Tag Archives: Queensland

Carnival of Flowers – Toowoomba

01 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by in Carnival of Flowers 2018, Toowoomba

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It was only about an hour and a half drive to Toowoomba from Brisbane.  Toowoomba (nicknamed The Garden City) is a city in the Darling Downs region of Queensland about 125 k’s west from Brisbane by road. The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Mountain range.

Annually this garden city puts on a spectacular garden show called the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.  Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is a cultural party featuring a floral parade, local food and produce, regional wine, entertainment and all things spring.  Toowoomba is a beautiful city all year round but especially during Carnival of Flowers.

 

Our first stop was at the top of the range at picnic point where we stopped for morning tea. The views from picnic point looking east are outstanding.

Laurel bank park

From Picnic point we drove to Laurel Bank park. All the gardens around Toowoomba are beautiful in September for Carnival of Flowers, but Laurel Bank Park is one of my favourites, and is a must see. We always make sure that we go up the viewing platform for the best photos and to really see the theme of the gardens each year.

 

 

We wandered throughout the magnificent gardens taking in the diverse array of flowers, colour and design.

 

The beds were covered with mixtures of flowers that provided colour, levels and designs with each being unique in their own way.
The wisteria arch was covered with flowers and the scent within the tunnel was amazing.

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The gardens are offset by the range of topiary items scattered throughout the park.

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All the parks and gardens around the area are spectacular and the resident’s gardens are just as good. We visited 3 of the private winning gardens which were fabulous. It was just astounding to  see  the amount of effort put into these gardens and an absolute pleasure to meet some of their creators.

 

 

 

Toowoomba shines in September. The generosity of the home gardeners to open their gates and share their gardening secrets to the world is wonderful. The impressive public parks and gardens make for a complete picture of spring. The colours of spring bring the city to life with a sense of community seeing visitors from all nations share picnics and fun in the parks and gardens. A Big thank you to the gardeners of the Garden City in Spring.

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Elegant Arcade Dressed up for Spring.

16 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by in Brisbane Arcade, Brisbane Queensland

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This was such a lovely way to catch up with a friend who was visiting Brisbane from Perth, WA. We met in the city at the Queen St entrance to the arcade. Brisbane Arcade is a heritage-listed shopping arcade located in the Queen Street Mall in Brisbane city.

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Brisbane’s oldest and grandest shopping Arcade has been wowing crowds with its annual Spring Flower Show since 2014 and this year’s theme is a whimsical Spring Fair wonderland of carousel horses, cake displays, vintage bicycles overloaded in colourful blooms and sweet surprises.

This beautiful old building which was built in 1923, is one of the city’s oldest shopping destinations. A stroll through Brisbane Arcade is a romantic step back in time. The arcade retains wonderfully preserved woodwork, leadlight windows and Terazzo floors and balustrades. The petite stores are mainly stocked with locally produced goods and unique artisan items.

After admiring the elegant floral displays we stopped for a Devonshire tea at the Room for Roses cafe. This beautifully presented cafe on the first floor of the Arcade offers a mixed menu with many French style delicacies and of course the very popular Devonshire teas with pots of Real tea. The cafe appeared to be very popular, tastefully decorated and offering a unique experience but be prepared to pay for it.

If you like the finer things in life the Brisbane Arcade is the place to shop; just looking around will make you feel special.

This cool and graceful arcade is well worth a visit anytime of the year.

Stunningly Beautiful on a Perfect Winters Day

06 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by in Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, Queensland

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I have been coming here to these gardens for a number of years. When I lived closer to the city we would ride our bikes in to the Botanical gardens and stop for Devonshire tea at the garden cafe.

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This time, with my friends visiting, we took the bus to Southbank where we hopped on to a city cat to go across the Brisbane river to these lovely gardens, arriving via QUT.

