Goodbye~~Brisbane~~Sunday 24th March
Sunday 24th March
I took a very short walk today and I left the house much earlier than usual. I was unable to take any photographs this morning. It was just magical walking through the woods listening to the Australian dawn chorus. The sun rose spectacularly over the treetops and the wonderful array of species of bird life began to awaken with calls and whistles increasing in variety and volume.
Margaret and I packed our clothes, then after our breakfast we said our sad goodbyes to Mark and Ben.
Liz took us to the airport in her car and George came along also to say goodbye. After a very sad farewell to Liz and George, we checked in for a three hour wait before our flight to Singapore.
I snapped a few photographs and a nice video of the aeroplanes at Brisbane airport. We had no problems getting through the customs and security and we boarded our Quantas aeroplane for the seven hour flight to Singapore airport.
I took a very short walk today and I left the house much earlier than usual. I was unable to take any photographs this morning. It was just magical walking through the woods listening to the Australian dawn chorus. The sun rose spectacularly over the treetops and the wonderful array of species of bird life began to awaken with calls and whistles increasing in variety and volume.
Margaret and I packed our clothes, then after our breakfast we said our sad goodbyes to Mark and Ben.
Liz took us to the airport in her car and George came along also to say goodbye. After a very sad farewell to Liz and George, we checked in for a three hour wait before our flight to Singapore.
I snapped a few photographs and a nice video of the aeroplanes at Brisbane airport. We had no problems getting through the customs and security and we boarded our Quantas aeroplane for the seven hour flight to Singapore airport.
When we reached Singapore we had a six hour wait for our flight to London. We wandered around the duty-free shops, had a coffee and I spent some time on the internet~ At Singapore airport, WI-fi is absolutely free.
I noticed Liz had posted a message on the internet~~
"I HATE AIRPORT GOODBYES".
I wrote the following reply~~
"SNAP! AIRPORT GOODBYES ARE A PAIN, BUT WITHOUT THEM, THERE WOULD NOT BE THE WARM WELCOMING HELLO! OR THE HAPPY LOVE-FILLED TIME IN BETWEEN. THE NEXT WARM "HELLO", WILL NOT BE FAR AWAY."
We then boarded our Quantas aeroplane for the fourteen hour flight to Heathrow airport. I managed to get quite a lot of writing done, and had some sleep. These long haul flights can be really tiring. We arrived at Heathrow airport at 06:20 on Monday morning, where we were met by our Airports Direct driver for our five hour drive home to Norfolk.
I noticed Liz had posted a message on the internet~~
"I HATE AIRPORT GOODBYES".
I wrote the following reply~~
"SNAP! AIRPORT GOODBYES ARE A PAIN, BUT WITHOUT THEM, THERE WOULD NOT BE THE WARM WELCOMING HELLO! OR THE HAPPY LOVE-FILLED TIME IN BETWEEN. THE NEXT WARM "HELLO", WILL NOT BE FAR AWAY."
We then boarded our Quantas aeroplane for the fourteen hour flight to Heathrow airport. I managed to get quite a lot of writing done, and had some sleep. These long haul flights can be really tiring. We arrived at Heathrow airport at 06:20 on Monday morning, where we were met by our Airports Direct driver for our five hour drive home to Norfolk.
Brisbane~~Saturday 23rd March
Bird of Paradise Flower
Saturday 23rd March
My final walk through the wonderful Brisbane woods, but I did not see very much bird life today, I filmed a solitary Sulphur Crested Cockatoo sitting high in the treetops. I had a much shorter walk than yesterday and as I was about to leave the woods, I noticed a couple of Rainbow Lorikeets feeding from the nectar on a Grevillea bush. I have taken some very good photographs and videos of the Lorikeets feeding from this spot when we were here before. When I got back to Liz and Mark’s house, I spotted two of the most beautiful coloured Blue Wrens feeding on the Grevillea bush in the back garden, unfortunately I was unable to get a photograph of them as they move so fast. I did manage to get a very good shot of my old friend the Helmeted Friarbird making a lot of noise, he was possibly trying to frighten the Wrens away from the Grevillea and the delicious nectar in the flowers.
My final walk through the wonderful Brisbane woods, but I did not see very much bird life today, I filmed a solitary Sulphur Crested Cockatoo sitting high in the treetops. I had a much shorter walk than yesterday and as I was about to leave the woods, I noticed a couple of Rainbow Lorikeets feeding from the nectar on a Grevillea bush. I have taken some very good photographs and videos of the Lorikeets feeding from this spot when we were here before. When I got back to Liz and Mark’s house, I spotted two of the most beautiful coloured Blue Wrens feeding on the Grevillea bush in the back garden, unfortunately I was unable to get a photograph of them as they move so fast. I did manage to get a very good shot of my old friend the Helmeted Friarbird making a lot of noise, he was possibly trying to frighten the Wrens away from the Grevillea and the delicious nectar in the flowers.
Later Margaret and I went shopping with Liz and the boys to Brookside, a quite a large shopping centre and shopped for a while, then we enjoyed a lovely cup of coffee and some cake. In the afternoon we visited Mount Coot-tha, this is a mountain top with a wonderful panoramic view of the whole of the city of Brisbane and the suburbs and surrounding area. I filmed a wonderful panoramic sequence of this wonderful view by slowly panning the camera around. This is a lovely little film that I will play at home and I will also look up the history of this place on the internet.
A stunning panoramic video of the skyline and the city of Brisbane from the top of Mount Coot-tha
In the evening we all sat down to another great barbeque prepared by Mark at home and Camilla and her son Luke also joined us for some food and to say goodbye, We all enjoyed a lovely evening with some lively conversation, Then bed, as we have an early start tomorrow, when we leave for the airport.
The Last Glorious Sunset of our wonderful holiday~
From the balcony at Liz and Mark, George and Ben's house in Brisbane, Australia~~
Brisbane~~Friday 22nd March
Friday 22nd March 2013
I went for a very long walk today, there was not much birdlife to be seen and I did not get many pictures. As I walked along Beckett Road, I could see a lot of my old friends, the Sulfur Crested Cockatoos flying around in the trees squawking, they were too far away for a good photograph. I enjoyed just standing and watching them squabble and jostle for their territory and I will know where to look when we come back to Australia next time.
