Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Rough Around The Edges

I'm a huge fan of Queenslander houses. They are houses built on stilts to catch the cool breezes while allowing a cool shady place to sit underneath the house on our hot summer days. Most of the old ones are either knocked down or renovated so it's not that often that you get to see one maturing with such reckless abandon!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Factory Foliage

Trees, vines and leaves have claimed this small disused factory... at least for now. There is a plan by the council to build a 30-storey apartment complex in it's place... but not if the local community can help it.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Traffic Stopping Art (number 31)


I love this zany one. It's the Brisbane Girls' Grammar School traffic signal box at the pedestrian crossing on Gregory Terrace...by Paul Robertson.

For others in the series, click on the TSBs label below.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

An angel in the choir



This is one of many beautiful carved angels attached to the choir stalls in St. John's Cathedral in the city. This one is about a foot high.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Free?


I'm trying to work out if it says "Free" and if it's in relation to the bars on the window... or maybe I'm thinking about it too much??

Friday, September 25, 2009

Earth, Wind and Fire Skywatch

Wednesday's giant dust storm turned the midday sun into a pale yellow circle directly overhead... it was really odd!

Visit other skies from around the world posted today at Skywatch Friday.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Dust Everywhere!

This was the scene driving back to Brisbane yesterday from Lamington as the dust storm from New South Wales headed north. Thousands of tons of soil have been displaced to form a cloud 400 kms wide by 2000 kms long stretching across eastern Australia. I was told by a couple of locals that in the west of the state, people will find that as a result they now have to step down an extra foot when they walk out the back door...
I think they may have been taking advantage of my gullible nature.

At least I have a good excuse for having a dirty car now.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Traffic Stopping Art (number 30)

To compliment yesterday's post, here's the nearby traffic signal box.

I'm off for a few days - posting will hopefully continue till I'm back

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Baptist Tabernacle

This is the Baptist Tabernacle in Wickham Terrace. It's a big imposing church built about 150 years ago by architect Richard Gailey who seemed to have a bit of a Protestant work ethic...er despite being a Baptist. If you are interested in the buildings in Brisbane that Gailey has left behind, this post in Your Brisbane: Past and Present is well worth a look. I was after a shot from inside of the big glass window but it was closed. Still, the outside's not too shabby. Particularly with that fetching red trim!
(That other building in the background is a hint at Queensland's more common colonial architecture)

I'm off for a few days - posting will hopefully continue till I'm back

Monday, September 21, 2009

Traffic Stopping Art (number 29)


Welcome back to my ongoing traffic signal box series!

This one is by Brisbane-based artist Rob Corless and is called "Flies". It's just outside the Victory pub on the corner of Charlotte and Edward Streets.

See another of his traffic signal boxes that I featured back in March here.

I'm off for a few days - posting will hopefully continue till I'm back

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Frocks in Stock

Something for the weekend, madam? Break out the advocaat and prawn cocktails in half-avocados, it's time to entertain!

BoxVintage, West End

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Assorted Bags and Knick Knacks

This is one corner inside the shop BoxVintage from Thursday. It's a kitsch bonanza! I'm not sure what those wooden figures are all about but they would be a talking point on anyone's mantelpiece.

I'm off for a few days camping in Queensland's glorious Lamington area - back next week! Posting will hopefully continue in my absence.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Fireworks Skywatch


Last saturday night, Brisbane's skies lit up during it's annual Riverfire celebration. It was a hoot and I managed to nab a great view from 16 foors up (with free beer and snacks). The building I was in had a fantastic view of the river but this one was taken from the other side where the adjacent buildings had fireworks going off the top of them. It was really spectacular and very loud even through glass.

For the other two shots from that night, see Sunday and Monday's posts.


Whew! that's enough links.

...ok maybe just one more: Skywatch Friday

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Vulture Culture

One side of the effortlessly cool Box Vintage store on Vulture Street (other sides are also impressively adorned). The artist here is Georg and you can see more of his stuff on his blog here. Thanks to the shop keeper who was a wealth of information and really friendly. He also has a blog here.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

City Sky Lines

Looking south on the railway bridge that links Ann Street and Wickham Terrace.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Blue Moon


It's something that I have gone past regularly but never really thought about until now. Under the railway bridge over Melbourne Street in South Brisbane there are two blue neon signs on a red wall. One says "Wall Flower" and the other "Blue Moon" (above). Installation? Advertising? Not sure. As always, any info welcome!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Surrounded

I couldn't believe it. With the hundreds of thousands of people crowding the river, I walked into an empty room with floor to ceiling windows and the blinds down. I rolled them up and got this amazing view of the fireworks - right in the thick of it with the glass of the high rise buildings reflecting the explosions going off in every direction. This is looking straight down Charlotte Street with the Treasury Casino silhouetted against the fireworks at South Bank.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Riverfire 2009

To celebrate the opening of the annual Brisbane Festival each September, Brisbane is treated to "Riverfire", a half hour of pyrotechnics stretching for a couple of kilometres along the river from the Story Bridge (above) to Victoria Bridge. According to the paper yesterday, they were expecting 600,000 people to be turning up to see the display which included the F1-11 "dump and burn". Dump and burn, you ask? Lovers of the environment look away now. They do this low flyover with the F1-11 jet and, as the jet reaches the city, the pilot dumps fuel out of the back of the plane so that it catches on fire, giving the overall effect of a rocket blasting across the sky... with bone shaking, face melting sound. It really is spectacular and everyone gets very excited. A local radio station does a live cross into the cockpit of the jet and just before the pilot dumps his fuel he says "BRISBANE LOOK UP". Unfortunately, I missed getting a photo of that. I think I was too busy staring, mouth agape.

