So glad I decided to visit the ponds!

To better enjoy my photographs, please click on them to increase their size.

Life has been a little busy of late and I haven't walked around the golf ponds for a number of weeks.
Earlier in the day I had told myself that today was the day to get back to it.  I was startled when I looked at the clock and saw that the time was 10 to 5. Sunset time was 5.05, so  I quickly grabbed my shoes and, thankfully camera, and was away.

Our winter's day had reached 25C, with crisp, clear blue skies and the occasional fluffy cloud, dancing off to the horizon. At this hour there was still no need of a coat. It was a delight to be out in the fresh air. This feeling increased tenfold, when I spied the 30 odd pelicans lazily floating on the middle pond. Some were already settling on the small island for the night. The sunset colours then added to my joy.

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous."

                                                                               Aristotle

For brother Jim

To beter enjoy the photos, please click on them to increase their size.

When my brother Jim, was living in Brisbane in 2012, he learnt about a trail from the Mt Gravatt Lookout to Toohey Forest. We walked some of the trails in Toohey Forest together, but to our regret, we had never found time to find the longer track and then he was transferred back to Townsville.

It has been on my bucket list since and finally on Wednesday June 4, the Down Under hikers managed not to get lost and found the starting point in a pleasant park, at the base of Mt Gravatt Reserve.
There is a bitumen road that winds its way to the outlook and Echidna Cafe, but we headed into the bush on the dusty trail that soon had our heart rate increasing, as it wound its way up to the views of Brisbane.
It was a hazy view on this occasion, but the decision was made that when showing visitors Brisbane, it would be far more convenient to bring them here, rather than to Mt Cootha.

From here we descended on a track on the southern side of the reserve to the Griffith, Mt Gravatt Campus, with a further descent taking us to a tunnel under the Pacific Motorway to the Toohey Forest
trails. All in all we hiked 16 kms in Brisbane City, in bush, on a very hot winter's day. Rarely did the sound of traffic, spoil our enjoyment of our surroundings.

On our return to the car and to our coffee reward, we agreed with Jenny, that the sensible thing to do would be to drive up to the  outlook and again enjoy the view as we relaxed. A fitting finale to another successful walk 'down under'.

How the day panned out:-

Ups and downs

Very little water
                                   Controlled burning

                                  Ruggedness

Hidden faces

                                      Balancing rocks

                                             Sheer strength

                                   Peaceful, well earned rests

                                             Lots of nonsense

                                  Hazy morning view

                                  Smokey afternoon views

                           Agreement that hiking 'down under' is not difficult to take each week!

Thank you for dropping by. Do say hello and leave a comment.