Tentative explorations

Banyan. Queensland Botanic Gardens

My first ventures into the city, today. Via the botanic gardens. Lunch in the city with Jane, and then after work, a drinking session with the other students. Then to North Quay and a ferry ride along the river under the darkening sky.

At College

Early morning view across one of the lakes at the University of Queensland


Giant pandanus along the path by the lakes

Finally, the move has been made. I am now in Brisbane.

The colleges are on the western perimeter of the lakes, which are just a part of a more extensive parkland which surrounds the south-west of the university as it bords the river. In the morning I walk amongst immense tropical trees to the ferry, with birds foraging: ibis, geese, moorhens, coots, corellas, a brush turkey and a willy-wagtail. In the evening they are settling down, with much noise, to roost. And as I take my swim in the pool under the darkening sky, the sound of screaming birds from the trees above the pool is remarkably soothing, and not unlike the evening shrill of cicadas on a Sydney summer evening.

So, however stressed I am by making this move, I have a wonderfully calming start and finish to each day. All I have to do is hang in.

Patonga Creek

Looking across the creek


Cabbage tree palms


Mangroves in the saltmarsh


Rushes, casuarinas and mangroves and saltmarsh beyond


Brush turkey

The last time I went to Patonga, I went by ferry from Palm Beach, and we paddled up the creek. But the ferry no longer runs, so I drove. I had a memory of how beautiful it was, but I had forgotten nonetheless.

I was surprised to see the turkey, but I had to include him, since he was so decorative. (I took photos of crabs and flowers too, but it was the landscape, which really knocked me out.)

Bicycles in the shelter at the wharf

Bicycles in the shelter at the wharf IMG_7361

Went to Dangar Island with Rob. These are some of the islanders' bikes at the ferry.


We met at Hawkesbury River railway station, bought some oysters and caught the ferry to the island. We were looking for a place to picnic halfway between her place and mine and neither of us had been to the island before.


Soldier crabs scurrying across the sand.


The railway bridge (from the wharf).