Koala Cuddles

You need a hug….you’re far from home, friends and family…what do you do? You visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary of course and cuddle a koala! You can find controversy about the merits of this type of activity re: tourist dollars for valuable research/conservation vs. exploitation. There are well over one hundred koalas here and I was told that none of them are permitted to be held more than a half hour a day. 

Lone Pine, dating back to 1927 is the world’s oldest koala sanctuary. There are over 100 species of  Australian wildlife there in a beautiful park like setting.

The animals were doing what many animals do on hot days…they were just lying about, especially the koalas who sleep between 18 and 20 hours the day. Their main diet of eucalyptus leaves (referred to as "gums" by the local people),   is difficult to digest so the koalas have little energy for much else other than sleeping. A koala will eat about two pounds of leaves a day. Asleep of not, I couldn’t help but smile as I photographed and observed these cute, teddy bear like animals;-) We all know of course, koalas are marsupials and not bears;-) 

The koala's natural habitat continues to diminish with urbanization and creation of farmland. It can be as common to hear of koalas killed by dogs or run over by a car as it is to hear of death by natural causes. The disease of chlamydia is also a major threat facing koalas throughout Queensland and New South Wales.  Research to control it is presently underway at Queensland University of Technology with promising results.

There were huge open areas where the kangaroos/wallabies were either sleeping, scratching, foraging or feeding their young. The kangaroos could mingle with the humans, which they chose to do when people hand fed them “roo food” or they could access rest areas, which were off limits to the public. They are odd creatures to see them up close with their tiny front legs, long, powerful back legs and strong tail. There wasn’t too much hopping around going on but the times when one or two gave it a go, it was amazing to see the height and distance they could cover so effortlessly.

I did see one joey’s feet and tail hanging out of a mother’s pouch. I don’t know how old it was but when it plopped out onto the ground at one point, I could see it was probably a few months old. I’m very spoiled when it comes to animal photography as I’ve had such wonderful opportunities to shoot animals in their natural habitat always looking for the best lighting conditions. Shooting in the middle of the day with tin roofs over the koalas and fenced enclosures around the animals can be less inspiring from a photography perspective.  Nonetheless, it was a rare opportunity to see these animals, as other than zoos, Australia is the only place in the world where these animals can be found.

An example of the laid back attitude here in Queensland?;-)

Sunshine Coast and a Camera Club Outing

 Beaches on the Sunshine Coast

View over looking Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast with a Causarina tree branch in the foreground 

Recently, I caught a city bus into downtown Brisbane then a Greyhound bus up the Sunshine Coast to a popular town called Caloundra. As we were preparing to leave the bus station, the driver went up and down the aisle a couple of times doing a head count. After the second time, he says, “Folks, I’ve counted 26 heads and I’m only supposed to have 25….produce your tickets please.” With that he comes through again checking our tickets…..I had mine…no worries;-) About half way down, he finds a man who was on the wrong bus. He thought he was headed down the Gold Coast….thankfully it was discovered then instead of hours later way up in Noosa somewhere. Also thankfully, the bus he was supposed to be on was parked next to us so he was able to catch his ride;-)

It was only a 90 minute drive to Caloundra so you could easily go there just for the day. Once at the bus station in Caloundra, I got directions to my digs….they were pretty insistent that I take a taxi for only $10 and I would get there in comfort they said. I’m glad I decided to walk…it was only about ten minutes away so I managed with the heat and hills just fine;-)

I booked two nights at a holiday apartment…..view of the ocean though not on the beach but only a five minute walk to the beach. The beaches are fabulous…kilometres upon kiometeres of them! I went walking right away then got some fish and chips which I enjoyed at a picnic table right on the beach. There was lots of roaring surf but I was told it wasn’t the right kind of waves for surfing on this particular evening….too choppy. Too bad, had my board ready to go;-) Over the next couple of days however, the kite surfers were out in droves.

I think this guy was actually listening to music…either that or he didn't want to get water in his ears;-)

At all the tourist info places, there are brochures upon brochures of things to do in the area. There’s every kind of bus tour, cruise, park visit you can imagine catering to all ages and interests. These are all organized events and all costly. As I’m going to be here awhile, I can’t choose to go on these things willy-nilly….I have to be selective.

Other than the food I purchased, my day didn’t cost a thing and I absolutely loved it!

A section of the Coastal Path with the Glasshouse Mountains in the background

There’s a coastal walking trail here that follows along several of the beaches for many kilometres. The trail is paved or boarded but you have the choice to walk on the beach as well, coming up on the trail where the beach turns rocky.
I’m sure I walked about 20km of trail/beach over two days;-) The trail suits wheelchairs, strollers or anyone with mobility issues so consequently there were all kinds of people out walking and enjoying the warm ocean breezes. In the meantime, people I spoke with today say it’s quieted down now that students have gone back to school.  

