Sunshine Coast Daily Photo: mooloolaba

Sunday, 31 January 2010

Top Deck

The roof decks of these apartments are a popular spot late afternoon, they'd make an ideal spot to watch the storms coming across the sky from the south west.

The thong (no not that kind) or humble flip flop as it's often known unless you live in New Zealand where I do believe one refers to them as jandals for some hitherto inexplicable reason, is probably the world's most travelled footware. It seems that they are built with some sort of wanderlust so that whenever they get the opportunity they jump into the ocean and float for years at a time.

Occasionally one will beach itself. The cause of this behaviour is not known, but there are several theories regarding ridding itself of parasites, or perhaps they aren't well and are trying to commit suicide.

Whatever the case, no one has yet explained why only right side shoes wash up in the Southern hemisphere, while the left side ones can be found in climes north of the equator.

Dragon

It was Mr Three who saw him first, in the darkest shadow in the cotton tree thicket. He was showing us his frilled neck and looking terribly fierce until I pulled out my camera. He had a few mates as well, but I was fortunate to catch him while he still had the red "fire" in his throat!

He(she?) is a bearded dragon, about two and a bit feet long, and quite common round the coast. This one was in the trees near that little camping spot that I featured in the past week or so. Oh, and have no fear, they are entirely harmless... mostly!

Tuff

I truly don't understand the reasoning behind owning a monster truck fitted out with the latest and greatest suspension in order to be able to drive down the fully paved road to the fully paved car parking area beside the beach.

Don't get me wrong, there is a place where off road vehicles are very useful, but I'm not sure that all that shiny chrome would survive at all well in that place.

Perhaps the owners just brought it down to teach it to swim.

Mooloolaba

Surf Shop

As you leave the beach at Mooloolaba, there's a reminder of what a great time you've just had.

Mooloolaba

More Happy Campers

Just to put yesterday's photograph in a bit of context.

And if it gets a bit of the wet stuff in the pic in time for WateryWednesday, then why not.

Mooloolaba

Happy Campers

In another week the campers will be starting to thin out as the summer holiday comes to an end, but one has to be just about born in this little camping ground in Mooloolaba to get one of these shoulder to shoulder beach front positions.

Perched right on the top of the dune, but hidden from the apartment buildings behind, yet only a few metres from cafes and even a supermarket, it has to be one of the best coastal camping locations on the planet.

Mooloolaba

That Picnic Shelter

A few weeks ago, a picnic shelter was the centre of attention for a few days, when viewed from the inland side. To my delight, there's not a bad vantage point of it from the sea as well if one hops out on a few rocks and stands on tippy toe. There she be, on top of the cliff.

Mooloolaba

Always Look UP!

Never give a coconut tree the benefit of the doubt. Even though the fruit on this one are quite small, they'll still weigh several pounds/kilos, enough to impart a severe injury or worse, on an unsuspecting lounger sitting below.

Many of the towns in North Queensland employ people to remove coconuts in their formative stages to prevent serious injury to tourists. In Moololaba, I suspect that this is the only tree in fruit, and the chances of injury are slim, but do be aware when walking by a coconut palm!

Mooloolaba

The Trunk of the Coconut

Two things are always consistent with coconut palms;

One always finds little circular pock marks on them, often they look as though a potter has pushed her thumbs into them before they've set.

When people carve their initials into them (and who knows why they do that), they use a particular style of rigid, straight lettering, and it seems their initial is always "V".

I'm sure both of those observations have a scientific basis, but if I may return to this photo for a second, I do love the way the shells are just visible on the beach, as indeed is the merest hint of foam from the surf (top right).

Mooloolaba

The Tropics

Technically we are in the sub-tropics here, and coconut palms are a rare sight indeed, except on the little patch of beach near the caravan park at Mooloolaba, where four survive the ravages of the tides. They look as though they have been naturally sprouted, but I have my doubts. For a start they'd have had to have found their way south against the prevailing winds and currents.

Anything is possible I suppose, and they do give a quite tropical feel to the place when one knows where to find them!

If you like watching water, you can find links to many more wet photos at WateryWednesday!

The New Kite

While Dad's reading the instructions, we might just get this thing into the air by ourselves. Two girls and a three year old make light work of kite flying.

Mooloolaba

Reading the instructions

Getting that kite into the air looks as though it's going to take a University Degree. Not a bad place to be studying for it though, on the rocks at Mooloolaba.

Mooloolaba

Steve

The Crocodile Hunter lives in our memories on the Esplanade in Mooloolaba, where a marble sculpture depicting himself with his two children Bob and Bindi holding a baby crocodile is positioned so that he is gazing out to sea in perpetuity.

This was his neighbourhood of course, and Australia Zoo continues to be bigger and better managed by his family, just a few kilometres inland.

The kisses aren't a permanent feature, young Robert and Steve received more than their fair share on New Year's Eve.

For more information you may care to visit the website of the sculptor, Silvio Apponyi.

© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

Lilo

Now here's something we don't see too often at this time of year: A vacant patch of beach.

There are plenty of footprints to remind us that the photo is a trick though. Don't expect to arrive at Mooloolaba between Christmas and New Year, and find a secluded spot for your towel!

If you intend to have a big New Year's celebration tonight, don't stay out in the sun too long today will you?

Mooloolaba

Mandy's Mural
another Watery Wednesday presentation

Right there on the top of "Alex" is a public convenience. I wonder about the term "convenience" as these things are usually hidden in the most obscure places, difficult to find, difficult to get to, and then when one does they are often locked.

This one however, is quite convenient. It's buried into the slope to make it reasonably difficult to find, but if one approaches it from altogetherly the wrong direction, the entire wall is covered in a seascape.

This is a representation of the view from the loo! (See yesterday's photo for the actual view.)

I'm fairly sure that "Mandy" is actually Mandy Shadforth a local artist who has been responsible for a number of bright and cheery transformations in the Mooloolaba-Alexandra Headlands area. I'll try to track her down for more information.

Oh! This of course is Watery Wednesday as well!

Yesterday's View
(from the picnic shelter)

If you were the lucky ones who got to yesterday's picnic spot first, this is the view you would have enjoyed for the day.

If then, after a time you tired of looking at the sweeping ocean views from Point Cartwright and the mouth of the Mooloola River north to Noosa Heads, you could always wander down a few hundred yards to the beaches at Alexandra Headland or Mooloolaba.

The night before Christmas

Yes, it is the night before Christmas, and while there may not be too many creatures stirring, there's no room for them to stir in the caravan parks either. Everyone has their spot ready for the holidays!

Mooloolaba

© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia