Changing Seasons…

It is the last day of February. In fact it is the extra day for February as it is Leap Year. (now who shall I propose to???)

This year I am joining Cardinal Guzman’s “changing seasons” challenge. He has 2 versions to choose from.

These are the rules for Version 1 (The Changing Seasons V1):

• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
• Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery.
• Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.

These are the rules for Version 2 (The Changing Seasons V2):

• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
• Each month, post one photo (recipe, painting, drawing, whatever) that represents your interpretation of the month.
• Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!

So I’ll start with version 2….

February is the hottest month. It is humid with temperatures going into the high 30’s, sometimes reaching 40+. It is the month for sun, sea, surf and going to the beach. Cyclone Winston has created wild seas, perfect for surfers. Look carefully and you can see these beach walkers are looking at that tiny dot riding the waves.

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Version 1

Each month I’ll visit the beach and park around Burleigh Heads to show you some of the things you can see around here. It is the last Sunday of the month and the Art and Craft markets set up along the beach front park.

Music adds to the ambience and happy atmosphere.

A variety of food stalls will keep your energy levels up.

I hope you enjoyed this wander around the markets, these are only a few of the stalls that set up here every month. Did you see anything you would like to buy?

Meanwhile the beaches have been opened again to swimmers, but the life guards are keeping a sharp eye on the few that venture in.

Check here to see what the conditions were like a few days ago.

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Amazing sights at the beach…

 Cyclone Winston powers its way toward the East coast of Australia after devastating Fiji and causing villages to be obliterated and lives lost. Storm warnings are in place and our beaches are closed to swimmers.

Already the swell is over 3 metres, one set was reported to be almost 7 metres, and only the experienced and fittest surfers are advised to go out in these conditions. Surfers are coming from all over Australia. The world champion Taj Burroughs was on TV last night saying he just jumped on the first flight from Western Australia to ride these awesome waves and they will get bigger as Winston gets closer…

Its 4pm as I walk along watching the waves roaring in. But other things are happening all around. I notice a young woman holding blue diaphanous material as it catches the wind and floats and ripples around her. Then I see it is a photo shoot. I zoom in to catch the action.

The other couple with the 2 dogs get up to toss a ball around.

The bulldog joins in with the fun. I wonder where the other dog has gone…

Here he comes to join in…

But wait a minute just look what it is, I couldn’t believe my eyes…

 I was taking these photos on a long zoom lens and it wasn’t till I downloaded the photos back home and I looked closer at the other “dog”.

Yes it is a little pig. It is the first time I have ever seen a pig on the beach. I know they can make good pets and are quite intelligent as I used to work on a pig farm.

Walking on I go up the hill to the Miami headland to take photos of the Miami beach north to Surfers.

 

I’m not the only person up here taking in the magnificent sweep of beach and the waves rolling in.

Notice the few locks on the wires? It seems to be a growing trend to lock your love and remembrance thoughts in scenic places. Further along there are more.

Some have inscriptions scratched on them, some have professional engravings.

As I turned to go back down I noticed 2 blokes clambering up the hard way over the rocks.

Wow, they were so fit I couldn’t resist asking them to be foreground subjects for me. (I did a minor photo shoot!!!) Just look at those abs….

Jack took a sneaky photo of us as I showed them their photos.

As they turned to go they were stopped by another group of French tourists, giggling, they asked if they could pose with them.

After all this excitement it was time to head back to the car, but I can’t stop taking more photos.

The sun is going down behind the hi-rises casting long shadows along the beach. But people still stand around watching the ocean as it crashes along the beach break that is Burleigh Heads.

I could not see any surfers out there, it is low tide and those rocks would be deadly. I will have to come back tomorrow morning on the high tide to catch the action.

Time for one last selfie. Now to go over and get some fish and chips for dinner.

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I’m walking in the late afternoon in the other direction along the beach today and I will join Jo’s enthusiastic bunch of world wide walkers. Go join them at “Restless Jo’s place”

Early morning beach walk…

 On Saturday Fiji was hit by category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston, the most devastating in the Islands history it destroyed hundreds of homes. Strong winds and flooding from Winston have caused severe damage across the island nation. 

I woke this morning at 4-30am and, even though I live one kilometre from the beach, I could hear the ocean roaring. Australia is just over 3000 kilometres away from Fiji but this cyclone will affect our tides.

