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…

Christmas Greetings from Downunder.

(This was filmed on Burleigh Beach in the iconic Burleigh Barrel waves off Burleigh Heads, my part of the world)

Fun, sun and lots of happiness sent to all my friends and blogging buddies.

May this season be filled with peace and harmony where ever you are in this big world of ours.

Cheers mates, and best wishes for 2015…

A to Z Challenge : D for Dance

Dogs dancing

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Dancing, movement to music is a way of expressing our emotions. There are many different types and styles of dance, and I love watching them all.

Here are a few photos from my collection of different types of dance I have seen.

Bopping and rocking in the street

This was taken at the Tauranga village Jazz festival. Music and dancing in the streets a great day out.

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I was a teenager in the 1950’s a great era for music and rock n roll, when Elvis was King and Bill Haley “Rocked around the clock”.

Every June The “Winter Sun Festival” was held at Coolangatta (Now called “Cooly Rocks on”). It celebrates every thing from that era. Music, cars, clothes, the streets are closed to traffic and a happy throng rocks in the street to the pulsing beat of rock n roll bands.

“Cooly Rocks On is a 50s and 60s based nostalgia festival run over the borders of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads every June. The festival consists of a car show of 1200+ hot rods, custom and classic cars and Rock ‘n Roll, Rockabilly and Swing entertainment over 11 days. Cooly Rocks On also delivers a surf precinct in Kirra and is made up of many shows, displays and fun for all the family. The festival is free to enter and the program builds up over the year to bring visitors a very popular event visited by over 50,000 people.

There is much to see and do over the first 8 days, all building to a Grand Finale weekend where the streets are closed down, over 8 outdoor stages are erected, over 200 market stalls go up and the program is packed full from sun-up to sun-down.”

Here we are a couple of geriatric jivers but enjoying the music and life

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Now for a quite different style of dancing, the sensuous, flowing style of the Indian temple dance. I was entranced by these beautiful young women as they moved gracefully to the haunting rhythms of India.

Hare Krisna concert

Indian Temple dancing

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This final video I took at “Buddha’s Birthday” in 2008. It was a totally unexpected act at this festival, and yet I was spellbound by this performance. These four, fabulous fellows moved in perfect unison. I do not know what this dance style is called, (maybe some one out in the blogosphere can tell me) but my name for it is “Mechanized Automation”. Watch for the precise movement of the hands…

All the videos in this post were taken and created by me. I have recently discovered how to create YouTube clips, so when I found this video languishing in my archives I “Youtubed” it for the world to see. Unfortunately I do not know the name of this group and wonder if they are still performing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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                                                                       I really enjoy this challenge from “Frizztext”. It is open to so much interpretation and I like to check out what other bloggers have chosen. Click on the logo to visit other posts.

Lingering Look at Windows : Sky High

 

The man from Snowy River

These photos were taken during a recent visit to Broadbeach a near by shopping centre and a very popular tourist attraction. Lots to see and do, the Casino is just down the road and in the other direction is the beach. Then of course there is the shopping. This is just one of the Malls you can browse around. Niecon Plaza has this larger than life sculpture of the “Man from Snowy River” with the full poem engraved along the side.

The ceiling is all windows that let in light but also the towering hi-rise apartments can be seen peering into the Plaza.

Niecon Plaza

 

The ultra modern “Wave Building”

 

Dawn from “The day after” challenges us to look for windows and post them here each week. Maybe you have some you can show us.

Visit here to look through more windows from around the world.  

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“The Man From Snowy River” is a classic Aussie poem and I have found this wonderful, blood stirring video on YouTube. I hope you enjoy it…

Rain at last…

A downpour

 

It has been a while since we had rain. The plants drooped and wilted, every evening I would water them. The heat and humidity rose and the past 3 days this corner of Queensland has been sweltering in record-breaking temperatures. People flocked to the cinemas and indoor shopping complexes to escape into air-conditioned comfort.

Then yesterday afternoon the sky darkened the wind howled. Thunder and lightening roared across the heavens and it RAINED, it poured. We watched in awe the might of nature.

That evening on the news it reported that Palmbeach, a suburb only 5 kilometres south of us, had hail and rooves torn off in the torrential downpour.

Video of Sydney Town Hall light show

This is just the last few minutes of the fabulous light show. It went for almost 6 minutes total. The sound quality is not very good as it was quite a windy night.

I hope you enjoy it…

Dancing in the streets at the Tauranga Jazz Festival

jazz tauranga jc 134, originally uploaded by gypsy woman1.

I just gotta dance..

This post is inspired by Sue at “a word in your ear” and her challenge of the word “dance”

For more of my dance photos go to my “memories are made of this” blog

Travel Theme : Foliage

Queens Gardens Townsville 107, originally uploaded by gypsy woman1.

Ailsa’s of “Where’s my backpack” theme this week was perfect timing for me as on Friday I had spent 4 hours strolling around Queens Gardens in Townsville. This delightful 4 hectare Botanic Garden is a haven of beauty, foliage over-load. Enormous trees, flowering shrubs, cactus and succulents in a hot dry corner, herb garden a sensory mingling of perfumes, a large collection of frangipani trees sending out their unique sweet scent that sings of the tropics, and all along one side a path leading you through a tropical rainforest.

So much foliage. What to choose? I took 100’s of photos…

So this week something different I have put in a short video of part of the rainforest walk. I hope you enjoy the stroll with me.

The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles, originally uploaded by gypsy woman1.

The Pinnacles are a very strange group of rock formations. There is a track to drive 4km around them, but we decided to walk around, you can see more and take photos.

Suddenly this family of emus came from behind a rock formation. Father and 6 chicks. It was very exciting to see them, and also a bit of a worry as he started to come toward us. But we stood our ground and managed to get this video before they took off at a jog back between the rocks.

This is the first time I have tried putting a video into the blog so I hope it works….

Well it has downloaded the video, so press the arrow to see the emus …

The Pinnacles have changed since I was here 5 years ago. Like every thing in WA there are far more tourists. There was a steady stream of cars going around the track and a large interpretation centre had been built. Not so many people where walking around the formations. Last time I was here it was almost deserted, no interpretation centre.

Jack has found an interesting shape…

The Pinnacles

Strange shapes..

Galahs nest in the hollows

Emu and chicks

Is he going to attack???