Australia Day

Yesterday, January 26th, was Australia Day and as you might expect there were fireworks. This is the view from the balcony. We get a day off so this is a three day weekend.

Australians are pretty patriotic and there was lots of flag waving and celebration. They are also tolerant and free speech is cherished. On the way in to town yesterday there was a group marching for aboriginal rights with a police escort. It was peaceful. There were also people handing out small Australian flags, free sunscreen samples, and little "tattoos" of the Australian flag that you applied to your skin. There were plenty of stalls selling all sorts of stuff.

Happy Australia Day!

Crab in a Tree

This little crab was in a mangrove tree down by the river at low tide. He was about 4' up just checking things out along the walkway. He was hiding when I first saw him, but after I stood still and watched him for a while, he came out from behind the branch where I could get his picture.

White-faced Heron eating Sushi

I have seen these smallish herons before along the Brisbane River and particularly in the mangrove. Once I saw one catch a small lizard and eat it. This was has just caught a small minnow and if you click on the picture and enlarge it you can see it in his beak. Fresh sushi, or perhaps more properly I should call it unsliced sashimi...

I have just posted a lot more Australian birds into the slide show also.

There is a Fungus among Us

It is now deep summer in Australia, this being January. We've had rain but not enough to fill the reservoirs and end the water rationing. But it is enough to make things green and tropical looking.

Whenever I see mushrooms I think of Missouri and morel mushrooms (and Aunt Becky cooking them and us eating them). I have no idea what these are and I sure wouldn't eat them. Only a fool eats an unknown toad stool. They are interesting though and I've seen lots of different kinds poking up after the rain.

frank

The trip to New Zealand was really nice and I took a lot of pictures. It is good to see that they appreciate me too - here I am holding a bottle of a favorite Kiwi beverage named, of course, after me. Click on the picture to enlarge it and read the label carefully to see what a really good drink it is.

There were so many pictures I don't think I have the time to write the stories that go with them right now. So I am going to try and arrange them in photo albums. I've started a new one called New Zealand birds over in the sidebar for a starter. I'll try and add new albums as I get time.

Out for a Walk

Yellow Eyed Penguins in New Zealand

Nugget Point

Nugget Point, New Zealand South Island, is a beautiful place. The weather was great and we were fortunate to see lots of wildlife as well as scenery. I took lots of photographs... It is going to take a while to sort through them and perhaps post some of the better ones.

Nugget Point is named for the rocks in the water off the point. Sailors thought they looked golden in certain light. Nearby there are seals, penguins, and all sorts of other birds.

Sydney

If you are a photographer in Sydney then it is obligatory that you take a picture of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. So I have taken a self portrait with both in the background. This is easy with a fisheye lens - you just put your back to the subject, point the lens at yourself, and it captures everything within about 150 degrees. You can't miss...

World's Steepest Railway

Here we are in the Blue Mountains taking the World's Steepest Railway down the mountain. It is a cable pulled affair that used to be part of an arrangement to remove coal from the mines.

Three Sisters

The Three Sisters are in the Blue Mountains near Sydney. There is an aborigine story that originally they were 3 girls who only wanted to party and wouldn't mind their father - he turned them to stone. It is a beautiful view from the lookout where this picture was taken.

No Evil

A while back I posted a picture of the original three monkeys carved above a horse barn in Nikko, Japan here. These guys are above a pub in Sydney, Australia. They look like apes instead of monkeys to me.

Dragonfly

This dragonfly was flying above the duck pond in the park in Brisbane. I took his picture with a telephoto lens as he hovered on a sunny day.