I went for a very long walk today, there was not much birdlife to be seen and I did not get many pictures. As I walked along Beckett Road, I could see a lot of my old friends, the Sulfur Crested Cockatoos flying around in the trees squawking, they were too far away for a good photograph. I enjoyed just standing and watching them squabble and jostle for their territory and I will know where to look when we come back to Australia next time.
Margaret and I had a very quiet day together, we went Aspley on the bus, shopped and had a nice lunch, then we returned and had a very leisurely afternoon together. There was a fabulous sunset tonight and I took some excellent photographs. In the evening the whole family went to the Thai Asian restaurant on Beckett road where we all enjoyed a fabulous slap up meal together. A lovely laid back day to remember,
BrisBane~~Thursday 21st March
Thursday 21st March 2013
I managed to take an early walk, between the autumnal tropical showers, everywhere felt and smelt so fresh after the rain. There was a Kookaburra sitting on the eaves of the house next door, I managed to take a couple of good photographs of him just sitting, watching the breaking Australian dawn and hoping for his breakfast to arrive. I continued on my way into the woods bordering the park and I came across a Brush Turkey perched on the branch of a tree, this was quite an unusual surprise for me; usually these birds are walking along the path. I took a video film of this large bird balanced on a thin tree branch, edging his way through the other branches on the tree, until he spotted me and flew away. There were the usual sounds of multiple species of birds, all around in the tree tops bordering the path as I walked along, but I did not get the chance to take any more photographs today.
I managed to take an early walk, between the autumnal tropical showers, everywhere felt and smelt so fresh after the rain. There was a Kookaburra sitting on the eaves of the house next door, I managed to take a couple of good photographs of him just sitting, watching the breaking Australian dawn and hoping for his breakfast to arrive. I continued on my way into the woods bordering the park and I came across a Brush Turkey perched on the branch of a tree, this was quite an unusual surprise for me; usually these birds are walking along the path. I took a video film of this large bird balanced on a thin tree branch, edging his way through the other branches on the tree, until he spotted me and flew away. There were the usual sounds of multiple species of birds, all around in the tree tops bordering the path as I walked along, but I did not get the chance to take any more photographs today.
Margaret and I caught a bus into Brisbane after breakfast and took a ride on one of the Brisbane River public transport, Catamarans. These boats go from one end of the city to the other along the river, making numerous stops along the way. They are not just used by commuters but they are also very popular with the tourists who visit Brisbane. There is a very good view of this thriving dynamic city from the river on one of these City Cat’s. Margaret and I took many photographs of the city, the ships and boats and some of the more magnificent looking waterside properties along the route.
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We did some shopping along our favourite Queen Street Mall and visited the local Nando’s restaurant for some lunch. The shops and stores were thronged with shoppers, it is always very busy along this mall and people from all walks of life were milling around shopping and passing the time together.
We caught the bus back to Bridgeman Downs, where we met with Liz and the boys. The internet connection and the landline telephone were sadly out of action until Monday, due to a local firm of builders, who managed to slice through a cable. We still had our mobile phones and we were not totally out of reach by the family back home in the U.K.
Sunset on another day to remember
Brisbane~~Wednesday 20th March
Wednesday 20th March 2013
The rain was teeming, in a prolonged, persistent tropical shower this morning, so I was unable to take my customary walk with my camera in the local park. I spent a couple of hours working on my poems and typing them up ready for when we get home.
Margaret and I caught a bus into Brisbane, where with some difficulty; and then with some amazing help, from the tourist information office in the Brisbane city center, we caught another bus, for a 45 minute ride to “The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary”.
We visited this wildlife sanctuary once before and we knew what delightful creatures are taken care of here. There are Kangaroos, as well as the wonderful inimitable Koalas; and Australian birds and wildlife in abundance, to be studied and photographed really close up. There were numerous Brush Turkeys roaming around the reserve; I was amazed at how many lizards there were on display, some were running around absolutely freely. We stopped and sat on a picnic bench for lunch, and we were immediately accosted by several hungry Brush Turkeys and a lizard under our picnic table waiting for dropping scraps of food. We made our way around the sanctuary taking photographs of the animals and birds; I noticed there were some Sulphur Crested Cockatoos in a large cage, I remarked to Margaret that I had photographed some of these same birds in the wild in their natural environment yesterday. Suddenly, I was taken by surprise as one of these caged birds spoke and said, “Hello!” Sadly I then realised why he was kept safely in a cage, he was far too valuable an asset to be released. We continued on our way and took some wonderful videos of the Kangaroos that were jumping or hopping around, one with a “Joey”, a baby, in her pouch. The rain then started falling which prompted the Kangaroos to start moving around, I got a couple of good videos of their methods of getting around with hops and jumps. We made our way to the exit, and as we left we got some more amazing photographs of the Koalas, who were quite lively, and actually posing very nicely for us to take photographs.
We caught two buses back to Bridgeman Downs, and while we were waiting for Liz to pick us up from the Metro shopping precinct, a flock of squabbling, screeching Sulphur Crested Cockatoos landed on the buildings all around us, I quickly got the camera out and snapped a couple of pictures, but sadly they will not do this wonderful sight the justice it deserves.
We reached Liz’s house and she had lost her telephone and internet connection but she was confronting and solving one problem after another and she was on top of the situation, the internet connection was eventually restored.
We all ate a nice meal , watched television and went to bed~~~ Another day tomorrow.
We all ate a nice meal , watched television and went to bed~~~ Another day tomorrow.
Brisbane~~~Tuesday 19th march
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo~Early bird
Tuesday 19th March 2013
My walk in the forest this morning was even more interesting and more rewarding than yesterday. My first encounter was with one of my old friends the Brush Turkeys, I came across one turkey walking straight towards me along the track, I got a wonderful close up film of him, until he saw me and ran off into the forest. Then as I got to a bridge over a little brook near the main road, I spotted an Ibis and an unusual Heron type wading bird in the brook at the same time I took a good video of the wader and I should be able to identify this bird later. Easily the highlight of the day came next, when there was a chorus of very loud screeching from a flock of five or six Sulphur Crested Cockatoos that landed on some very tall Eucalyptus and Paperbark Tea trees around where I was standing. I was able to stand and get some very good videos and pictures of this wonderful sight. A sight that will live in my memory and I will relive over and over again when we get back home to England, through these videos and photographs. The panorama of bird life on display today was not complete even then, as I encountered a pair of Kookaburras high up in the tree canopy and I got some very good videos of the pair of them together.
