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

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.

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…

Rediscovering my Stamping Ground

I am going to see what has changed around this place I call home.

I have been away almost 9 months, so this morning I will walk the streets of my stamping ground.

I live in a small street, only 14 houses and in that time 3 houses have changed hands and 2 are having a major make over.

But the dog park at the end of the street is still the same.

The dog walking park

At this time of the morning it is deserted, notice how brown the grass is. We desperately need a good rain, then it will all spring back to life.

In the late afternoon it is busy. People bring their dogs and children for some social interaction.

Taking the dogs and family for play time.

 

Over the far side there is a fenced off playing area, a basketball hoop and those piles of dirt are a mountain bike track. The trees behind the park are the Burleigh Knoll conservation area.

But back to the morning walk. Let’s take a pleasant stroll around the conservation park.

Burleigh Knoll Conservation Park

This area is small, only about 5 acres but the track wanders around and, apart from the traffic noise, it feels as though you are in a world of your own.

These marks give this gum the name “Scribbly Gum”

Pelican Lake is across the road, part of the extensive canal and lake system of the Goldcoast. Occasionally pelicans can be seen cruising around, but not today.

Pelican Lake

Round the corner and into the semi-industrial area and now I see the changing face of this area.

Down a lane behind one of the businesses I spot some interesting looking graffiti.

Or could it be Street Art? The owner had commissioned this, but I have no idea what it says.

( I have to admit I played around with this and enhanced it to bring out the colours)

It looks much tidier than I remember. Neatly clipped hedges make a big improvement

Then I see that the café culture has moved into this area.

Small, almost hole in the wall coffee shop. I love the rough, workman like tables and the corrugated iron sheets on the walls. Gives a semi-industrial, pop-up feel. Next door the theme is the same but it is a bridal boutique.

I like the Asian style door

The enticing aroma of coffee is drifting along this street, now include the rustic, mouth watering smell of bacon and I just have to go into the next café. Come on let’s see what is on the menu.

It is obviously popular, look at the queue

 

The Chef is very busy. The eggs are free-range, the sour dough bread is baked on site. Look how the meal is served. Notice the boiled eggs in the egg carton! Bacon, scrambled eggs and herbs in a cardboard box. All very trendy and down market.

I order mushroom, cheese and a fried egg on a sourdough bun with home made tomatoe chutney and served on a bed of rocket in a cardboard box. The mushroom was the size of the bun and the perfectly cooked yolk of the egg oozed out on to the mushroom when I cut into it. The coffee was locally sourced organic beans freshly ground as you ordered. I was in foodie heaven.

Time to sit and people watch

Things certainly have changed. This is a back street and I only found it by accident when I went for a morning walk. Originally this was a run-down, rather dilapidated old house. Just look what they have done with it now. The Paddock is well named, it has a rural feel in the middle of town and I felt totally relaxed, and a little bit guilty, as I ate my breakfast, I hadn’t intended to eat out.

Jack will be wondering where I have got to, so I complete the circuit home via Christine Avenue, one of the main streets of the area and back past the dog park home.

Near the beach surf board shops are every where.

Another small café, but not so trendy or popular

Busy Christine Ave

Later I went back to Pelican Lake just as the sun set for another photo session.

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“Restless Jo” organises a cyber walking group and I love to go along and see where every one is taking us. Maybe you would like to join in.

 

A walk along Beautiful, Burleigh Beach : Joining Jo’s Monday walking group

This is my street and that hi-rise is on the beach front, just one kilometre away. So join me as I hop on my bike to go down to the beach for my morning walk. Bring water, put on sunscreen and a hat it is hot and sunny.

Today is  a special day as it is the last Sunday of the month and that is the art and craft markets on the beach front.

Only a 5 minute ride (10 minutes if you walk) and now I tie the bike up. The beach is just the other side of the bushes, from here we will head south, next time we will go north.

I think I will wander around these markets, it is mostly local art and craft. I have never seen any Chinese or imported products here, great place to shop for gifts or Christmas presents. Be warned this could add an hour or more to the walk…

It’s a great venue under the shady Norfolk Pines and next to the beach catching all the sea breezes. They are very welcome as it is going to be hot day today.

Busking at an early age

He was quite good

Coffee stall is always busy

Maybe in this weather a cold drink is better

Want a biscuit to go with your drink?

Sausage sizzle, hot work for the Lions club.

Hats are necessary in this sun

These 2 ladies were having fun choosing.

Christmas decorations, already???

This brom had a $220 price tag!!!

Remember these old witches brooms?

Lights for kids rooms

How cute are these puppies

One cool chick!

Now how about getting your fortune told?

I actually bought one of these visors

That is my cup of iced tea waiting while I take a photo. It was delicious.

Still lots to see.

This group of Hare Krishnas passed by chanting and playing their instruments. Times have changed as a few years back they would all be in their orange cloaks with shaved heads…

This is Burleigh Beach, my local beach. It is very hot today and what better way to cool down, but you must swim between the flags as there can be very strong rips along this coast. Notice the surf life savers in their orange and yellow jackets.

