Traffic Stopping Art (number 10)

Artforce are the company who organize and allocate Brisbane's traffic signal boxes. Every November they hold a competition for those boxes painted in the previous year. This year's overall winner is shown here. It's called "Renewal" by Scott Moorhead and, according to the Artforce website, is a tribute to 60s optical art. Like the doilies that you find in the windmills of your mind...

Boldly, Moorhead has proceeded with this project despite the inherent hazards of making ones eyes go a bit squiffy at a major intersection. It's on the corner of Grey and Peel streets across the road, appropriately, from the Gallery of Modern Art.


For the other arty traffic signal boxes in the series, click on the TSBs label below.

Terra Firma

I'll finish of my balloon series here in a field in Samford. The red in the picture is the balloon being packed up by all the diligent passengers expect for me. Instead, I was prancing around the field with my camera taking pictures of flowers and trying to be arty. I did get around to helping in the end (honestly).
I took 200 shots from inflation to deflation so I might still pop in the occasional one from time to time. If you enjoyed them a fraction as much as I enjoyed taking them then I'm on to a winner!

Hillside Neighbourhood

The balloon has drifted north and slightly west of the city...
You might be able to see how steep the road on the left is. Many Queenslander houses in Brisbane are 1 storey at one side of the house and 2 or even 3 stories at the other side to accommodate the hills they are built on.
These houses get the sun as soon as it pops over the horizon - like there is a spotlight on them. Perfect if you are a morning person. Breakfast on the verandah? Why not!

Looking Straight Down

With all the satellite imagery available to us now, roof views from above are much more familiar than they were. But I still think it's like looking under a city's bed: you see all the unsightly bits it couldn't find a place for like air conditioners, aerials and exhaust fans. Except for the Hilton on Elizabeth Street(top right) which appears to have a tennis court on the roof... posh, but surely that's an accident waiting to happen?

Tranquility

At 5.30am on a Saturday, there's not much noise about in Brisbane. Especially 1000 feet in the air. Here are the occasional sounds that I heard:

*The blast of gas from the burner in our basket and those of the two balloons that flew near us
*Cockatoos and lorikeets over Ferny Hills
*Dogs barking in the outer suburbs- I think the balloons might freak them out a bit
*Basket creaking

Other than that, the silence is enveloping... a bit like when it has snowed (not something that ever happens here).

A Bit of Background

Welcome back to our balloon flight over Brisbane! You are directly over Kangaroo Point looking across the central business district (CBD) north-west towards The Gap.

The city of Brisbane is built on hills. The ones in the background are mostly eucalypt forest with patches of rainforest giving you a real sense of what it must have looked like when European settlers first came across it 200 years ago.

Breathe Out..

After 3 years of gazing at the balloons silently drifting over Brisbane in the early mornings, I finally got to have a go! What a birthday present.

Can you see the Story Bridge?
And these buildings?
How about the Tallest Tree?

More balloon pics over the next couple of days...

Enjoy your Friday wherever you may be and for a glimpse at other skies around the world, fly over to Skywatch Friday.

The Ol Factory

Without a doubt the most gorgeous shop in Brisbane I have been in is Libertine Parfumerie in West End. It's only been open a year but it has a grand old Parisian feel to it with shiny dark carved wood and posh chairs. When I went in for a nose (no pun intended) with my little girl, the guy in there really impressed us spraying all these little take-home cards with different smells for her wardrobe. Some of the scents are amazing... Fresh Laundry...Dirt (surprisingly nice!)... and Gin and Tonic (a scent I can acquire for free on a Friday after work if I try hard enough).

Traffic Stopping Art (number 9)

The guy immortalised on the box is the former premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie. He was premier here for 9 years up until 2007 and is something of an institution in Queensland politics. He once described himself as a "media tart" which leads me to wonder if maybe he commissioned this box himself.
What's that on top of the box, you say? A used nylon stocking, of course...

For other signal box art, click on the TSBs label below.

The Vatican vs South Brisbane

This is St. Mary's Catholic Church in South Brisbane, one of the most popular churches in Brisbane with a flock of 800. It is well known for its "rebel" priest Father Peter Kennedy. Many of his practices have been frowned upon by the Vatican including his wording of The Lord's Prayer ("Our MotherFather who art in heaven") and his political outspokenness (one example was the big banner outside the church last year demanding David Hicks be returned to Australia from Guantanamo Bay). His church recognises the land it is on as Aboriginal and has strong ties with the Aboriginal community in the area. Read an interview about it here. This is definitely not on as far as The Vatican are concerned and they have been threatening action for a while. A couple of days ago the Archbishop of Brisbane told the priest unless he tended his resignation, he would be fired as parish priest on 21st of February.

death toll in Victoria this morning

Al Fresco...? Who's He, Then?

