The changing seasons : March…

 In January I joined Cardinal Guzman’s “changing season” challenge. and introduced you to Burleigh Beach.

In February I took you to the monthly art and craft market on the beach front

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.

My challenge each month is to showcase some part of Burleigh, this place I call home.

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March is my favourite month, the weather has cooled to a very pleasant mid 20’s, a very slight breeze keeping the humidity away, it is perfect weather for walking. So come with me to the Burleigh Heads National Park. That prominent headland that juts out into the ocean at the southern end of Burleigh Beach.

For this challenge I will just pick the highlights of the walk as the challenge calls for 5-20 photos. On Sunday I will overwhelm you with more photos when I walk with Jo and her troop of world-wide walkers.

Going up

Meeting the native bush turkey

Impressive root system

Strangler vine taking a death grip

View from the top of the track

Going down

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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!

March has been a pivotal month for me. It is my birthday month and also Jack has his birthday on the same day, so double reason to celebrate. But it is the month we decided to settle down after 6 years of travel. We have moved back into our house (see the details of that move here.)

For the first time in over 10 years we had all Jack’s clan arrive and spend a joyous Easter with us. 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law and 5 gorgeous grand children. This is what we missed while travelling. In the short periods at home, during travelling, we would make hurried visits to catch up with family and friends, but now we will be able to cherish having them visit us.

So, for me, this photo (taken by Jack), captures the feeling of togetherness.

Would you like to see more of our Easter get-together? Go over to Jack’s blog he has done a nice post about the day.

The Changing Times…

How times change an area.

Go back to 1998 when we moved to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. It was a sleepy, almost unknown suburb and houses were affordable. James Street, the main shopping street, was suffering, many shops vacant because locals were going to the Stockland shopping centre to shop in air-conditioned comfort under one roof with plenty of parking.

Tourists, especially the young back packers, flocked to Surfers Paradise for sun and fun. Families preferred to go to the many theme parks and the rich and famous frequented Main Beach with its, back then, trendy café culture. So Burleigh, with its air of shabby, old-fashioned and slightly scruffy street scape belonged to the locals. Parking was easy and shop owners despaired at the lack of customers.

That is how we left it when we took off for a years exploration around Australia in 2010.

But gradually change has come to this sleepy little suburb. It has been discovered. Empty shops have been taken over by young (or maybe even not so young) entrepreneurs and converted into trendy cafes with butter boxes for seats and op shop  crockery, or boutiques with designer everything. 2 bars are open till late. As they say “if you build it they will come” and come they have in swarms. Parking is almost impossible to find and expensive. All the shops are busy and the multitude of cafes and restaurants are doing a roaring trade.

Today we went for Sunday lunch and walked from end to end of James Street. It was buzzing.

This was just an empty arcade a year ago.

What a delightful space it is now, but no seats so we wandered on.

Finally deciding on Govindas our favourite Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant.

No coffee sold at Govindas, so on to The Coffee Club, the only franchised, multi-national, along James Street.

But what a great view it has. Right on the corner of the street. The Poinciana trees are just coming into flower and if you look carefully there is a small view of the ocean through the far row of trees.

This is, in my opinion, the best area of the Gold Coast to live in and now so many people of all ages are discovering it.

Footnote: Main Beach is now sliding into oblivion…

Early Morning Beach Activities…

 Ok I did not get up at dawn to catch the sunrise, but at 6-30 it is still early and on a sunny, spring morning the beach is busy. Not much surf, but this keen surfer is still going to enjoy what swell there is. Families take their children down to play in the sand and the dog walking brigade is out in force.

Maybe not much swell for surfers but it looks perfect for this canoeist.

Looking north along the beach, Surfers Paradise, the hi-rise hubbub, looms on the horizon

The surf life saving nippers go through their morning training drill, while a tourist catches the cancer rays. Hope she has splashed on the sunscreen…

The life guards are a very necessary part of beach life as this ocean can be deadly with rips and tides changing unexpectantly. It is reassuring to see these yellow life guard huts dotted right along the beach at all the main tourist spots.

At the southern end of the beach are the cafes and restaurants and the hi-rise holiday apartments. But I am going up to the walkway, through the park, beside the beach now. It is easier walking and there is lots of activity.

It is good to see all ages taking some exercise.

But these blokes have come down for a BBQ. What a lovely way to start the day.

But look behind them…

This personal trainer has set up his boot camp. Look at all the torture treatment he is putting his troops through. While the BBQ blokes relax in the background…

These lycra lads have stopped for a quick cuppa. Wonder how far they have biked this morning.

These pretty poodles are the same ones I saw earlier on the beach. They have just had the sand washed off their hairy heads.