My walk in the forest this morning was even more interesting and more rewarding than yesterday. My first encounter was with one of my old friends the Brush Turkeys, I came across one turkey walking straight towards me along the track, I got a wonderful close up film of him, until he saw me and ran off into the forest. Then as I got to a bridge over a little brook near the main road, I spotted an Ibis and an unusual Heron type wading bird in the brook at the same time I took a good video of the wader and I should be able to identify this bird later. Easily the highlight of the day came next, when there was a chorus of very loud screeching from a flock of five or six Sulphur Crested Cockatoos that landed on some very tall Eucalyptus and Paperbark Tea trees around where I was standing. I was able to stand and get some very good videos and pictures of this wonderful sight. A sight that will live in my memory and I will relive over and over again when we get back home to England, through these videos and photographs. The panorama of bird life on display today was not complete even then, as I encountered a pair of Kookaburras high up in the tree canopy and I got some very good videos of the pair of them together.
We had a quiet day indoors again today as Margaret was still suffering from a very painful foot and rested. I managed to compose two poems for our next poetry assignment for the writers group in Sheringham and we relaxed indoors for the rest of the day. We all had a quiet family evening watching television after our meal and went to bed
Sunset on another wonderful day in Australia
Brisbane~~~MONDAY 18th MARCh
Back to a quiet day at home in Bridgeman Downs
Early Kookaburra~~
Monday 18th March 2013
It really was good to wake up with the familiarity of Bridgeman Downs all around. I enjoyed my early morning walk very much today, I got such a wonderful selection of photographs of the local birdlife. First I managed to capture a video of a solitary Kookaburra on a branch above the stream in the woods, again the wonderful chorus of sound in the background will make this an excellent memory jog of this whole trip. I walked along the path and out onto a road called Voyager Drive, I remember this well, as there is one particular house where the occupants leave food on the lawn for the local birds. I was very fortunate to be able to film an Ibis on the roof of this house watching two Crested Pigeons and two Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on some bread on the lawn: absolutely wonderful. I continued on my walk and as I went through the trail in the forest again I noticed a pair of Kookaburras sitting on a branch together, and I managed to make another brilliant video of the two of them together.
We had a quiet day together indoors today, Margaret did some cooking and made a curry for the evening meal and I weeded some more of the garden. Margaret has a very painful ankle and I have a couple of quite severe mosquito bites that have swollen up, so it was good to take a rest and relax for a while. I noticed a banana tree in the garden of the next door house while I was cutting back one of our hedges and I took a couple of photographs of the fruit and a banana flower happily growing. I think this tropical Australian climate is perfect for growing practically anything floral or edible and I believe that growing food will play a very big part of the future economy of Australia.
The whole family then had a very quiet evening together, after enjoying the wonderful taste of Margaret's curry. Another excellent day well spent.
Sunset on another beautiful Australian day~~
Brisbane~~~Sunday 17th March
Goodbye Caloundra~~We enjoyed our stay~~~
Caloundra lighthouse~
Sunday 17th March 2013
I walked in the other direction along the seashore today although in hindsight the way that I usually walk is a lot more interesting. I sat and waited while the sun came up over the horizon
and I photographed an amazing sunrise. There were a couple of men fishing off the jetty where I had spotted the swallows on Friday, when I enquired about their catch, one of them replied they had not had a bite up until then, but I suspect they usually do quite well there, when the water is high. I spotted several Ibis birds grouped together and managed to get a good photograph of them, they are very common birds here, but they look so unusual to us visitors that I cannot resist taking their pictures. I turned back towards our apartment and I managed to capture, what I think will become the photograph of this part of our Australian holiday. There sitting calmly on the seashore wall was this magnificent wader, these birds look very much like a heron but they are a lot bigger. I sat down on a close convenient seat, very quietly, so as not to frighten the bird away, and I began to take some wonderful pictures. There was a boat moored on the shore and with the sunrise that I photographed earlier shining on the bird, and with the beautiful bay in the background I have some wonderful photographs.
I walked in the other direction along the seashore today although in hindsight the way that I usually walk is a lot more interesting. I sat and waited while the sun came up over the horizon
and I photographed an amazing sunrise. There were a couple of men fishing off the jetty where I had spotted the swallows on Friday, when I enquired about their catch, one of them replied they had not had a bite up until then, but I suspect they usually do quite well there, when the water is high. I spotted several Ibis birds grouped together and managed to get a good photograph of them, they are very common birds here, but they look so unusual to us visitors that I cannot resist taking their pictures. I turned back towards our apartment and I managed to capture, what I think will become the photograph of this part of our Australian holiday. There sitting calmly on the seashore wall was this magnificent wader, these birds look very much like a heron but they are a lot bigger. I sat down on a close convenient seat, very quietly, so as not to frighten the bird away, and I began to take some wonderful pictures. There was a boat moored on the shore and with the sunrise that I photographed earlier shining on the bird, and with the beautiful bay in the background I have some wonderful photographs.
We checked out of our apartment after breakfast and Liz drove us back to Brisbane, we had an uneventful journey home and Margaret and I relaxed for the rest of the morning in the house. Later in the afternoon we enjoyed a barbecue that Mark prepared and we all sat around the table and enjoyed a lovely family Sunday lunch together.
Liz had arranged for us to visit, and say Hi!, to her neighbour and friend Camilla, who we have met before and we spent a wonderful afternoon having tea with her and some of her family. We returned home and there was a brilliant sunset visible from the house and I photographed this, I now have a super sunrise in Caloundra and a super sunset in Bridgeman Downs.
We then retired to bed shattered.
Liz had arranged for us to visit, and say Hi!, to her neighbour and friend Camilla, who we have met before and we spent a wonderful afternoon having tea with her and some of her family. We returned home and there was a brilliant sunset visible from the house and I photographed this, I now have a super sunrise in Caloundra and a super sunset in Bridgeman Downs.
We then retired to bed shattered.
Sunset over Bridgeman Downs
Brisbane~~~Saturday 16th March
More of the Four s's~~~~(Sun~Sea~Sand~Swimming)~~~~Visit to Maroochydore
Saturday 16th March 2013
The Sunshine Coast here in Eastern Australia has certainly lived up to its name this week, the weather has been glorious, sunshine every day.
