Proof!

"We have no proof, But if we extrapolate, based on the best information we have available to us, we have to come to the conclusion that ... other life probably exists out there and perhaps in many places..."

~ Neil Armstrong, Astronaut ~

Take A Walk On The Wild Side

Reminiscent of something from "War of the Worlds", this metal figure stands harmlessly in the city surveying all that he (or she) observes from it's lofty viewpoint. 

Be Calm.

No matter how much I tell myself that the week ahead will be good, I know that it is going to be hectic. Perhaps some calm reflection and a few moments of 'time out' to relax will be needed. This is in the Japanese Garden at Mt Coot-tha gardens. Hope you all have a great week ahead and manage to keep your stress levels low. Happy Monday!

Arbour (2)

The medusa-like tendrils of the Arbour stretching up towards the Wheel of Brisbane. 

Arbour (1)

With it's snake like structure, the Grand Arbor in South Bank gently winds it's way for about 1km through these hugely popular and lovely parklands. The individually designed steel 'tendrils' form an arch with bougainvillea growing up and along the wires, creating some shade from the harsh summer sun.

Suburban Sky

Friday has rolled around and the weekend looms. Current weather warnings mean that we might not see a clear sky like this for a few days! Have a great weekend everyone.

TSB #1

You may well ask what TSB stands for. This is one of them. A traffic signal box, and they are dotted all over Brisbane and the suburbs controlling the sequence of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. These drab, grey boxes are often a target for graffiti and in a bid to discourage vandals, the city council set up the initiative to allow artists to apply to paint them. They are a great outlet for artists and certainly cheer up an otherwise boring metal box. I particularly like this one with it's take on a famous Australian poem 'My Country' by Dorothea MacKellar.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!



Water Flower

Fountains in the courtyard of the museum taken a while back. There has been a lot of renovation work so I'm not sure if they are still there. I love the way they look like huge dandelions. Time to re-visit.

What Lies Beneath?

Although totally harmless, there is no way I want to be in the water with these blue blubber jellyfish. Despite their name they can be creamy white or brown, and seem to get more blue the further north you go. At least we don't get the deadly jellyfish in our waters. These were pulsating around in great swarms. UGH! 

Seadog

I somehow suspect that he wasn't really an old seadog, but rather wanted to feel a part of the crowds watching the Queen Mary 2. I wonder if his whole experience was seen through a view-finder!

Royal Palaces?

Whilst waiting in the late afternoon sun for the Queen Mary 2 to slip berth,  the Sun Princess gracefully sailed by, setting off on her cruise of the Pacific. Where would you like to be sailing off to?

The Queen is in town!

If you followed the eyes of everyone yesterday, this is what you would have seen. RMS Queen Mary 2 sailed into Brisbane on one of her stops as she circumnavigates Australia. Hundreds and hundreds of people came out to see this magnificent liner, the largest ship to visit the city. This small girl wasn't caught up in the hype and was more intent on playing along the shore.

Oooh! Look, Over There

What am I supposed to be looking at? Come back tomorrow to find out. 

Cabbage Tree Creek

Boondall was formerly known as Cabbage Tree Creek, which is the main waterway of the wetlands. There is a small residential area near the creek and as you can see, mooring for some boats. As nice as it looks, the mosquitoes were just too much for me this day. There is a mosquito spraying programme which keeps everyone safe and apparently still maintains the bio-diversity in the area for the wildlife to survive, and not to upset the food chain significantly. 

Murri

Indigenous people have lived in the region for a very long time and the wetlands contained campsites, ceremonial grounds and essential supplies such as food, fibres and medicines.

A series of contemporary cast aluminium totems symbolise aspects of Indigenous culture in the Boondall Wetlands. This one is Murri (kangaroos) which were once common in the area. Kangaroos provided food, rugs, sinew for stitching and tying and bone for tools and ornaments.

Boondall

The diversity of Boondall is so varied for such a relatively small area; tidal flats, mangroves, saltmarshes, wetlands, grasslands, open forest and woodlands. As you would expect, there is a large number of wildlife, and these wetlands are a major migration destination for birds from as far away as Siberia. The birds you can just see here are some less exotic sacred ibis, of which we have very many in Brisbane. In the city areas they are a bit of a nuisance and will scrabble around in bins and rubbish for a discarded sandwich or a left-over burger. Anything really! It's nice to see them in a natural setting. What you can't see are the millions (well, seemed like millions) of mosquitoes that seemed to think that a free lunch on my legs was the dish of the day. The things I do to bring you a post.