It’s good to see the dogs are catered for as it is hot work walking along the beach, and more so if you have to keep up with your master on his bike…

Notice the fence on the left? Well I could hear a scratching and scuffling sound in the scrub behind it, so I peeped over. Look what I found…

A Bush turkey busily scratching in the leaf litter for his breakfast. He was quite oblivious to all the passing crowds, and most of them did not even notice or hear him. I couldn’t resist taking a video of him…

At the end of the video you will see a pile of leaves he is building up. I think that may be a nest he is creating. The male bush turkey does all the house work duties and also rears the chicks on his own.

Here’s some interesting information about these birds, to read more click here.

All Megapodes, (mound builders)including the brush turkey, incubate their eggs in a large mound built and maintained by the male.

• Mound generally 4m diameter and 1–1.5m high
• Females dig a hole in the mound to deposit eggs that the male then covers over.
• About 18–24 eggs are laid in a single mound by a variety of females.
• Mound temperature affects the sex of the unhatched chicks. A normal temperature of 34 degrees produces equal ratio of sexes: lower temperatures produce more male chicks; higher temperatures more females.
• The male uses heat sensors in his beak and test digs to check the temperature of the mound and maintain the temperature at 34 degrees.
• The chicks hatch deep in the mound and take 40 hours to dig themselves out before they quickly find cover in the undergrowth.
• Chicks fend for themselves and many are eaten by predators including raptors, kookaburras, goannas and cats.
• Chicks hatch with well-developed flight feathers and roost at night high in trees for safety.

Normally they build their nests in the Burleigh Heads National Park. I have never seen one nesting in this area before. I will come back when I come back home from New Zealand to check him out.

You may like to stop for a coffee or even breakfast at this coffee shop right on the beach. It is always popular. There are plenty more places to choose from across the road in James Street, the main shopping, café culture place in Burleigh.

I have come on my bike so I am going home for breakfast now, it is only a 10 minute bike ride.

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Restless Jo has a dedicated band of keen walkers from all around the world. To join them is a lovely relaxing, cyber way of seeing local places. Pop over to join them

Gold Coast Icons,

Change is inevitable. I look around and see it happening. So before these Icons have gone and been replaced with bigger and better (often debatable) I decided to take my camera for a ride on the light rail/G.link to Surfers Paradise and walk around to show you what is here at the moment.

This is Pacific Fair at Broadbeach. It opened in 1977 and at that time grew to be the major shopping centre on the Gold Coast. It was the jewel in the crown and a major tourist attraction.

“Pacific Fair opened in 1977 on what was swampland with just 96 specialty stores and two anchor tenants. Since then, Pacific Fair has undergone numerous expansions and grew to have more than 300 specialty stores and four anchor tenants.” (Wikipedia)

But gradually new shopping precincts opened. Robina muscled into the market. Brighter, bigger and all air-conditioned it made Pacific Fair look tired and out dated.

 So in January 2014, work began on a major redevelopment project to meet the predicted regional growth on the Gold Coast. Shoppers will be lured back to ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers from online shopping when the $670 million transformation of Pacific Fair is complete.

Take a look at what is coming….

Click on the following link for a fly-through of the proposed revamp.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/pacific-fairs-670m-revamp-set-to-make-broadbeach-shopping-centre-a-mustsee-destination/story-fnj94idh-1226785865380

This is the new look. What do you think? I prefer the previous frontage, as seen in the top photo. I think it has character and a certain style. This new (improved?) look to me is just a generic clone of commercial buildings, all square and chunky, no finesse…

Just a short stroll along the highway, negotiating the crossings and avoiding the trains, is Jupiter’s Casino.

Jupiter’s Casino was opened in 1986 and has had 2 major renovations in 2006 and 2012.

The seven acre complex includes eight bars, seven restaurants, conference facilities, a ballroom, theatre, health spa, gym, and a monorail which connects the property to the Oasis Shopping Centre across the road. The hotel, with 594 rooms, stands 66 metres (216 feet) and has 21 floors.

But look what is coming…

This is an artists impression of the 6 star hotel complex that is to be built.

JUPITERS Hotel & Casino is embracing the great outdoors with work on the first stage of its $345 million transformation finally under way.  It is expected to be finished before the 2018 Commonwealth Games start.

I hop back onto the G. Link and hop off again at Surfers Paradise, a 5 minute ride.

Across the road is the famous “Hard Rock Café” sign, but a sign of the times is the “for lease” sign in the window. Business has been hard for the traders in this area as the light rail took 3 years of disruption to construct and many shops simply closed the doors and walked away.

Caville Avenue is the main pedestrian shopping and tourist mall in Surfers Paradise, but look how empty and quiet it is. The beach is just at the end of this mall.

Mid-week and it is almost deserted. This is the iconic sign that must feature in millions of photos that go around the world.

The yellow life savers hut, yellow and red flags marking the safe to swim areas and the life savers on duty are icons I hope will never change.

