Festive Hungry Hikers

We weren't at all sure that the weather Gods would be kind enough for our Christmas picnic beside the Brisbane River, after days of heavy rain. It seems that once again, they have come to our rescue and a most fabulous evening, with the best friends, ensued.

Table set

Photo shoot in progress.

Time to relax with a glass of bubbles.

Gift sharing.

Our favourite created by Laurel. 

A star for each of our trees, with a photo of the seven of us, on a recent hike.

Margot's was a bib, as she thinks we now all need one!

The river was brown but tranquil.

We each brought something to nibble on!

It was late when we left.

A sunset surprise after another day of rain this week.

Our friendship sees us through the good times and the bad. At present, that friendship is very important to us all, as life isn't always as easy as it seems.

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Colourful Brisbane

The past week has been incredibly busy with highs and lows. This post was commenced Monday, and this morning is the first opportunity to return to it. The photos were ready to go. The comments will now be brief.

The Hungry Hikers walked 6 kilometres in the city, to discover the Christmas tiny doors. Alas we weren't very successful as many had once again been taken.

A stunning ginger plant in the Roma St Gardens, where we found door 1.

 

The entrance to the Casino, where we searched high and low for a door, without any luck.

We were able to look for the tiny doors on the evening that the Christmas colour and projections at Queens Wharf [Casino and river area] were illuminated.

We were present for the official launch at 7.30, of Sumo Lumo - "an electrifying immersive light and sound experience." There was great excitement when snow began to fall! 

Time for the most delicious gelato ever!

8.30 saw us watching the 2nd showing of Sumo Lumo from Southbank Parklands.

Colour at sunrise from No 16.

Muted morning colour at Coolangatta Beach. I love this spot, but my bliss was high on this morning as I was watching my son Matthew, catching the waves. He had returned home from Austria on the 2nd December and will be staying with us until he finds new work here in Australia.

Colour and song at the Powerhouse with friends. Dami im's Christmas concert was an absolute joy.

The following evening, the corellas put on one of their noisy but spectular flight shows. The afternoon light and cool evening, was just perfect to sit with friends and watch them. Unknown to us at that point, the temperature the following day would reach 38C and you could cut the humidity with a knife. UGH! Definitely no sitting outside watching corellas.

Christmas colour on the 6th green. Someone was very brave in his choice of outfit!

It is thrilling to have Matthew home, and equally so to report that my husband Frank, has finally had a laminectomy on his lower back with excellent results. I collect him from hospital today. The excessive heat lasted 2 days and was broken by more heavy rainfall. 68 ml in 24 hours.

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Wet, Hot and Humid

The day after I wrote last week's post dawned wet. The previous week the Hungry Hikers had to cancel because of the torrential rain all day. We didn't want to miss another week, so took the chance and met at Wurga Nature Reserve at 7 am, after an hour's travel.

As we left it was raining. As we approached it was raining, and as we drove home it was raining. Thankfully, we managed 5 kilometres through the endangered Swamp Tea Tree reserve and kept dry.

It appeared to us that this area hadn't received the rainfall of further east.  The trees were quite stark looking and I hadn't expected them to be as tall as they were. In fact, I had thought they were Swamp Paperbarks as in the Coombabah Wetlands. The above placard set me straight. 

We believe this handsome horse had broken into the reserve from the neighbouring farm.

Time for morning tea and Margot's delicious macadamia pie.

Thursday saw another very wet start to the day. I had been asked to drive my cousin to Cabarita to visit her 91 year old friend. 

A further half hour drive saw me enjoying a coffee at the Northern Rivers Regional Art Centre, enjoying the lush view across the Tweed River.

I then drove into Murwillumba to do some shopping. The shopping wasn't at all successful, but I did spot this amazing flowering tree in a local park. I had never seen one before. A Rose Apple, belonging to our native family of syzygiums or lilly pillies.

Returning to Cabarita, I spent a lovely hour watching the waves roll in at a local beach.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw nearly 4 inches fall. Monday dawned fine, but the humidity soared from all the moisture. This morning, Tuesday 3 December, The Gaiter Girls set off on a local walk at 6 am. Finishing at 7.30. We most certainly needed to take a refreshing dip in Rachel's pool.

Dawn

A very fast flowing and full Logan River.

Top R -  a very unusually deeply coloured frangipani and another shrub that I didn't recognise. Pride of India, a member of the Lagerstromia family.  The flower is very similar to that of the Crepe Myrtle which is very prevalent.

Three weeks to Christmas and even Santa has to do his washng.!

Towards the end of our walk we were delighted by these newly painted electrical poles. 

Wet, hot and humid yes, but that is our summer and the week has been very much enjoyed. 

I would love to read your comment.