I’m delighted to be part of the Book’d Out Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop celebrating Australian Writers and stories. I’m giving away a copy of NORTHERN HEAT and a matching book beanbag – the perfect place to rest your book or your e-reader when you’re snuggled up reading! I’m also giving away a copy of The Outback Heart, by Fiona Palmer, one of my favourite Australian Rural Romance authors. The giveaway is only open to Australian Residents. Stop by the other blogs on the tour to win some other fabulous prizes.
Do you join in Australia Day celebrations and stick Aussie flags on your car/boat/caravan? Do you succumb to the Australian Meat and Livestock advertisement and put lamb on the bbq or are you more a reef and beef fan? Do you take the time to remember why we celebrate Australia Day on the 26th January?
Having cruised down the Queensland coast and into Sydney Harbour this year I have a slightly different take on Australia Day and the history of the celebrations.
Over the last six months we’ve visited islands, bays and rivers that were named by the British Explorers in the 1700s and 1800s. We’ve learnt more about the local Aboriginal tribes and their deep connection with their land. Some of these tribes waged successful guerrilla warfare against the newcomers, including capturing sailing vessels and exacting revenge for the murders of their families. But I also have a better understanding of the hardships faced by the colonists. Names like Cape Tribulation and Shoalwater Bay are reminders that they too were just men, and occasionally women, doing their jobs in extreme conditions.
It’s easy to cast them as villians without remembering that many of the early explorers had no choice in the tasks they’d been assigned and they were literally in uncharted waters. Australia’s coastline is not hospitable – I know first hand now! Rocky shores, pounding surf breaks, strong currents, large tidal ranges and river entrances clogged with shifting sands made life difficult. The Great Barrier Reef was treacherous for vessels trying to navigate their way through the maze of coral bommies and reefs. There are over thirty wrecks of historical significance scattered along its length. Captain Cook escaped sinking by the narrowest of margins on Endeavour Reef south of Cooktown. The English had no easy ride claiming Terra Australis for a new settlement.
The cultural richness of modern day Australia owes everything to the subsequent waves of migration. If food is a measure of how a country embraces different nationalities then Australia is doing okay. In the month that we’ve been moored in Rozelle in Sydney we’ve walked past Greek, Thai, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, French, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Persian Restaurants, and Australian Pubs selling steaks and meat pies.
This year on Australia Day I’ll raise a glass of Barossa wine to honour past generations, whatever their birthplace. I hope that Australia can continue to be an open and welcoming country, always mindful that we are fortunate in so many ways. So many people from all walks of life and many different countries have helped to build this wonderful nation.
What are your plans for the day? Picnic, barbecue, or quiet day at home? Do you have a family tradition?
To go into the prize draw leave a comment on the blog or visit my author page on Face Book.
Don’t forget to check out the other blogs at Book’d Out to go into the running for more great prizes!!
Thanks, Margaret, it’s such a great giveaway with so many fabulous prizes to be won 🙂
Hi Kira, sounds like a lovely way to relax before the kids head back to school again. Australia Day was always the day we sorted our stuff for school when I was growing up so it’s lovely that it’s evolved into a day for families to spend time together relaxing.
Laura, I hope you had a wonderful day and the tennis matches lived up to expectations! Thanks for dropping by:)
Thanks, Helene, for the opportunity to win books by Australian authors. Happy Australia Day!
Thank you for such a generous giveaway. We’ve had a quiet day. I spent a lot of it reading, and my husband and I took our kids to the beach. I cooked a roast lamb for dinner, although that wasn’t entirely because it was a special occasion, just because. Happy Australia Day 🙂
We’re having a quiet day at home watching the tennis (Australian Open). I’m usually at work during the day, so it is a real treat to be at home to watch the singles matches.
Julia, love your wonderful support for all the Aussie authors – and the lamb industry!! We are indeed fortunate to live in Australia 🙂
Lamb is our icon meat yep not cheap anymore being an Aussie is not about what we can or can’t afford it’s about Pride and living in the best place and being proud of all our great Aussie authors Aussie Aussie Oi Oi
Kathryn, chicken sounds just fine to me!
