Traffic Stopping Art (number 60)

This fabulous signal box can be found on the corner of Upper Edward Street and Astor Terrace in Spring Hill, near the Queensland Art Society building. It's by Francis Rowland Wregg whose work I have featured in the past two signal box posts. The bird design is a nod to the work of the brilliant M C Escher.

See a silly short film based on another one of his famous paintings here. 

Splash!

One of the fountains near the not-so-popular viewing wheel in South Bank.

Dinner on Hardgrave Road

Keeping Watchful Eyes On The Ice Cream Cake

When the temperature outside is really muggy like it was over the weekend, the only real solution is to stuff your face with ice cream cake. This one was lemon sorbet on the outside and chocolate ice cream in the middle....yum!

The New ABC

The ABC in Brisbane has been through a lot in the past few years. The old ABC building in Toowong had to be abandoned after several staff members working in the same area developed cancer. The staff were spread across several buildings around the city. The TV staff came up to Mount Coot-tha with the other TV stations and rented part of the Channel 10 building for 5 years, working in the basement with a pretty basic set-up. The other day, I went to visit the ABC's brand new digs in the middle of South Bank which houses all their staff comfortably. This is their TV MCR and Media Exchange area. Not too shabby!

Sunlit Cottonwool Skywatch

 It's storm season in Brisbane right now which makes gazing upwards very interesting. In one afternoon you might go from crystal clear blue skies to an angry dark purple to a soft billowy sunset.

Gaze upwards with other photo bloggers at Skywatch Friday.

Masonic Temple, Ann Street

Completed in 1930, this impressive sandstone building sits on Ann Street. Being a Masonic Temple it has an air of mystery about it but if you check out the leaflets in the doorway, they give free tours, Monday to Friday at 2pm. Provided you perform the correct under-the-knee handshake.

I need to gar-gull.

I got a shock when I first came to Australia. The seagulls all sounded like they had a cold. Unfortunately my Field Guide to Australian Birds by Pizzey and Knight doesn't describe the call of the gull I was used to hearing in England so you'll have to make do with my attempt to put it into words: it is a high pitched "co-loy co-loy co-loy co-loy!". The book does have a fair bit about the Silver Gull which is what I reckon this photo is of.

   "Voice: "short, harsh, gutteral 'korr' or 'keow'; longer, harsh descending 'karrr-karrr-karrr'."  

 ....in other words like they have something stuck in their throats. Anyway, reading into it a bit, I see that there are several different types of gull in Australia with different voice descriptions. At the risk of going into it far too much:

Pacific Gull: shouted 'ow! ow!; muffled 'auk, auk' gruff chuckles; whining stutters
Kelp Gull: yelping or laughing 'yo-yo-yo-yo' (I think that might be the one I know from England)
Black Headed Gull : high-pitched harsh screams in quick succession: 'kreeooo' or 'kraaahr'
Black Tailed Gull: plaintive mewing
Franklin's Gull: shrill 'kuk-kuk-kuk'; also nasal 'kear, kear'
Laughing Gull: strident laugh or variety of low chuckles
Sabine's Gull: harsh grating and tern-like 'k-year'
Lesser Black-Backed Gull: similar to Kelp Gull.

There now. More than you will ever need to know about the various calls of Australian Gulls.

PJ's Roast Inn

If you like your lunch old school - and by that I mean things like hot roast meat rolls or a big banana smoothie - then this take-away place is going to float your boat. Not a balsamic reduction or mini herb in sight... or, if I may speak London for a mo, it's not "poncey".  It does a roaring lunchtime trade on Adelaide street with punters of all ages and walks of life.

Sunrise Beach a bit after sunrise

We won a competition for a weekend up at Sunrise Beach on the Sunshine Coast which is about a 90 minute drive from where we live in Brisbane if you take the scenic route and stop for ice cream. The beach is long with tumbling surf and fine golden sand... great for walking or saluting the sun first thing.

Burning an Eternal Flame

 

The Shrine of Remembrance is mounted at the top of Anzac Square.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 59)

This traffic signal box sits on the corner of Milton Road and Park Avenue in Milton and depicts the pretty little McIlwraith Croquet Club just down the road. The artist is Frances Rowland Wregg, creator of the previous signal box in this series. Find out more about the painted signal box project here. And if you fancy popping down to the croquet club  for a spot of mallet fun or just want to know a bit more about it, visit the club's website.

Lunch Special at The Red Hen

Crispy skinned salmon with lemon and garlic roasted potatoes and a pear and pea puree. The pear aspect was interesting. I'm not sure it worked for me but the rest of it was just fab. Particularly the potatoes.

