Time to re-charge the batteries

I'm off to India and Indonesia for a month. Posting resumes late September with (hopefully) renewed enthusiasm and inspiration!

Gliding through the water with the wind in your hair...

Have I mentioned the CityCat is the way to travel?

We stood at the back watching the motors churn up the water all the way to South Bank.

Relaxing infront of QPAC

Starting the weekend nicely...

Two flat whites and the paper. Bliss.
Desmond and Molly Jones cafe
Stanley Street
Woolloongabba

Ekka!

Every year at this time, Brisbane puts on a big show that goes for about 10 days: formally known as the Royal Agricultural Show, it's now most commonly known as the Ekka (a strange derivitive of "Exhibition"). It is an institution in Brisbane. People young and old love it. It is a source of nostalgia and there is even a public holiday in its honour. It's when the country comes to the city.

As the old name suggests, it is first and foremost an agricultural event. You can watch sheep being shorn, parades of prize cattle, competitive wood chopping, horse show jumping, feed baby farm animals and you can check out prize poultry, fruit and vegetables. With a less agricultural emphasis, you can watch monster trucks, jousting, whip cracking, a man picking up a car battery with his nipples (see above), acts of magic, feats of strength and skill, theatrics, motorcycle stunt riders... and lots more. You can do cookery classes, wine appreciation or even beer appreciation (at the bar). You can visit all the fairground attractions...and stuff your face with Dagwood Dogs and Strawberry Sundaes. When you've decided on one of the gazillion showbags that you're going to buy you can collapse in a heap at the grandstand and gaze up at the fireworks wondering where all your money has gone.

:-)

I have successfully avoided the show now for 5 years. This picture was taken by my brother who is visiting at the moment and got roped into it by my daughter. Next year, I've got a feeling, I'm going.

Vinyl Skywatch

Over the weekend, I went camping at a beautiful spot about 2 hours south west of Brisbane down near the borders of Lamington National Park. Out of the city the stars are spectacular but impossible to capture on my camera so I've gone here for an hour-long exposure. It's my first attempt at long exposure photography and I'm pretty pleased with it, despite the electric cable being in shot. (Note to self: set it up when there is still some daylight so you can actually see what you are shooting).  

It reminds me of a record.

Travel the world sky by sky. Visit Skywatch Friday.

Doorways of Brisbane

Queensland Art Gallery doorways.

And Now For The Weather...

I have my friend Jake to thank for these photos. He took them while setting up a live TV link for a weather report from the rotunda at Kangaroo Point cliffs. It was a pretty grim day yesterday in Brisbane with lots of low lying cloud over the city and plenty of rain overnight.

Couch and movie weather, definitely!

Moving The Dunny

This photo was taken over the weekend on a property a couple of hours outside Brisbane in Lamington, Qld. A group of our friends came together to help move an outdoor toilet - just a few metres -  to take advantage of a lovely new hole that had been dug. Having no door, the new position of the dunny ( for the uninitiated, Aussie slang for "toilet") affords stunning new views and unparalleled "at-one-ness" with the surrounding environment.

Serbia take on the Netherlands

On Saturday morning, I went down to El Salvador football club in Fairfield where I managed to get a prime spot to watch the under 8s team Serbia (in the blue) battle it out against the Netherlands (orange). Unfortunately, it was a goal-less draw despite plenty of enthusiastic instruction from the sidelines.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 50)

Welcome back to our stroll around Brisbane, stopping at random painted traffic signal boxes on the way. This busy one is on the equally busy corner of Mary and Albert Streets and it's by Frida Lindstrom. For others, click on the label TSBs.

The Great Outdoors

Most Brisbane dwellings take advantage of the climate by including some outdoor space to relax in - usually a balcony or a garden.... here's mix of both. You could say it takes gardening to a different level.

Don't Mind Me

This is "Lucretia" by Giacomo Ginotti (1837-97) and is positioned in the back lobby of the Queensland Art Gallery. It's easy to walk past it but if you take time to look, she's not in a happy place.

Look at that grip!

A Shady Character!

Here's my brother checking out the gigantic bamboo in the City Botanical Gardens. According to the lowest carvings on it, has been there since about 1992.

Life's a (man-made) beach!

Most Queenslanders I know don a jacket or a jumper if it gets below about 25 degrees outside... and if the water temperature is below 25 degrees you can pretty much forget swimming. So I reckon I'm pretty safe in assuming that the winter sunbathers in the picture are non-natives.

This is a man made beach and lagoon on the south bank of the Brisbane River. Perfectly situated next to the city for a lunchtime or after-work dip or a weekend picnic with the kids (...weather permitting, of course!).

Jazzy Cat

Brisbane's newest CityCat  - our river-based public transport - is now one month old. Usually the boats are painted plain blue and yellow but this one is unique in that it has been decked out with the artwork of indigenous local artist Judy Watson. I think it's a great idea ... and a great "vehicle" for the promotion of local art.

By the way, the name of the boat "Gootcha" is the local aboriginal name for Toowong, a Brisbane riverside suburb which the CityCat stops at.

Also: have I mentioned that it is the way to travel?

Last week's fog

On Friday morning, Brisbane woke to a thick blanket of fog which took a few hours to burn off. This was taken at about 11am when the winter sun was just poking through, leaving a misty atmosphere to the city.

August Theme Day: Bright Colours (and Traffic Stopping Art number 49)

It's a farmer with a pizza which I think is representing the fact that we are in New Farm. I suppose they didn't have any of this here new-fangled pizza back when it was proper farm land.

This is another of Brisbane's many painted traffic signal boxes and I think suitably colourful for today's City Daily Photo monthly theme of Bright Colours.



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