Sunshine Coast Daily Photo

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Terminator

Sadly, vandalism has left Eumundi's monument to the woodcutting industry looking more like a monument to Terminator Two.

I'm sure some brave person got an enormous thrill from flogging a one armed inanimate object until it fell apart. Hopefully one day someone will return the favour.

© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

Historical

I'm not sure if the clock on the Eumundi and District Historical Association's wall is stopped in remembrance of some important event, or whether it's just always tantalisingly close to Beer O'Clock.

Photographed at ten a.m.

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Empty Markets

The empty market stalls cast rather pleasing shadow patterns on the paving.

Midweek at Eumundi

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More verandahs

More verandahs in Eumundi

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Empty

I never ever see Eumundi like this. That's because usually I go on a Wednesday or a Saturday when the place is transformed into a bustling market town. It looks positively deserted in between times.

Joe's Waterhole

No prizes for guessing what one goes to the Waterhole for. Here's a clue: it's not to drink water.

Eumundi

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Shadows

Following yesterday's post, it has to be said that light and shade are elements of extremes. There's no subtle play here, it's either sunlight, or it's not.

Shadows

Eumundi

Shaded Verandahs

Living in this part of the world, we take shade for granted, if it's not in the sun, it's shadow. Buildings traditionally have coverings over the footpaths to keep us out of the sun, and as a bonus out of the rain!

Eumundi

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CWAQ

The Country Women's Association was once a mainstay for women living outside the cities. Anyone who is over forty will know at least one CWA cake recipe off by heart.

On another note, when electricity came to town, no one mucked around being discreet about it, the switchboard just got bunged up beside the front door and to heck with the consequences!

CWA Hall
Eumundi

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Time Travelling

As you read this, I am actually spending some time in France, so the question you may rightly ask is : Is the 2CV a time machine that we've used to commute between hemispheres, or is there something wierd going on with the alignment of the planets?

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Public Buildings

The public buildings originally took a similar form to the houses. Post Offices often had a verandah which was put to good use providing shelter for the boxes.

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Queenslander

Historically our houses were made of light weight timber, held off the ground on timber stumps with a verandah at the front (in suburbia where space was at a premium) or on all four sides.

This one was a typical plan form, a corridor up the middle, and two rooms on each side of it. After World War 2 the population boom saw most enclose their verandahs with glass or asbestos cement louvres to create "sleep-outs" or sleeping verandahs.

Landscaping in most back yards was confined to grass, with a vegetable patch and a "chook" run (where the laying hens resided).

There is a bit of a myth about how cleverly built for climate these places were, but with no cross ventilation or insulation rest assured they didn't provide the respite from the extremes that legend has would have us believe.

Eumundi
© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

Camouflage

...when suddenly the library drove by, disguised as a tree.

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Bunyas

A small plantation of Bunya Pines farewells us from the Wappa Dam enclosure. Not really pines, they are a Queensland Native (Araucaria bidwillii) with a timber which is similar in appearance to a North American pine, but with a much richer honey colour.

© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

Spillway

The spillway at Wappa Dam isn't always spilling, but it was in February when I visited it.

Waterways like this are all too rare in Australia, particularly the running over the top kind!

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Nice Spot

I thought I'd go inland to get away from all those water photos, and then I came across Wappa Dam.

Half way between Nambour and Yandina, there is just a smattering of housing hidden in the bush.

Not a bad place to be I think.

Tadpoles

I'm hoping they aren't cane toads. Whatever they are they'll be out and about before we know it. I couldn't work out if the majority were hovering in the crack to try to stay in the cooler water, as far from the sun as they can, or if that's where the last of the algae is in the pond.

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Palm

Just a palm frond in the bush near Nambour

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Solar Farm

The Nambour hospital solar array is used to preheat water for the boilers. The reflectors magically track the sun's movement during the course of the day to keep all the heat concentrated on the pipe.

Terrific, sensible stuff! I wonder if it's an economic proposition though?

One in Three

A staggering statistic, but none the less it makes me wonder what the other two use.

Near Nambour Hospital

The empty carpark says it all. This building lies new and vacant as it has done for a year.

It is the best of times, yet the worst of times in some industries.

Hard to know why really.

Nambour Hospital 3 of 3

Concrete etching up close. Oh dear I think I said it was a banksia yesterday, today it could be a callistemon!

It's very subtle, and rather nice.

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Nambour Hospital 2 of 3

There's a trend in modern architecture to introduce multiple textures and colours, it's almost as if there's a prize for the most bits one can fit in a given area. Sometimes the result is quite abominable, but this seems to work for me. I rather like all those smudges on the concrete which are actually photographically etched banksia leaves and flowers, and they should start to develop stronger contrasts as the concrete gathers dirt and mildew. (Detail tomorrow)

Nambour Hospital 1 of 3

Believe it or not, I detoured through Nambour just to take a few photos of the new hospital building. I rather like it graphically, although the vertical sun blades don't actually do much at this time of day, and if the maintenance budget is the same as for the rest of the complex I don't give it a lot of hope for retaining it's freshness into the distant future.

Ahhh... back in Nambour

Every time I visit Nambour, I get a thousand comments accusing me of showing it in an unflattering way, so I'll keep this visit brief.

See the gardens near the railway line?

That proves I'm looking for the good bits. (Yes, OK Nambour, I AM joking.....)

Dog Friendly

La Balsa park provides one of the largest off-leash areas for dogs around the coast, and there are no shortage of four legged critters on the pathways most afternoons.

Why they have channel markers

Somewhere between our friend in the hat and all those boats is a deepish bit that allows safe passage. It also is rumoured to provide something of a haven for resident bull sharks, and I'm not sure that I'd be standing out there calling my dog!

© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

Coming up

Late Afternoon

The last wave

One last wave before we head off for a month or so of buildings and things, surely we all need a break from the beach by now!

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Communication
Making the mailbox redundant.

There's a planner out there somewhere feeling immensely smug about the way we can hardly see the water tank any more.

Really all this communication stuff is making our mailboxes more and more redundant, so this is a timely reminder to send someone a postcard today while you still can.

Point Cartwright

Today's City Daily Photo theme is "Mailbox" if you feel cheated by my photo, there are plenty more for your enjoyment.Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

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