According to a friend of mine, back in the '60s Brisbane had seven restaurants. That's it. Seven.
Today there are hundreds to choose from and most spill out onto pavements and verandahs... One thing I will never take for granted is eating outside at a restaurant in a t-shirt. 3 years on and it's still a novelty!

Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and Other Old Customs

This is Customs House shining in the early morning sun. It opened in 1886 and was a functioning Customs House for 102 years. Now it is a functioning functions house owned by the University of Queensland. You can have a fancy meal here, go on a free tour (sundays) or even get married here. Like so many of Brisbane's Colonial buildings, it stands out against a background of glass and steel. And of course a foreground of the mighty Brisbane River.

On Yer Bike!

Cycling is really popular here in Brizzy. There are a few well-worn routes and this photo shows part of one of them. Each morning around 6am dozens fly by like a flock of multi-coloured, lycra-stretched advertising-birds. And during the Tour de France a lot of them turn into canaries...

Check out more skies in other blogs from around the world at Skywatch Friday

Praying Mantis

This Praying Mantis likes to hang out on my finger lime tree. It's all knees and elbows anyway but with the sharp spines on the tree, it really looks like it is tip-toeing when it moves!

Something For Nothing

There are a lot of handouts going on in Australia at the moment. $42billion from the government yesterday alone! I hope it works.
We had our own handout bonanza in the local park recently in the shape of a kids' clothes-swapping picnic. Most kids went away with new stuff (to them) which saved us a few bob and was a good excuse for a clear-out.

4 Faces of Brisbane

Here's an alternate "Paths and Passageways" shot - this time taken from an alley down the side of the GPO. Can you guess what the 4 faces are?

Traffic Stopping Art (number 8)

Another signal box for you. Today's offering comes from Brisbane Sqaure infront of the colourful new City Library. It caught my eye because is it set so far in from the road that it looks a bit lost...

More about those big balls in the background soon...

For more traffic signal boxes across Brisbane, click on the TSBs label below.

February Theme Day: Paths and Passages

You're looking at the eastern end of the South Bank Grand Arbour - a 1km pathway that meanders through the South Bank Parklands and provides perfect shade from the hot Brisbane sun. At night, it is lit up and the shadows accentuated.

Every few metres there is a tall steel tendril; each one connected with several rows of wire. At the base of each tendril is a pink bougainvillea which is trained to grow along the wire. Further along the path the tendrils are on both sides creating a tunnel to walk through. It's 10 years old this year but only in the past 2 or 3 of years it has really started to grow from seperate steel structures into a cohesive art form. And there's plenty of room for more growth.

This is my first theme day! (I didn't take part in the January theme day as it was supposed to be the best photo I'd posted in 2008 so my choice was a bit limited.) It happens each month at the first of every month and is open to all members of the City Daily Photo community.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Frangipani In The Summer Rain

Frangipani trees are blooming everywhere in Brisbane at the moment. Even though their flowers drop, they are still perfect, and you often find little carpets of them when you walk down the street. They look, feel and smell sensational! And a tasty hair accessory also.

Tallest Tree In The Jungle (tribute)

I just popped into the Museum of Brisbane on wednesday and saw a great exhibition of photos taken in Brisbane over the last 100 years. There was a photo similar to this which I really liked so I have blatantly gone out and taken my own version. The building is Riparian Plaza which gets the title of Brisbane's tallest tower only because of the big pole sticking on top of it. I was told it was put there purely to increase the height of the building.

Anyway. Happy Skywatch Friday!

Model Behaviour

Drama at the Shopfittings shop.

Library Space Invaded!

The state library at South Bank is teeming with vidiots at the moment for the Game On exhibition - an interactive look at the history of computer games. No doubt there are plenty of 30/40-something dads dragging their kids along to show them what "real" computer games are all about... None of this XBox/Wii nonsense: sit down and get stuck into some table space invaders!

Roma Street Parkland

If you happen to wander through the Spectacle Garden in Roma Street Parkland, you'll see signs apologizing for it not being as spectacular as usual due to the storms from late last year... then I saw this. Not bad if you ask me.

Happy Australia Day, Digger!

There was a XXXX beer ad on in England several years back which sprang to mind when I took this picture... In the foreground is the Australian Vietnam War Memorial with the two sculpted soldiers looking thirstily towards the FourEx Brewery. I'll probably have a couple of beers today meself - just to sociable, like.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 7)

It's a bit like Sleeping Beauty meets King Kong...

