Aussie Fauna

While in Brisbane we visited the Loan Pine Koala Sanctuary which hosts a wide range of Australian fauna.

We'll start with representative marsupials. The Tasmanian Devils were not very active, and consequently a bit difficult to photograph.

This wombat was a bit more awake.

A wide variety of kangaroo and wallaby were free roaming and visitors encouraged to feed them.

The emu is the second largest bird in the world

and the cassowary not far behind. These have seriously massive legs and feet which make them dangerous when encountered in the wild.

Kookaburra are a variety of kingfisher.

I think this is a nightjar.

These next two weren't at Lone Pine, but spotted out and about elsewhere in Brisbane.

Pelicans were common along the river

and ibis in the parks of the city.

Lone Pine had a collection of captive birds of prey which had been trained to put on a show. This is a barn owl

and this a large sea eagle.

No discussion of Aussie fauna would be complete without some reference to the reptilian kingdom.  This is a small fresh-water crocodile and some turtles.

Australia's largest lizard is the perentie.

I think these are water monitors.

These medium size lizards were common in parks and forested areas.

Finally, what we really went to Lone Pine to see - koala. Generally it's a tough life for these captive animals -

sleeping for long periods,

looking adoringly cute

and having to socialise with humans.

Brisbane

Last weekend we were in Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland. It is situated around the Brisbane River near the mouth into Moreton Bay.

This is a panorama from the lookout at Mount Coot-tha.

The river acts as an artery and has fast ferry services plying their way back and forth.

There is also a pedestrian and cycle-way that follows the river from the upstream suburbs

down to the CBD where some impressive building is going on.

I spent the last morning at the Maritime Museum which is located in an old dry dock on the side of the river.

This is HMAS Diamantina the sole remaining example of the second world war British River class frigates. The Penguin, a north Queensland pearl lugger is to the right of the picture.

Diamantina shares the dry dock with the Carpenteria Light Ship.

We were staying with my cousin and his wife in the suburb of Toowong. One of its most famous landmarks is the Regatta Hotel. The area is subject to major floods and there are markers on the structure indicating the level to which the waters rose in various years. In the nineteenth century it got to half way up the first floor. The latest floods were in 2011. These did a lot of damage to infrastructure on and adjacent to the river. Repair work is still going on at some of the ferry stations.

Here we are having lunch in the Regatta.

I'll put up another post soon with some of the Aussie fauna we encountered.

Hawke's Bay

Another weekend away with Ali and Alan. On Saturday we did a 40Km round trip cycle ride. Mainly over a part of the trail we did in 2010. The bit from Havelock North down by the Tukituki River to the coast.

A new feature is this caravan café in a vineyard, selling excellent coffee and wonderful chocolate brownies.

 At the coast we turned south towards Cape Kidnappers.

We kept to the coast through Haumoana, Te Awanga and Clifton where we had lunch at a winery.

We stayed the weekend in this cottage just outside Hastings.

It was surrounded by orchards, vineyards and wildlife. This is the owners' pet sheep.