Station Crane

A hand operated relic still in operation, but I don't know what for. Certainly not to lift anything onto the tilt train.

Cooroy Railway Station

Frangipani Flowers

I just don't get Frangipanis. It's definitely not Spring, and this tree is definitely starting to drop its leaves as it should with winter just round the corner, but it figured it would give us a big Autumn show of flowers anyway.

Maybe it just likes me!

At the home of the bitingmidge
Mooloolaba

Please Take One

Lifestyle catalogues free. I know they publishers describe them as "magazines" but even the editorial is a not too thinly disguised sales pitch.

Decor Shop
Eumundi

Mango Lick

Organic ice treats. I just like the "lick".

Eumundi Markets

Autumn

Yesterday was Anzac Day, a public holiday, and a few hardy souls braved the beach at Noosa in perfect Autumn conditions. 27°c with 22° water temperature. This is why the place is called the Sunshine Coast!

Main Beach
Noosa

Wall Flowers

Two photos of flowers in three days - what's happening to me?

We don't have seasons which are defined by weather extremes, snow, deciduous trees, or flourishes of colour in springtime, so it is rare to see window boxes or pots such as these.

Flowers in Autumn.

Montville

Resort Living

The Resort Lifestyle is what we are all sold. Chairs that need beautiful people to lie on them, they don't look anywhere near as lovely with me reclining on the cushions.

Furniture Store
Eumundi

African Tulips

Messy things they are, and they disperse seed all through the native bushland too!

Naughty trees!

But they are pretty when in flower, and their seed pods are beautiful little canoe-like creations.

Cooroy

Bluebird of Happiness

May the bluebird of happiness sprinkle stardust on your....

letterbox!


Eumundi

Verandahs

The verandah is an integral part of the Australian way of life, even if it's just a balcony, it's somewhere to have a barbecue, hang the towels, and just enjoy being in the fresh air.

Apartment Block
Cotton Tree

Tilt Train

The Tilt Train is the closest thing we have to a fast efficient transportation system. The fact that it has the potential to travel at 200 kilometres per hour, but the track between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane is only rated at 50 -80 kilometres per hour hasn't quite sunk in with the politicians.

Therefore we have a fast train, but a slow service!

Tilt train arriving.
Cooroy

Sunhats

The sorts of hats that scream "buy me" when they are stacked on the market stall, but need a good deal of bravery to be worn in public during daylight hours.

Cotton Tree Markets
Maroochydore

Waiting

A pair of surfers wait for the ship to pass before going into the water.

Maroochydore

Pushing His Limit

Why is it, when your Mum says "OK, but only up to your knees" you just have to get your pants wet?

Maroochy River
Cotton Tree

Red Head

There's a plethora of these mannequins around of late, looking too retro to be real. Has someone raided an old department store warehouse, or is China creating a new fashion wave?

Jewelry Shop
Eumundi

Cotton Tree at Cotton Tree

Hibiscus tiliaceus (Cotton Tree) in Flower
Cotton Tree
Maroochydore

Fried Out Kombi

Travelling in a fried-out kombi
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,

"Do you come from a land down under?"

-Men at Work, 1980.


Fried-out Kombi 2008
Maroochydore

Swimming Bin

Although vandalism is relatively rare, and thankfully of a minor nature. The consequences of hanging out in a park when drunken nightclubbers return in the early hours of Saturday morning, particularly when you are a rubbish bin, can be quite severe.

Nelson Park
Maroochydore

Go Maroons

Queensland's sporting colours are Maroon and Gold, the State's Rugby League team, in what must have been a divinely inspired moment is known simply as "The Maroons". For those unfamiliar with the particular shade of deep red, here it's pronounced Marone, like "malone".

Walking home with the shopping, at the top of the bluff.
Alex Headland

Muddies

Mudcrabs, cooked and chilled await their final destination. Before cooking the "muddies" are a dull brown-green mud colour, but brighten up considerably after being boiled! To give some scale to the picture, the claws are about seven and a half centimetres (three inches) thick.

Mooloolaba Fish Market
Mooloolaba

Nipper Boards

Surf Clubs have junior divisions for primary school kids, called "Nippers" which is slang for young children, and also the claws of a crab or yabbie. They have national competitions in all the grown up disciplines with all the equipment scaled down appropriately.

Nipper rescue boards waiting for the crew to come back from a swim session.

Cotton Tree

Beach Umbrella

Usually beach umbrellas are large colourful things which stand tall and shade numbers of towels and bags and all the paraphernalia necessary for a day at the beach. This rain umbrella just doesn't look comfortable enough for two.


Cotton Tree,
Maroochydore

Seasons Greetings

It's one of the great cop-outs, wishing someone a "Happy Holiday", or "Seasons Greetings" when you really mean "Merry Christmas" but are trying oh so valiantly not to offend sensitivities which may not exist.

It does have one major benefit though. You don't have to take down the decorations. Twelve months a year there's a season, so "Seasons Greetings" whatever that may mean to you in April.

Mooloolaba Fish Market
Mooloolaba

For Joan

For Joan, who is much cleverer at photographing this sort of thing than I can ever hope to be. Taken near our fish pond at the home of the bitingmidge.

Mooloolaba

Beach Hopscotch

Have you ever wondered why sea birds have two legs? They seem to spend an awful lot of time standing on just one of them when they are ashore. I suppose if they only had one, they'd swim in circles.

A Pied Oystercatcher I think, but because I'm not much of a bird watcher. I'll happily take any suggestions!

Mooloolah River

Suevic Flats

Sue and Vic's pride and joy.

For the Sunshine Coast, buildings from the sixties are almost historically antique. This signage smacks beautifully of post-war home handiwork, and is in stark contrast to the slick modern apartments of latter times.

Coolum

Boards in Bed

Where surf craft sleep.

Now, write out 100 times: "I must take my tripod with me when I shoot in low light."

The Surf Club
Alexandra Headland

Tree

A lone casuarina, having battled for so long and so improbably in the middle of the beach, is about to give up the fight!

Cotton Tree
Maroochydore

99% Fat Free

Ice Cream Shop
Alexandra Headland

Water

When you live on the coast and the theme is 'water', deciding how much water to include in a single photograph becomes problematic.

Storm surf at Alexandra Headland doesn't particularly make a beautiful scene, but for those that can get out, there is always the satisfaction of telling their Mum they rode a ten footer!

If they don't drown.

From Alexandra Headland, looking towards Maroochydore.

177 other water theme posts today can be found here:

theme day id=13

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