Bye Bye Skippy

Kangaroo beside the golf course on the Gold Coast...

Little Corella

This corella was in a flock of a dozen or so on the Gold Coast. They are so common as to be pests in some areas.

Brisbane on a Tuesday Morning

Here is Brisbane from the Story Bridge in morning light. The weather is cool and nice right now.

Last Trip to Australia (and Japan) (and PNG)

It has been a while since I've had time to make a blog post - I've been on the road a lot lately. I just finished a trip to Australia for the project I have been working on for the last two years, as well as the last trip to PNG and Japan. Not that I might not go back sometime, but not on business for that project probably. So, here are the people I have been working with - do you see me?

Next month I start a project in Calgary, Canada! New adventures, this time in the mountains (and cold). Can't wait...

Tattoo

I have been in Australia and PNG the last two weeks, and flew into Houston on Friday afternoon. I don't know why but there really wasn't anything that caught my eye or told me a story worth retelling on this trip. I did get a fair picture of an ibis, a picture of some dancers, a nice picture of Brisbane CBD from the river, and this shot of a tattoo parlor on Queen Street.

Tattoos are pretty popular in Australia, perhaps even more popular than what they are in the United States. Girls get them, guys get them, and sometimes it isn't clear what it was that got them. There is a a kind of Moiri pattern that seems popular. Of course in PNG they still do traditional tattoos in some spots. I don't know whether these fine fellows are tattoo artists, customers, or hanger-ons....

The Seagull Says It All

Noisy Miner Bird on a Canna

Noisy Miner Birds are almost always willing to pose for a picture. There has been a lot of rain in Brisbane recently and everything is green.

V=12,800

Street Performers of Brisbane: Rope Man

Today I am in Brisbane and was down to Queen Street of course, it being the weekend and all. There were the usual street performers including Balloon Man and the Little Tramp. This guy was climbing ropes and doing some pretty amazing stuff. At one point he was horizontal on the rope and at another he rolled himself up then down it. There was a new magician over on South Bank but he was really pretty bad and didn't even warrant a picture...

Street Performers of Brisbane: Balancing Woman

Balancing Woman is part of the same group as Rope Man. See the chalk board with "How Many Sleeps?" written on it? Sleeps is Aussie for nights. So altogether now, how many nights until Christmas? 18!

BTW, I saw a good looking Santa in the Decatur mall in Illinois and I was going to take a picture of him but being a nice guy I asked permission and they said NO! Of course it is a public place and I could have taken a photo anyway but I didn't. These street performers don't mind you taking pictures at all, although most would like a donation.

Street Performers of Brisbane: Copper Girl

Copper Girl was doing her act down by a band that was playing Stevie Ray Vaughan tunes. Why did Copper Girl paint her body copper and then wrap a torn sheet around herself? I don't know, but she was getting a lot of looks. Her act consisted of slumping and holding still like a statue until someone put money in front of her. Then she chased them around and acted kind of like a scantily clad demented mime - scared the #@!* out of most of her potential audience.... There used to be an Asian guy that painted himself gold with a similar act but he didn't try to frighten people afterwards :-)

Port Douglas Lighthouse

This week I am in tropical Queensland, Australia. Port Douglas is a beautiful tourist town with the Great Barrier Reef just a short boat trip away. Summer is just beginning and the stingers haven't made their way to the beaches yet.

The bad news: My luggage did not come out with the rest of the luggage. Apparently it stayed on the airplane and eventually made it's way to Narita. The next day it was back, but not in time for me to get my mask, snorkel, and cheapo underwater camera for the trip to the reef. I had to buy a swimming suit, shirt, and Crocs so I had something to wear.

The good news is that they had prescription masks on the boat, including one that fit me pretty good. I went ahead and rented a tank for the first time in a long time but to be honest it just reminded me that I enjoy snorkeling and free diving just as much anyway, especially when the reef is all at 10 meters or less. I am pretty sure I spotted Nemo. No underwater pictures, but it was a nice day out.

Up on a Tightrope

I am back in Houston, but I don't have any good images taken here yet. So here is a picture of the tightroper statue in the square on South Bank next to Stanleys - the best big brekky in Brisbane - from last weekend (I can't publish this without mentioning that I faked the cable under him and removed the guy wires holding him up). The unicyclist was put back up in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the World Expo. They were known as the white statues and there were a number of them up during Expo.

In Houston, they don't know how to make hot milk for a cappuccino. At Starbucks, the barista brought me another one this morning after I had started drinking the first. To her credit, she did this because she said the steamer wasn't working right and she couldn't serve a coffee less than her best. I was a bit surprised because I thought the milk on the first one was pretty good for Starbucks - the foam was smooth and silky - like stirred paint as Teresa says, andTeresa has a barista certificate. The second cup the Starbucks barista brought me had huge bubbles in it like they always do at Starbucks. Anyway, she let me keep both of them, but I enjoyed the first one the most.

David says I am a food snob. It's not true. I just like my cappuccino foam smooth and silky like latex paint.

Magpie

The Magpie, Miner Bird, and Rainbow Lorikeet are among my favorite Australian birds. The Magpie is handsome and has a beautiful voice. The Miner Bird is everywhere and is a bit of a clown. Rainbow Lorikeets are raucous and incredibly colorful.

The Story Bridge

The Story Bridge from yet another viewpoint and time of day...

The Noisy Miner Bird

Miner birds are curious, always fooling around together, and constantly stirring things up. At least one will pose for me as I go through the park about anytime I'd like it to.

Wilwinpa

The Wilwinpa is the newest City Cat in Brisbane.

Comalco Place

The blue building at the bottom of the picture is Comalco Place - a place I know pretty well since I have been working there for the past 15 months or so. I will miss my view of the river and the walk through the park every morning...

The Buddha

This door panel with the Buddha in it is located in the temple over on South Bank that was built for World Expo '88. It was built by traditional methods and while from a moderate distance it is very fine and appears almost flawless, close up you can see many imperfections. I like that. There are many details on it and maybe someday I'll photograph them.

Brisbane Arcade

Long before there were malls there were arcades. They are basically streets with a roof, normally with glass. There are quite a few of them in London and you find them here in Australia too. For some reason, they seem to have either real high ends goods, touristy type things, or both. This one is off Queen Street in Brisbane.

Brisbane Seafood

Several types of seafood are popular in Brisbane - oysters, barramundi, and "bugs". First, bugs... Bugs are the critters lying on the ice in the center of the photo. They look like flattened lobsters without claws. Oysters are in the sack at middle top. The fish on the far left just past the flounder is a barramndi.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of bugs and barramundi although both are OK. The bugs taste like lobster, but don't have as good a texture in my opinion. They have lobsters here, so I don't know why the bugs seem to be the first choice. Barramundi is a nice white fish, but again with the texture, and I don't think it is always super fresh. But the oysters are very, very good.