The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Brisbane

 Sunday 15 February

The Edinburgh Tattoo is celebrating its 75th birthday with performances in Brisbane and Auckland in NZ. Tickets went on sale online in May 2025. I initially missed out, but with an additional night added, I successfully bought 3 $99 tickets. Joc and Leanne joined me this past Sunday night.

It was a spectacular, blood stirring event, held at Suncorp Football Stadium. The weather Gods however got it totally wrong. We have had little to no rain for over 2 months. Everything brown and garden plants dying.

Monday's weather forecast  for the Tattoo weekend - Millions of Queenslanders are being warned to brace for a major deluge with intense falls threatening flash flooding. The severe weather alert has forced the cancellation of some events. 

We receieved flood alerts from our council, even before the rain had started. Overkill?

The temperatures all week soared as we decluttered. On Thursday, our busiest day, my hair dripped with sweat all day. I've never felt that before. I was so shattered I couldn't eat dinner, just fell into bed. Thankfully the worst was now done. Thursday was the first night of the Tattoo. Was everyone going to swelter or were they going to be drenched? Would there be a cancellation? How did the performers manage to rehearse in the conditions?

The rain began to fall about 4pm in the city, on the first night of the Tattoo. Mid to heavy rain fell all evening and the temperture was still high. How did the performers cope? How did they get everything dry for the next performance? It rained every day, but thankfully Brisbane didn't get the forecast downpour. Flooding did occur in country areas.

Ticket holders who had paid upwards of $300 to be close to the action sat all evening, huddled under their ponchos. Cheaper ticket holders had the protection of the roof.

It rained all afternoon Sunday, easing as we took the bus to the stadium. It stayed dry. We were so relieved for the over 1000 performers who had come from 13 countries to the 'Sunshine State'.

Waiting for the countdown.

The tattoo commences - Edinburgh Castle in Brisbane.

Can you see the letters REMT - Royal Edinburgh Miltary Tattoo. 75 years!

It was interesting that the Welcome to Country and the National Anthems were not performed until a good 20 mins or more into the show.

US Marines

Norwegian Drum Corp

Tongan Dance Troupe

Brilliant entertanment for the 1 1/2 hours to interval.

The second half was only 3/4 of an hour, but just magnificent.

The combined miltary bands.

Readying for the finale.

A brilliant 75th performance.

The farewells commnece.

Their final exit.

The Pipers prepare to leave.

I do love a pipe and brass band! Joc and I were also fortunate to be present at the actual Edinburgh Tattoo in 1978. Both evenings equally brilliant. 

Crashing early and then waking early, has allowed me to post this wonderful event. The worst chores are done and we are more relaxed for the open house on Saturday.

I would love to read your comment.

An Awesome Sunrise

 Wednesday 4 February

With only 4 Hungry Hikers available this past Wednesday, the plan was made to walk 5 km by ourselves in the early morning, and then gather at Southbank in the city, to complete our weekly 10, before sharing a meal at the Casino, where Hiker Laurel was staying with her husband.

At 5am I peeked behind the curtains to discover a glowing sky. It only lasted 10 minutes, but was a very  positive omen, for the day that unfolded.

I enjoyed my local 5 k's as always. I didn't make the city 5k's, but did dine with the Hungry Hikers. Dinner finished, we took the lift to the Skydeck to celebrate all that had happened to me from sunrise to sunset.

My husband has wanted to downsize for quite sometime. I have been reluctant to move because of our glorious outlook. On Saturday we visited friends who had recently moved to a retirement village. This visit was the catalyst to make the change, especially given Frank's ongoing back issues. Not for one moment did we imagine, that Wednesday would see us signing into a city retirement complex in the morning and at 3.30 putting our home of 19 years on the market.

Sooooooo, life has suddenly become hectic. I won't be walking with either group for quite a few weeks. I will have little time to drop in and visit you. Downsizing means we will be taking 'very little' with us. Thankfully our wonderful friends are here for us. We can do this!

A sulphur crested cockatoo on Tuesday's walk.

Lorrikeets on our neighbours guttering, 6am yesterday.

Stanley and Stanlietta became a special part of our family during Covid. They have remained with us and have celebrated all the Christmas's, Valentine's Days, Australia Day's etc, since. I made the decision to put them on the footpath on Saturday morning. Many cars slowed or stopped to view them. At 2.30 a giggly group of young girls took them. I feel they have found a happy new place.

Back to the packing!

I would love to read your comment.

Heat Versus Cold

 The week starting 26 January.

It started with Australia Day. The poem by Dorothea Mackellar always comes to mind. 

Here is the first verse. - I love a sunburnt country.

                                      A land of sweeping plains

                                      Of ragged mountain ranges, 

                                      Of droughts and flooding rains.

                                      I love her far horizons,

                                      I love her jewel-sea,

                                      Her beauty and her terror - 

                                     The wide brown land for me.

So very true this summer. People in all parts of the country have been impacted by cyclones, floods, bushfires, extreme downpours and landslides. South East and Central Australia have had temperatures reaching the mid 40's to early 50's. The heat wave has been notable for its intensity and the duration above a high threshold. Little relief at night as well. Here in our little corner of Queensland, we haven't reached 40C, but the humidity has been stifling. I might add that on Christmas Day, much of Tasmania had snow fall!

After an Aussie lunch of lamb chops and pavlova, in an air conditioned dining room, we retired to the shady end of our pool for a couple of hours. The temperature reached a high of 37C.

Meanwhile the family on PEI were experiencing -17C with the windchill making it feel like -34C.

My walking groups have continued to make the decision to walk early. We are usually in the car driving to our destination by 5am. 

Last week the Gaiter Girls walked 10km from the top of Paddington, back to the city via Roma Street Gardens. Coffee was enjoyed in the cafe at Goma [modern art gallery] before we viewed one of its exhibitions. Home by 11 am.

The gardens, as always, a joy to visit.

Very unusual to spot a possum at this time of day.

We were very surprised to witness a water dragon lizard eating a petunia.

In front of the Goma Cafe, the newly installed 'The Big Hose' installation, is very impressive. The 119 metre long hose is a permanent art display and interactive play sculpture. I'm sure that nearly every Aussie garden has a hose like this one, just not so long.

The Hungry Hikers also had a suburban walk, but this one was a leafy one, in the Mt Gravatt suburb.

Leanne then served us a delicious breakfast in her air conditioned unit.

Hearts were made to send to Jenny who wasn't well.

In October, Jenny had initiated the Hungry Hiker tablecloth.. Each week, one of the hikers has to draw a memory of the day.

Initially we each drew ourselves and when we joined the group. Six done.

Our first hike of 2026 was at Coombabah Wetlands with the kangaroos and koalas.

Two weeks ago the Hungry Hikers walked the Wynnum foreshore. Of course, lots of posing took place. Jayne excelled herself with her drawn memory of the day. We wanted to make her our resident artist, but she has declined.

A very special event for me in the past 2 weeks, was attending a performance of Cornwall's Fisherman's Friends, sea shanty singing group. I had only stumbled on them a week or so prior to their Aussie tour. Look them up.

For Kim on PEI, it was walking their dog as the Northern Lights began to perform. Sadly it was too cold to linger long.

Whether you are hot or cold, I hope you can find lots to make you smile.

Post script - Just read where it is snowing again at Tasmania's Ben Lomond Ski Resort.

I would love to read your comment.