Brisbane Versus The Beverley Hillbillies

A week ago, we had just completed our first day's activities in Brisbane. Our Airbnb in Kangaroo Point had turned out to be excellent in all aspects. Close to the Story Bridge and two ferry stops, just up the road from the Pineapple Hotel, a 24-hour IGA and a doctors' surgery. (For those of us who had run out of medications. Whoops!)

David and Brett were hosts in absentia, as they were enjoying a well-deserved holiday themselves. In their place, the admirable Richard was holding the fort, caring for one tottering ancient dog and her granddaughter, the garden and random guests such as ourselves. Richard deserved a medal. 

If visiting Brisbane, this Airbnb is perfect for getting around the city. Catch a river CityHopper (free) or a paying ferry across to Eagle Street and the possibilities are endless. Brisbane certainly knows how to use her river. 

The accommodation was under an old Queenslander which doesn't look the best from the street. However, the "man cave" as we christened the space, was cool and comfortable with an ultra sleep-inducing bed, a tidy bathroom, a kitchenette and a lounge to relax. Richard had even ironed the sheets... 

The rear garden was a quiet oasis far from the madding crowd. A large pond populated with tiny fish of all sorts keeps the mosquito population under control. The garden is jungle-like and reminds us all that plants grow in Queensland very rapidly indeed. Not forgetting the artwork which is bold and creative and thought-provoking. And if you like to watch TV, there is none. We had no issues with the lack of an idiot box. In fact, it was bloody awesome.

Just as well we could navigate our way around the CBD by ferry as driving was terrifying. Every time we ventured forth in Tonto (our silver Corolla), any trip ended in disaster. Brisbane is hilly and the signage is not brilliant. We would hurtle past the street we were supposed to take, due to a complete lack of identification. 

Added to the mayhem was the multitude of one-way streets. Plus, whenever I tried to use Google maps on my phone and get a sense of direction, the map would swing uninvited upside down. My navigation skills, or lack of them, almost led to divorce on occasion after occasion. And I was tempted to stab Michael through the eye as his semi-panic led to his profound deafness of my instructions. Turn left here, I would say. What?! Here?! he'd respond. YES HERE! I'd bellow as we found ourselves immersed in yet another fine mess.

There were some high spots. George's Paragon Seafood Restaurant and the Ship Inn were outstanding lunch venues. The Maritime Museum at Southbank captured us for an entire afternoon. The Pineapple Hotel provided good pub tasting plates. The last night we ate in our man cave with meals from the IGA.

Brisbane's CityCats are fantastic vehicles to view the city, attractions and inner suburbs from the river. We were in awe of the medium and high-density housing all along the river's banks. Due to the presence of this water transport system, areas of Brisbane once considered less than desirable are now booming with accommodation options for her residents. 

Needless to say, our final drive to the airport was full of drama. By sheer bloody accident, we found ourselves on the Airport Link M7 and headed there without further ado.

I was sad and happy and contented and relieved to be headed home. We'd had a fantastic time with family and I was already looking forward to seeing my brothers the next time.

However, if I ever step foot in Brisbane again, I will be armed with a hold-in-my-hands hard copy street directory.

The entry towards Brisbane Airport - M7

And coming from the other way...

Bloody hell!

Never again without a street directory!

Thank God for marvellous food...

and more...

and at the Pineapple Hotel.

Our far preferred form of transport...

Visit.This.Place!

Three Most Eventful Days in Coolum Beach

We arrived at Coolum Beach in the middle of the biggest heatwave experienced recently in south-east Queensland. The Paws Holiday Beach House had been shut up, so the interior heat slammed into us. Initially, we opened every window and door. With little breeze, this was an unsatisfactory exercise. After shutting all watertight doors and hatches, we fired up the portable air conditioner. The room temperature was at 37 degrees. Several hours later, we had reduced the sauna to a much more acceptable 24 degrees. We then opened up the house for the second time and were able to sleep with the very welcome overhead fan.

Dinner for the first two nights was at Si Suphan, the best Thai restaurant we have ever attended. Michael has chronic reflux and has yet to suffer any unpleasant effects from eating at Si Suphan. They offer a range of meals from Pad Thai to duck breast with plum sauce (superb) to proper curries and stirfries. The restaurant is licensed and we chose one night to eat outside and one to eat inside. Centrally located next to Domino's at Coolum Beach, Si Suphan is our go-to restaurant when we are staying there.