We’ve been having a wonderful adventure sailing the coast. I’m ready to move on from Sydney Harbour now but we’re still waiting for repairs to the damage on Roobinesque… Hopefully not much longer!
Enjoy your day 🙂
Sandra, lamb is ridiculously expensive! We’ll be having lamb chops only because Capt G snaffled a bargain yesterday. And next year it sounds like a great plan to grab some home grown lamb!
Nicole, I hope you have glorious weather and find some time to head to the beach. It’s always so busy getting ready for the school year… I remember that we spent Australia Day doing just that when I was going to school as it was always celebrated on the last Monday in January.
And good luck with winning some great books!
Oh, and I love that you’ve been sailing along the coast – that sounds awesome!
Thanks for the opportunity to win, Helene! It will be a quiet day for me – not actually sure what I’m even eating – I was aiming for lamb at lunch and the reef part of the reef and beef for dinner, but I forgot to get fish when I shopped this morning, then when I called in this evening they’d run out, and I couldn’t find any nice lamb at the supermarket and forgot to ask at the butcher’s! Is chicken Australian enough? I’ve got oodles of that!
Hi Helene! I was at the supermarket today, and felt I just had to buy some lamb for tomorrow – but it’s SO expensive!! I was going to buy strips, or pieces for souvlaki (well we do have a large Greek culture LOL), but they were just too expensive. So I bought some chops – they won’t go far, so it will probably be lunch! But as I said to my husband, it’s almost un-Australian to not have lamb on Australia Day! Hopefully next year we’ll be closer to my sister, and we might be able to have some of her homegrown lamb!
Hi Helene
Thanks for the chance to win some wonderful Australian books.
As school holidays are winding down here in WA, I will be trying to chill out and prepare for the back to work / school chaos that is bound to ensue in the coming weeks!
As the weather is forecast to be fine, might even venture to the beach with the family.
Happy Australia Day, hope it’s fabulous.
Enjoy your day, Nicole, even if it is cleaning. It’s always fun having guests!
And thanks for dropping by! You’re in the running for the book-bean bag 🙂
Alicia, thanks for being part of the blog hop – so many great prizes to be won! Enjoy your day at the beach and I hope the sun shines 🙂
Sarah, I do love a good bean-bag. You couldn’t quite curl up in the book-bean bag, but’s a very comfy way to keep an e-reader propped up!
Enjoy your reading time, Ann-Marie! It’s forecast to rain down here on Sydney Harbour so I might have time to read as well as finishing work on my latest manuscript!
We will mostly be cleaning and getting ready for a houseguest who is arriving on Friday, and getting the kids ready for school.
Thanks for the opportunity to win, that book beanbag looks perfect for reading in bed!
I will be spending the day working this Australia Day, not all doom and gloom as I work in a country pub so it will be lively 🙂
Australia Day is going to be spent at the beach – enjoying nature at its best! Fantastic competition you are all holding 🙂
I must say the sound of curling up in a bean bag with a good book sounds like an incredibly relaxing way to enjoy some me time.
Australia Day will probably a great reading day for me. So many wonderful Aussie author to choose from.
Have a great day Helene.
Sue, that sounds delicious! I love wandering around markets and trying something different. Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by the blog!
Thanks, Michelle, so many great books to be won on the blog hop!
Veronica, that sounds like a lovely way to spend Australia Day! Thanks for dropping by the blog to share.:)
Great post, Helene. And a great giveaway.
I’m hoping to spend the day at Wollongong Harbour with hubby where Australia Day is celebrated with many people from different walks of life and the variety of food tents is eye-boggling and oh, so yum. It’s a fun and happy place to go to.
What a great giveaway and awesome books too
This Australia Day we will be going back in time and visiting the Australian Pioneer Village where my cousin and his daughter do volunteer work.
