Cairns and around – April 2012
Relaxing by the waterfront
Inquisitive turtle – Lake Barrine, Atherton Tablelands
Waterfalls galore in the Atherton Tablelands
Driftwood on the beach, Green Island
Some gigs in Australia
Sydney Opera House, Saturday 26 May 2012. This is the Sydney Symphony Orchestra warming up in anticipation of playing with Efterklang – our favourite Danish band that no-one else has ever heard of.
Efterklang & the Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing tracks from the Piramidi album
Thursday 7 June 2012, Brisbane Convention Centre. The vacuous atmosphere and slightly inadequate sound system tainted the otherwise superb Jezabels gig. Hayley Mary looked amazing in her cycling gear. Support act Snakadaktal were pretty cool but the sound system failed them. Quirky electro act Lights, from Toronto, were good too, if not exactly to our taste.
Saturday 30 June 2012, Eatons Hill Hotel – eagerly awaiting INXS. One of my long-time favourite bands, I had heard about their legendary shows but never expected to see them live after the untimely demise of Michael Hutchence. So imagine how excited I was to learnt that the original band is still touring, albeit with a new vocalist…
The original band members are nothing short of superb musicians and drummer Jon Farriss is the coolest man on earth. I give Ciaran Gribbin, the new vocalist, A+ for effort, but how can anyone ever replace Michael Hutchence? They smashed out fantastic track after fantastic track for more than 90 minutes – even the new stuff sounds good. I’d go and see them again tomorrow.
Ric’s Bar, Fortitude Valley – Luke Legs and the Midnight Specials. The chance Friday night discovery of this quirky folk-rock band was a real treat.
Tickets booked for the Red Deer Festival in September and Gotye at the Riverstage in December…
Sundown National Park
Saturday 9 to Monday 11 June 2012
Saturday’s entertainment, a quick stroll up from Cunningham’s Gap in the Main Range National Park. This view is from Mount Mitchell East Peak, looking eastward towards Lake Moogerah
From Mount Mitchell East Peak, looking westward towards the Granite Belt and Warwick
Broadwater camping area, our base for two nights. One of many basic camping sites in National Parks operated by the Queensland Government Parks and Wildlife Service, it has pit toilets, “donkey showers” and all manner of wildlife. But no running water; this is strictly bring your own. All for $5.30 per night (about £3.50). Bargain.
(Fairly) early on Sunday morning, Mat (McGuire) and I set off over the Broadwater towards McAllisters Creek, disturbing the kangaroos. Our goal was to reach the summit of Mount Donaldson.
However; it soon became apparent that there was a very good reason why the 24km walk we had embarked on was described in the guide book as 2-3 days in length – there was no path. No path at all. Just a river bed in a steep-sided gorge, with slippery waterfalls, deep pools and sheer banks.
We rapidly came to the conclusion that at our rate of progress and without a topo map there was no way we would reach Mount Donaldson and return to camp in one day… safely. We left the gorge to trek through the bush onto higher ground to the south. The forest was surprisingly pleasant.
Meanwhile, Gem was in pursuit of the wildlife nearer to base…
A superb fairy wren. Or a smashing fairy wren. Or something like that.
Back in the forest, Mat and I came to a track along the national park boundary, which also happened to be the border between Queensland and New South Wales. This track followed the ridgeline between the two states, offering some cracking views
A chance wander from the track gave us this superb view into Sundown NP and back towards the McAllisters Creek gorge and the campsite.
Our return journey was much the same as the outward journey, but with some different lines through the bush and the decent of a creek bed in a side valley, to add some interest. We returned to the campsite with no doubt that the full walk would have taken 2-3 days.
Brisbane LTA Part 3: 1 April -
Toowoomba Japanese Garden
The Thomsons at Mount Cordeaux, Main Range National Park; part of the Great Dividing Range
Gem on Bare Rock, Main Range National Park (Great Dividing Range)
Bobbing about on the South Pacific Ocean, waiting for the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race. This was about 7km from land – a long, hard paddle home.
Wildlife in Australia certainly is more bold than the British stuff we’re used to. But why was this scaly-breasted lorikeet biting my big toe?
Brisbane LTA Part 2: 1 January – 31 March 2012
It's possible to cycle almost all of the way to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mountain at 2,228m. Does it look like Scotland? Wales? SW Ireland? Norway? This picture was taken at the Snowy River crossing
The following day, looking west from near Carruthers Peak at about 2,000m
Steel sculpture by the Monaro Highway. There is no explanation as to what it is, why it is there or who created it.
Getting in some practice in the new kayaks on Wivenhoe Dam
Loggerhead Turtle hatchling, Mon Repos Conservation Park
Green tree frog?
From Mount Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains
Binna Burra, in Lamington National Park. The rainforest will be remembered for being wet. And the leeches.
A wonderful bird, is the pelican - his beak can hold more than his belly-can.
The Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. Two stuffed deer covered in marbles. I kid you not.
Brisbane LTA Part 1: 17 September 2011 – 1 January 2012
Brisbane River and city centre from Count White Park, Kangaroo Point. The best time to go running is either early in the morning or after dark, to avoid the heat. This was taken the day after we arrived in Brisbane.
Until we came to Brisbane I didn't realise skies like this really existed. The storm that followed dropped hailstones big enough to damage cars.
Daisy Hill Koala Centre is run by the Queensland Government's Department of the Environment and Resource Management (DERM). The koalas here are animals rescued following injury, or were orignally bred in captivity. It is used as a resource to help people educate people about koalas and the protection of the environment in which they live.
Australia Zoo continues the crazy antics of the local legend Steve Irwin, long after his untimely demise.
The Asian Short Clawed Otters at Australia Zoo are so tame they sit on the keeper's knee and beg for food
When disturbed, a goanna will climb a tree to escape the perceived threat. I've been reliably informed that if you disturb a goanna in an open area with no trees, it will climb the nearest vertical object, which could be a human. This is bad, as they are heavy and have sharp claws. This little chap, spotted in the forest near Mount Nebo Lookout, was about 1.5m long
The endless forests of D'Aguilar National Park, viewed from Westridge Lookout
Rainbow Lorikeets at Bargara Beach caravan park
The water-streaked dome of Bald Rock is the largest granite rock in Australia. Located in the Northern Tablelands in NSW, it stands 200m above the surrounding ground. It's a brisk walk to the top up the steep sides, but the extensive views are well worth it.
People look at me in puzzlement when I tell them that I shipped a car 17,000km from the UK to Australia. "It must be a pretty special car!" they say. "It is", I reply; "it's a Skoda." It was frustrating waiting for approvals and pouring a lot of hard-earned money into a black hole to pay for inspections, taxes and other things the UK-based shipping agent didn't tell us about. Nevertheless, it was still marginally cheaper than buying an equivalent car in Australia...
I met Chris Barker at Keswick School in 1986. We were friends through secondary school, sixth form, university and beyond. Chris moved to Sydney in 2002, so being in Brisbane has given us the opportunity to meet up again. Many bizarre things happened when Chris was around, but few as peculiar as this, captured while a plane was drawing out a religious message using smoke trails in the sky above Sydney Harbour. That big tree almost spoiled the photo for us
New Years Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbour cast an ethereal light over the iconic bridge and the assembled onlookers
Me, Gem, Chris and Trung - with some Sydney icons in the background. It was the Opera House that brought Ove Arup to Australia in the 1960s and allowed Arup to establish a business here, so it has significance to my assignment here