The next morning we slept late and had difficulty rising. Firing up the computer, I discovered at exhibition at Cooroy Butter Factory Gallery, made contact with the marvellous Fiona Groom from Yandina Historic House and Gallery and booked a date at the Stevens Street Gallery in Yandina, featuring artist Katherine Nix.

So, we launched forward to Cooroy, which is very close to the Noosa Shire and is establishing itself as a less-crowded artisan town with plenty of public art constructed out of wood and metal. These were  primary materials used in Cooroy during its life as a timber town.

The Butter Factory Gallery is well worth a visit. The building is large and light and has an air conditioned gift shop. I was transfixed by a multimedia piece titled "Kimberley Colours 1". I was quite unable to resist its charms, thus, it was bought with great gusto, along with a pair of most unusual earrings.

Cooroy also boasted some ritzy stores including the local shoe shop. I found a pair of very comfortable sandals at the bargain basement price of $39. One never knows what is to be found in all of these supposedly sleepy country towns.

Friday was all about family. David and Kerin roared into the Paws Holiday Beach House with enough food to feed the Fifth Battalion, along with copious bags and the ever-cool-calm-and-collected canine nephew Kenzo. Once unpacked, we set off to Stumers' Creek to scatter Mum and Dad's ashes.

What a wonderful afternoon. We toasted our parents, shared warm stories, sat by the great grey-green Limpopo, sampled nibbles and drank very good vino in their honour. All was going swimmingly...

On our return to the beach house, I retired for a snooze. When I woke up, dinner was being served. A distracted moment caused Kerin to trip over a fan cord, with two plates in her hands. The dinners, plates and Kerin all went down. We propped her up on pillows and surveyed the damage. Long slash on her shin, cut knee and bruised lip. Michael applied first aid whilst I called the ambos.

Dinner was promptly forgotten. The ambos arrived to take Kerin to hospital for stitches. This was not pleasant. Arriving back about two o'clock in the morning, they sneaked in and retired exhausted. Not a great end to an otherwise most reflective and enjoyable day.

We left David and Kerin to recuperate the following morning. Apparently, Kerin sat still and watched movies reclining on a couch for the first time in fifteen years.

We met Facebook buddy Fiona Groom at the Yandina Historic House. She is manager there and showed us through the distinctive Sunshine Coast artworks, including her own. The ginger scones and beverages were delicious. We bought very little but we will visit Yandina Historic House on our next trip.

Onto Stevens Street Gallery. Katharine Nix's "Home is where the dog is" celebrated her own relationships with dogs and Ludwig Leichardt's expedition with his emphasis on his dog. Riveting. I could not resist one of Katharine's winged paper dogs. Whilst chatting with her, I found out that she was familiar with the rescue mission that West Australian explorer David Carnegie volunteered to join to find Leichardt. What a small world after all.

Our last morning in Coolum was all to do with packing. We were invited into Maurice and Michelle's home just behind the beach shack. They are a very interesting couple who are passionate about their lives and who have built an extraordinary house for themselves.

We look forward to seeing them again.

At Si Suphan -

In Cooroy -

Coolum Beach public art -

Fiona Groom -

"Home is where the dog is"

Artist Katharine Nix -

And last, but not least, get well soon, Kerin.

Secrets, Surprises and Silliness in Sharon

Our week in Sharon drew to a close rather faster than we were anticipating. My brother Simon is an agreeable, amiable and very generous host. His house is easy living in a spectacular location. He has friends up and down the street, the river at his doorstep and he is single-handedly creating a hidden sanctuary removed enough from the babble and noise of Bundaberg.

What had not occurred to me were the horrors lurking in the shadows of Simon's pantry and fridge. Simon cheerfully admits he is not enamoured with housework - that's why he has a cleaning lady. Plus he has backpackers, family and friends staying with him from time to time, all of whom add to the mayhem in his kitchen. His fridge has the interior of the TARDIS and its very own cloak of invisibility. Food items can vanish from view, only to miraculously reappear the next day. I swear both a pineapple and a coleslaw salad performed this frustrating trick.

I spent an afternoon throwing out items from 2017, including an exceedingly bloated crab dip, that looked like it should be in a locked laboratory. Vegemite with mould growing in a couple of spots - I didn't know anything could grow on Vegemite - was rehabilitated with two sharp excisions of the offending areas. Then I cleaned the shelves and placed the contents back into some sort of order. Simon was genuinely grateful and mildly amused by my cleaning frenzy.

A brand new packet of rice was found to have a somewhat unwelcome guest. Upon watching him scurry around, Simon commented he doubted the little creature would eat much...

