There's a distant roadway winding
Downward by the sea,
Thro' the lanes where dog-woods flower,
'Neath the wattle tree.
Thro' the slip-rails, 'cross the river,
Up the hills and down,
Till the waters flash and quiver,
Close by Burnie town.
Riding down to Burnie town,
Burnie by the sea,
Past the paddocks, green and brown,
Green and golden lea;
Bracken braes with briar strewn
All the pathway down
Lead to where the waters croon,
Close by Burnie town.
There the silver showers fleeting
Drench the green-clad hills,
Where the nodding ferns are curling
By the crystal rills.
There the magpies gay are culling
All the dewy dawn,
To the noisy water brawling
'Twixt its banks of lawn.
Summer snows the fields with clover,
Golden Cape-Weed gay,
With the brown bees roaming over
All the livelong day.
Down the gale the bushland flowers
Fling their incense strange,
Dusky blue the haze is deep'ning
On the distant range.
There's a distant road that's leading
Past the autumn hedge,
Where the tangled brushwood serries
Cliff and messy ledge;
There are white clouds floating over
In the clear, soft blue --
Like a heart-sick absent lover,
Dear, I think of you.
Winter and the frost flung over
Like q bridal veil;
Youth and Joy together laughing
Long have left the dale;
And a spectral shadow striding
Throws my castles down-
Shall I never more go riding
Down to Burnie town.
Riding down to Burnie town,
Burnie by the sea,
Past the paddocks, green and brown,
Green and golden lea.
Now the path is lost for aye,
Lost to you and me.
Oh! the world is sad and grey.
Burnie by the sea!
First published in The Bulletin, 19 November 1908
