Bernie Hits the Front Page

Bernard Curry, our daughter's partner, visited Brisbane from Sydney on a promotional tour for his latest show,"Beauty and the Geek." At the same time he featured on the front cover of this week's TV guide in his other show, "Home and Away". He also featured in the weekend magazine and newspapers.

Bernie plays Hugo in "Home and Away."

Dinner with Bernie.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Last night we got a call from Bernie, our daughter's partner, to tell us he has to come (from Sydney) to Brisbane to promote the show which he hosts. He asked us to join him for dinner at his Hotel. We are very proud of him and think he does a good job on the show.

Bernard Curry

Sonya and Bernie

Bill Gets a Blast From the Past

While we were walking around the multicultural festival yesterday we saw Art work from Africa.

We saw children getting some hints from the Brisbane Soccer Team. Then we came across The Ethnic radio stall, where volunteers were telling people about the programmes available and encouraging people to become members. Seeing these people and the outside broadcast van that was also there brought back memories for Bill. He used to broadcast the Swiss Programme for many years.

Then we caught the train home using our cheap pensioner tickets.

Multicultural Festival

Every year Brisbane has a Multicultural Festival in the Roma Street Gardens.

There were many people and many tent stalls, most of them selling ethnic food. There was also non stop entertainment in seven venues. Music and dances from around the world. Many people wore their national dress.

A Sicilian musician discussing the pipes that he plays with an interested African.

An Indian lady doing Henna hand painting. It was wonderful to see so many people from so many different cultures mingling, sharing customs and interacting with one another in such an understanding and friendly way. They are all Australians now and it makes you wonder why the whole world can't behave like these people at the festival.

South American music.

Papuan Dancers

Celtic Dancers

These girls were giving out programs. I'm not sure who they were representing but I wouldn't want too tangle with them. There were so many different cultures, too many to show here.

 Shoes carved out of egg plant/aubergines After we checked out most of the stalls and some of the entertainment we had to make a choice as to which country would we go for lunch. The Danish pastries looked delicious, the Dutch, the Argentinian, the French, the Indian.......

....the Japanese,..... ...the Spanish and so many, many more to chose from. We ended up deciding on Vietnamese.

Cute But Unwelcome Visitor

We are having very dry ,warm,windy weather. Outside is like standing in front of a giant hairdryer. The garden is shrivelling up and crying out for water. The forest grasses have dried out and died so the wallabies (small species of kangaroo) come into suburban gardens and eat the green plants. They especially like new shoots and young plants that I am lovingly trying to keep alive with the little water that we are allowed to use. So as cute as they are I don't like them eating my plants that are already struggling to survive but I let them because that's nature.

Mmmmmmm this one is pretty good.

The grass looks greener over there.

Just a few chomps on the new gazania first.

This is a bit short and dry.

Better be off here comes human (with camera).

WIN ONE, LOSE ONE.

Now that it is hotter we have breakfast on the balcony again. Last week we had a pair of Figbirds joined us for breakfast.

Mr Figbird

Mrs Figbird

She is gorging on the palm berries.

She's got one.

She juggles it.

Down it goes.

Yum, Yum!

That one looks good.

She grabs it.

Alas, she drops it!

Eagleby Wetlands

I was looking through my file of interesting places to visit when a newspaper clipping headline caught my eye. "Eagleby Wetland is a top spot for a nature photographer and a dream destination for birdwatchers." As Eagleby is only about 15 mins down the road by car we tootled off yesterday to find the wetland.

It is a magic little pocket of nature surrounded by suburb, sports complex and a smelly sewerage treatment plant.

There were many many water birds.

Egrets and Little Black Cormorants

"Hey anything worth digging for in the slimy marshy water?" say the Swamphens.

A lone Black Swan enjoys the company of the ducks, Wood, Hardhead and Pacific Black.

After the Bird Hide Walk we chose the Melaleuca Board Walk. Melaleuca trees belong to the Myrtle family. There are about 200 species native to Australia. The larger trees have a flaky bark and are often called "Paper Bark Trees". They are evergreens and have a flower that looks like a bottle brush. They grow in forests but love swampy areas too.

Hundreds of duck

BB is thinking of afternoon tea and is heading back to the car, past this elegant Eucalyptus.