Any of you familiar with the Australian book and film "Storm Boy" will know straight away the reference to 'Mr Percival'. For those of you who don't know the story, Mike (aka Storm Boy) lives a reclusive life in the sand dunes on the coast of South Australia with his father. One day he comes across a pelican mother who has been shot and he rescues the three chicks. He names them Mr Proud, Mr Ponder and Mr Percival, and nurses them back to health. The pelicans are released back into the wild, but Mr Percival returns and a special bond is formed between child and bird. Unfortunately, Mr Percival is shot by hunters, and he dies.
As a child, growing up and living in the UK, I always dreamed of living in Australia and seeing pelicans. Little did I know that my dreams would come true. Mr Percival, above, was snapped at Bribie Island.
I love watching pelicans with their silly walk and crazy beak. Bribie Island is always a good spot to while away time enjoying their antics.
Perfect autumn weather. Wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies. Dappled green shade to stop and stay awhile.
Happy weekend!
Standing in the warm, calm waters off Bribie Island, this fisherman shares space with some of the resident pelicans. I suspect that the pelicans are going to be the winners here.
It's Friday and for some of you, the end of the working week. I'm working, but I hope that some of you get time to relax and to enjoy the weekend. This picture was taken recently at Bribie Island. We'll come back here soon for another look.
I'm not one to enjoy pre-digested burgers, recycled fish and chips, or leftover salad! However, they did do a very, very good chocolate thick shake!
When Sir Joseph Banks, an English botanist, set sail with Lieutenant James Cook on the first great voyage in 1768, little did he know that he would encounter many very unusual plants and species of vegetation never before seen in England. He became a great collector banksia species, so named after him. The banksia species are native to Australia. This one is the golden candlestick banksia.
Here's another one of the scrap metal kangaroo's that has taken up prime position on a bench. Is this Brisbane City's answer to singles dating, seeing as they have only left enough space for one person to while away the time?
As some of you will know, I really enjoy different art forms, so I was very excited to see this kangaroo made out of scrap engine parts. It's such a simple idea, and very effective. It sits, with some others, just opposite the City Council offices. It was fun to watch the faces of people as they came across this small group. I'll show you another one tomorrow if you have time to stop by. Have a great week.
After a few days of non-stop rain and much cooler weather, it's great to see some blue skies again. This is Manly, just 20mins from the city, and situated on Moreton Bay. Like many places, Manly is changing, but there are still small glimpses of her fishing village past.
Take a closer look at this eucalyptus tree. It's known as a scribbly gum, and despite looking as if the junior school group tried to carve their affections for each other all over it, the zigzag tracks are actually tunnels made by the larvae of a moth. They are interesting because they reflect the life-cycle of the insects. Increases in the tunnel diameter show that the larvae is growing, and the end of the track is where it has stopped burrowing and started to pupate.
What better way to end the day than sitting on my balcony with a glass of chilled wine and a scene like this? Our run of perfect autumn weather looks like it might be at a temporary break, but I know it will return. Cheers!
Just following on from yesterday's post about ANZAC day, I thought I'd share this fabulous and, I think, moving mosaic situated in the Shrine of Remembrance, sitting under the eternal flame.
Today is ANZAC Day...a national day of remembrance both here and in New Zealand. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Above is the Shrine of Remembrance and Eternal Flame in Brisbane.
When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.
(Copied from the Australian War Memorial website) http://www.awm.gov.au/
Whilst walking through the Glass House Mountains, I came across this goanna (or lace monitor) sunning himself on an old log. I'm sure that he was enjoying his photo shoot! They can move very fast, running over short distances, and are excellent tree climbers. Thankfully this one was more than happy to sunbake.
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