I’ve been rather gloomy of late in my posts. More than I’ve meant to be. And I don’t really have grounds to excuse all my complaints about my current circumstances, since I’ve brought most of them on myself.
Soooo…. I hope this post changes that flow, if only momentarily!
Since returning from Thailand things have been a little monotonous. I haven’t felt like doing much yoga practice in the tammas-heavy world I’m presently living in. In fact I’ve been doing the bare minimum – daily prayers, breathing meditations and regular touch points with the beings whose protection I feel every day. Weekends haven’t been much fun being stuck out in Suburbia-urbia-urbia without a car and no friends nearby.
So, when my good friend L said she’d hire a car (being car-less herself) and come visit me this weekend just gone, I was very excited. Yay!
My response was to suggest a trip to the Dandenong Ranges, only a short drive from my parents’ place. The Dandenong’s are a series of rolling hills full of enormous and lively trees, iridescent ferns, associated greenery and quaint little tourist towns. But despite the heavy tourist trade, it’s so beautiful there and the perfect antidote to the city and suburbia alike.
L had been working in Sydney since I returned to Melbourne, and we hadn’t actually caught up at all. So Sunday was a long overdue girl-chat session covering the height and breadth of all possible topics. We ate a hearty lunch in Olinda, scoffed a Devonshire tea in Sassafras (in a quirky old church no less!) and went walking to combat the effects of all that good food.
For our walk, we went somewhere I’d been meaning to visit for some years now and never managed it until today – William Rickett’s Sanctuary.
My knowledge of this place is linked to another part of the story of my recovery, which I’ve yet to write up. It should be coming along soon I hope, if I can fend off my inner critic for a while longer!
William Rickett was an artist in the 1930’s who strongly identified with Aboriginal Australian culture and also lived in India for a couple of years. His art is spiritually motivated, which you can see in the pictures I’ve included here. When he died, he willed his estate and his many sculptures to the council.
It was a wonderful enchanted world to visit.
The sculptures are kiln fired clay but look like wood, almost as if they’ve grown out of the trees or rocks they’ve been mounted on. William Rickett certainly put a lot of energy into his art and you can breathe it in if you stand still there long enough.
It’s a place I’ll go back to for writing or to spend time alone or with people I like, talking in soft whispers. There are side lanes, nooks and enclaves designed for intimacy and drinking in the natural beauty of the surrounds.
It’s an earthy place of memories, inspiration, friendship and love.
Thanks to G, for bring it to my attention three years ago.
~Svasti
Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness 
Oh, wow! The gardens/statues are magnificent. Reminds of the Rodin museum in Paris a bit.
This was great, but stop apologizing. You are supposed to write whatever you want which usually means whatever you are feeling for that moment. Being real and present is what I like about you…so don’t try to be what you think you or others should be.
CC
Its really very beautiful there…
Anyhoo – I didn’t mean to be apologising CC. Its just that I’ve kind of been annoying the crap outta myself lately with all my ‘woe is me’ stuff.
And I really did have a pretty fantastico day. 😀
Hey Svasti,
Thanks for dropping by my little blog. I couldn’t help but comment on the William Rickett’s post you’ve done.
Ricketts also did many carvings for the Pitchi Richi Sanctuary in Alice Springs. Pitchi Richi was Alice Springs’ first ‘tourist’ park; currently, it’s closed. It was abandoned many years ago and is in an unloved state. A few years ago, it was almost lost to developers.
It’s been heritage listed early this year after a big public outcry, but Rickett’s amazing scupltures by Ricketts deserve to be seen and enjoyed once more. I guess it needs a decent injection of cash and some promotion. It’s in a prime spot for tourists – and what an awesome connection to the Dandenongs.
anyways, I’m zzzzz so best be off.
Amanda
Glad you liked this post Amanda.
I didn’t know about William Rickett’s other work, I’ll have to get up that way and see it some time if it opens again.
Yeah, they do look like they’re growing right out of the rocks…actually, looking at the pics before reading the text, I assumed they were carved right out of the rocks—yeah, that would mean the rocks were pretty funkily shaped to start with but…it’s still early and I haven’t had coffee yet. Anyway, looks like an incredible beautiful and powerful place (I mean powerful in terms of emotional effect…don’t think I’m indulging in any ‘o that spirit talk….Anyway, this makes me wanna head down and check ’em out in person. Can I crash at your place?
Jay… you know you’d be more than welcome 🙂
That’s what I find most endearing about you – here you are learning more about yoga and digging it, but hey, none of that ‘spirit’ crap for you!! LOL…