Waterworld

Living in the sub-tropics we expect to have afternoon summer storms, and we've been getting those over the weekend. The mornings start off mostly clear and sunny and as the day progresses, the heat and humidity builds up to a crescendo, the clouds billow and swell, becoming darker until the rain falls in a torrent. With the wet in mind, I will take you to Boondall Wetlands, Brisbane's largest remaining wetlands, just 15kms from the city centre. They sit on the edge of Moreton Bay and cover an area of over 1000 hectares.

Heavenly Light

A shaft of light through one of the windows in St John's Anglican Cathedral

Story Bridge (2)

This is part of my commute every working day as I cross from the north side of Brisbane to the south, and then return again. Until it's completion it was known as the Jubilee Bridge in honour of King George V, but I don't know that many would ever refer to it by that name. The Story Bridge was designed by Dr JCC Bradfield, the same guy who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was erected 1935-40 and is unique in that it (I think it still stands) is the largest span metal truss bridge in Australia, and also the only steel bridge designed, fabricated and constructed in Australia by Australians. The road on the bridge is the Bradfield Highway, supposedly the shortest highway in Australia, but as with all statistics, this is debatable. It's just over 1km long.

I'm giving the road a break this weekend because I'm not working. Have a great weekend everyone.

Story Bridge (1)

With the lights of the CBD and the bridge reflecting in the river, this is much less dramatic than yesterdays view of the Story Bridge.

Storm Front

Last evening, I knew that I had only a few moments to dash out of the car to snap the approaching storm over the city. Fortunately I found a parking bay and just hoped that the traffic warden wouldn't come by and fine me for not buying a ticket! The air was tingling with electricity, even though we didn't actually have any thunder or lightning. But boy, oh boy, you should have seen the rain that followed. It was a deluge with the streets running like rivers. This is the Story Bridge over the Brisbane River with the CBD beyond.

City Lights (1)

Usually I am so keen to get home from work, especially at 10pm after a long, hard shift. Last night I decided to stop off at Kangaroo Point Cliffs to bring you a fine view of the cityscape. It's a scene I never tire of.

Venus (2)

Slender and sleek, dressed in her mantle of silver filigree, 'Venus Rising' elegantly spirals into the early morning sky, reaching for her home in the heavens far above.

Venus (1)

This torpedo-shaped sculpture is Brisbane's newest art installation at Kangaroo Point Park. It is called 'Venus Rising: Out of the Water and into the Light' and is by British artist Wolfgang Buttress. I really love the sleek lines of this 23m stainless steel sculpture. It is made of 100's of rings and polished tubes.

Beautiful One Day...

The marketing slogan associated with Queensland is 'Beautiful One Day...Perfect The Next', and what better representation could there be than this shot yesterday morning? I was on my way to work and had to stop very briefly to snap this classic view of the city from Kangaroo Point Park. I can tell you that having to go to work after this was hard, but I did feel 'set-up' for the day ahead!

Turning Around.

Even though I have visited the area frequently, I have to admit that I haven't been spun around on the Wheel yet! Here we are again in South Bank, and you should remember seeing this from yesterdays post (through the library window). It's looking like settled weather for a few days. Happy weekend :)

A New Angle

If by any chance you can't find the right book, you can always take in the view from one of the angled windows in the city library. I took this view of South Bank a while back, but it remains mostly unchanged. To the right of the Wheel of Brisbane is QPAC. We love abbreviations here in Australia. QPAC is the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

Old and New

Looking across from the modern council offices is the old Queensland Government Treasury building. The frontage that you see here was completed in 1889. Old money has become new money with this grand old building because it is now the casino. Interesting, isn't it, that both buildings are great places where a lot of money is wasted?

Money makes the world go around
...the world go around
...the world go around.
Money makes the world go around
It makes the world go 'round.

Steam

Here we are in the middle of Brisbane in Reddacliff Place (Brisbane Square). The coloured building is all part of the Brisbane City Council offices. The yellow part is the city library. I can hear you asking "What are those balls"? They are an art work called 'Steam' and are made out of metal steamer containers that you cook veggies in. They vary in size and are supposed to be lit up from the inside, but I hasten to add that I have never seen them working. The original concept was to have had mist coming out of them as well, but at the time of installation, Brisbane and most of Queensland was in the middle of a severe drought. End of story. It would be nice if they could be fixed up to the artists concept. Personally I find this so-called 'Green' area a joke; you can't just plant a few trees and call it 'green'...c'mon guys, the surrounding buildings are all concrete and metal, the paving is granite that reflects the tropical sun back in your face like a furnace, and as you can see, seating is without shade and made of stone! City planners!

O.K....rant over with.