Remember it is still winter,  the weather is glorious, but where are all the people…

Time to head back home…

This is Burleigh Beach and this is where the people are, well a few,  look at all the sun bathers…

Back home and a walk along Burleigh Beach. In the distance, across the sparkling ocean, the iconic outline of the hi-rises of Surfers Paradise line the horizon. The highest spike, in the centre of the row of buildings is Q1. Last week we visited it and from the top viewing deck could see all the way to this beach. But already there are plans in the pipe line to build another apartment block even higher than Q1.

So change is inevitable…

Well here I am, it is Monday and I am joining Jo’s Monday cyber walking group. I made it on the day, just…

       

Early morning walk along the beach…

We missed the sunrise by about an hour. Being winter I cannot prise myself out of bed in the dark. But when we arrived at the beach by 7am it was still a beautiful sky. The sun tingeing the clouds with apricot and turning the ocean to molten gold.

Of course we had our cameras with us and it was a perfect morning for a beach photo opportunity. So much activity. People walking, running, surfing, playing. All ages enjoying the sun while it is out.

I wonder if he is going to catch anything for breakfast. The seagull looks on in anticipation…

The surf is pumping and the wind whips the spray off the top of the waves in a frenzy of foam. It is a good day for the surfers.

When I downloaded these photos I noticed the dark shadow in the wave. I wonder if it is a dolphin.

I took photo after photo of the ocean as it crashed endlessly, trying to catch that moment as the wave peaks and the light shines through in an iridescent green. Most of the shots I missed. These 2 above were the closest I got to what I was trying for.

Walking north the sharks teeth outline of Surfers Paradise is shrouded in the misty ocean spray.

At the top of the sand this patient pooche guards its masters clothes.

He looks a bit woebegone…

This area is the patrolled swimming area and in the distance is the surf life savers yellow hut and vehicle. It is school holidays and the life savers are on patrol from 8am to 6pm. every day. There are dangerous rips in this ocean and every year unsuspecting tourists are dragged out to sea. It is only the vigilance of these dedicated, volunteer life savers that only a few lives are lost each year and they are usually people who swim outside the flags that denote the patrolled, safe areas.

A lovely morning to build sand castles with the help of  Mom and Gandma, but keep an eye on those waves…

The tractor has been along the beach grooming the sand ready for another day of fun for the tourists.

Time to turn round and head back south and home for breakfast.

The fisher man is still trying for that catch…

One last look back.

The sun is well up now and we go back to where we left our bikes.

They are still there next to this bench that shows the detail of the shape of a surf board. (Jude is looking for benches with unusual detail for July bench series. Couldn’t resist showing you this one…)

Home we go for breakfast…

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I am also joining Jo’s cyber walking group this week. Being Wednesday I am a bit late for last Monday, and a bit early for next week (Sorry Jo I’m not following the rules too well… )

Thursday Challenge : Street Photography

I have just discovered this “challenge” when I saw blogging friend Tish had put in a post, and it is a beauty, such happy smiling faces. (Take a look at it here). 

So it has intrigued me.

I enjoy following along with Yvette and love her street portrait themes so when I noticed she was the guest blogger for Paula I couldn’t resist joining in.

Sorry folks I am a day late…

When taking photos for a post about my suburb of the Gold Coast, Burleigh, this stranger saw me pointing my camera in her general direction and started a happy, spontaneous dance. I just love it…

Further around and along the beach front this lovely lady in the coffee nook saw me point my camera and gave me a big smile and the victory sign. (This is part of a Monday walk with Jo).

I may be home for a while so will enjoy joining in these challenges.

Show and tell….

Will we, won’t we? What make? What size? New, old? The decisions have buzzed around my head for a few weeks now. Daily checking on Gumtree and Car Sales sites on the internet. Will we buy privately or through a dealer? Going round car yards. Talking with friends.

I love the searching part of acquiring anything…

After research we had decided it would be either a Hyundai i30, or a Toyota Corolla. So this last weekend, with the help of a son to chauffeur us around in his car, we set out to look seriously at a short list of vehicles we had found on the internet.

Look what we finally found…

A 2007 Toyota Corolla, a one lady owner, low mileage. Perfect. I fell in love with it from the moment I saw it. I had a feeling that THE car would find me and be a suitable replacement for Matilda. Now this one will have to be christened. But I will need to drive it around for a while till it imprints its character on me and a name will suggest itself.

Now I am planning and dreaming of the places to see and the adventures waiting to be experienced. But for now we will be staying home for a few more months. Enjoying the garden and exploring around close to home. At least I will, Jack is flying to Sydney to visit a son for a week and so I will be home alone. Me and the car…

Storm Warning…

 

 Storm warnings are in place for this coast line as Tropical Cyclone Marcia bears down on us. She is due to land later today approx. 600 to 700 kilometres north of here. Then over the next 24 hours she will head our way.