Bec, I hope you’ve had a fabulous holiday. Enjoy the last couple of days of freedom and reading a good book!!
Thanks for dropping by and your in the draw 🙂
Amanda, lounging around the pool with a good book used to be my idea of heaven when we lived in a house! Enjoy your day and thanks for dropping by 🙂
A lazy day sounds like a great idea before the chaos of another school year, Wendy. You’re in the running for the prizes and I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my other books! Thank you 🙂
That sounds like a lovely way to spend the day, Dale. We walked from where we’re moored up to Castlecrag today and I saw a sign for a street party for Australia Day. If we’re still here then I think we’ll wonder on up! Thanks for being part of the blog hop.
HI Marilyn, thanks for stopping by – I love that you’re keeping Northern Heat close! You’re in the prize draw so good luck 🙂
Australia Day is the perfect time to cobine two things I love, spending time with family and chilling by our pool (hopefully also fitting in some reading time too!). Thank you for the giveaway what great Aussie books and authors are on offer 🙂
I’d love a chance to win a copy of your book, I’ve enjoyed your other ones very much.
We will just have a quiet day at home, a lazy day before school goes back Wednesday.
Australia day is my last day of holidays before going back to work so im planning on spending it reading a great aussie book and maybe going to the beach
Usually participate in one of the local celebrations or get together with friends at home.
Thanks so much for this opportunity to win books from you, Helene. I’d love another copy of Northern Heat to give to a friend because I’m not allowing my copy to leave the house. 🙂
Happy birthday to your mother, Mary! I hope you have a lovely day with your family. And thanks for dropping by the blog 🙂
Hi Jessy, thanks for being part of the blog hop giveaway and for being a regular commentor on social media. Glad you’re enjoying the photos. We’ve very lucky to see so much of our wonderful coastline and to meet so many interesting people. I have enough story lines to keep me very busy for at least another fifty years!! Good luck in the prize draw 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, Jess, and for all your support!
Have a lovely day with your family and I hope there’s plenty of scampi – do you catch them in the Lake? I remember the first time I had scampi in the UK and thought – ‘it’s just prawns,’ but it was a whole lot different to the banana or king prawns I was used to eating in Queensland! Delicious 🙂
Australia Day is also my Mother’s birthday. We celebrate both with a family party.
Hi! Helene,
Thanks for the opportunity to win two books.Just can’t get enough of Australian stories. Enjoyed reading your post.Yes, we are very lucky to be a part of such a beautiful and multicultural Country. For Australia day we will be celebrating it at our local park with the lovely programs that our Canterbury Council has setup for us.Of course I’ll find time to read and enjoy the fireworks.
I have been following all your trip photos and you must have been learning as well as meeting a lot of people from various walks of life. All the best with your travels .You are a very good photographer.
Happy Australia Day !
So true Helene, so true and such a great post. I’m not entering your giveaway as I own both of the books (and can say they are both amazing so whoever the lucky winners are they are sure to love them!), but rather stopping by to show support for other blogs in the giveaway.
Sounds like a great Australia Day you’ve got planned though Helene. I think too much of this lovely country get riled up at this time of the year and often forget that we are a multicultural land. Personally I’m spending the day with the family and the promise of scampi!
Best of luck with the rest of your travels. It looks like you two have been having one hell of a trip already 🙂
Catherine, that sounds like a lovely way to spend the day! We’re baking bread this afternoon – something soothing about kneading dough. Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for stopping by, Janine! You’re in the draw. It’s great to be able to support Aussie writers 🙂 Enjoy your Australia Day celebrations too.
We have a quiet day planned, with friends coming around in the evening, and hopefully lots of reading and a bit of baking. Hope your day is great, and thank you for this giveaway!
Thanks Helen for the chance to win two great books, I’ve not read anything yet by yourself or Fiona but I love Aussie authors and always looking for new ones. Hope you have a happy Australia Day 😊