Year: 2015

Little heart shaped island under Australia, once connected to it, through the Bass Straits, no longer. Birthplace of Errol Flynn and home to the recent Nobel Literature prize winner, Richard Flanagan. Closer to the Antarctic, part of the roaring Forties, cold weather, green pastures, amazing mountains and scenery and of course home to the Sydney…

Walking out on to my deck this morning, free of Sids, but full of birds I get the unmistakable whiff of mandarin blossom and my heart is a- flutter as I soak it in and think back to those years of childhood and the orchards that filled our senses in Famagusta – maybe we are…

On this sunny glorious day we bid farewell to what has been a fair and kind winter, well at least in Queensland. The cold was just enough to want us to cook heart warming casseroles and soups but not enough to stop us from having lunch on the deck with the warmth of the sunshine…

A note popped into my mail box. It was from a little neighbour of mine. She is 6 – in her own hand written invitation she was setting up a cafe at her home to raise money for Pricilla aged 6 also – but an orphan living in South Africa. With the help of her…

On my run yesterday I saw a young man had set up his easel and his paints and was busy painting the bridge which I pass every day. I ran past with a quick nod but on my way back I stopped to talk to him, admire his painting, and ask a little about him.…

I have only been resident in Brisbane for just over two years and while I feel I know some parts of the city, the state is still an unknown quantity for me.  Queensland is large – 1,727,000 square kms.  Queensland has 5 of Australias 11 World Natural Heritage Areas.  Surprisingly more than half of Queensland’s…

“It’s all Greek to me” – is strangely enough a phrase that has the opposite meaning for me to what is intended. You see I speak Greek and it is all very clear and understandable to me. But engage me in Cricket Speak or Tradesmen Speak and I am at a total loss for words…

I woke up this morning to the news that Cilla Black has died. She was only 72. I know there will be tributes and commemorations from all over the world for this singer and chat show host. I want to add what she meant to me. She came from Liverpool, which was my home for…

I was walking by the Broncos Training ground, and for those of you not familiar with them, this is a Brisbane Rugby team. They were out training today and this sign caught my eye. They are warning us about drones operating overhead and combined with the Ozzie concern for health and safety we are told…

I love finding aspects to this city that stand out as being different and interesting – so my story for the day is lampposts. How many of us bother to look up and notice what they are like, what shape they are in and what light they diffuse? I suspect very few and it is…