I started out on my walk and I was very impressed with the number and the variety of birds that live on this coast of Australia. I walked for about a mile along the coastal path just taking pictures of the occasional bird that I came across and a beautiful sunrise over the bay. I reached a Mangrove tree conservation area, with a wooden walkway and platforms where one can view the whole of the bay, from the tree-lined shore. I was a little concerned when I started walking through here as in all probability there are many mosquitoes around this swampy area. I continued on my way and I discovered a notice that answered my question from the other day, the tree that the Lorikeets were feeding on is called a Paperbark Tea Tree, These trees are very common in this part of the world and the flowers produce a nectar that is collected by the bees and used finally to produce wonderful honey. No wonder the Lorikeets and the honey eating birds love feeding on the flowers. I continued along the path, and two of the interesting waders I came across on my walk yesterday were feeding along the shore and I snapped a few more photographs of these and another different type of wader.
The Sunshine Coast here in Eastern Australia has certainly lived up to its name this week, the weather has been glorious, sunshine every day.
I started out on my walk and I was very impressed with the number and the variety of birds that live on this coast of Australia. I walked for about a mile along the coastal path just taking pictures of the occasional bird that I came across and a beautiful sunrise over the bay. I reached a Mangrove tree conservation area, with a wooden walkway and platforms where one can view the whole of the bay, from the tree-lined shore. I was a little concerned when I started walking through here as in all probability there are many mosquitoes around this swampy area. I continued on my way and I discovered a notice that answered my question from the other day, the tree that the Lorikeets were feeding on is called a Paperbark Tea Tree, These trees are very common in this part of the world and the flowers produce a nectar that is collected by the bees and used finally to produce wonderful honey. No wonder the Lorikeets and the honey eating birds love feeding on the flowers. I continued along the path, and two of the interesting waders I came across on my walk yesterday were feeding along the shore and I snapped a few more photographs of these and another different type of wader.
After breakfast, we went for a trip further along the coast to another very popular resort, Mooloolaba. We did not stop here though as we were unable to find a parking place for the car. There was a local triathlon sporting event due to start and the town was packed.
We drove to another resort a few miles away called Maroochydore, we have visited here before and we know our way around, The surf and waves were very high on the beach, and we moved on to the relative placidity of the lakes that adjoin the sea further along the coast, where we managed to swim for a while. We returned to our apartment for lunch and spent the afternoon around the hotel pool with our books and relaxed.
We drove to another resort a few miles away called Maroochydore, we have visited here before and we know our way around, The surf and waves were very high on the beach, and we moved on to the relative placidity of the lakes that adjoin the sea further along the coast, where we managed to swim for a while. We returned to our apartment for lunch and spent the afternoon around the hotel pool with our books and relaxed.
We had a very quiet evening at the apartment with takeaway meals for dinner, and an early night.
Brisbane~~~Friday 15th March
Sun~Sea ~Surf~sand and Swimming in the hotel pool
Liz and Ben on the beautiful shore at Caloundra~
Friday 15th March 2013
Unfortunately there is no free internet connection here in this apartment complex so I am typing this journal offline, something I have not done before and I am quite pleased to be able to do.
I was up at 4am as usual and after typing up my journal, I left the apartment at about 6am to go for my morning walk, the local bird life was certainly all awake, squeaking and squealing in the treetops as I walked along the seafront. A lot of other people were also up and about early, jogging and walking and there were some boats out in the bay, fishing or perhaps just pleasure sailing.
Unfortunately there is no free internet connection here in this apartment complex so I am typing this journal offline, something I have not done before and I am quite pleased to be able to do.
I was up at 4am as usual and after typing up my journal, I left the apartment at about 6am to go for my morning walk, the local bird life was certainly all awake, squeaking and squealing in the treetops as I walked along the seafront. A lot of other people were also up and about early, jogging and walking and there were some boats out in the bay, fishing or perhaps just pleasure sailing.
I noticed some Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on the nectar from some white flowers on a large tree that I could not identify, I will have to look that one up when we get back to Brisbane on Sunday. (This is a Paperbark Tea tree).
I managed to film a very short video of the birds feeding. I continued to stroll along the seashore, photographing a few things of interest, including an old anti-aircraft gun that is obviously a relic from the defense of the coastline during the last war. There are a large number of Magpies in this area, they look quite different from the Magpies I grew up with in England but they seem to have the same aggressive survival habits. I then saw two large interesting waders on the shore and I managed to get a very good video of one before they flew away together across the bay, these are quite large birds and I should be able to identify them later. I then explored a little fishing and mooring jetty that was jutting out into the sea like a small pier, there were several tiny swallows that normally feed on the wing landing on this jetty and I got a very good photograph of one showing his beautiful red and brown plumage.
After a good breakfast we all piled into the car to drive to Caloundra city and spend some time on a very pretty beach where we could swim in the sea, supervised by lifeguards. The waves and surf here are magnificent, continually rolling on to the beach and we were able to enjoy just standing on the beach and allowing them to wash all over us. Margaret and I relaxed on the wonderful fine, almost white sand, reading our books, while Liz and Ben enjoyed the surf. I made a video of these magnificent waves,ceaselessly rolling into the shore, topped with foam.
We then went back to our apartment where we had some filled rolls for lunch and we spent a great afternoon in the hotel swimming pool. We had the pool to ourselves for most of the afternoon and we swam and relaxed on the poolside loungers with our books in the glorious Australian autumn sunshine. In the evening we all went out for a meal in a local Chinese restaurant, the food was good and so plentiful that we had to take some back to the apartment with us in cartons because we were unable to finish eating it all in one meal.
When we got back to the complex, there were people still swimming in the floodlit hotel pool and young Ben had a late swim. Margaret and I read some more and then to bed,
Brisbane~~~Thursday 14th March 2013
Visit to Caloundra with Liz and Ben
Thursday 14th March 2013
I started out on my morning walk a little earlier than usual, Margaret and I are going to the Sunshine Coast with Liz and Ben today.
A flock of about a dozen Rainbow Lorikeets was feeding on the Golden Penda trees at the bottom of the drive and I managed to video a couple of them feeding on the nectar in the glorious yellow flowers on the trees, An obliging Kookaburra was sitting posing on a branch for me as I wandered along the trail and I took a short video of him sitting enjoying the early morning sunshine, once again the background noise of the birds whistling and calling to one another will bring many memories to life, when I play this video at home.
I started out on my morning walk a little earlier than usual, Margaret and I are going to the Sunshine Coast with Liz and Ben today.