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Cyclone Marcia has formed off Queensland’s coast and is expected to intensify to make landfall as a category two cyclone early on Friday.

Between 200 millimetres and 500 millimetres of rain is expected to be dumped between Thursday and Saturday on a massive stretch of Queensland’s coast, from St Lawrence to the southern border.

Some areas could get more than 300 millimetres in 24 hours and a flood watch is current for the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast, and the Darling Downs and Granite Belt District forecast districts.

About 200 swift-water staff have been prepositioned for the event.

Gusts of up to 125 kilometres an hour, flash floods, high tides, beach erosion, possible tornadoes and powerful surf are expected from tomorrow to Saturday. (ABC News report)

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When I woke this morning I could hear the ocean pounding and roaring. It was just past high tide and it is another 24 hours before the cyclone reaches here. I grabbed my raincoat and camera and went down to Burleigh Beach

It was grey and overcast, the wind was whipping up the ocean into a maelström of angry waves.

Not 3 metre high yet, the storm front is still approx. 600 to 700 kilometres north. But this is just the forerunner of what is to come. It is forecast to reach 3 metre+ swells tomorrow.

The life guards are already here to close the beaches

This surf is far too dangerous for swimmers or surfers. The rips will drag out to sea any one silly enough to venture in.

I think this family may be here for their holiday and they are determined to give their son a beach sand castle building experience. (I wonder if they have seen the sand sculptures at Surfers Paradise)

Other beach walkers, like me, capture the churning ocean. Most I notice are using their phones as their camera.

Every time these “weather events” (as the media now call them) strike, the surging ocean washes away the sand. This man is looking at the start of the beach erosion. Previous storms have created 6 to 10 foot drops were the sand has been washed out to sea. (see them here)

A favourite pastime for many locals is coming down to the beach for a run or walk and followed by a reviving cup of coffee.

Of course it is also a favourite place to walk the dog. I think this little fellow is telling them to hurry up…

This is a lovely part of Queensland and that hill is Burleigh Heads National Park, but it is starting to spit with rain so I won’t go along the headland track today. (If you would like to see what it is like on a sunny day click here)

As I write this post it is raining and the wind is getting stronger. I have tucked all my pot plants away in a protected corner. Now will just wait to see what tomorrow brings…

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G’day Jo I would like to join your cyber walking group this week and show you the angry side of my home turf. Click here and come over with me to visit the other walkers from around the world.

Look who came visiting…

There are a family of 4, Mum, Dad and 2 babies live around here some where. I think this is one of the youngsters out on his own, he looked a bit nervous.

They wake us early with their raucous laugh. Have you ever heard the call of the kookaburra?

Here is one I found on You Tube. Be warned they are very noisy…

How does my garden grow?

It is a week since we built the no-dig garden bed. Did you see it in progress? (Here it is).

I’ve waited patiently for the heat from the compost to cool down. It is cooler now and rain is forecast for the weekend. A good time to put in the seedlings.

Jack calls this a cradle for my babies! The crows and magpies thought I had built it for them to play in, so this fooled them and keeps them out.

The netting is easily lifted to get into the bed. The green plastic wire at the back will eventually have beans growing up it.

I planted these silver beet yesterday and they seem to have settled in OK, so now I am planting the other lettuce and rocket seedlings.

These are sunflower seedlings I carefully nurtured from seeds. This bed gets the full sun so I’ve put the old screen door over them for protection for a couple of days. I love sunflowers and these will grow to 5 feet, all being well…

The seedlings are slowly taking over. Front right is the box I grew the sunflower seeds in. Still a few waiting to be planted out. On the seat I have some kale and rocket seedlings. Kale is one of the new super foods, even though the kale plants are still babies I pick one of the leaves as I wander by and nibble it. Maybe it will turn me into super woman (she says with a grin… )

The first crop of lettuce have just about reached their use-by date. Home grown is so tasty, we have salad almost every day.

This is the herb corner. Basil, coriander, oregano, parsley, rocket, chillies and at the end of the line a mini capsicum.

These little beauties are just bite sized and I’m waiting, rather impatiently, for them to turn red.

This is a lovely time of the year. It is hot but cools down in the evening, that is when I love to be out in the garden.

Here are some flowers that add a splash of colour at the moment.

Bird of paradise, Stelitzia reginae

Bromeliad

Forgotten this plants name!!!

Dietes

Red Pentas

Heliconia

Pentas

Frangipani

Fruit salad frangipani

The clouds are rolling in, maybe we will get some rain, but I hope we don’t get the storms that hit Brisbane last week. (click here to see the storm) The poor folks in Brisbane are still struggling to clear up and another storm would be catastrophic. We are only 100 kilometres south of Brisbane but didn’t get any of the hail, torrential rain and winds that blanketed that area.