Watching the partial eclipse this morning

Brisbane got about 84% of the eclipse today. There was a subtle change in temperature and everything became a little less bright. We did the old hole-in-the-card trick...

Swimming Carnival

Jacaranda Park, Yeronga

I am still here!

 Recently I bought a couple of toy lenses for my camera phone - $35 for a macro AND a fisheye. This is taken with the macro although you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the fisheye. I think the difference is the direction of the curve in the lens - one is concave and one convex.

 You don't realise just how many jacaranda trees there are in Brisbane until October when they suddenly explode into blossoms and then are blown into carpets of purple all along the streets. I love it!

For more jacaranda posts, click on the label below.

Viet strikes again...

 

One of Brisbane's more interesting taggers is Viet. This is high up on a fence on Boundary Street in West End. It's the third one I've spotted - all within about a kilometre of eachother. If you notice any more, give me a yell.

 

Other two here and here.

Kurilpa Derby 2012

Every year, the residents of West End close off the main road, dress up and get on their bikes, scooters, prams, beds, office chairs, wheelie bins or whatever else they can put on wheels for a big party. There's a big parade followed by a series of whacky races. There's plenty of music, dancing and laughs to be had....

 

 

 

 The squid relay is disgusting but strangely mesmorising. Teams have to run with and transfer a squid to their team-mates using their mouths only. My thanks to Pete for these two fab photos below. I was standing right next to him at the first transfer point, camera poised, ready for action, when my camera suddenly stopped working. Aaargh! The memory card had filled up - what a schoolgirl error. I am still kicking myself. Anyway you can check more of his photos out here.

Rummage!

Brisbane's regular Suitcase Rummage at Reddacliffe Place went on location for the Home Festival. You could pick up some real bargains! 

 

Take Me Home...

Last Saturday I ventured out to Kangaroo Point for a free festival called the Home Festival. It was a great day out with loads to do and see. Here's a few shots...

 

 

 

 

Public Bike Repair Station

If you're ever down in South Bank with your bike and think you could do with some more air in your tyres or perhaps your handlebars need adjusting....

 

...head to Little Stanley Street and go wild!

 

Finders Keepers at the Old Museum

 We've been having some beautiful crisp days in Brisbane recently. The air is dry and cool but the skies are sunny and clear. It reminded me of this time last year when I was at the Finders Keepers market at the Old Museum in Bowen Hills taking some photos for a local cafe. There are all sorts of stalls selling really beautiful home made stuff from craft to clothes to food stalls, a cafe and a bar. There's a stage with bands playing... loud enough to hear but not loud enough to drown out any conversation... and an area where you can just lounge around in the winter sun. I looked up the Finders Keepers Brisbane blog and it turns out they are having another one on the weekend of July 7th/8th so mark it in your diaries if you're in the area.  Here's a flavour of the event. All photos taken 2.7.11...

   

...and that's just outside! I didn't take any shots inside of any of the clothes or other bits and pieces. I'll save those shots for this year.

Everybody Say Cheese!

Yesterday was the West End State School Fiesta. We set up a photobooth with some props and, as you can see, people really got into it!

Corroboree Preparations

Continuing on with the Sovereign Embassy story... it's still there, just in a different part of Musgrave Park. They have 3 tents: one for men, one for women and a kitchen tent. The controversy seems to have died down and on Sunday there was a Corroboree to help celebrate National Sorry Day. It was a beautiful autumn day - warm in the sun but chilly in the shade. I hung out for about an hour or so but things were taking their time getting off the ground. I was especially looking forward to seeing some dancing but I had to leave before it all started. The BBQ food was all donated by the local church and elders ate first.

Stand-off at Musgrave Park

I couldn't really see much as the police had cordoned off the area with fences and blocked off the footpaths but the Sovereign Embassy in Musgrave Park this morning was not the happy peaceful place it was a couple of weeks ago when I visited. Scroll down to my May 1 post for shots of what it looks like.

Over the weekend, the residents were asked by the Mayor to vacate the site. The council has offered them another piece of land but the residents say that this is in fact their land with their sacred fire and they have no intention of leaving.

Today, over 200 police have surrounded the camp site in the north-western corner of the park. This is to make way for Panyiri this weekend which is the annual Greek festival held on the site (and the rest of Musgrave Park). Organisers of the festival have reportedly said they have no problem with the campers being there but Brisbane City Council haven't been swayed.

Mirjam's exhibition

There were lots of red dots dotted around the Arts Factory a couple of weeks ago for the opening of the Connectivity exhibition. Well done, Mirjam!

The Lost Boys

Posters outside the old Skate Arena in Red Hill.

Brisbane's Sovereign Embassy

Brisbane's Soveriegn Embassy is an indigenous protest site set up in Musgrave Park in South Brisbane and has been open for just over a month. Read about the politics here.

Some of the coals from Canberra's sacred fire in the original Tent Embassy were carried to Brisbane to start a fire here. The residents of the camp have kept the fire burning despite prolonged rain over the past few days. 

Sovereignty of sacred land (like Musgrave Park where the camp is), an end to the disproportionally high number of black deaths in custody and a change to the intervention laws currently in place in the Northern Territory are all mentioned on the various signs around the site.

The signs are hard-hitting but the mood around seems pretty light. I've heard there is a playgroup being held there and of course there is some great art going on...

Signs around the place strictly forbid drugs and alcohol but it looks like the cups of tea are going down a treat.