SWELL SCULPTURE FESTIVAL

Every year there is a free outdoor sculpture exhibition held on Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast. I have always wanted to go but never got around to it but at last we went. We were with friends from Bill's  U3A Video Group and Camera Club. 

So come along with me for a walk down the beach to view some of the 50 sculptures.

'Message in a Bottle' by Lauren Gray &Steven Hing NSW

 'Earth Being' by Kris Martin QLD (all made with natural fibres, it had hair made from bushes but they have disappeared)

 'Seafaring Voyager' by James Worth QLD

 'The Lost Art of the 20th Century' by Karl de Waal QLD ( The flotsam and jetsam of life washed up onto solitary shores)

' Finders Keepers' by Giuseppe Filardo QLD. (A lost black diamond pendant)

 My favourite was  "Project Bread" by Clayton Thompson VIC. You could walk inside it too. It is made from donated bread crates and depicts the ugly truth of the Global Wealth Pyramid where 1% of the world's population own 50% of the wealth. 'Bread' is slang for 'money'.

 After walking the length of the beach we went up to the road and footpath where there were many more sculptures. But on the beach there was another of my favourites. "With You" by Katie and Derek Hooper QLD. (Embracing togetherness, the drawing in of a healthy, outdoorsy, happy life.)

 "Village Bike' by Gold Coast Inc QLD. Made from recycled bikes and the wheels spin in the wind. (If the toads in us rode bikes rather than drove cars we would be a lot better off.)

I'm sure you are tired like me after slogging through thick sand with two cameras around my neck so lets go for lunch at the surf club where we can gaze out to sea or look up and down the golden beaches on both sides and eat seafood.

BIRTHDAY BEAR IS DOG SITTING

We celebrated Helen's birthday at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Cleveland. Birthday Bear was there sitting in a dog park doing some knitting while watching Dejar, Helen's chocolate Labrador. Bear was well prepared with doggie treats and balls to throw. If you haven't read about our Birthday Bear tradition before click here.

  Helen takes Dejar to the dog park regularly she'll be happy to have Bear help with the task.

 Mary dressed Birthday Bear this time. It is getting harder each time to think up new outfits for Bear.

It was also Helen's wedding anniversary this day and it was sad for her and us not to have Paul with us any longer. Chris and Bob our travelling friends are in Brisbane but they couldn't make it as they were both sick. However, we all had a good time having a seafood lunch by the bay. The weather wasn't the best but the drop down plastic walls gave us some protection against the cool breeze.

THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES

We went to an air show. There were many many different types of planes. Lots of them did flying tricks for us. Even though he only arrived home the day before, Lauchlan Smart was there to talk to the crowd and individuals. Lauchlan just broke the record for the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world in a single engine aircraft. He is 18 years old and comes from the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Luachlan's tiny plane.

Lauchlan talking to children, encouraging them to follow their dream.

Time for the show to start. The pilot dons a parachute and squeezes into his little plane.

Then he takes for a spin, rolls and acrobatics.

Next the biplanes provide a show.

Many sky divers appeared in the sky and gently landed nearby.

The most exciting was this plane and its amazing stunts.

Upside down too.

Finally landing safely

There were many more acts but the last one was a fast jet.

It goes upside down as well. My stomach heaved just watching them.

SPRING SHOWERS

It is so good to see the spring rain on my garden.

 The droplets are like diamonds shining in the trees.

NATURAL WONDERS OF KANGAROO ISLAND

While we were on our tour of Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, we were taken to a Wildlife Park. There were many different kinds of Australian animals, too many to show here.  

I had never seen white (albino) kangaroos before.

 The overseas tourists just love the kangaroos.

 Holding hands.

 The little penguins were cute.

 The echidna is well camouflaged.

The next morning it was beautiful having breakfast overlooking the bay at Kingscote.

 After breakfast we were taken to a honey factory, where they showed us how a special machine takes the honey out of the honeycombs without destroying the honeycombs. This speeds up production because the bees don't have to construct the honeycombs again they just fill the old ones with honey.

 They have a very pure honey on Kangaroo Island because there is only one type of bee on the island. It originally came from Italy back in the 1800's. The honey is more pure than the Italian one now because the bees in Italy have cross bred with other types of bees.

 Then we drove to the other end of the island to see the Remarkable Rocks. From a distance they don't look anything special although some say they look like a camel lying down.

 But as you get closer you can see how big they are and their unusual shapes.

 They certainly were remarkable.

Next stop was Admiral's Arch, a naturally formed archway under the little peninsula where you could see the ocean on the other side. 

 It was also home to many New Zealand Fur Seals

 I recommend Kangaroo Island as a great place to visit for wildlife, National Parks and walks. It hasn't been spoilt with development.

We stopped at a very interesting Information Centre in Flinders Chase National Park before boarding the coach for the last time to take us back to the ferry. It was a long drive then a short ferry ride followed by another long bus ride back to our hotel in Adelaide. We fell into bed exhausted at midnight.