 Sunrise was due at 5-30am. As day was just breaking, I jumped on my bike and rode down to the beach.

The sky was still the soft grey and pink shades of dawn and at 5-15 the beach was almost deserted. I noticed this couple totally immersed in each other. They looked so in love and my guess was they are here on their honeymoon.

 

Just a seagull and me sharing this moment with them.

Then the sun made a dramatic appearance.

It was just past full tide and the waves surged and tumbled, foaming and frothing.

More people were arriving, walking their dogs, jogging or sauntering. Some just sitting and absorbing the beauty of the morning.

The sun highlights the hi-rise buildings of Surfers Paradise

Burleigh Heads is famous for its surfing breaks and this morning the surf was pumping.

This surfer is not a youngster he has grey hair and a middle-aged spread, but how exhilarated he must be to catch this barrel.

But, for some, all good things come to an end and work or school call. What a way to start the day though.

 

I couldn’t resist showing you a couple more of this beautiful area I call home.

If you want to stay a little longer there is a small  hole in the wall that serves coffee in that building in the background. If you look carefully you will see a group of people gathered around waiting to be served their shot of caffeine.

Or if you want to stay for breakfast the Surf Club serves delicious meals and you can enjoy them sitting at a table overlooking this beautiful Burleigh beach.

But for me it is time to head home for breakfast, 2 hours and 240 photos later.

Where ever you are and what ever you are doing today I hope your day goes well.

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I have not joined Jo’s Monday walking group for a while. They are a diverse group from all around the world pop over here to join them.

Weekly Photo Challenge : Seasons…

It is summer in the Land Down Under. The temperatures hover around 30c degrees and it is humid.

The place to be is the beach…

Hundreds flock here. The ocean can be dangerous and people are urged to swim between the flags, under the watchful eye of the Lifeguards. You can just see the red and yellow flags in the top left hand side of the photo. So that is why so many people crowd into this small area when there is over 40 kilometers of beach to choose from.

In the background, to the south, is Burleigh Heads National Park with the hi-rise apartments and exclusive restaurants nestled between the ocean and the bush.

Further north along the beach it is not so crowded, no lifeguards to rescue you if you swim here. In the distance the jagged, hi-rise outline of Surfers Paradise rises through the heat haze.

Being born in the UK I go into a heat hibernation through January and February. Summer is the season of sweating, I search out places with air-conditioning, library, shopping centres, cinemas or even the cool shade beneath a tree with the sea breezes to cool me down, and dream of the cooler weather to come in March.

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This week Jen asks us to share the season in our part of the world.

The Changing Seasons, Version 2 : January

During 2015 Cardinal Guzman hosted a monthly challenge. The challenge was to choose one place and visit it every month to record the changes. A fascinating project. But unfortunately, last year I could not visit the same place every month because of my Gypsy wanderings.

Fast forward to 2016…

I was delighted to discover that the dear Cardinal has decided to continue his challenge but to add a version 2.

These are the rules for Version 2 (The Changing Seasons V2):

• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
• Each month, post one photo (recipe, painting, drawing, whatever) that represents your interpretation of the month.
• Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!

Now this year is also a year of change for me. I plan to stay, more or less, put. After 5 years of roaming far and wide around Australia, I’ll be exploring the Southeast corner of Queensland and Northern New South Wales, the place I call home. No distant travels (to a galaxy far, far away) to far-flung parts of Australia.

So yesterday I went out to search for an image that says “January on the Gold Coast”. The bigger challenge being to do it in ONE photo…

This is Burleigh Beach, my local beach, and it is the last weekend of the school summer holidays. It is hot, it is humid and the surf is pumping. Just look at the crowds, but it is still possible to find an oasis of calm with a book, a coffee and your loved one under a tropical Pandanus palm. Room for a couple of young boys to play ball and a young woman heading for the ocean to catch a wave.

In the background, just visible through the fronds of the Pandanus, the Burleigh Heads National Park keeps a majestic watch over the scene.

Thousands of years ago this was known as a favourite meeting place for the Aboriginal tribes of the area. They would gather for ceremonies and share the bounty of the sea, leaving middens of shells to tell the tale of times long gone.

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