Herself;-)

It’s true….I had beaches all to myself at times! I did find people swimming, body surfing and playing cricket.

On this part of the coastal path, there were no large beaches but jetties where people could launch small pleasure craft. Also, people would fish from the dock areas. 







"Whaddya say mate, shall we go for a fish-n-chips?"

Somehow "graceful" doesn't come to mind when these big birds take to the air;-)

Pandanus trees grow well along beaches

Another section of the Coastal Path with Pandunus trees

This whole area is so well set up for families and tourists in general….playgrounds, skateboard parks, water parks, pools, restaurants, bbq areas and so many public washrooms! It was great to walk so much and not have that concern;-) The bbqs in the parks and along the beach fronts are electric and very convenient.

I was told the town council checks them in the morning and cleans them where necessary. When I first arrived and was sitting outside enjoying my fee and chi, there were a couple of people cooking up on one and I thought it was a sausage kiosk thing and almost went up and asked “Whaddya cooking there?” thinking they were selling to the public;-)

People photographing the remaining bits  of the S.S.Dicky that went aground in Caloundra 120 years ago

Burger with “the lot”

 I had a lovely chat with a lady at a small art gallery at Moffett Beach and she suggested I try a place called Clanceys for lunch. She said it was somewhere surfers liked to frequent and it’s an institution in the area. I found Clancey’s across the road from Dickie’s Beach. I ordered a burger with “the lot”.  I figured “the lot” was your usual “the works”. Nope….the lot was lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, thick slice of ham, a pineapple ring, thick slice of beet and a fried egg…oh, and of course the beef! Sacred heart! I had to ask for a fork and knife to eat it! I learned in Scotland last winter that it is perfectly fine to order an egg on top of your pizza so I guess an egg on your burger is fine too.

It had been cloudy most of the day though very warm but about mid-day, the sun came out and I was beat from walking. I sat under a gazebo and put my head on the picnic table for a spell.

I stayed there sipping water for about an hour. It was just after that I had my burger lunch then walked again where I came upon some beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets in a Casuarina tree. The lorikeets are plentiful in the backyard of my Brisbane digs but are too high in the trees to photograph. I only had my small camera but tried to get a few shots anyway. I struck up a conversation with a lady nearby who turned out be from Quebec City. She planned on staying in Caloundra for three months, leaving in fact on the same day in April I’m scheduled to leave(if I stick to that date;-) She was here with her friend who is Australian and has an apartment in Caloundra. She was absolutely loving it there…..walking lots, sailing, enjoying the sun, sand and surf and of course those happy hours! We got along very well and I got an invite to spend some time with them if I head up the Sunshine Coast again.

The Galah or Rose Breasted Cockatoo  in a Casuarina tree.  These Australian birds can be quite funny in their behaviour/antics and consequently, anyone acting a clown will often be referred to as a "galah".

I had lunch with another lady I met who called herself a Principal Consultant. She and her husband recently moved back from Hong Kong where she was a principal at an international school there for the past ten years and now does consulting work with schools/school boards. She was very interesting as she had such a varied experience working in private, state and international schools. Needless to say, as a retired educator myself, there weren’t many lags in the conversation;-)

Train Seats

The Greyhound only had one run out of the town and that was at 10:00a.m. which I thought was too early as I wanted to spend another day there.  Instead I got the local bus around 4:30p.m. to the train station in Landsborough where I caught  the train back to Brisbane and finally a local bus back to my house in The Gap. When I stepped on the train, all the seats facing forward were taken unless you sat next to someone. I was walking up the aisle when someone said to me, “You know you can turn the seats around to face forward?”  I didn’t know that before and was very pleased with this new bit of knowledge.  I just pushed on a peddle, grabbed the two seats as a unit and spun it around so the rear facing seat was now facing forward. Awesome!

Glasshouse Mountains

I enjoyed the train ride as it was more scenic then the ride up the highway on the bus, even though you often see the backs of places or industrial areas which are not necessarily the most aesthetic of views. We did pass by the Glasshouse Mountains, which are very distinctive in their appearance. These are eleven hills that rise abruptly and are known as volcanic plugs, forming more than 25 million years ago. Captain Cook named them as he said they reminded him of glass furnaces from his home country of Yorkshire.

I took these photos of the Glasshouse Mountains from the train as we passed by.

Town of Maleny

I arrived back in Brisbane on Friday and on Saturday, Tony and I drove up the Sunshine Coast again. This time, I visited a small town called Maleny. It is a small, scenic town and a great place to spend time popping into book stores, art galleries, local craft shops and coffee shops. I especially enjoyed the breath taking landscape images of Australia and New Zealand displayed in one particular gallery  by photographer Ben Messina….very inspiring! We drove up through the hills with some wonderful vistas though the morning cloud hadn't burned off and I wasn't able to get good photographs. The foliage in the area was lush and colourful and offered many walking trails. I would love to come back and explore this beautiful spot!

