Going to Newcastle

Paperbark in the Wetlands.
Hunter Botanic Gardens (just out of Newcastle)


Angophoras & Banksias. Hunter Botanic Gardens.


Wetlands. Hunter Botanic Gardens.


Went to Newcastle on the weekend. It took far longer than I had anticipated to get to Fassifern from the Williamtown airport, and of course a great deal longer because firstly our aircraft was late, secondly having been loaded aboard, the plane was not fit to fly and hence we were loaded into buses, zoomed around the airport and came back to where we started, to an almost identical plane and by this time Qantas was desperate to beat the curfew at Williamtown...... A long, long journey. I left the University at 3.15, got to Rob's by midnight.

On Saturday, in the rain, we drove up to the Hunter Botanic Gardens, which I had wanted to see. They were very different from most botanic gardens, for the most part we were walking on paths which looked to wind through the wilderness. They were lovely in the rain.

(The wetlands almost look to have been specifically created, with all those drowned and dead trees.)

Toowong cemetery

Kangaroo sprawling in the midday sun. CBD Brisbane


Russian orthodox graves. Toowong Cemetery.


War graves


Mayne family grave. Toowong cemetery.

Janie spent the night here on the way to the Tasmanian wooden boat festival. I've wanted to check out the Russian orthodox graves at Toowong cemetery for a while, so that's where we headed before we had to head out to the airport for her flight.

We were intrigued by the fact that the Russian orthodox graves were scattered all over the cemetery. And by the sheer number of them.

And it was also a surprise to see the war graves, forming part of a general cemetery, and in addition with wives and mothers, and fathers interred in the same grave long after the death of the man who had served. Again, despite the bulk of the war graves being in a common area we found those commonwealth war plaques scattered about the cemetery (particularly for those who served in a war, but had died long afterwards in peacetime).

(I photographed the kangaroo the day before on my way to meet Janie at Roma Street station.)

North Stradbroke Island

A Mangrove island in Moreton Bay. North Stradbroke Island in the background.


Pandanus. Cliff face, North Stradbroke Island.


Male pandanus in flower. North Stradbroke Island.


Pandanus & Casuarina. North Stradbroke Island.

Used the satnav to get myself to the North Stradbroke Island ferry terminal, yesterday.

My first taste of ocean water since coming up to Queensland. Swam regardless of the beach being closed, but with great care. I don't believe that there was no safe place to swim on Main Beach. In the end we swam in where it was probably far more dangerous. In a little narrow gorge with a very strong sideways and outwards pull. So I simply lay down in water about a foot deep and let the lovely incoming waves break over me.

Mainly took photos of the beach casuarinas and the pandanus. And saw for the first time that pandanus are dioecious. I find it really hard to find good botanical reference material on the web. So I haven't managed to track down the pandanus species despite it being found on every Queensland beach..

The mangrove island photograph was taken from the ferry jetty at Cleveland, with North Stradbroke Island in the background. Part of what makes Moreton Bay a water-bird refuge. It is truly an amazing bay. (Huge, and that is what makes finding a decent beach close to Brisbane virtually impossible.)