I get outta the car and stretch the back . This is odd . I can see it’s familiar but it’s the scent that rushes in that brings a smile . ” How’s that smell . What is that ? ” , I yell . I can hear birds ,branches ruffling in the wind and small twigs and nuts hitting the ground .Behind me , a row of flowering gum trees throwing out a pungent sweet smell of Australiana . The little things you take for granted in Australia are appreciated in an endearing light in LA.
Emma has driven 40 minutes north along the coast , just passing Santa Monica and veering in up Sunset Boulevard. Who would’ve known that at the bottom of this iconic boulevard would be a turn off that would take us to a park that has been the closest thing to Australia I’ve yet seen in the US . Will Rogers Park .
We are here to meet Emmas work mates for a leisurely hike . Luckily I brought our little friend , the Aussie rules footy . On the other side of the gum trees was a fenced off field . “Holy shit , this is made for football .”, I say to Leroy . Shit , I’m already daydreaming of the glory days playing up at the potato chip on RedHill . I’m pep talking Leroy , pretending we are about to run out at our local football ground , through the gum trees , passing the waft of meat pies and VB all the while huddling up as we talk our way up into a frenzy about smashing this other mob . …… “Howie , what are you doing ? We are here to find our friends . We are going for a hike aren’t we ? ” , Emma yells . “Ok , darl ” … that snapped me back to reality . Leroy loves it when I pretend we are about to head down the race to play football . 
This place is a large green space south of Malibu ,just off the edge of a joint called Pacific Palisades , opposite Brentwood . They’re probably names you’ve heard before . Will Rogers was Hollywoods biggest star in the 30s . He owned this magnificent property in the coastal hills out the back of Hollywood .Formerly a ranch it is now a public park containing a homestead, horse paddocks , barns , polo fields and numerous walking trails through the hills of Topanga State Park.
I always look across at the Malibu hills and wonder what trails are up there , but I didn’t know a park that connects to those hills could be stuffed so close to the rat race of LA . We caught up with Steffanie , Mark , Frank and Anne and headed up one of the shorter trails . The views were surprising 
From LA in the distance , to snow capped mountains . Yes , you can see snow from the coast of LA . I bet you never envisaged that in Australia. 
It’s a relief to find green space , trees and tracks . To have a vista with mountains and not concrete . Dirt tracks through coastal scrub and the subtle smell of ocean salt with rushes of pungent eucalyptus . It’s been tough living here through Christmas and New Years , but this park brings a smile to my face and almost a tear to my eye . Will Rogers Park …….. We’ve gotta get back there 
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