A flock of about a dozen Rainbow Lorikeets was feeding on the Golden Penda trees at the bottom of the drive and I managed to video a couple of them feeding on the nectar in the glorious yellow flowers on the trees, An obliging Kookaburra was sitting posing on a branch for me as I wandered along the trail and I took a short video of him sitting enjoying the early morning sunshine, once again the background noise of the birds whistling and calling to one another will bring many memories to life, when I play this video at home.
Caloundra on the sunshine coast
Liz prepared breakfast for Margaret and I today and we said our goodbyes to George and his Dad as they will not be able to come to the coast with us for various reasons.
The four of us Margaret, Liz, Ben and I, then set off in the car for about an hour's drive to a beautiful place on the coast named Caloundra. This very pretty and interesting place is set in a bay at the start of what the Australians call the Sunshine Coast, there is an island running right down the middle of the bay called Bribie Island and this is a national park. The city of Caloundra is a short distance away from the Glasshouse Mountains which I think are visible from the balcony at Liz and Mark’s house in the distance.
We checked into our apartment in the Gemini Resort, a lovely complex with two joined tower blocks of apartments with some wonderful amenities for the guests. Our apartment is excellent with a very long balcony overlooking the bay and Bribie Island, everything is provided to enable us to have a wonderful holiday. After we had unpacked some of our clothes and settled into our rooms, we all headed for a very nice swimming pool, set in the beautiful gardens surrounded by Palm trees and tropical plants and flowers. The sun shone beautifully, the water in the pool was lovely and warm and it was wonderful just to relax and enjoy our very first swim of this Australian visit. After our swim Margaret and I went for a walk and explored the shops and restaurants in the area around the resort, the bay is beautiful and the Australian birdlife is as prolific as it is in Brisbane. I will enjoy going out with my camera in the early hours of the morning to photograph some of these wonderful creatures, I managed to snap a couple of pelicans in flight and there was an interesting wader feeding along the shoreline. We also spotted an incredible number of tiny sand crabs scuttling along with the water, thousands of them, this was also worth photographing and recording
In the evening we all enjoyed a meal in a lovely little Italian restaurant owned and run by a family, the food was excellent. We were very happy and contented as we made our way back to our apartment and took to our beds for the night.
Brisbane~~~wednesday 13th March 2013
Another very quiet day at home
Wednesday 13th March 2013
During my stroll through the wooded area of the wonderful Brisbane forest this morning I did not meet up with any unusual birds to photograph, I did manage to snap a couple of Magpie Larks in exactly the same spot as yesterday, and there were a pair of Kookaburras very high up in the treetops. A very large flock of medium sized birds were twittering and squabbling with each other, I was unable to get close enough to film them but I did record the sound on a video clip
Margaret and I had a quiet day indoors today, with Margaret doing chores around the house and I continued weeding the garden. We then relaxed until the family came home in the evening.
Bird of Paradise Orchids
After our evening meal we all went to bed quite early as we are off to a resort on the Sunshine Coast tomorrow for four days.
Sunset from Liz and Mark's balcony
Brisbane~~~Tuesday 12th March 2013
Magpie Larks and a Visit to The Brisbane City Museum
Tuesday 12th March 2013
I had a very rewarding walk this morning, the first part was almost devoid of bird life and I just managed to snap off a couple of photographs of two Kookaburras high in the tree tops and a Crested Pigeon that was on the path as I walked. Then I turned a corner to a section where someone had just cut the grass and a Magpie Lark known as a Pee wee in Queensland was calmly sitting on a bush consuming a very large worm. Then I spotted about three others on the bushes that were close at hand, as I started to film all four of the birds, one of them suddenly burst into song and I was lucky to be able to film this bird actually producing the beautiful sound from the back of his throat. I just stood there with the camera filming this wonderful little bird singing his heart out enthralled.
Below is a video of the beautiful sound of an Australian Magpie Lark, singing his heart out~~
Margaret and I took the bus into Brisbane city center after breakfast, where we wandered around the very busy shopping center along Queen Street Mall To the Brisbane bridge. The photographs above show a butterfly mural that is displayed in the Mall, a human statue begging for money and Margaret posing in front of some round metal ball shaped sculptures. There is a view from the Brisbane bridge on the river, and some statues and fountains that are located outside the entrance to the museum.
Margaret and a friendly dinosaur
We crossed over the bridge to the city museum and spent a very rewarding afternoon wandering around the exhibits on display inside. There was a huge array of prehistoric animal bones and many representations of Australian wildlife, including sadly, a very large display of stuffed birds. Huge whales and turtles were on display hanging from wires suspended from the ceiling and there was a wonderful model of the colourful Great Barrier coral reef.
By far the most space and comprehensive display were given over to the complex and sad history of the indigenous Aboriginal people. There were video films of Aboriginal history and the history of the modern Aboriginal recovery and gradual acceptance of the new Australian way of life. There were many examples of the wonderful art and artifacts of this surprisingly creative and enterprising people and Margaret and I learnt a very great deal from information that is not readily appreciated in many other parts of the world.
After our educational museum visit we crossed over the bridge again and found a food mall where we ate some chicken and chips for a late lunch. We slowly wandered along to the bus stop where we caught a bus back to Liz and Marks house.
Pizzas all round for dinner in the evening, courtesy of Mark , then to bed for an early night.
Brisbane ~~~Monday 11th March 2013
Gardening and Margaret's Home made curry
Monday 11th March 2013
Walking to the newsagent through the park, there was not very much bird life to be seen at first, I managed to film the injured Brush Turkey limping along the path in front of me but it quickly flew away into a tree as soon as he became aware of me. The sound of the bird calls in the canopy of the woods was incredible and that should be a nice background to the video of the Brush Turkey. On the way back home I managed to photograph a couple of Masked Lapwings on an empty building lot. These birds are easily recognizable by their yellow masks on the front of their heads above the beak.
I worked in the front garden after breakfast, just pulling up weeds and tidying up, Margaret was busy indoors washing our dirty clothes and cooking a delicious curry for our evening meal. A very quiet day today, Liz and Mark were very impressed with the garden when they got back from work. We all sat around the table and enjoyed Margaret’s beautiful tasty curry in the evening.
There was a wonderful sunset looking out over the mountains from Liz’s balcony this evening and I managed to capture a couple of lovely photographs.
