Swimming Carnival

Swimming Carnival!

It's nearing the end of the first school term of the year. Get the bunting out - it must be time for a swimming carnival! Some of these kids are scarily good.

Getting off to a flying start

Queensland has some of the best swimmers in the world and no wonder - the weather is perfect for it! From the time most kids can crawl and often before, they are chucked into a pool and taught how to save themselves... and it goes from there.

Once a week on these warm summer evenings we all hang out, cook a BBQ and watch our offspring spring off into the school pool and swim like little fishies. From aged 6 to aged 12, in races of 25m or 50m: back stroke, breast stroke, freestyle and butterfly...  And nearly all of them swim better and faster than I could now.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 57)

It's been a while since I showed you another of our traffic signal boxes. Today's artist is Pen Donovan who has been very busy around town - she's painted 44 traffic signal boxes so far! See them here. This one is called "Footy" and as you might be able to see is controlling traffic outside the 'Gabba football/cricket ground.

Morning Rower

The days are getting longer and the mornings lighter. This was taken at 5.35 this morning with the sun a few inches over the horizon. This time in two months there won't be much of an orange tinge - the sun will be much higher in the sky. Remind me again why Queensland doesn't have daylight saving??

NRL Grand Final

It was the Rugby League Grand Final yesterday. If you like big men with big necks getting into a bit of rough and tumble then you'd probably love it. It's not really my thing. I spent the afternoon in the garden sipping wine.

Roller Derby Girls

This one was taken a couple of weeks ago during the Kurilpa Derby. The Sun State Roller Girls did a bit of a demo, chasing eachother around, bashing into eachother, cartwheeling and jumping over their teammates who were lying in the road...  all in sexy clothes and on roller skates. Excellent.
Learn more about them here.

Kurilpa Derby Day

West End's main street, Boundary Street, was closed off yesterday for a series of wacky races. Prams, bikes, go-carts and pretty much anything else on wheels was eligible. As well as the races, there was a brass band, bicycle polo and a roller derby demonstration. Too much going on for just one photo so sit back, relax and enjoy the next few days courtesy of the folk of West End.

Bikeway Cautions

The Bicentenial Bikeway around North Quay urging cyclists to be careful and S L O W. They should put these warnings on the roads around where I live.

All That Glitters

Well the TV was on in the background last night so I was sort of watching it. And then I got really into it. Queensland ended up beating New South Wales 34-24 to clinch the rugby league State of Origin title which makes it now 6 years in a row. Suncorp Stadium was host to 52,498 screaming fans - the vast majority of them Queensland supporters.

By the way, this statue is of Wally Lewis, a former Queensland coach and player who is something of a living legend around here. Last night, to great fanfare, another legendary player, Darren Lockyer, hung up his boots. I'd say it wont be long before they stick a statue of him up around Suncorp somewhere.

Phew! Far too much attention to sport for my liking. Back to normal programming tomorrow.

Weekend Reflections on Suncorp Stadium

Suncorp Stadium is waiting patiently for Wednesday's 'State of Origin' Rugby League decider. In Brisbane, this is a very big deal and it's likely to be a tad busier round here on the day of the game.

The stadium itself is in the Milton area and very close to a couple of neighbourhoods (you can see some of the houses reflected in the glass). It hosts big sports games but also music concerts and is often really loud. If the wind is right, you can hear it in my back yard in West End  - across the river and several kilometres away.

I heard once that if you live in one of the neighbourhoods in the shadow of the stadium then you get free tickets but I think it might just be a rumour. 

Part of Weekend Relections

July Theme Day: The Colour Green

 

Members of the school's green house roused the troops before doing battle with the reds, yellows and blues at sports day earlier on this month. I think it got down to about 11 degrees celcius which is bloody freezing for people in Brisbane so don't laugh. I should have got a shot of the parents. We all had scarves and hats on and were warming our hands on our coffees.

It's Green Theme Day all over the City Daily Photo world... see how others interpreted the theme:

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

The Origin Species

 

If you're not from Queensland or New South Wales, there's every chance you don't know or care about the State of Origin competition. It's a good-humoured rivalry if the atmosphere on Caxton Street is anything to go by. Queensland versus New South Wales in a three game Rugby League play-off. Players' "state of origin" is based (I think) on the first team they joined as a professional.

Last night's game was the first of the three and was held at Suncorp Stadium. The next game will be held down in Sydney in June and third back up here again in July. I didn't manage to catch the game. It was a preventative measure as my eyes usually get sore from all the eye rolling.... but it sounds like it was a nail biter. Queensland won! Hooray! 

(This is when you adopt the bulldog stance and loudly growl "QUEENSLANDER!!! RRRRR!")

Try-athlon

The Weetbix Tryathlon happens every year across Australia. Kids of all ages get a chance to swim, run and ride in safe, fun conditions with a big, supportive crowd and the emphasis is heavily on "giving it a go". This year's Brisbane event was held last Sunday at Underwood. I couldn't make it so here's a shot from last year's event which was held at South Bank.

It's all downhill from here...

Cyclists regroup after the uphill slog, preparing to tear down Dornoch terrace in a peloton, the wind zipping past their Lycra-clad bodies and hairless legs. What is it with men of a certain age and lycra? Is it just Brisbane?

Hearing Brisbane Roar

Being a flood victims, we got free tickets to the Roar on Saturday night!

Brisbane's A-League football ("soccer") team Brisbane Roar thrashed Gold Coast United 4-0 in a local derby on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium. It was the first time anything has been held in Suncorp since it was inundated last month, flooding all their electrics and changing rooms. I can report first hand that the lights came on, the beer was cold and the chips were hot... and the players were clothed.

I'll Huff and I'll Puff

Despite the blowy title and the enormous now category 5 cyclone approaching the north of the state, today's huffing and puffing is not weather related. This is "Huff 'n'Puff" which is kids of a certain age running or walking around the school oval 5 times before the school day begins. Most of them do about a lap (or less) running and then slow down to a gentle stroll and a chat to their mates, bursting into a jog every now and then. It might not look it but the conditions aren't that great. I was sweating just standing around watching.

Making A Day Of It

Australia Day celabrations down our way followed a very traditional formula. One of the small side streets got blocked off with wheely bins and the ubiquitous game of street cricket ensued. Anyone who wanted to play was in regardless of gender, age or ability. 

Naturally, someone fired up the barbie and we all had a feast.

And as the sun went down and the music was turned up, some of us slipped off to watch the tennis, some of us went to bed and those that were left partied on into the warm Brisbane night.

Eagle Farm Wash Out

Saturday was race day at Eagle Farm racecourse.

This photo was taken just after the second race while the officials deliberated on whether the meeting should be cancelled or not due to heavy rain. In the end, the plug was pulled but it didn't dampen spirits. There was a great atmosphere around the stables and people who worked with the horses (and the horses) were more than happy to pose for a snap before they packed up for the day.

Racing Colours

I should have taken my own advice with the each-way bet on Maluckyday (it ran 2nd) but like a fool went for the red hot favourite So You Think on the nose (3rd).

It was a glorious day here yesterday - warm and sunny with a gentle cooling breeze. The perfect weather for racing. I'm all for moving the Melbourne Cup up to Brisbane. The horses, the jockeys' silks, the posh frocks and the everything else racing looks so much better in the sunshine. Here's a shot I dug out from last December during a race meeting at Doomben to illustrate.