Brisbane

Brisbane is a really pretty city especially along the river (this view is from the park). There are lots of parks and open spaces and there is a mix of high density apartments and housing. It feels more like a big town than a city in many ways. But it has good public transport including river ferrys, trains, and busses. I'd like to maybe live along the river and take the ferry to work...

Pelicans - Manly Australia

A wonderful bird is the pelican

His beak can hold more than his belly can

He can store in his beak

Enough food for a week

And I don't know how the hell he can

Or something close to that...

Ogden Nash

Australia

It's been a while since I've written but here are my first impressions of Australia. There is a lot to write about and with time maybe I'll get to write it. This is a wonderful place - nice people, great climate, beautiful countyside, and good food and drink too.

But the two things that are most striking to me are the wildlife and the scenery. I don't have any good pictures of the birds but they are really amazing. There are cookaburras, parrots, cockatoos, magpies, and I don't know what all. You see kangaroos on the golf course and giant lizards on the sidewalk. Scrub turkeys are everywhere as are ducks and cranes. I've seen pelicans and reef fish. Everybody loves the outdoors here....

North Stradbroke Island

North Stradbroke Island is a short ferry ride across Moreton Bay from Brisbane. It is beautiful, relatively undeveloped, and unspoiled. It is an amazing place and yet so close to a large city. At certain times of the year you can see whales off this penninsula.