The City Botanic Gardens, which is Brisbane Citys oldest park, was originally planted by convicts in 1825 with food crops to feed the prison colony. These gardens include ancient trees, rainforest glades and exotic species. They run the full length of Alice Street, bordered by Parliament House on the one side and the Brisbane River’s northern banks on the other. Where the park borders the Brisbane river there is a wide tree lined path, which offers a pleasant walk by day or evening, and from here there are views of the many yachts at anchor and in the distance the iconic Story Bridge.

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In the park there is so much space that even when the park is busy you don’t feel overcrowded. There are many walkways which are wide enough to allow for both bicycle and foot traffic to share.

The gardens are an absolutely wonderful display of the most beautiful delights anyone could wish for. A large expansive area is set out beautifully with lots of grassy areas to relax in. The flower displays are truly delightful. The gardens are beautifully maintained and you really can get amongst the shrubs and giant trees. There are several large camphor laurel trees which are fantastic for climbing. The pond serves as a brilliant focal point that is teaming with wildlife including many species of birds, lizards (water dragons) and turtles.

There are several options of cafes to stop for coffee or lunch. We chose to have lunch in The Pantry located at QUT at Gardens point and within the grounds of the Iconic Old Government House. This small cafe offers a great selection of simple morning tea and lunch items, wonderful coffee and an interesting atmosphere.

There are free guided walks available from Monday to Saturdays from approximately 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. (excluding public holidays). These walks which last approximately one hour are led by experienced, friendly Volunteer Guides. Just meet at the Rotunda near the Alice Street Main Entrance.

This is a brilliant place to visit with the family. You can wander through the gardens or walk along the river bank all the way to the bridge over to Southbank.

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One of the many beautiful camphor laurel trees

Devonshire Tea in the mountains at the Winery

29 Sunday Jul 2018

Posted by in Devonshire Tea in the Mountains at the Winery

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Only about an hour and a half drive from my place in Brisbane and less time from the Gold Coast is the lovely area Cedar Creek, Mt Tamborine.

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There are a few wineries in the area but we chose Cedar Creek Winery. We were initially drawn to this place to see the area and of course sample the wine. When I told my friends that the winery serves Devonshire tea, they said, they had never had one. In fact, they had never heard of Devonshire Tea and thought it may be High Tea. However, it is not. Devonshire teas have been around for as long I can remember. While growing up, a special treat with my family on a Sunday afternoon, was to take a drive in the “country” and stop at a country home with tea rooms for Devonshire tea. In those good ole days, Devonshire tea was served with a pot of tea however now days coffee is also very popular.

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A Devonshire tea is a form of a morning or afternoon light meal, consisting of tea and scones, clotted cream and jam. Traditionally a speciality of Devon and Cornwall, Devonshire teas are offered in tea rooms in those two counties, as well as in other parts of England, and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, which includes here in Australia.

The restaurant with its peaceful and relaxing surroundings is set in a lovely woodland area overlooking the lake with its abundant birdlife.

It was a cool wintry day and being as we were up in the mountains there was the winter “look” all around including the beautiful coloured leaves and the bare trees.

We followed our Devonshire teas with a wine tasting at the Cellar door which is right next door in the same building. We tried several whites, reds and bubble. All were quite nice.

From the cellar door, we ventured upstairs to the Arthur Hamblin Gallery to see a good selection of paintings of diverse Australian scenery.

Then our next stop was the Frogs Hollow which is home to a diverse range of wildlife, with over 23 species of frogs and many species of rainforest insects. We loved the experience, but you need to be patient and look for the frogs. The more effort you put into looking for the frogs and observing them, the more you will get out of the experience. There are a lot more frogs there than you first realise.

Here at the winery also, they have purpose built Glow Worm caves with guided tours throughout the day. We chose not to take the tour this time and spent extra time exploring this very charming and picturesque setting.

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Breathtaking Views from Elephant Rock

19 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Australia, Elephant Rock at Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast

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Whenever I have friends visiting, especially when they are from overseas, I not only get to be tour guide but also a tourist in my own town. And this is exactly what has been happening here in Brisbane over the past couple of weeks. My friends are visiting from Hawaii and I am enjoying exploring with them.