In the end, the pantry defeated me. Apart from scouring its innards from time to time in the vain hope of locating some everyday ingredients, I decided to give this labyrinth of dubious foodstuffs no further attention. I may have been carted off to the loony bin if I had persisted.

Sharon also delighted us with the friendly residents, all of whom waved if we saw them on the street. Directly across the road from Simon were Gordon and Val with their two-and-a-half acres of extraordinary gardens carved out of gravel pits over about fifteen years. The gardens now support themselves, requiring little additional water and minimal attention, having created their own micro-climate under the canopy of the taller trees.

Gordon's shed is a testament to his serious collecting, salvaging and restoration. He has items from his father and his grandfather. He has repaired and maintained some incredibly interesting gizmos, included a machine that separated the corn kernels from the cobs. His wicked sense of humour is on display as well. His wife Val is an absolutely delightful lady who copes admirably with Gordon's larger than life personality. She is creative in her own right, crocheting colourful bed throws. And always on the lookout for a bargain gift for the children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. Go, Val. We had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and subsequent morning with them before we left.

Tony and Karen, Simon's legendary friends for over thirty years are also resident on the same street. Currently returning from a cruise to Antarctica (!), I am waiting with bated breath for their next intrepid adventure. In the meantime, I wish them ongoing freedom from flooding and no further mishaps to befall any other boats. That previous episode involved a large tree and a whopping ker-thump. Apparently, this replacement boat, same model and brand as the destroyed one, just doesn't quite cut the mustard.

Finally, an act of pure silliness married with a stroke of genius. This could have only happened to Simon. On the night of the BBQ, he suddenly exclaimed that a bug had flown into his ear. He vacated into the house rapidly, I suppose in search of some medically approved oily liquid to flush out the unwelcome guest. Returning triumphantly moments later, he sang the praises of the eau de cologne he had squirted into his ear without a moment's hesitation. I suspect the bug departed due to the blast of pure alcohol that still permeated out of Simon's ear for quite some time.

There is only one course of action. We shall have to return to the wilds of Sharon in due course.

Entering the Twilight Zone...

The unknown terrors of Vegemite...

The impenetrable jungle...

Simon in typically carefree mode...

In Gordon and Val's garden

The inner sanctum of Gordon's shed...

Val and Gordon, still loving life...

With a pith helmet, riding a bike with a mower on the front...

Ooh, nasty!

And the night of the highly perfumed and drowned bug.

Bundaberg with Bev...

Bev is one of Michael's long-time friends, part of the crowd that gathered as teenagers in suburban Perth in the early seventies. The boys from the Hills bonded with those from the coastal plain and surprisingly, developed life-long relationships. Bev and husband John moved to Gin Gin after stints elsewhere in Western Australia and Queensland. Suddenly after a very long time, Michael and Bev have been able to refresh their friendship, in person, due to her proximity to my brother Simon.

Bev has rapidly become my friend as well. In her early sixties, she still runs a school canteen and is heavily involved in her local community. She and John live at an idyllic property near Gin Gin. Bev was the perfect host to show us the attractions of Bundaberg the day before we left Simon's house for the trip south.

We started with an early pub lunch at the Metropolitan Hotel. The food was quite acceptable without being outstanding. Good honest fare. And the air conditioning was delightful on a very hot and humid day. The facilities were also very clean. As I am a total toilet tragic, these details matter.

Onward to the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery (BRAG). We did a double take as Edwina, who we had previously seen in the Childers Art Space, was doing a stint in Bundy. We were delighted with the exhibitions being shown, especially the photographic display of their sister city Nanning, China, titled 23 Degrees North and South. A stroll to the former School of the Arts revealed the beautiful internal staircase and lovely restored interiors.

Next stop was the historic water tower. Michael and Bev circumnavigated the building with Michael taking photos at all angles. Out to Bargara Beach to view the Pacific Ocean and enjoy an ice cream from Gary's van. Needless to say, his wife was a patient of Simon's and Gary was most complimentary of Simon's doctoring skills.

On the way back to Bundy, we drove up to the summit of the Hummock, the one and only high point in the vicinity. Now the remains of an extinct volcano, the views from the top were glorious in all directions. We listened to the commentary, enjoyed the cooling breezes and took more photographs for our burgeoning album.

We arrived back at Simon's house after a thoroughly entertaining day. Bev had acted as a tourist guide par excellence. We bid her a fond farewell with promises to return.

An utterly satisfactory last full day in Bundaberg with a lovely friend. We will be back.

At the Metropolitan Hotel with Bev.

Two friends.

The School of the Arts -

At BRAG -

The historic water tower -

The Hummock -