I was right behind you and it was far too humid for a long sleeved shirt!

For readers who are familiar with the blogger 'Z' from Z Captures, you'll recognise this at once as I have completely ripped off his idea! He has a whole series of shots of the back of people in New York called 

"I was right behind you".

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin!

Ah, the joys of learning a new instrument.

Have you ever been up close to someone playing one or two long notes loudly on the trombone? It sounds similar to a foghorn and your head vibrates...I think she was laughing because I had gone cross-eyed. And a beginner blowing through the reed on a clarinet can produce squeaks that will make your hair stand on end.

 The bottom photo is my daughter and the top one is her friend and they have both been playing for about 2 weeks. I expect to see them busking in Boundary Street in a few years. In the meantime, if you are in about a 2 mile radius of that trombone when it's being blown then you'll get a bit of a preview.

Yesterday's rainbows over Bardon

It was only very faint but there was a definite hint of a double rainbow after yesterday's afternoon rain. I love rainbows. 

When the girls outnumber the boys six to one...

...and Britney Spears is on SingStar.... it's time to take refuge in the DS.

Nearly done

The under-whelming "Soleil" building is nearing completion and has taken it's place on the Brisbane skyline, dwarfing everything nearby. 464 apartments, 74 floors high. Prices start at A$370K.

Orange Flowers in Cathedral Square

The council gardeners have planted a sea of orange flowers in the square opposite St. John's Cathedral - oooh lovely!

My Brother Learns To Surf

You're Welcome!

I think this might be a Welcome Swallow. Allow me to consult my bird book (it was a Christmas present)

...yes 15 cm, tail deeply forked, upperparts glossy blue-black...

"Courting males descend on stiffly downheld, quivering wings... Voice: single 'chep' usually in flight; spirited twittering song; rising 'seep,seep,seep'; in alarm, high pitched puny 'seeet'."  

My favourite thing about my bird book is the was it tries to convey the voice of the bird in human terms. To be found in most places in Australia with the exception of deserts and the Kimberley Region. This one was flying around the river in St. Lucia and sat still on the front of the CityCat while I raced to attach my zoom lens. 

It doesn't say in my book how it got it's name.

Deterioration

This huge house is slowly succumbing to the elements. What I find remarkable about it is that it has been left like this despite it being huge, in a really posh expensive area with the back garden backing onto the river... (This photo was taken from the CityCat)  I'd say that water tank has been there since the floods a year ago. It might not even belong to the house.

Maybe it costs too much to repair but the owner can't knock it down because it is heritage listed? What a great place it must have been once.

Heading to UQ for a swim

The wait is finally over - the pool at the University of Queensland Aquatic Centre opened yesterday (pity we went on Sunday)! Read more here.

Lazy Sunday at Musgrave Park

Chilling out by the pool at Musgrave Park which always seems to be too empty.

This one's especially for my family in the freezing snow in London.

Heritage Tomatoes

These are also called Heirloom tomatoes. I suppose $10 a kilo a bit more expensive than the bog standard tomatoes you can buy in the supermarket but they taste better too. And if you like, you can save a few and squash them into the ground for your own home grown! The difference between these and the normal hybrid varieties is that these seeds will produce top quality fruit season after season. 

I am still working on that possum-proof enclosure.

Boundary Street, Friday

Boundary Street in West End has a mix of restaurants, bars and independent traders. Friday evening sees it come alive with delicious food smells, a wide variety of music and general weekend excitement. You get an eclectic mix: office workers, people dressed up in all their going out finery, hippies, transients, young and old, black and white.  There's also a big mosaic lizard under some trees - a shady place to hang out. This was taken yesterday afternoon where, with lunch out of the way, the atmosphere was one of quiet anticipation. I stuck the camera on top of the big lizard's head.

What I like about 'tu'.

One of the things I love about growing turmeric in Brisbane is that for several months of the year it hides away. The only sign it's there is when you dig underground and find the orange root which looks a bit like ginger or galangal and is excellent grated on just about anything. Then, in spring, tiny green spears poke through the soil for what seems like only a moment before they shoot upwards and unfurl these huge thick leaves. After a season or two you start getting the flowers which, as you can see, are really beautiful. But the BEST thing for me is that they seem to thrive with no attention whatsoever. My kind of plant.

My favourite recipe using turmeric at the moment is Parsi Scrambled Eggs. It's the breakfast of champions. Use the powder in the cooking and then grate the root over the top. Delicious!

