Breathtaking Views from Elephant Rock

19 Thursday Jul 2018

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

Tags

travel, australia, Queensland, Gold Coast, Photography, surfing, Currumbin, Elephant Rock, The Alley, Vikings, Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club, Currumbin Surf Club Restaurant, surfers paradise

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.

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.

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 Lyn Douglas in Eat Street Markets Brisbane

≈ 43 Comments

Tags

australia, Brisbane, Brisbane River, CityCat, Eat Street Markets, Photography, Qld, Queensland, travel

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 Lyn Douglas in Australia, Purple Season in Brisbane, Queensland

≈ 39 Comments

Tags

Brisbane, Brisbane River, Jacaranda, Photography, Qld, Queensland, travel, Yeronga

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 on Brisbane River

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.

Jacaranda Park with purple sun shade

Jacaranda Trees

Jacaranda Trees

Jacaranda Trees

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 Lyn Douglas in O'Reilly's Vineyard and Winery, Queensland

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

australia, Brisbane, Canungra, Gold Coast hinterland., O'Reilly's Winery, O'Reillys, Photography, Qld, Queensland, travel, vineyards, Winery

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.

Alpacas

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

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

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.

Screened veranda

View from the restaurant

The grape vines

The grape vines

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 Lyn Douglas in Spring Bluff, Toowoomba

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

australia, Photography, Queensland, Railway, Spring Bluff, Toowoomba, Train station, travel

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

Spring Bluff

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 Lyn Douglas in Australia, Carnival of Flowers, Toowoomba

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

australia, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane, Brisbane. Toowoomba, Carnival of Flowers, Darling Downs, flowers, Great Dividing Range, Japanese gardens, Laurel Bank Park, Photography, Picnic Point, Qld, Queens Park, Queensland, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, travel

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.

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.

Redcliffe on a Magnificent Autumn Day

07 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Queensland, Redcliffe

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Barry Gibb, BBQ, Beautiful One Day Perfect, Bee Gees, Mon Komo, Moreton Bay, Moreton Bay Region, Moreton Island, picnic areas, picnic tables, Queensland, Redcliffe, Redcliffe museum, Sand Island, Scarborough, Stradbroke Island, whale watching

In Queensland we have a favourite expression, Queensland; Beautiful One Day Perfect The Next

I experienced that expression when I visited Redcliffe this week. I had not been to Redcliffe for many years so I was delighted to see just how lovely it is now.

Redcliffe is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) north-north-east of Brisbane. It is an easy half hour drive on very good highway.

Redcliffe sits on Moreton Bay overlooking 2 large sand islands, Moreton and Stradbroke Islands. I learned while I was there that Redcliffe was Queensland’s first colony in 1824.

In 1958, The Gibb family from Manchester, England emigrated to this area and called Redcliffe home. Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb went on to form the highly successful music group, The Bee Gees.

There is a bronze statue of the Bee Gees from when they were boys growing up in Redcliffe. The statue marks the start of Bee Gees Way, a walkway dotted with photos, anecdotes and other items donated by Barry Gibb. It was opened by Barry on 14 February 2013

There is just so much on offer in the lovely area. Some of the most popular attractions include, a visit to The Bee Gees way, whale watching, the Redcliffe museum or take a boat out to Moreton Island.

Pack your picnic for a free, full & fun day or you could always pop up to street level to find a huge array of takeaway or dine in cafes and restaurants.

All the amenities are provided including: toilet blocks with showers, BBQ’s, ample picnic tables & fresh water taps. Life Guard protected swimming in a huge picturesque salt water pool plus heaps of shady spots. There is a large kids playground and large open grassy spans to run or play… cricket, kick the footy or just sit on the water’s edge, wet a line or watch the world go by.

We visited a gorgeous new complex called Mon Komo with is spectacular views and then dined in their tavern downstairs.

At the end of our day we discovered a lovely restaurant up the road at Scarborough, called the Sugar Deli. It looked like we had arrived at the house of the “Mad Hatter”, and then walked in to Wonderland and then we enjoyed our coffee in the Queen of Hearts room.

Sanctuary Cove – Gold Coast Australia

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Australia, Gold Coast, Sanctuary Cove

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Brisbane, Georges Restaurant, Gold Coast, Queensland, Sanctuary Cove

Another day out was to Sanctuary Cove which is south of Brisbane on the northern Gold Coast. It takes me about 40 mins to drive.

The road in to Sanctuary Cove

It is its own little oasis with beautiful residential areas, the town village with shops, restaurants, cafes, and a small movie theatre.

Sanctuary Cove is known for its magnificent water craft. It has many small to large yachts and motor boats. Just to wander around the marina is a treat in itself. You will often see some magnificent boats for sale. There are cafes and bars around the marinas offering a very pleasant chance to rest, have a drink and take in the beautiful views.

My friends and I often drive down for lunch at George’s Paragon Seafood restaurant.

Before it was very busy

The view from our table

D’Aguilar National Park, Brisbane Queensland

29 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Brisbane, D'Aguilar Range, Queensland

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Brisbane, bush walking, D'Aguilar national park, Mt Glorious, Mt Neebo, Queensland

One of our day trips was to the D’Aguilar National Park which is in Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo about 90 mins drive NW of Brisbane. We stopped for an early lunch at a little café on Mt Glorious and then headed up to Maiala national park for a bush walk.

We spoke to one of the rangers there who helped us with suggestions as to where to go and where to stop. From there we headed over to Mt Nebo.

There are several scenic drives along the range with many parks and lookouts. Most of these stops include picnic areas with amenities which include toilets, drinking water, gas bbq’s (free) and sheltered picnic tables and seats.

Each lookout area has its own bush walks which can be 10 mins or 2 hours long or if you would like to take a couple of days you can explore lots more.

The wide variety of walking tracks is clearly marked and signed and have indications of the level of fitness required for each. The tracks pass through Gum forests, rain forests and dry forests with an abundance of wild life.

Most of the lookouts have spectacular views. Some views are over looking the lakes and dams that make up Brisbane’s catchment area for water supply. Others have stunning views towards and over the city of Brisbane.

It is an amazing day out, it is just so peaceful and calming and a great escape from the fast pace of life.

If you would like to know more of these National parks here is a site www.nprsr.gld.gov.au

Brisbane – Queensland, Australia

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Australia, Brisbane, Queensland

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

australia, Brisbane, Brisbane city, Brisbane River, cit cats, city ferry, city hopper, Kapsali's restaurant, Queensland, South bank

This week I am writing about my home city. I have friends staying with me who are from Hawaii and every day we go out and about exploring.

I always see Brisbane through different eyes when I am showing it off to International Visitors.

We have been blessed with perfect weather. It has stormed at night but the days are glorious. Autumn in Australia is a very special time of year and my favourite time.

One of our days out was to the south side of the Brisbane River where we parked the car and took the ferry to South Bank which over looks the river towards the city.

The ferry we took is the city hopper and is a free service travelling up and down the river.

In South Bank we stopped for a coffee at one of the many eateries, before heading off to ride on the Brisbane Wheel.

This is one of the largest ferris wheels in the world and was such a great experience. I recommend it as an easy way to have more understanding of the city and surrounds.