I visited the forests of Albany this time, I felt something like an ancient energy, completely different from the forests of Japan.
Compared to Japanese forests, there's a certain wildness and raw power about them.
We drove to the entrance of this forest of giant trees, and then walked into the forest from there.
Giant trees, some as tall as 70 meters, now stand silently everywhere.
Australia is a place with many wildflowers and a thriving bee population.
Even when walking along this forest path, you can constantly hear the buzzing of bees working energetically overhead.
As I continued on, I felt a strong sense that this forest itself was "alive."
Tears welled up the moment I touched her hand.
After walking for a while, we came across a particularly large tree that had been carefully maintained to allow people to approach it safely.
Tourists are allowed to take pictures there and even touch the trees directly.
I casually touched the tree with both hands and looked up at him.
At that moment, for reasons I still don't understand, I felt a deep emotional response in my chest, and tears welled up in my eyes.
Even as I'm writing this, I feel like I'm going to cry. I wonder why? (laughs)
I can't quite find the right words, but it felt like I'd met an old soulmate, someone I wanted to thank.
These giant trees have been home to and watched over the insects and animals that live there for a very, very long time, even before I was born.
I was told that the tree was over 400 years old.
We are a part of nature
When you live in a city, you often forget that you are a part of nature, or rather, that nature is nature itself.
We often forget that we are part of a single society, together with the forest, insects, and animals.
Perhaps the reason I cried was because I felt as if someone was gently saying to me, "You are a part of nature, welcome back."
I want to cherish the memory of that moment when I looked up at that giant tree from below, and the feeling of it gently embracing me.
It's also explained in the video
This content is also briefly explained in the video.
If you want to get a general idea of the situation first, check this out.
🌿 UV protection series
- Australia | Giant Trees are herehere
- Australia | UV rays and cypress Click here
- Australia | Honey & NatureClick here
- Australia | Ecosystems and SoapClick here
- Extra episode: [(This is my personal Instagram) The hard work behind the scenes of paintingClick here!
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