Our Current Wards

In our current house sit, we are charged with the care and safety of two doggies and a cat. The black & white dog is Bear, the red & white is Ziva.

Koala in the Wild!

We have now officially seen out first Koala in the wild! Yes, I know you have to look hard to see the Koala in this image, but I only had my phone on me.

More Shoreline Exploration

Gentle reader,you will be getting a pretty steady diet of coastal views for a while. Being here at the beach means this is the main attraction.

Birubi Beach

We are in a place filled with beaches and we have finally had a chance to visit a few. Some of these we will certainly visit again. Among those we've stood on so far, the most amazing and impressive by far is Birubi beach.

Coffs Harbor

Coffs Harbor most nearly resembles a place along the coast in the US from about 1955 on steroids. Same kind of stuff, just more of it.

The Town of a Thousand Jacarandas

After leaving Mallangaree, we drove through a long stretch of parklands and pasture. All green and surrounded by great vistas.

On the Road

It has taken me a few days to get the photos together and get settled into our new digs, but finally, we start the tale of getting there. Along the road, not far south of Toowoomba, we find hundreds of these beautiful yellow flowers.

Stick Your Head Out the Door!

Here's what we have to look forward to in Seattle. Think it might rain?

Movin' On

Tomorrow, we leave Toowoomba and Queensland for points south. Our house sit here has ended and we start a two-day drive south to Lemon Tree Passage.

At the Movies

Went to see Dr. Strange at the cinema. It was a fun ride and Benedict C. did a great job. I thought that a time or two the special effects were moving so fast across the screen that I was going to loose my lunch. But the story was fun and it is clear that several of these are in the works.

A Drive in the Country

It finally warmed a little and we had ourselves a bit of a drive in the country side just outside of Toowoomba. Just south of town on the New England Highway is a turnout from which it is possible to look south and east across some truly wonderful farmland.

Shopping

Mozzarella cheese in Australia is very different from what we are used to. I thought that all mozzarella was made from buffalo's milk since this is all that we get in the US. It makes a creamy white cheese with a distinctive but subtle flavor.

Tasmanian Devils May Save Us

Great article from New Scientist today. The lede says:

Milk from Tasmanian devils could be used in the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, new research from Australia finds.

 Worth a read. Here I thought that everything here was designed to kill you. Here's one that may save us from ourselves.

I'm just disappointed that the real Tasmanian Devil is not really a whirling dervish as I first learned from Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Retrospective

A few minutes to look back at our trip in August this year. I thought a few of the images would work in B&W. This one is from a clearing in the Bunya Mountains gives a view of the valley beyond and some nice clouds floating above.

The Beach at Noosa Heads

In a cove protected by the headland is a beach facing north. This beach is paralleled by the town of Noosa Heads...a place filled with all the usual beach-type of places.

Backyard Visitor

Since spring is well underway here, it the time of year to watch for those winter-sleeper, reptiles and amphibians. We recently found a Common Blue Tongue lizard in the backyard - also known as a "bluey".

Yummy Face

Here's a commercial that is now playing on Australian TV. There's just something about the "yummy face"  that cracks me up.

I'm expecting that new grandchild to be making yummy face all the time.

Australia Zoo

While visiting Noosa area, we also made a visit to the Australia Zoo. This is a place made famous by Steve Erwin. He grew up in Queensland not far from Beerwah where the zoo is located.

Performers at the Eumundi Market

Music and street performance was a constant theme at the Eumundi Market. Some stalls had vendors who made musical instruments such as this fellow who made didgeridoos for others to use in making traditional music. Others also make drums.

People watching II

At the Eumundi Market, there is plenty of food to be found. Much of it has an Asian theme. This fellow is cooking skewered chicken.