May 17 Ants, a new bike, & we are heading to the Whitsunday Islands

(we are heading to Whitsunday tomorrow & I may not be able to update our blog until we return next Saturday May 25th.  Happy Long Weekend Canada!

Ant infestation at the kitchen & living room windows...here they are collecting the solution that Pest Control deposited at the ceramic tile backsplash....I think they are having a party behind that backsplash!  Should be gone in one week....or so!!!

Beautiful sunshine city scape from the City Ferry....takes 5 minutes to cross the river to go shopping etc

I now have a bike with nice big basket on the back! Good for grocery shopping!

View from a ferry....of the plank that leads you to the ferries.  

My big fig tree in the background as well as Story Bridge

May 15th - Moving day to Kangaroo Point Apartment

(there are other photos but I have yet to figure out how to prevent them from being upside down on this site!!.....coming soon!!)

Packed up in rental van....all the staples I think I need like toilet paper, kleenex...etc...plus a desk,chair and printer for Don's office in the apartment

Sometimes I wonder if I have left Australia: getting "petrol" at the 7-11 !!!!   The price: $1.25 per litre...not much different than Canada?

While Don is driving just had to note that I see McDonald's everywhere!!   Plus there are endless high rise apartments in the city!  Reminds me of Vancouver  /  Hong Kong

View of the Kangaroo Point apartment main balcony...looking at the 60' fig tree

View from main balcony looking thru living room to kitchn

second balcony accessed from both bedrooms with sliding glass doors...looks out at entrance of facility

view of our pool / hot tub from the bedroom balcony

view into our tiny apartment from the main balcony....BBQ in the corner....plus lots of mosquitoes at night!!!

The middle point of my wonderful fig tree...amazing bird calls but I have yet to catch a glimpse of a bird...have to go to Botanic Gardens to find them!!

Sunshine Coast with Deane, Jill and the kids

Spent the weekend with Deane, Jill, Mason and Ethany in Marcoola.

Hot tub on the roof of the condo.

And a view of the ocean from the hot tub

The view South

walking through the mangroves to the beach

Mason

Ethany

Mary and Jill

Stewart familiy

Incredible Sunshine coast beach

Don flying his kite surfing kite

Sunshine coast horse races

Horse races

Friday May 10 Visit to Queensland Museum

The day started out 16C and sunny.....quickly moved to 22C for the rest of the day....a constant mild breeze.....a trench coat needed sometimes.  They say this will be a typical Winter day this July/August.  Fall clothes are in the shop windows but they still look like summer clothes to me!!

Mary walked across The Goodwill Bridge to South Bank:  walked for a Kilometre until I reached the Queensland Museum & Science Centre.  This building is adjacent to both the Queensland Art Gallery & Performing Arts Centre.  There are many other state run Galleries, Museums and Libraries yet to be explored!  FREE entrance!!  As a result, it was filled with young families & school groups.  Washington U.S.A. allows free access to all museums as well.....why not in Canada?

The Wheel of Brisbane...maybe will get up enough nerve to ride it with Don!

Difficult to take photos in the Museum but I couldn't pass up this one!   These snakes & lizards can be found in the city of Brisbane....lovely!  It was suggested to me that a shovel is the best way to kill them....really?!!!! I think I will just run instead!   None are poisonous thank goodness!!

Views of Brisbane City & City Botanic Gardens

Hi everyone!  These are photos taken in the first few days after my arrival on May 5th.

Botanic City Garden near our hotel

Bamboo everywhere!

Palm Trees

Ibis birds throughout the Botanic Gardens - scavengers who want to eat my lunch!

Bird of Paradise in Autumn!

Hibiscus 

Brilliant Pine trees in the distance - not sure of the species yet

One of my modes of transportation:   City Cat travels back & forth along the river all day 

Walking along the river path downtown and looking out to Story Bridge which will take me to Kangaroo Point where we will be living as of May 15th

River walk looking at city scape

Mangrove trees growing in the river 

Houseboats and sailboats moored downtown

I can see my apartment to the left of the bridge @ Kangaroo Point

River cruises

I dared to cross Story Bridge - oh my Gosh there are suicide emergency phones all along the bridge - personally I'm just hanging on for dear life!!!

My apartment balcony will be facing into that giant 100 year old tree - Don thinks it is a fig tree (to be determined)

Entrance of our Kangaroo Point apartment

Kangaroo Point under Story Bridge

West End Market - every Saturday - lots of produce and crafts

View from our hotel balcony