Apr 22, 2009

Watching Surfers Risk Their Necks

Ready the Wave Riders They were loving it. They looked cool and all that, til you took a picture of them getting splashed by a wave, then you realised they were actually shaking like girls.

I wasn't really watching them do their real surfing til later, when I did see one guy riding through the curl of the wave - which was actually pretty cool.

After we finished at the Heads we went in search of coffee. Which we found around mid-day or so it seemed until I looked at my clock and found it was actually 7.30 in the morning.

We scouted up and down the Gold Coast for a while looking for likely looking rocky outcrops for future trips before heading inland for Murwillumbah for more coffee - after failing to find any in Tweed Heads; don't they understand cafe culture in New South Wales?

Thence up to the Natural Bridge to see it's post-rain-period transendence. Which was nice.

Another Crack of Dawn Experience

The Sea, The Land and the City Got up at 4am on Monday for another photo trip with Will.

He picked me up at 4.30am and we headed down to the Gold Coast in his rickety Ute. It's been specifically designed to make every bump on the road as uncomfortable as possible.

We arrived at Burleigh Heads before sun-up and wandered down to the rocky headland amongst the die-hard surfers who would stand on the rocks as the waves crashed in, before picking their moment and jumping in on top of their boards for the long paddle out.

Apr 18, 2009

A Tooth Less

Water Crisis What with the truckloads of rain that have been falling until earlier this week, the dams levels are have druised nearly up to the 60% the government has set as a target for declaring the drought over.

By coincidence we have had a slightly water-intensive week with two swimming sessions. We went on Thursday, just the two us, for a laugh, and today we went to the pool for a birthday party. Or should I say pardy.

Hannah from Eloise's nursery class turned 4 today so there were quite a few nursery kids there. They didn't really get out of the undercover warm pool, although the day turned quite hot, so no water sliding action was had.

Quite a lot of chocolate and cake was consumed though. We were treated to the unedifying sight of Hannah stuffing her face whilst standing on a bench dressed only in a towel. Which was on her head.

We should have gone to another party almost straight after but were delayed by Eloise taking an impromptu nap for a couple of hours to recharge her batteries.

But eventually we made it down to New Farm Park where Nicole's work chums were having a barbecue and a few "stubbies." Nicole of course was reluctantly persuaded to go out with them afterwards so I'm not expecting her back until very late.

Other highlights and new experiences of the week, in no particular order: visiting a printing works for the taking of photographs around the theme of "Industry:" having a tooth yanked out of my jaw with a large pair of pliers: eating soft foods on the right-hand side of my mouth for several days.

Yes, I have had the highly unpleasant experience of a tooth extraction after an X-ray uncovered a potential infection in the roots of one of my teeth. Perhaps I will not go into the details as they still make me cringe but I will not forget seeing the pliers out of the corner of my eye before the dreadful pulling began or the total lack of sensation that the Lignacaine afforded me as my jaw let go of it. An experience I don't plan to repeat.

Apr 12, 2009

Sunday

Pause || Easter Sunday today.

Normally I wouldn't bother but we looked at the chocolate bunnies in Woolie's yesterday and some chocolate was bought.

So a little chocolate for breakfast this morning before a big walk, then some visiting, When we got home Eloise for some reason was complaining that she had sore lips, something to do with the chillies from the back garden perhaps which she has taken to picking and then doing God knows what with, but perhaps not...

Anyway we laid down on the sofa together and before I knew it she was sound asleep.

I sneaked away and read a book for an hour.

Nap during the day... almost unknown.

Apr 11, 2009

Frequent Showers

Frequent Showers Another ill-advised two fingers to the weather today.

It's been raining pretty much all week and this weekend we've been dog-sitting Gordon the... dog.

He's been a bit nervous and doggy equilibrium somewhat distressed, but we've been walking in the forests and all that jazz and today we went up to Bribie Island.

We'd made it quite a long way up the beach when the rain was espied upon the horizon looking a bit ominous, so we headed back from the car.

When we got there the rain had started but damn that Gordon he just wouldn't get into the boot. He's used to sitting on the back seat of Janice and Neil's truck so getting in the boot might take a bit of getting used to but it's been three times and this time it was important! So I wasn't overjoyed when his strategy to avoid getting into the boot was to lie down in the wet sand and mud and cover himself in it.

We stopped off for a milshake and when we got back into the car it was steamed up and stinking of wet dog.

Grrrr.

Coochiemudlo Island

Coochiemudlo Island On Tuesday while Nicole was at college we went over to Coochiemudlo Island, on the mysterious South side of Moreton Bay.

It was more to give Eloise a ride on the ferry really - the weather was pretty miserable and quite windy. The ferry trip was over in an instant too, leaving us with an hour or two to kill which we did by playing hide-and-seek in the conservation reserve and making friends with one of the local dogs.

Eloise enjoyed the ferry though, spending a happy ten minutes trying to work out who was doing what and why.

Apr 9, 2009

Hue and Cry

On Finding the Pink Powder Paint One day this week we got to painting in the morning.

I drew faces and Eloise made hand prints. She had the poster paints out and then had the genius idea of getting out the powder paints as well so that she could make gloop.

But disaster of disasters the pink powder paint could not be found, which had the occasion to cause a bout of some considerable consternation.

But later, as I did some household maintenance activity, I heard whoops of delight and found out fairly soon that Eloise had located the pink powder paint and was back in full swing with the art.

Apr 3, 2009

Koala Hunting

A Little Rest Nicole was at college on Tuesday. She goes to college on Tuesdays this term.

As college is on the dreaded South Side, she needs to drive, so why shouldn't we take advantage and explore the Great South Unknown whilst she is struggling to stay awake in lectures?

So this week, after an inaugural tap-dancing/jazz dancing lesson for Her Ladyship, we drove Nicole down there and absconded to Brisbane Koala Bushlands afterwards for a bit of Koala spotting.

Nary a Koala in view, Eloise was most unkeen to do anything. It took all my persuasive skills and twenty minutes to get her going. Poor little urchin, tired after her tap lesson? Or, as the usual explanatory litany goes, growing? Just reluctant if you ask me.

Once we were on our way though, we were on our way, though cajoling was still required. She got a bit excited when we saw our first wallaby but the koalas were a bit thin on the ground. And a bit thin in the trees.

"Why are they hiding?" "Why are they shy?" "They really love me don't they" "I expect on or two will come down in a minute to say hello."

But they never did.

"Why are they hiding?"