To view the others in this series, click on the TSBs label below.

Talking Parrot Fashion

There are several species of parrot that live in and around the Brisbane area. These beauties are Rainbow Lorikeets who were happily chatting away when I saw them, tucked into their gum tree peering out at the world.

The Long Commute Home

Here's the CityCat again.... The most civilised way to get about town! This time in the pink drink which makes a nice change from the river's normal colour: a shade somewhere between old tea and dirty dishwater...

See a whole host of other skies posted today at Skywatch Friday.

Jolly Fine Arches

Underneath the arches of the William Jolly Bridge.

A Feast For the Eyes

Here's one of the windows in St. Stephen's Cathedral which adjoins the chapel in yesterday's post. It's a much grander church and the windows are really stunning. It was a job getting a variety of shots as all but one window were open because it was really hot. There are maybe another 9 like this plus 4 much bigger ones higher up towards the roof. I find it unbelievable that all this glass was shipped from Ireland, England, France and Germany in the nineteenth century. Can you imagine being responsible for this lot... months on a boat swaying side to side.... and every time there were storm clouds on the horizon...? It would be enough to give you a heart condition!

If you like this window, you might like to check out Marc's post from January 6th in Amsterdam Daily Photo. Thanks for the tips Marc!

Blessed Mary

This picture was taken at the back of St. Stephen's Chapel on Elizabeth Street which is the oldest church in Queensland. The sculpture is of Mary MacKillop . It's a powerful, rough depiction carved out of untreated wood and it takes up most of the little room it's in - not like the smooth, perfectly detailed art works you usually see in churches made out of marble. Sunday marked the 100th anniversary of her death and they had a bit of a do in the cathedral next to the chapel. It turns out she's been beatified and now well on the way to becoming Australia's first saint. Bless her!

Wacky Races

As I was walking through the Botanical Gardens yesterday, I came across the contestants of the Inaugral Yulia Felbermayr Challenge Cup. They had all designed and built these great little boats and were about to race them across the lily pond. The emphasis was definitely on the artistic side of things rather than the functional. I think only one entry managed to complete the five metre course... and that was probably just good luck. My favourite design - a duck on a raft with lots of mini hand-held fans blowing into a plastic bag sail (you can only see the sail in this snap) - ended up just going around in circles.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 6)

Today's signal box comes to you from Grey Street in South Bank. Nice one, Jil!

To view the other signal boxes in the series, click on the TSBs label below

Holy Gothic Makeover, Batman!

The State Law Building in George Street - the one that looks like it belongs in a Batman film - is affectionately known to Brisbaners as "Gotham City" or the "Batman Building". At a glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was an old 1930s building but it's actually a standard run-of-the-mill high rise that had a fancy refurbishment a few years ago. I reckon it looks pretty classy. It's seen here from across the Brisbane River through a window in the Gallery of Moden Art.

In Need Of Some TLC

I came across this crumbling beauty the other day. I think the screen door adds comedy value.

This Queenslander is sitting under a typical Brisbane sky, so I've registered it on Skywatch Friday. Check out other skies from around the world here.

(Not The) Way To Go

This is one of the building sites working on the Hale Street Link which is a 4 lane car bridge that will soon span the Brisbane River. (Insert huge eyeroll here.) You have to admire the council for it's unshakeable belief that it is going to be the first city in the world to solve its traffic problems by building more roads. In the meantime, the city is getting used to blockages and road closures which will be in place until the project is finished probably mid-late 2010.

Way To Go!

Here we go: the reason I moved to Brisbane. The CityCat. There is simply no better way to travel. Standing at the front of the boat with the wind in your hair and the warm sun reflecting off your sunglasses... and they call this public transport! Bring it on.

I would have posted a better picture giving you an overall sense of the boat in motion...but I'm a sucker for a wave and a smile.

Why Not?

I love this street name. So relaxed and agreeable which to my mind is typically Australian. Can you imagine what was going on when it got it's name? Probably a few cold beers for a start!



This one's right around the corner from Soundsgood Road.



Had ya going there didn't I?

Golden Orb Weaver

This warm time of year in Brisbane is ideal for spiders and one of the city's most prolific is the Golden Orb Weaver. They are great and that is coming from a complete wimp from London. The best thing about them is that they just hang out in their webs which are usually thoughtfully constructed above or to the side of paths and roads. They don't jump out at you unexpectedy or come in your house and look at you while you sleep or kill you. They just hang out - outside. The female (like the one shown here) grows up to 10cms and the male is about 5 mm which must make for an interesting love life.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 5)

Here we are again on our stroll around the busy junctions of Brisbane where most (there are some left) signal boxes are adorned with art done by locals. This one really stands out against the largely white and grey business tones of Cordelia Street on the south side of the river.