On this particular day we drove to the Gold Coast to have lunch at the Currumbin Beach Surf Life saving club. It is always a great place for locals and visitors. It was a glorious winter’s day of about 24C, with beautiful clear blue sky, stunning beach and great surf.

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Looking South towards Coolangatta

After only about an hour’s drive from my home in Brisbane, we arrived at Currumbin beach. We arrived early enough to climb up the iconic Elephant rock which is adjacent to the Currumbin surf club. The stairs up to the top are extremely narrow and quite steep but certainly worth taking the time to climb up to see the spectacular views along the beaches, both north to Surfers Paradise & south to Coolangatta.

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Currumbin Surf Club and Elephant Rock

In the surf club restaurant, we chose to sit out on the balcony overlooking the beach and surf where the views are spectacular and the atmosphere surreal. It is the only place on the entire Gold Coast that actually extends out over the high tide mark. There is no other club literally sitting in the ocean to give you an experience like this.

 

Although the menu is simple it is extensive and we all chose delicious well presented meals.

 

After lunch we drove a little way up the beach to where there were many surfers and lots of activity.

 

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Currumbin is a great place to learn to surf. It is also great for the locals and experienced surfers. The signs at the beach tell people not to swim as there are so many people learning to surf. The beach is safe but is not to be underestimated as it is at the mouth of a very large river/creek and at times can have very strong currents/sweeps and rips. This is why there are permanent life guards stationed there.

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This beautiful beach is immaculately clean and unspoilt and close to good parking plus has showers and toilets.

Currumbin Beach has its own unique cafe culture, with all the cafes facing the ocean offering a wide variety of coffee and cuisine. The village atmosphere is evident here, locals and tourists mingling for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

We walked over to the rocks where the surfers were jumping into the surf with their boards. It was super. This is known as the Alley, the famous Alley, where most days the water can be filled with surfers looking for that perfect ride. Linda and I could have stayed there for hours watching. Our phone cameras worked overtime taking many great shots of the guys diving in to the quite aggressive waves.

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It was the most perfect winter’s day, and surprisingly not too many people there considering it was school holidays. 

 

A Great Night out at Eat Street Markets – Brisbane.

24 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by in Eat Street Markets Brisbane

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It is 4 years since I last visited the Eat Street Markets. I said that I would be back, but I had no idea that it would take me so long to return. I don’t even know why it took me so long because the markets are extraordinary.

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This time we arrived by city cat. City Cat is the Brisbane river transport system with terminals stretching from The University of Queensland at St Lucia to Northshore Hamilton. It was then only a short walk from the Northshore ferry terminal to the markets.

Travelling on the City Cat anywhere on the Brisbane river is an absolute delight, both in the daytime and very special at night when you see the abundance of lights along the river banks and illuminating the many bridges.

The first time I went to Eat Street Markets, although we arrived quite early, parking was difficult. However, this time, we arrived about 6pm and there were still hundreds of free parking stalls. But, when we left around 9, there were long lines of cars waiting to come in with traffic controllers directing the traffic. The first visit to Eat Street Markets.

The Eat Street Markets have moved location since the last time I visited and it was definitely for the better. They were originally near Portside where the cruise liner terminal is, and now they are further down the river in Northshore Hamilton.

 

There is nothing like Eat Street Northshore anywhere in the world. It is a special one of a kind experience. Priceless city & river views saturate & surround the 180 dining and entertainment shipping containers that add a blazing coloured landmark to Brisbane.

At soon as you walk through the gates in to the area you are hit with the exciting vibe of the place, with its millions of lights, beautiful stalls, people having fun and amazing aromas coming from the many food stalls.

 

There were so many choices of places to eat it was hard to decide. We initially walked around the entire area making mental note of what we thought we wanted to try. We stopped at one of the bars by the river and enjoyed a glass of wine and thought about what we would have for dinner. Then it was deciding time which was hard. But we did decide and we enjoyed the dinner. We each chose differently, my choice was Japanese however we all agreed on the same for dessert. Gelato.