Being someone who has friends in high places, (well... the 16th floor) I was able to get a pretty good view!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Diagonal Stripes Skywatch

This sunrise, a few weeks ago, had so many colours in it that I feel justified in posting a shot from it here for the third time! (others here and here).

Have a great weekend and for other skies across the globe, check out Skywatch Friday.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

William Jolly Bridge Projections

The William Jolly Bridge is settling into its funky new look nicely. As part of Queensland's 150th celebrations, Brisbane city council has commissioned this permanent light installation with a variety of patterns by Ian de Gruchy, a projection artist who has projected on other public buildings like these ones.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Dog In Boots

I haven't quite worked it out but I think it's a very tall dog in boots, shorts and a hoody... with a backpack holding a tree and stood like he is waiting to cross the road. It's a sculpture on the corner of Wharf and Ann Streets. If you have any info on it, I'd love to know!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Male King Parrot

I've been birdwatching in my friends' house in Mount Nebo, a mountain community just to the north-west of Brisbane.
Believe it or not, Blogger has washed out the colour on this picture. The red and green in reality are so vivid and saturated, the detail of the feathers isn't nearly as apparent as it is here. These parrots are so tame they just hop down from the rainforest onto the deck and will eat out of your hand.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Traffic Stopping Art (number 28 )

Later on this year in December, Queensland will have been independent from New South Wales for 150 years so there are lots of celebrations and commemorations already taking place. One of which is an allocation of traffic signal boxes to be painted with a "Q150" theme. This one on the corner of Waterworks Road and Settlement Road in The Gap was being painted yesterday. There's going to be a horse on one side and a cyclist on the other showing how we got around then and now. The colour scheme is the same for all the boxes doing the project - taken from the Q150 logo. Each one is representative of something Queensland-y so green is the tropical rainforest, red and yellow are the sand, blue is the barrier reef and black (along with red and yellow) are from the aboriginal flag. I had a bit of a chat to the artist, Kathy Sullivan, who said that there is a time limit for getting the thing painted and she had to finish it by yesterday - with 2 coats of paint! Hopefully it's all done now and you can go and admire her work next time you're in The Gap.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Changing Rooms

This place is great. Built in 1886, according to the front of the building, all the little coloured changing rooms are grouped around the pool (gents on one side, ladies on the other). There's a wooden viewing gallery upstairs.

Happy Fathers' Day to all you dads out there!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Leisurely Laps

Welcome to Spring Hill Municipal Baths!

The length of the pool is 23m.... which is just long enough to be able to work out your next multiple of 23 as you swim a lap... and to not forget where you're up to when you get to the each end.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Yellow Signs Skywatch


Sunday's afternoon sky in Brisbane was glorious. All sorts of cloudy loveliness, most of which I was unable to capture fully as I was in a moving car and only had the southbound passenger view of the Gympie Road. Nice enough, though, I'm sure you'll agree. And you get a lovely view of Cheapies' deals on wheels... and a funky Nando's car too.

Check out hundreds of other sky views posted today at the fabulous Skywatch Friday.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Jacob's Ladder Gets The Red Carpet Treatment

This set of stairs, known as Jacob's Ladder, links Wickham Terrace with Edward Street. It's park of King Edward Park which has just had a colourful new facelift. I think it looks great!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

That Cicada Again

In response to some of you from yesterday, I have tried to show you a bit more of our big cicada. Hopefully you get a better idea of form and size. It's a bit of a bugger to photograph. I got told off by some transport officials as the grassy bit it sits on is out of bounds...too dangerous, being in between 2 bus lanes...but if you don't get up close, how are you supposed to hear it chirrping? Chirrp chirrp chirrp!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

September Theme Day: Big

There is a phenomenon in Australia whereby a business holder will construct something big associated with that business (usually out of fibre-glass) and it will become something of a tourist attraction. Personally, I have visited the Big Lobster (Kingston, S.A.), the Big Banana (Coff's Harbour, NSW), the Big Cherries (Young, NSW), the Big Merino (Goulburn, NSW) and the Big Prawn (Ballina, NSW). I have also driven past the Big Shell, the Big Pumpkin, the Big Mower and the Big Pineapple all in Queensland but the novelty was wearing a bit thin by then so we kept driving.

Anyway. This is a picture of a big Cicada. It's much more understated than the other big things. Infact I think it would be insulted if it was associated with the "big" stuff; far too classy. It sits on an island in the middle of a busy busway looking pretty and - if you sneak up close and try not to get run over - you can actually hear it. It makes cicada noises!

Today's theme day is a global event, common to hundreds of City Daily Photo bloggers around the world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
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