P.S. Australians born in Australia tend to pronounce this plant/spice without the 'r' and with the 'tu' and in Tuesday. ie ' Tu-meric'. We all know that this is wrong and that the correct pronunciation is with the 'r' and the 'tur' as in 'turban': Turmeric. Feel free to argue with me but I know I am right.

Anyway to make the title work I've adopted the Aussie pronunciation.

Paul brought us back some yabbies from Somerset Dam

If I had been on the ball a bit more, I could have entered this one in the Animal theme day yesterday but my mind was elsewhere. They are like mini lobsters. As a matter of fact, I was tucking into some this time last year. Excellent in a curry or just chargrilled on the BBQ with lime and chilli. Mmmm.

Again, apologies to vegetarian readers.

Yesterday's Birthday Lunch at Pearl Cafe (and Animal theme day!)

My thanks to Joanna. I had completely forgotten about the theme day but she pointed out in the comments that as today's City Daily Photo theme day is "Animal" I could still enter! (apologies to my vegetarian readers)

Being that a friend and I share the same birthday, we felt like we should make a bit of an effort so we trotted off with a few of our frocked-up mates to the Pearl Cafe in Wooloongabba. I had the ploughman's lunch because I am a bit sentimental it reminded me of home.... except it was much fancier than any ploughman's lunch I've ever had in England. There was smoked Wagyu, leg ham, homemade pickles, pommery mustard, cornichons, sourdough, French butter, mature cheddar and a mouthwatering dark brown pickled onion which I think was preserved in balsamic vinegar and a watercress salad. It was glorious.

It probably should have been washed down with a mug of real ale if I was being a purist. I plumped for several glasses of ice cold sparkling wine instead. You need it in this heat, really.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants and hopefully to see pictures of animals more alive than this one.

An old favourite revisited...

 

It's been a while since I paid this house a visit. It looks like it's been through a bit a bit since then - probably flood damage judging from its location, although the roof looks like something heavy has fallen on it. It's surprising they haven't bulldozed it and stuck a block of flats there, given that it's in a prime location close to the river and the city. 

I love how disgracefully it has been allowed to age!

Ashington Street Characters

 

 The crumbling walls of an old house in Ashington Street are providing an interesting canvas for a spot of street art.

Sign of the times?

The area I live in, West End, has been gentrified a lot over the past few years with a large amount of industrial land near the river being transformed into 8-10 storey luxury apartments. While Brisbane needs to have more housing for its expanding population, there is a the concern that the existing infastructure just wont be able to cope.

This photo is of a boarded off building site, originally announcing the construction  of "Montague"; 424 apartments where presumably, looking at this photo, you can re-live your own version of The Titanic (and had you lived there last year, you probably could have as it was several metres under water during the floods). Anyway whether it's due to objections or perhaps the whole global financial crisis I'm not sure - but it looks as if the development application has fallen through - and the guerilla stencillers have been having a field day.

Abba Cadda!

I'm a bit of a tough audience when it comes to humorous tshirts but I reckon this one's pretty good!

At Boggo Road Markets.

Mt Coot-tha Lookout Skywatch

It's funny - where I grew up in London, if you looked out of the window and saw this sky you'd be grabbing a coat but at this time of year in Brisbane, a break in the rain often means the humidity rises, the cicadas hiss louder and things get a little bit sticky.

Part of Skywatch Friday

At Auchenflower Shops

 

And now here's Bob with the weather...

I suppose after last year we're all a bit more alert when the Bureau of Meteorology refer to rain in terms of being an "event".

So what's happening in South-East Queensland at the moment is plenty of rain. 100mm a day with no sign of it letting up over the next few days. The day before yesterday there was a dog on a surf board on a flooded street. Yesterday was a little less light hearted - there were lots of flooded roads and some cars went under in flood-prone areas like Toombul. The good news for me is that Wivenhoe Dam (the big Dam protecting the Brisbane River from drastic flooding and consequently my flat which I've just finished renovating) is only 75% full as of yesterday - the absolute capacity is 200%. Last year it got dangerously close to 200% but I am - erm - anxiously confident that this year they will have the benefit of hindsight and start releasing some of that water soon.

Everything's going to be fine.
>breathe<

Boggo Road Markets

The splendidly named Boggo Road Gaol first opened in 1883 and closed in the early 1990s. It was known for its overcrowding and poor conditions which lead inmates, during the 1980s, to riot and go on hunger strike.
Since then, the site has been redeveloped into the Boggo Road Urban Village which includes housing as well as a huge Ecosciences Precinct. They recently started up a market on the site every week which I went along to for the first time on Sunday. There was plenty of live music, kids running around, people lounging about on the grass stuffing their faces with all sorts of interesting food and drinking coffee and juices. Without those huge red brick walls, it would be easy to overlook the site's dark past.