Brisbane Camera Club Outing to University of Queensland Lakes

With a little Google work, I found out that a local camera club (Brisbane Camera Group ) was going on an outing last night and welcoming newcomers so I got off my arse and went along even though I was quite content to read my Ned Kelly book on the veranda. We took the City Cat down the river to the University of Queensland campus to shoot in the area of a couple of ponds and bridges there. There were a nice bunch of about twenty and we enjoyed a gorgeous evening on the beautiful campus. Bird life was abundant but I brought a 24-70mm lens which certainly wouldn’t be the optimal choice for birds. Nonetheless, it was a fun couple of hours.

An area of the UQ campus

Water Dragon on campus

Cockatoos on campus

Pond on University of Queensland Campus

A Trip up the Brisbane River

To take a line right out of Wikipedia, "The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia." I think there are over twenty bridges that cross the Brisbane River, fifteen which are described as "main" bridges.  You can barely pick out people walking on the top of the Story Bridge. Costs about  a $100.00 do this and you probably don't have a fear of heights!

Another City Cat with Brisbane skyline immediately behind it

I'm not fussy about how these photos are displayed…might look at changing this template down the road;)

 A couple of evenings ago, I caught a 4:30 bus downtown with the intention of taking an evening ride up the Brisbane River on the City Cat. All the photos above were taken from the boat….I stood in the bow the entire time enjoying the warm breeze.  The Brisbane River snakes its' way though the city emptying into Moreton Bay. The City Cat is a wonderful mode of transportation, criss crossing between the over twenty piers from the north and south sides of the river. You can get off at any stop just like the Hop and Go busses, explore the shops, restaurants and markets then catch another back to your point of departure. I was able to use my bus pass which was a bonus.

South Bank is one of the more trendy/popular points of interest with man made beaches, swimming pools, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants. It also includes the Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art and the State Library. I took a Hopper to South Bank a few days ago which is a smaller water craft and it's free;-) It doesn't travel as far up the river however as the City Cat.
 It was one of the hottest day since I've been here and I was too overcome with heat to enjoy that particular visit.

When I started out, I was a little concerned about having to get a bus back in the dark but I need not have worried. There were lots of people milling about, everything was well lit, vibrant and I felt very safe. Police on foot/bicycle patrol were also evident.

In the almost two weeks since I've been here, the hottest day was just over 38 degrees and the coolest it's ever gotten is one evening where the temperature dropped to 19 degrees! South Australia/Victoria has just come through a record breaking heat wave and about to experience another one with temps forecasted to be over 40 degrees for the next week! Fires will be of major concern. I have a friend who lives about a three hour drive south of Melbourne and he says this time of the year he's always on fire alert as he never knows when he may have to evacuate his home. It is part and parcel of living in rural Australia.

This and That

-Voting in Australia is compulsory…you can be fined if you are an enrolled voter and don't vote. Fines start at around $25 dollars I think.

-January 26th was Australia Day. It is the largest national holiday here and commemorates the landing of the First Fleet…eleven ships from Britain arriving in the late 1700s to set up the first penal colony in Australia (Sydney Cove, New South Wales). They fleet initially tried to set up in Botany Bay ( first time I heard of Botany Bay was in Masterless Men songs) but found it unsuitable. The meaning and name "Australia Day" has evolved over the years but one of the ways it is marked in contemporary times is with an Australian of the Year acknowledgement. I observed this year's winner accepting his award while watching one of those huge jumbo type screens in King Georges Square, downtown Brisbane. His name is Adam Goodes and he is an aboriginal football (soccer) player and star in the premier AFL.
He came to receive the award for his work in fighting against racism in this country. A pivotal moment for him to become more of an advocate in this work was when a young girl in the football stands called him "ape" as he went to retrieve a ball on the field. For more reading on the topic, try this link:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-25/adam-goodes-named-australian-of-the-year-for-2014/5219118

-Exorcism can be done over Skype now. Just thought you'd like to know….it was on the news one evening here showing a priest waving his bible and cross in front of a computer monitor while on the other side was a possessed fella yelling and screaming in demonic voices. He didn't hold a candle to Linda Blair's possession however from The Exorcist of long ago;-)

-On a serious and sad note, a 12 year old aboriginal boy was swimming in a billabong in the Northern Territory and was grabbed by a crocodile….so tragic!  It is the wet season there when saltwater crocodiles are on the move. Another boy was bitten but made it to safety. Heather told me this story was on the news at home as well.

Bring it On!

