DICKABRAM BRIDGE

 While we were staying with friends at Curra they took us for a drive to Tin Can Bay. On the way back to their place we detoured a little to see the old Dickabram Bridge over the Mary River. It was completed in 1886. It stands 23 metres (70 ft) high and is over 200 metres long. It is one of few rail and road bridges in the country. Rumour has it that the name is derived from Dick and Abraham the names of two early settlers in the region.

Recent floods were very bad and the river rose over the bridge and left debris on the fence of a park on the river bank.

See how high the water came.

There were workmen still clearing debris from the bridge. See the twigs stuck on the pylon. The story goes that when the bridge was being built workmen were filling these pylons with concrete. They used wheelbarrows to tip the concrete in. One poor sole went too close and he and his wheelbarrow fell in. Others hadn't seen it and kept pouring concrete in. He was never seen again.

The Mary River today. Its hard to believe the water came higher than where I an standing,

Driving over the old wooden bridge.

We returned to our friend's house where we played cards well into the night and woke to another lovely sunrise. Taken through the window and fly screen.

CURRA FRIENDS

 We drove three hours north of Brisbane to Curra. Our friends, Ben and Lyn have bought a new house in a new estate there. All the blocks are acreages which have been carved out of farmland. It is living in the country. We had a very relaxing few days with them. Ben and Bill migrated from Switzerland together in 1967 when they were in their early twenties. They came for two years to learn English and then go home. They both married Aussie girls and are still here. We have been friends ever since although sometimes long distant friends as we spent time in PNG and Ben and Lyn spent time in NT and then in many different places. We have had fun visiting them in all their different abodes. In the evenings we love playing a Swiss Card game called Jass.

When we arrived Lyn was feeding the Butcher Birds.  She shouldn't really feed wildlife  but sometimes you can't resist their begging.

The view from their back patio was pretty and calming.

The next morning it was even more pretty.

We had breakfast on the patio as Spring is in the air. The old boys enjoy catching up.

They took us for a drive through bushland to Tin Can Bay Yacht Club for lunch. I could see the fish from our table on the deck.

The view from our table.

An old relaxed couple. We had to take our dark glasses off.

Our fun loving friends, Ben and Lyn.