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With over 70 vendors creating delicious dishes from all over the world you are sure to find something absolutely scrumptious.

Live entertainment fills the markets; Solo performers and bands are positioned throughout Eat Street so you’re never far from music. After dinner we stopped by several of the entertainment areas and sat in comfy chairs to watch the performances.

 

Eat Street Markets is open every weekend of the year. Fri and Sat 4pm to 10pm and
Sunday 12 noon to 8pm. Entry fee is $2.50 – 12 years and older.

If you live in Brisbane or visiting at any time, stop by for a visit, you won’t be disappointed.

Purple Season in Brisbane

03 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in Australia, Purple Season in Brisbane, Queensland

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It is purple season in SE Qld. In mid spring each year the jacaranda trees around Brisbane start to bloom. I usually think of Jacaranda trees showing off their full fabulous purple colour in November however some years they start blooming in October which was the case this year. It really depends on how cold winter was. This mass of colour in our parks and lining our streets usually lasts about 6 weeks.

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Although these trees look very much at home here in the sub tropics they were actually introduced to Australia from Brazil in the 1850’s.

Just a couple of kilometres from Brisbane city centre, situated on the Brisbane River is the leafy suburb of Yeronga. This is where we chose to go for our walk this morning and this is the spectacular sights we experienced.

Here are some of my snap shots taken this morning.  Enjoy.

 

Jacaranda Trees
Jacaranda Trees
Jacaranda Trees on Brisbane River
Jacaranda Trees
Jacaranda Trees
Jacaranda Trees
Jacaranda Trees

 

Also in Yeronga, not far from the river,  is the local park called Jacaranda Park, yes that’s right, Jacaranda Park –  with its purple sun shade.

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Jacaranda Park with purple sun shade

 

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Jacaranda Trees

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Jacaranda Trees

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Jacaranda Trees

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Jacaranda Trees

There are many spots around Brisbane with Jacaranda trees. If you live here and you have the time, I recommend take a drive around the suburbs and feast your eyes on some magnificent displays. You will find the trees on the north and south sides, in the parks, lining suburban streets, and even along our bus ways.

Peaceful Location for a Long Lunch – O’Reilly’s Vineyards 

26 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by in O'Reilly's Vineyard and Winery, Queensland

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My friends suggested going to lunch somewhere special however decided it was a surprise for me so would not say where we were going. We drove about an hour and a half south from my house in Brisbane. We drove through beautiful countryside and due to the recent rain everywhere was green, lush and healthy. As we were nearing our destination they told me we were going to O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards and winery which is located in the Gold Coast Hinterland. This area is one of Queensland’s emerging wine growing regions.

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We arrived at the winery about mid morning. Our first stop was the Alpaca enclosure. There is special food available at the winery that you can purchase for $3 to feed the alpacas.

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Alpacas

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Alpacas

We then walked over to the stream, which runs through the property, to see if we could spot a platypus or one of the local turtles. This whole area is stunning. Sit by the creek and enjoy a picnic hamper which are available from the Vintage restaurant. Although we went on a weekday, we did see a few small groups of people enjoying their picnic lunch on the lawns.

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The stream on this rainy day

After looking for turtles and platypus from the viewing platform on the stream we walked over to the cellar door area to try some of the locally produced wines. Starting with a Verdelho for me, then a couple of reds including a shiraz and merlot. All really good however I decided on a glass of their bubbles to enjoy with my lunch in the Vintage Restaurant.

Cellar door
Cellar door
Cellar door
Cellar door
Cellar door

The restaurant is in the original old Queenslander farmhouse which is a wonderful  structure, both inside and outside retaining much of its old world charm and beauty.  The 100-year old history of the O’Reilly family in the area is fascinating.