Thought I'd write a few thoughts as I prepared for my trip Down Under. Took this photo with my phone as I left St.John's on a 7:00a.m. flight about ten days ago. Had to dig my phone out of a bag causing me to miss getting Signal Hill and Cabot Tower in the sunrise! My flight route took me through Toronto, Tokyo, Bangkok and finally Brisbane.

Felt some anxiety leading up to this trip as compared to others….I was going so far away, for a long period of time preparing my house for someone else to live in and "in servicing" Judy on care of Schooner and house particulars. I hardly had time to think about Australia! It seems the trip was upon me before I felt I was ready! When people said, "You must be getting excited!", I had too much to take care of to think about my destination;-)

The other thing is, I would be living with Judy's husband and daughter (whom I've never met) until Tony's job finished up! Certainly, there was lots going on in my head leading up to this trip. 

In the past, I've always had Heather to look after Schooner so I really could just drop everything and go. In the early days, I'd write lists a mile long of specifics but haven't had to bother with that in the last couple of years. Most of you know how nutty I am about the dog;-) Heather says now, "What Mom, no list? You finally trust that I can do this;-)" Bless her heart!

Judy's name will come up in future posts I'm sure….suffice to say for now, she is a warm, beautiful, extremely capable person, as personable as you can imagine and organized to a fault! I could take a few lessons though I always manage in my own way to get it done;-)

Once I was in my seat on the plane, I was finally able to relax….until I was passed a newspaper and started reading about the Bangkok protests. I had heard about the protests before I left but now I had time to read about the particulars….like streets were being barred off  and that the Thai Airlines union supported the protestors. Of course, what did that mean for me as I would be on a Thai Airlines flight!!!! Would there be protests at the airport? Would I be stuck in Bangkok? All kinds of notions going through my head. After the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport experiencing a major fire this past summer and having to spend two extra nights in Nairobi, I figured anything could happen. Thai Airlines was wonderful…btw….friendly and attentive attendants;-)

Flights turned out uneventful of course, made all the connections and was met by a smiling Erin with flowers and her Dad, Tony, at the Brisbane airport. We've been getting along fabulously…I've been treated like royalty since I've arrived!

Just getting back to flying and airports for a moment….you know what's always an education of sorts for me when I travel…..the washrooms. Yup…..talk about real life problem solving tasks! How does this one flush? Is there something overhead? On the floor? Behind? Is there a motion sensor?  Do I pull this, step on that, push this? What does this button do? Sacred heart!! In saying that, the Narita International Airport in Tokyo has the best toilet ever…very sophisticated providing many advanced features! It would be worth one's while to Google "Japanese toitlets"…just saying';-)

Lots more to come on sights and sounds of Brisbane and maybe some reflections on some of the amazing travel and adventures I've been so fortunate to experience since I've retired. For now, here's a snap of a parrot I took a couple of days ago outside a small gift/snack shop at a local park. The parrots were as plentiful as pigeons and I had no problem having one land on my hand. Here's a snap of one of those handsome birds;-)

Possum Rescue!

Sitting in a porch swing on a large veranda overlooking forested hills and a tropical garden, I can't help but think "no worries" was a fitting handle for my URL. It's supposedly the most popular phrase here down under, used most commonly it seems in place of  "no problem" or "you're welcome". Lots to blog about as I've been here a week today but I'll talk of one little adventure that occurred a couple of nights ago. Sitting on the veranda after supper, a bush possum wandered up. A couple of them live above the garage door here and are considered nuisances by many. 

This particular one wasn't at all shy sniffing around our feet and looking a bit agitated. We could hear another possum close by and then some thumping below. We thought it was a territorial thing going on. When noises continued, we looked about for the other possum. Tony mused aloud if there was a baby possum between the floorboard and the ceiling of the veranda. (Tony's wife Judy is staying in my house and he'll be joining her in the next little while;-) We got a flashlight and sure enough, could see a little one between the slats who came right to the light. I thought, omg, we're going to have to cut away some board to get it out! Tony being much more sensible, got a piece of thin board like material and put if down the slat where we had seen the baby. The idea was to keep doing this to force it to the end of the veranda where there was a hole and the place where it had gotten in. The baby could only go back as there was a beam along the side. 

Long story a little bit shorter….the baby was forced to the end where Tony donned a pair of work gloves, climbed a ladder and retrieved baby. He then placed it on the railing where a happy, nuzzling reunion occurred between mother and baby. Baby climbed onto mother's back and mother strolled off into the trees. They both dropped by again last night but just to reach another tree;-) I've had ample opportunity to photograph them but have been too caught up in just observing them;-) 

I had intentions of getting a blog going last winter in Scotland but didn't get it off the ground…..maybe this time;-)

This is a photo of the backyard and beyond taken from the veranda of the house where I am staying. It is in a suburb of Brisbane called "The Gap."