Brisbane~~~ Sunday 10th March 2013
Liz's Fun Run in aid of Breast Cancer~~~~and Supporting Ben playing rugby for his club
Liz in action for Breast Cancer~~
Liz with her Mum~~No 1 supporter~~
Sunday 10th March 2013
Margaret, Liz and I crept out of the house at about 5.30am, jumped in the car and drove to the Brisbane city center, the roads were very quiet and we reached the city at about 6.00am. We joined a queue of cars at the entrance to a multi-storey car park full of people obviously on their way to the fun run. As we walked from the car park towards the Brisbane wheel, more and more people were headed in the same direction and the whole area under and around the wheel became a sea of people wearing pink to show support for the runners and the Breast Cancer charity appeal. We made our way to the official area directly under the wheel where several tents and tables had been set up by people from various organizations advertising and selling their wares. Liz registered her arrival and we slowly made our way towards the starting line, there were now many hundreds of people around the area, mostly wearing bright pink.
Margaret, Liz and I crept out of the house at about 5.30am, jumped in the car and drove to the Brisbane city center, the roads were very quiet and we reached the city at about 6.00am. We joined a queue of cars at the entrance to a multi-storey car park full of people obviously on their way to the fun run. As we walked from the car park towards the Brisbane wheel, more and more people were headed in the same direction and the whole area under and around the wheel became a sea of people wearing pink to show support for the runners and the Breast Cancer charity appeal. We made our way to the official area directly under the wheel where several tents and tables had been set up by people from various organizations advertising and selling their wares. Liz registered her arrival and we slowly made our way towards the starting line, there were now many hundreds of people around the area, mostly wearing bright pink.
Almost two thousand people took part in the five kilometer fun run, together with the officials, supporters and friends of the individual runners, there were probably about five thousand people around the Brisbane wheel at the start of the run.
The fun run started promptly at 7am, with the faster runners away first, followed by the slower runners and finally the very slow runners and people who wanted to walk the course. Liz started in the second group and we saw her off, then went to have a cup of coffee in a very busy little restaurant near the finishing line. I waited on the finishing line where I managed to shoot off a lovely video of Liz finishing the five kilometer run, waving at us with a lovely smile on her face as she crossed the line.
Liz’s official time was 28 minutes 36 seconds for the 5 Kilometer run. She was very pleased with her performance which is 4 minutes faster than last year.
Liz’s official time was 28 minutes 36 seconds for the 5 Kilometer run. She was very pleased with her performance which is 4 minutes faster than last year.
We all went off for a very welcome hearty breakfast in a very busy restaurant, on the banks of the Brisbane river, where we were joined by Liz's friend who was with her daughter. They had also taken part in the run and the three friends were soon happily exchanging views of their performances, and even arranging to meet up for further runs in the not too distant future.
Ben playing rugby for his club
We reached home and had a short rest, Liz relaxed, and we changed our clothes ready for the next sporting occasion. We left home to watch young Ben play rugby for his club, West Michelson Panthers, this is the first game of the season and the team needs all the support they can get. Ben’s dad Mark is acting as a line judge and they are playing St Josephs another club side. The match was fast and furious and very competitive, all the team players were keen, there seemed to be players of a range of ages and some of the players on the other side were quite big in size, compared to Ben’s team. The supporters gave Ben’s team quite a good level of support and the team tried very hard to overcome a side that had several players who looked older and tackled quite fiercely. The weather was just a little showery but we managed to keep dry with the aid of our wet weather gear. It was fun watching the match and nibbling on chips that we bought from the club food stall which is run by the parents of the players. The final result was a respectable 16-24 defeat, but the Panthers, Ben’s team, did their best against a good side and the coach seemed quite happy with the result and the way they had played.
We then returned home to a nice al fresco family meal and a quiet afternoon at home and we all went to bed early.
Brisbane
A Quiet day ending with Mark's Birthday Party~~Saturday 9th March 2013
Saturday 9th March 2013
I filmed a couple of Brush Turkeys in the woodland today, one of them appeared to be injured, nevertheless this bird jumped up on the branch of a tree and sat, while the other bird was rooting around in the bushes. All the other bird and animal life was in hiding and although I could hear the usual cacophony of bird calls, I did not see any sign of them.
I filmed a couple of Brush Turkeys in the woodland today, one of them appeared to be injured, nevertheless this bird jumped up on the branch of a tree and sat, while the other bird was rooting around in the bushes. All the other bird and animal life was in hiding and although I could hear the usual cacophony of bird calls, I did not see any sign of them.
It is Mark’s birthday today~~~~~ He intends to celebrate quietly at home.
Margaret and I had a quiet day, sitting reading and resting. I managed to dash off an incredible 500 word essay in reply to a post on Facebook that had to start with the words~~~”Everything went wrong that day”~~~I was very proud of my work, and Margaret, Liz and George were very impressed after reading it. I posted it on Facebook and so far the comments have been very positive.
Mark opened his birthday presents from us and we had also bought Liz a birthday present in advance of her birthday.
Chocolate Cake~~
In the evening Mark prepared a wonderful barbecue with a lovely array of burgers and steak for the meat eaters and there was also salmon and of course chicken was also on the menu. There was a lovely chocolate birthday cake with lighted candles, that Mark proceeded to blow out
We went to bed quite early, as Liz is going to do a fun-run around the streets of Brisbane in aid of the Breast Cancer charity, and this is due to start very early in the morning.
BRISBANE
A Very full day~~Friday 8th march 2013
Friday 8th March 2013
There was a wonderful finish to my walk in the wild today, I wandered through the woods, but I saw very few birds that I could get close enough to photograph. As I was leaving the area, the birds were calling and screeching so I thought I would make a video of the woodland scenery and capture the bird cacophony in the background. Then I saw a flash of white and I heard a familiar screech and high in the treetops I could see a Cockatoo perched on a branch. I managed to take a couple of very nice videos of this wonderful bird using the zoom lens, and together with my scenery videos they will provide a great memory to re-live at home.
There was a wonderful finish to my walk in the wild today, I wandered through the woods, but I saw very few birds that I could get close enough to photograph. As I was leaving the area, the birds were calling and screeching so I thought I would make a video of the woodland scenery and capture the bird cacophony in the background. Then I saw a flash of white and I heard a familiar screech and high in the treetops I could see a Cockatoo perched on a branch. I managed to take a couple of very nice videos of this wonderful bird using the zoom lens, and together with my scenery videos they will provide a great memory to re-live at home.