Inside beautiful old house
Inside beautiful old house
Inside beautiful old house
Inside beautiful old house
Inside beautiful old house

We sat on the screened veranda with amazing views overlooking the property, vines and jacarandas. The menu for lunch offered a great selection so we were all very pleased with our individual choices. The service was excellent.

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Screened veranda
Screened veranda
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View from the restaurant

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The grape vines

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The grape vines

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The vines with a little sun trying to peep through

What a wonderful way to spend a few hours. It is a perfect location, within a short drive of Brisbane and also the Gold Coast however well and truly away from the hustle and bustle of “life”

Charming, Quaint and Worth the stop – Spring Bluff

18 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Spring Bluff, Toowoomba

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After leaving Toowoomba we drove down the mountain via Crow’s Nest. It was a short trip to Spring Bluff, a beautiful valley tucked in the ranges north of Toowoomba and best known for its picturesque railway station.

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It’s worth visiting Spring Bluff any time of year, just for the interesting drive down the range off the New England Highway through to Murphy’s Creek. The road meanders through lush bushland, following the path of the creek.

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Spring Bluff

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Spring Bluff

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Spring Bluff

Spring Bluff has a quaint Railway station well worth visiting. It is a heritage listed site located on the main railway line between Ipswich and Toowoomba. Its significance stems from 145 years of railway history. The resident caretaker does an amazing job of planting beautiful spring flowers for the Carnival of Flowers.  Everything is so neat and beautifully kept.

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Historical Spring Bluff is a fantastic visit during spring time with all the colour and excitement of the steam train during the carnival of flowers in September. The Railway Station features a cute cafe in the station master’s cottage or you can take your own picnic.  There are lots of picnic tables and chairs plus electric BBQ’s and a large grassy area for children to play. There are also public toilets and you can read a bit of the history of the area in the railway station.

There is no better time to visit Spring Bluff than a sunny day in September with the place a blaze with colour from the flower beds dotted all over and of course the quirky and charming railway station itself

Carnival of Flowers – Toowoomba

03 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in Australia, Carnival of Flowers, Toowoomba

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Toowoomba (nicknamed ‘The Garden City’) is a city in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, located 127 km (79 mi) west of Queensland’s capital city, Brisbane. Toowoomba is situated on the crest of the Great Dividing Range around 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level.

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A university and cathedral city, Toowoomba hosts the Australian Carnival of Flowers each September.  With hundreds of parks & blossoming gardens to explore, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has something for everyone.

Yes, this is not Italy but this was such a lovely excursion and the gardens are just so beautiful I wanted to write about it.  It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to drive up to Toowoomba.

 

Toowoomba has a different climate to Brisbane, it is not as humid, consequently the flowers, shrubs and trees, in my opinion are just so much nicer.  The abundance of colour and the spectacular variety of flowers reminds me of many of the lovely gardens in Italy.

This annual garden festival includes prize-winning private gardens, and many public parks.

We started our visit at the Picnic Point which is located on the escarpment of the Great Dividing Range. Picnic Point has panoramic views to the horizon. There is a great restaurant there, plenty of picnic areas and actually you could spend a full day there.

We then drove over to the University where we spent time in the Japanese Gardens. These are probably one of the nicest if not the nicest Japanese gardens in Australia.

After the Japanese gardens we drove over to Laurel Bank Park which presents a splendid display of beautiful blooms, exotic scented gardens, herbs and shrubs in raised garden beds.  Here we had a very Aussie lunch which was put on by the local Lions Club. I am always happy to support these type of charity clubs.

Our last stop before heading back to Brisbane was Queens Park Gardens which  is within walking distance of the city heart and features Toowoomba’s Botanical Gardens, bright flower beds, avenues of large leafy trees, wide open grasslands, an off leash area for dogs and two well-equipped children’s playgrounds. Queens Park is also home to the Ergon Energy Flower, Food and Wine Festival, and lots more.

 

After a lovely day visiting these gorgeous gardens and feeling very content we then headed back to Brisbane.