If you haven't been and are thinking of going, I went on an overcast day and it was fine but if you plan to go when it's sunny, get there early as there's not much in the way of shade.

I just love the name Boggo Road.

Rusty Gate

 

Back To School Contact Paper Debacle

Tomorrow marks the end of the long school summer holiday and the start of the new school year in Queensland. Every year we go through the tedious ritual of wrapping all of the new writing books (this year for us it's 19 books!) in sticky plastic contact paper to reinforce them. The plastic is very unforgiving. If you stick it on wonky, that's the way it's going to stay forever... and if you get a huge bubble in it but have already stuck the edges down it's almost impossible to un-peel it and do it again. You spend ages trying to smooth out the stupid wrinkles and suddenly, getting a book with no wrinkles becomes a very important thing and if you've got wrinkles all over the place... well you feel like a bit of a failure. And that's even before the first bell goes.

Why don't they just produce the books with reinforced covers in the first place?? I reckon there are some perverted people out there that actually ENJOY it.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 58)

I really like this newly painted box on Milton Road in Milton. The artwork is really bold and eyecatching - most people looking at them are in a car so the more bright and colourful the better. Also, the box is interesting from every angle. Two thumbs up from me! The artist is Frances Rowland Wregg and as you can see she has depicted John Milton for whom the suburb we are in is named.

Here's the back:

You can look up any painted box in Brisbane on the Urban Smart Projects website. They also show information about painted boxes further afield now in other parts of Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and even London.

Blooming Yellow

It's a perfect summer morning right now - blue skies, birds singing, the sun sparkling on the river. I snapped these blooms when I went for a walk this morning - I'm not sure what they are but they're putting on a bit of a show at the moment.

Trying to keep the Scenic Rim scenic

Coal seam gas is being promoted as clean energy but a group of protesters near Beaudesert - about an hour's drive south of Brisbane - think otherwise; they -  farmers, greenies, and other concerned folk - are currently blockading a coal seam gas exploration rig; they are very worried that the process of gas removal will affect their underground water supply as has been the case in other places.  At this stage they are asking for an independent baseline water testing study so that the company will be forced to take responsibility for any future problems.

The protesters believe that the only way to prevent the country's water being thus affected is via political intervention - and elections are nigh!!!

Thanks to Nell for her help with this post.
Photo: Innes Larkin

Asthetically Pleasing Service Lift Buttons

Haus of Fun

This is a rather funky combined chair/table that you can sit on and have your lunch outside the State Library in South Bank. Very handy if it's raining (vertically) or the sun is beating down. It was originally part of the Unlimited Asia Pacific Design Triennial back in October 2010. The designer is Alexander Lotersztain and the piece is called Haus. His website is here.

Anniversary BBQ

 

As this weekend passed, so did the anniversary of our flood. There were street parties around flood affected areas and I managed to catch the tail end of one on Saturday night, straight off the plane - to hell with the jet lag! Then yesterday a couple of familiar faces turned up and laid on a celebratory BBQ in the local park... so we came down for a little look.
Does anyone else smell an election?

January Theme Day: Photo Of The Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I think people in Brisbane are probably sick of hearing about the floods which is why I hesitated before posting this one. Having said that, it was the defining event of the year for my family and many others in Queensland and it is appoaching the one year anniversary so I'm giving it another airing here.

This photo was taken on January 14th at 6am  - just before we walked back into our flat to see what awaited us. The water had subsided really quickly overnight - this street had been under two metres of water 24 hours before I took this shot -  and the belongings which had been floating around in the murky water for days landed haphazardly all over the streets. Our first floor flat got about 30-40cm - not enough to be a disaster but enough to have to dismantle cupboards and floorboards and get rid of some of our larger furniture.

We were among the lucky ones - Aside from the hard work put in by countless volunteers during the immediate aftermath, we had friends with enough room to take us in and give us the phone number of a good plumber, plasterer, electrician and tiler. The son of a friend of ours painted our walls for free. We had enough money to bridge the gap before the claim money came in. We moved back into our flat with a brand new tiled floor on Valentine's Day and had a brand new kitchen fitted by about April. By that time a lot of people were still waiting for insurance money to come in before starting to rebuild.

Aside from the story behind the photo, I just like the oddness of stuff  being where it's not supposed to be.

<a href="http://www.citydailyphoto.com/portal/themes_archive.php?tid=65">Click here to view thumbnails for all participants</a>

I'm off on my holidays for a couple of weeks - back mid January!