Click on the TSBs label below for the rest in the series.

This Bus Terminates Here

Introducing another of Brisbane's bridges - The Eleanor Schonell bridge connecting Dutton Park with the University of Queensland. It's only a year old and is more commonly known as the "Green Bridge" because the only types of traffic allowed to use it are pedestrians, cyclists and buses. Brisbane is trying hard to give itself a green, clean image. I'm a bit confused by it, though. The university won't allow buses to drive through the campus so the buses drive over the bridge and terminate there at the uni. This doesn't seem very green to me. Surely they could have built the terminus on the Dutton Park side of the bridge, built a cycle/footbridge instead making it far more environmentally friendly and saved millions??

Balcony Sunset

I was looking up at the sky on Monday evening while I was at a friend's house thinking - why didn't I bring my camera?? Luckily another friend on a balcony in Bowen Hills had his to hand. That's the Old Museum in the foreground. Thanks Garry!

This picture is part of Skywatch Friday. People from all over the world post a picture on Fridays of the sky where they live. Check out some more here.

Tower Power

This is one of Brisbane's television transmitter towers that sits up on top of Mount Coot-tha. If you have a tv aerial in Brisbane, it is probably pointed in this direction. Funnily enough if you stood directly below it with a TV set and pointed the aerial at it to get a picture, you'd get an awful reception because of the shape of the waves coming out of the top of the tower.

Musgrave Park

This is one of two big boomerangs that mark the southern entrance to Musgrave Park in South Brisbane. The park is an important Aboriginal site and is said to be sacred, having a buried bora ring beneath it. Brisbane celebrates Pride here in June, NAIDOC day in July, and it is also home to the city's annual Greek Festival, Paniyiri in May. Each year they hold a "Zorbathon" where they try and get as many people as possible to dance to Zorba the Greek. Apparently the record is 3300 people for 8 minutes! That photo is definately on my to-do list.

Stink Bug

This beautiful creature is one of dozens that live on the tree directly outside my front gate. They call it a Stink Bug. Poor thing. Apparently, to defend themselves they release a nasty smell but luckily my camera didn't seem to pose too much of a threat. Other names for them are Harlequin Bug, Shield-Backed Bug , Jewel Bug or if you happen to be Latin, Tectocoris diophthalmus.

Hangover

I have mentioned before here about the pairs of shoes tied together dangling from power lines across the city.... but yesterday I came across this pair of kegs. Looks like it was a good party!

Traffic Stopping Art (number 4)

Sunday again and time for your weekly dose of traffic signal box art - this time coming to you from the corner of North Quay and the William Jolly Bridge. The fella on the box is wearing a top with the Aboriginal flag on it. The flag was designed in 1971 and is said to represent black skin, red earth and ochre sun.

To see the others in the series, click on the "TSBs" label below.

Multiplication And Division

According to the 2006 census, there are about 1.8 million residents of Brisbane (lots more now, I'd say). Since I moved here in August 2005, about 153,000 others have too. As I am still on a break from work, I have done the maths for you - it's about 860 a week... which makes it the fastest growing city in Australia. The traditional quarter-acre block with a Queenslander on it is becoming a rarity with the blocks being divided as the population multiplies. I like this block of apartments because of the sheer scale of it.

By the way - I'm back from my time away at the Woodford Folk Festival which is about 80kms north of Brisbane. I have been debating with myself as to whether I should post a picture from there as so many people from Brisbane travel there each year. Everywhere you look there's a photograph waiting to happen... but I have decided to be a purist. Brisbane only!

Also - thanks for all the great comments and apologies for no Brisbane New Year shots.

Size Matters

Did I mention about the Gallery of Modern Art? I can't plug it enough, it's brilliant. And they let you take photos upstairs. That was where I came across this huge and lovely lady by sculptor Ron Mueck who looks a bit like she's got something on her mind. At least she had lots of bedside visitors.


I'm off for a few days. Posting will (hopefully) continue while I'm away.

Cooking with GoMA Gas!

I nipped down to the Gallery of Modern Art earlier in the week which is just such a brilliant and imaginative place to walk around. And it's free. Every school holidays, it's teeming with kids who are encouraged to get involved in loads of kids' exhibits. Parents usually get into this as much as the kids (me included).


I'm off for a few days. Posting will (hopefully) continue while I'm away.