As I neared the Liz and Mark’s house a very big container lorry towing another large container on a trailer was backing up the road in reverse gear. This was a huge road train lorry and it filled both sides of the road as it climbed, there was a house removals sign painted on the side and I guessed this belonged to the people who have bought the house next door to Liz and Mark’s house. The lorry and trailer was too big and heavy to get all the way up the drive next door and struggled to get halfway, where the removal men were forced to unload the furniture. I was so fascinated with the size of the vehicle and the trailer, and the logistics involved, I took a couple of videos of this scene as it unfolded.
After breakfast, Margaret and I caught a bus to Brisbane to do a little more shopping and exploring, when we arrived we wandered down to the Queen Street shopping mall to find that the police had the whole area evacuated and the road was taped off. There were crowds of people just standing around watching and waiting, some of them had obviously been evacuated from the shops in the mall. A policeman informed one of the onlookers there was a man with a gun roaming around inside the mall, I took a couple of photographs of the scene, and Margaret and I then walked away. Using the Margaret’s excellent sense of direction, we made our way to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens by a roundabout route, stopping along the way to buy some food for lunch.
Police close Queen Street Mall~~~
Eerily empty Queen Street shopping mall~~~~
I took some beautiful photographs of the boats on the Brisbane river and the flowers, trees and shrubs and the birdlife along the way. We sat on a park bench and enjoyed our food, while we were eating, to our surprise, a rather large lizard appeared and just sat in front of us calmly staring at us, we instantly pointed our cameras at him and I even took a couple of small videos of him. Margaret pointed out a paddle-steamer chugging along the river and I took a small video as it turned out to be, “The Kookaburra Express” which we have seen and photographed before, a lovely sight.
We noticed three helicopters in the sky above the shopping mall, and we guessed that the police presence and the incident were still in progress. We decided to take the long way back to our bus stop to catch the bus home. Several people had heard the news and tried to get in touch with us but we had mobile phone difficulty and we did not get the messages.
We noticed three helicopters in the sky above the shopping mall, and we guessed that the police presence and the incident were still in progress. We decided to take the long way back to our bus stop to catch the bus home. Several people had heard the news and tried to get in touch with us but we had mobile phone difficulty and we did not get the messages.
In the evening we went out with Liz and George and had a superb Thai meal in a local restaurant. I have never been very enthused with Thai food before but this was delicious, well cooked and seasoned and there was more than enough to eat. We enjoyed the evening and returned home stuffed to wait for Mark and Ben who had been out for the evening to watch the local Brisbane team play a rugby match. Unfortunately the local team lost. The end of a very full day indeed as we all went to our beds to sleep.
Brisbane
A Quiet Day~~Thursday 7th March 2013
Thursday 7th March 2013
I took my early morning walk in the park as usual, the Australian sun was shining gloriously and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The first bird I came across was my old friend the Brush Turkey who was sitting balanced on a fence, this is quite a sight as these turkeys are quite large birds. I carried on walking along the trail there was not much bird life to be seen at all today, but the noise of bird calls, screams and whistles were all around, I filmed a short video of the forest, just to record the sound of the birds in the background, this will be quite something to enjoy when I arrive home in England again.
I took my early morning walk in the park as usual, the Australian sun was shining gloriously and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The first bird I came across was my old friend the Brush Turkey who was sitting balanced on a fence, this is quite a sight as these turkeys are quite large birds. I carried on walking along the trail there was not much bird life to be seen at all today, but the noise of bird calls, screams and whistles were all around, I filmed a short video of the forest, just to record the sound of the birds in the background, this will be quite something to enjoy when I arrive home in England again.
I had a chat with my friend, the dog-walker on the way to the exit and I took a picture of a very small bird that looks like a baby Kookaburra.
Just as I reached Liz and Marks house I spotted a few Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on the blossom on a large Golden Penda tree at the end of the drive, I managed to take a few more photographs of these lovely birds.
Just as I reached Liz and Marks house I spotted a few Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on the blossom on a large Golden Penda tree at the end of the drive, I managed to take a few more photographs of these lovely birds.
Margaret and I caught a bus to the large Hypermarket at Aspley to do some shopping, we wandered around the shops and bought a few things including some food to take home for lunch, then had a coffee and caught the bus back.
The evening was a really nice family occasion as Mark took charge of the barbecue and produced a wonderful evening meal, there was plenty of meat and salad for everyone and I enjoyed some beautiful fresh barbecued salmon . We then sat around chatting on the patio until quite late and then retired to our rooms to sleep the night away.
The evening was a really nice family occasion as Mark took charge of the barbecue and produced a wonderful evening meal, there was plenty of meat and salad for everyone and I enjoyed some beautiful fresh barbecued salmon . We then sat around chatting on the patio until quite late and then retired to our rooms to sleep the night away.
Brisbane
Early morning walk and a visit to the city wednesday 6th march 2013
Wednesday 6th March 2013
I went for my first walk through the natural woodland in the park with the camera today
the weather was cloudy and threatening to rain, I had decided to risk a soaking. There were not many birds around to photograph, although I was aware of the usual cacophony of sound from the trees and scrub in the woods. The first bird I came across was my old friend the brush turkey who was in the process of building a nest in exactly the same spot as she did fourteen months ago when we were here last. I shot a small film of her hard at work and wandered along the track which was quite muddy from the incredible rainfall here of late and I was forced to turn back and retrace my steps. On the way I was met by my friend the dog walker, a man who I had met in the same place walking his dog when we were here last. Then the rain suddenly came and I was soaked to the skin within minutes I sheltered under some enormous Palm tree leaves and waited for it to stop. I heard a rustle behind me and I was just in time to photograph another brush turkey.
I went for my first walk through the natural woodland in the park with the camera today
the weather was cloudy and threatening to rain, I had decided to risk a soaking. There were not many birds around to photograph, although I was aware of the usual cacophony of sound from the trees and scrub in the woods. The first bird I came across was my old friend the brush turkey who was in the process of building a nest in exactly the same spot as she did fourteen months ago when we were here last. I shot a small film of her hard at work and wandered along the track which was quite muddy from the incredible rainfall here of late and I was forced to turn back and retrace my steps. On the way I was met by my friend the dog walker, a man who I had met in the same place walking his dog when we were here last. Then the rain suddenly came and I was soaked to the skin within minutes I sheltered under some enormous Palm tree leaves and waited for it to stop. I heard a rustle behind me and I was just in time to photograph another brush turkey.
