A Sunny Week

Tuesday 23 July

The Gaiter Girls enjoyed a local walk of 12 km, setting off at 8am.

The wattle trees are in full, glorious golden bloom.

We visited the recently erected flood marker beside the Logan River. We were surprised to see that the 1974 flood was far higher than any recent ones. Unfortunately the light was in the wrong place to clearly see the years.

Top down - 1974, 2022, 2017, 2011.

The marker is red to match the old bridge on the left, now only a footbridge. To the right, are 2 bridges of 4 lanes each. Commuter traffic is regularly at a standstill on them. 

Mary [R] is an extremely fast walker hence Janice [L] is telling her to obey the sign.

Wednesday the Hungry Hikers met at Wynnum for their 14 km walk. A good old cuppa and a delicious 'Magic Slice' [the cake's name] were enjoyed before setting out on yet another, glorious blue sky day.

It took awhile, but they finally coordinated the feeling of joy, of being 'out and about' on this beautiful day. Had they eaten too much slice?

The sea was crystal clear.

I was mesmerised and confused, as I watched these leaves twist and turn through the water. 

The video finally gave me the answer.

Screenshot of what I now believe to be a Shovelnosed Guitar Fish.

 

In Aussie speak - a pair of galahs catching up with friends.

Saturday 27 July

This was the 8am scene as I drove to collect friends for a days drive in beautiful Northern New South Wales. It is very unusual to have fog, let alone this thick, at this time of day.

Mt Warning or Wollumbin [cloud catcher] No clouds today!

I've climbed her twice, but the trail is now closed to hikers in respect of the cultural significance to the local Indigenous people.

Lunchtime view at my brother's farm, near Lismore.

Happiness is being 'out and about' with friends, on glorious winter's days.

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Chilly Beauty

 Brisbane, golf ponds and full moon.

This past week we knew winter had definitely arrived. Over night minimums dropped to 5 and 6 centigrade and the windchill factor, on our sunny 17 - 21 maximums, was icy as a result of the strong westerlie winds blowing.

Janice and I were the only Gaiter Girls available to walk on Tuesday. We drove to the Apollo Ferry Terminal to take the ferry across to Brett's Wharf on Kingsford Smith Drive Hamilton, our starting point for our riverside walk back to the city. 

Hamilton is one of the older suburbs of Brisbane and has many lovely old prostigious homes. Janice hadn't done this walk previously. A wonderful old white Queenslander caught her eye, high on the hill. We agreed that it would be worth our taking a closer look and so changed direction. We never found the beauty, but spent a lovely couple of hours admiring many of the magnificent homes and their city views.

A rare deciduous tree.

The Gateway Bridge - opened in 1986 to cross the river and bi-pass the city. Its 4 lanes replaced a ferry crossing. In 2010 it was duplicated. It looks insignificant from this distance, but close up, as in a 2018 photo, it is massive and impressive.

The following morning, there was just one pelican feeding on the misty golf ponds.

I was fully expecting this to be a short post. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the Hungry Hikers took a short, cold and windy walk along Bulimba Creek, before retiring to Leanne's nearby unit to cheer her up after her recent back operation. Thankfully she didn't require a lot of cheering up, as from the moment she woke from her operation, she knew it had been successful. No more debilitating sciatic pain whatsoever.

Time to conclude this post? 

It would have been, but Sunday evening saw the full moon rising over the golf course and for once, the sky was clear of clouds.

I was watching it rise with our neighbours, but the shimmering light on the ponds, soon had me rushing down to the water's edge.

The sky to the west, as I walked back.

Time to conclude now?

It would have been, but I was awake at 4am on Monday morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. I checked the moon's setting time and decided to head down to the ponds just after 5.30. My liitle camera doesn't do a great job in poor light, but this is the scene that greeted me. 

The photos in order from 5.40 to 6am. The first and second are from my camera. The third from my Iphone. A much truer image. You should be able to pick the rest, although as the time passed and the sky lightened, both were very similar.

6.06 onwards.

A lone pelican flew in,

And the moon began to play games.

Finding breakfast.

6.45 the moon has sunk below the tree line. I reluctantly made my way back to the house, with the golden glow of sunrise on my back.

Beating the chill.

5C when I set out. Only 13C at 10 am, so I was still wearing most of this clothing as our unheated home felt colder than the outside. Warmer days ahead and the sky continues to be cloudless.

Just the best start to my day!

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