That hill in the background is Burleigh Heads National Park and that’s where we will be walking round.

The surf rescue boat and team are ready for any emergencies, and the sea is very choppy today.

The board riders club are having competitions.

This is the surf club building, a great place to have a meal upstairs right on the water front. Downstairs you can have a coffee and a snack.

Further along is my favourite coffee hole in the wall. I think she has recognized me!

Notice all the seagulls on the scrounge?

This is the entrance to the National Park.

The tracks go round the hill in a figure of 8. The right hand track goes up the hill and is STEEP with lots of steps, quite a challenge. The left hand one goes round the bottom of the hill along the ocean. I am not very fit at the moment so we will go along the low track.

This gate is padlocked if the track is dangerous. You’ll see the rocks soon.

The day we arrived home a fire broke out on the hill and these gates were locked for a few days. I am interested to see how much damage was done.

10AM: A SENIOR ranger has revealed an illegal camp fire is thought to be behind a large blaze that engulfed Burleigh Headland overnight.

The fire began at about 6.30pm and burned well into the early hours of the morning.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Henry Waterman said about three quarters of the sloping headland had been burnt.( go to this link to see dramatic photos of the blaze)

How did these Pandanus survive?

The report was that three-quarter of the Park burnt, but in fact it was only a small section of the grass land, the bush was not effected.

These are the rocks that caused the concern. They have been like this the 16 years we have lived here and probably very much longer.

Between 20 and 23 million years ago, molten lava from numerous eruptions in this area spread in all directions, some flows reaching the present coastline at Burleigh headland. Slow cooling of the thick lava resulted in shrinkage and cracking into six-sided columns. Many slid and rolled to the water’s edge.

So let’s quickly and safely move on.

Round into the shady, cooler bush track

The 6 sided basalt columns line the track.

Round the other side of the hill we look over to the mouth of the Tallebudgera River. Beyond is Palm Beach and down to Coolangatta and over the border into New South Wales. The wind is whipping up the foam today. No surfers out here in these conditions.

Further along the river bank it is calmer. That bridge is the Goldcoast Highway, the major road south.

On the other side of the river is another surf club, they certainly have the best beach front positions.

This is the intersection of the 2 tracks, to go right it will be all up hill, straight ahead takes you to the Highway. I am feeling quite hot and so I think I will go back the way I came and leave the hill climb for another cooler day.

There’s the iconic hi-rise outline of Surfers Paradise on the horizon.

I think I will stop for a coffee and ice-cream at that little kiosk.

Hope you enjoyed your walk in the sun.

To enjoy more walks around the world visit Jo’s blog and join her for Monday morning rambles.

Weekly Photo Challenge : Good Morning

So many ways to start the day but my favourite, when I am home, is to take a walk along the beach, watch the sun rise and the people enjoying the start of another day.

Up early to catch the beauty of the sun rise.

I’m not the only person taking photos

At the moment I am on the tropical hinterland and enjoying its own unique beauty. In another 4 to 5 weeks I will be back home and the beach will still be waiting.

There will be so many ways people around the world say “Good Morning” Go to the “Weekly Photo Challenge” to see more morning greetings.

Back Home and Timeout for Art

Goodbye Tessa it has been nice knowing you.

Three days ago we flew home.

We spent a very enjoyable 8 weeks house sitting in Hobart. I fell in love with the dogs, made some good friends and discovered Hobart and surrounding countryside was a very interesting and photogenic place. I left hoping to come back again in the future to see more of Tasmania.

After torrential rain and storms along the east coast for most of the time we were away, the day we flew in the weather gods smiled on us. The sky was blue and the sun beamed down. “Unbelievable” said our friends.

We had heard about the storms and the damage to our beaches so hopping on our bikes we went to see it for our selves.

Burleigh Beach

 

Not too bad here, the sky is blue and just look at that tranquil ocean.

Then we walked further down the beach toward the headland and though it looks reasonable tons of sand has disappeared.

These rocks are normally covered by sand and only the top 3-4 steps are showing

Children are having fun on the escarpment caused by erosion

 

It is going to be a major job and expense to replace all the sand that has been washed away. Normally the sand covers the rocks along the beach front.

Next night we saw on the TV weather forecast that snow has fallen on Mount Wellington, Hobart will be very cold now.

We have a week before we head north to the next house sit, so it is shop for groceries, contact family and friends to say hello/goodbye and check out Matilda. Oh dear I think old Matilda was sulking about being left home for 8 weeks, she would not start. After a call to the RACQ the problem turned out to be a battery that had reached its use by date, easily fixed.

After all the activity I thought it was time I “took time out for art”. I have missed the past couple of weeks and time slips by so quickly. This week Lisa discussed the “Bones of art” (check her post here). Today is Sunday and Matilda is waiting for our next adventure so I decided she would be a good subject to try to capture her bones or out-line. Not so easy once I sat down and really looked at her, notice all the intricate dips and hollows along the side and the front almost had me beat. I must admit I have taken some artistic licence, but after I finished I took a photo so I could compare the sketch with the subject.

So here is my “Time out for Art”…