Year: 2015

  • Waterfalls – while we have the water

    Queensland had some forceful weather fronts recently which meant a lot of rainfall to most parts of the state. So waterfalls are truly at their best and it is a good opportunity to visit them.The Kondalilla waterfalls are near Montville – a distance of about an hour and a half by car from Brisbane. The…

  • The biggest organ in the Southern Hemisphere

    I have just attended an Organ concert at Brisbane City Hall.The Brisbane City Hall Organ is one of best preserved examples of a five-manual Father Henry Willis Organ anywhere in the world. The organ was built in 1892 by Henry Willis and Sons of London, for the Queensland National Agricultural and Industrial Association (QNA) at…

  • Women take centre stage.

    Women take centre stage – This one is called Nephila -from the Greek nema which means thread and philos which means friend, so friends of a thread-  a spinner.  It is International Womens day on the 8th of March and a special day of remembrance for me. They have been gracing my entrance for a…

  • Springbrook National Park – a girls' day out on a hike.

    This is made up of three areas, the Plateau which is what we explored on this trip, the Natural Bridge which I will blog about another time, and Mount Cougal which we have yet to visit. The plateau gives some staggering views of the Gold Coast and is full of beautiful trails, cascading waterfalls and fabulous flora. It…

  • Clean up Australia day

    This is the announcement that came in on one of the flyers from estate agents in the region where I live.  Clean Up Australia Day This Sunday 1st of March marks 25 years of Clean Up Australia Day and what better way to celebrate than to participate in one of Australia’s biggest volunteer cause.   Over…

  • Nature's force

    There can only be one blog post this week. We have had two cyclones Marcia and Lars battering the Queensland coastline and while here in the city we have not had the damaging winds, yet,  we have had two full days of almost relentless rain. Rivers are bursting their banks, creeks are overflowing, storm drains…

  • Valentine's day and all the trimmings

    The shops are awash with red roses and cards, dainty little arrangements with snuggly little bears and puppies on backgrounds of hearts and red ribbons and I have, to my shame, written an article encouraging people to scrimp on the roses but splash out on the dinners. Wandering through the shopping malls and perhaps being…

  • In Niki's light.

    Two year ago today my eldest sister left us rather suddenly. We were wholly unprepared. We suspect she had some premonition, some of it reflected in her last paintings in Egypt and in the things she said before she left on this last voyage. We will never know. The tears still well up but don’t…

  • Two years

    The end of January is upon us already. Two years ago we celebrated Republic Day in Delhi on the 26th and a couple of days later jumped onto a plane to Australia. There could not be a greater contrast of past and present lives, brought home acutely by seeing President Obama enjoying the Republic Day…

  • An itinerant fate

    This is probably the longest time I have not blogged and it was not wholly intentional. I had hoped to blog about my time in Europe and my travels here and there but I found that I had little time to keep this up because I was too busy socializing and let me explain –not…