The rain then stopped and I was able to continue on my way. As I was nearing home I noticed some movement in a beautiful Golden Penda tree which was in full bloom and covered with lovely yellow flowers, these trees are everywhere in this area, and they are all covered with pretty yellow blossom at this time of the year. To my surprise and delight there were several rainbow Lorikeets feeding on the nectar produced by these wonderful flowers, and I quickly shot a video of the Lorikeets feeding, until I was noticed by the birds and they flew off. I reached Mark and Liz’s house after a very interesting walk and Margaret and I had breakfast together.
We then caught a bus to Brisbane and spent the day wandering around the city. We had lunch in one of the food halls along the very commercial and bustling Queen Street Mall, then we spent some time soaking up the very busy city atmosphere, in spite of the weather which was once again treating us to intermittent showers. When we reached the Brisbane river at the end of Queen street we were pleased to see the wonderful vegetable and flower market, open and thronged with people purchasing the excellent home grown and home produced goods. There was a fascinating and tantalising array of food and fruit, flowers and vegetables on display and Margaret and I treated ourselves to a large cup of ice cold fresh mango juice which we sipped through straws as we wandered around the market. We also bought some small sweet bananas and a couple of juicy peaches to take home with us. We wandered back along Queen street to catch our bus home, we stopped and spent some time in a little bistro in the very imposing Brisbane Albert square, where we took shelter from another very heavy shower of rain. We finally took the bus, and as our bus slowly filled up with Australian school children along the way, from four different schools all wearing a variety of school uniforms, we marvelled at how well behaved they all were.
In the evening we sat around the table and enjoyed a barbecued roast chicken courtesy of Mark and Liz and sat talking until we all went off to bed.
Sunset over Bridgeman Downs
Brisbane
A Walk in the Park Tuesday 5th March 2013
Tuesday 5th March 2013
Sadly I was unable to take my customary walk through the park to the Metro to buy the paper as it was teeming with rain, so Mark very thoughtfully collected a copy for me in his car. Margaret and I had a very leisurely breakfast together and finished the crossword in “The Australian” newspaper. We planned to have a leisurely day today, relaxing around the house and playing things by ear as far as the weather conditions allowed.
Sadly I was unable to take my customary walk through the park to the Metro to buy the paper as it was teeming with rain, so Mark very thoughtfully collected a copy for me in his car. Margaret and I had a very leisurely breakfast together and finished the crossword in “The Australian” newspaper. We planned to have a leisurely day today, relaxing around the house and playing things by ear as far as the weather conditions allowed.
Later in the day the weather had brightened up so we started out for the local park complete with sandwiches and water. It is rather hilly around here, and the ground in the park was quite waterlogged and muddy. I took a wrong turning thinking we were taking a shortcut, and we finished up confronted by a rocky creek, with what looked like a swamp stretching out ahead, Madam Yeo was not amused. We quickly retraced our steps, and took the usual long way round to the picnic area in the park. There was not much birdlife to be seen although I snapped a few pictures of the scenery along the way and we eventually arrived and settled down to enjoy our food. Then the sky very quickly clouded over and a few drops of rain started to fall so we decided to take our chances and walk home before there was a tropical downpour. We reached home relatively dry and settled ourselves down to wait for the family to return home from work and school.
The family in the house next door are moving tomorrow and Liz and Mark invited them over for a few drinks to say goodbye, they have two children who had made friends with George and Ben and they will be sadly missed. They arrived bearing a bottle of champagne and we all sat down to a fish and chip supper via the local takeaway, which proved to be very good value and we were both very impressed with the size of the servings and the quality of the food. We then all sat around chatting before it became quite late for the children, so sad goodbyes were finally said and they all went off home to bed, We followed shortly after having enjoyed a really nice day.
brisbane
ARRival in Brisbane Monday 4th. March 2013
Monday 4th March 2013
We had an early start planned as we wanted to make quite certain that we were packed and ready for when the shuttle bus arrived at the hotel to take us to Sydney airport at 10am. We had another wonderful breakfast in the hotel and then checked out and arranged for a porter to collect our luggage and take it to the reception area. The shuttle bus arrived on time and we sat back to enjoy a hair raising drive to the airport through the Sydney early morning traffic, making several stops at various hotels along the way to pick up passengers. Our shuttle bus driver actually dropped us off at the wrong terminal and broke the handle of my large suitcase when he manhandled it off the vehicle, not the most pleasant start we could have made to our journey. We made our way to the correct terminal, checked in for our flight and settled down in the departure lounge. I happily discovered there was free wi-fi available and Margaret settled down to read her book. The flight departed on time and we were pleasantly surprised to be served tea and a snack with fruit and water by the cabin staff. We arrived at Brisbane Airport an hour and a half later and reclaimed our large baggage, then made our way to the taxi stand where we hired a cab. The driver quoted about fifty dollars for the trip and after about a forty minute drive through the suburbs of Brisbane we arrived at our destination, Elizabeth and Marks house which will be our home for the next three weeks.
We had an early start planned as we wanted to make quite certain that we were packed and ready for when the shuttle bus arrived at the hotel to take us to Sydney airport at 10am. We had another wonderful breakfast in the hotel and then checked out and arranged for a porter to collect our luggage and take it to the reception area. The shuttle bus arrived on time and we sat back to enjoy a hair raising drive to the airport through the Sydney early morning traffic, making several stops at various hotels along the way to pick up passengers. Our shuttle bus driver actually dropped us off at the wrong terminal and broke the handle of my large suitcase when he manhandled it off the vehicle, not the most pleasant start we could have made to our journey. We made our way to the correct terminal, checked in for our flight and settled down in the departure lounge. I happily discovered there was free wi-fi available and Margaret settled down to read her book. The flight departed on time and we were pleasantly surprised to be served tea and a snack with fruit and water by the cabin staff. We arrived at Brisbane Airport an hour and a half later and reclaimed our large baggage, then made our way to the taxi stand where we hired a cab. The driver quoted about fifty dollars for the trip and after about a forty minute drive through the suburbs of Brisbane we arrived at our destination, Elizabeth and Marks house which will be our home for the next three weeks.
Then followed a wonderful family reunion and much catching up with the news, and the latest exploits of George and Ben at school and on the sports and rugby fields. We sat out on the patio chatting on a warm balmy Australian evening and related our adventures in Sydney, and happily drinking in and enjoying a super family atmosphere. Liz prepared a delicious evening meal and we sat around the table and tucked into a really nice meal together. Television and computers and plan-making for the next three weeks filled the time in, before tiredness and over-excitement sent us all to our beds for the night.
