This headland sits at the north-eastern corner of Stradbroke Island and lives up to its name, at least, if the sea is what you want to look at. So named by Captain James Cook on 17th May 1770, who presumably did need to see what was going on out there now and again. Clare follows his example, nearly 243 years later.
This particular one didn’t hit Point Lookout (where we reside) although one did come along later in the evening.
Clare’s, to be exact: imprinted on the sand of Home Beach, North Stradbroke Island.
Being as this is one of the world’s great beach countries it is perhaps a reflection of my own tastes in activity that a beach has not featured on here since February 28th: but let’s bookend the beachless month of March with a return to that environment for a few days, here at Ballina. This girl is collecting shells off the breakwater. I like the strange pose that she’s been caught in, a sort of sense of discovery about it.
I know I did the ‘crossing a bridge’ thing a few days ago, but no offense to Brisbane, this is one of the world’s truly great bridges so needed to be shown on here (and I like the various lattices on the shot). And it is a very impressive piece of engineering. Eighty years old now but I am sure it will still be looking as good into the next century (though by then, who knows, it might be called the Hancock Westpac News International Bridge or something like that).
Joe, doing his cool dude act, as we have a drink after seeing a show at the Opera House (Frankenstein: a brilliant version). Mind you, whoever thought that the bland apartment blocks of Opera Quays would benefit the classic view of Sydney harbour from this point is an idiotic philistine of gargantuan proportions. Doubtless that gives him a role to play in the urban planning department of many a municipality around the world.
A bit cliched to take this view of one of the world’s great cityscapes as one flies into it for the weekend: but I like the way the sun has caught the CBD, particularly those few buildings just past Darling Harbor.
This is a female Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, the second-heaviest and third-tallest species of bird in the world. They have the lowest bird-song of all, a near-subsonic rumble, just at the edge of human hearing. Cassowaries play a vital role in maintaining rainforest in a healthy state, distributing many seeds, and it is unclear whether any other species perform this role for many plants. They have large territories and are thus a good ‘signal’ species: if the cassowaries are in good shape, the ecosystem’s in good shape. Except that there are only 1,500 cassowaries left in the wild in Queensland. Half of them die in car crashes.
Be nice to cassowaries. I find I am quite taken with them as a species: even in a continent full of beautiful birdlife, it stands out. This lovely resides at the Lone Pine zoo, and this shot was the culmination of a 15-minute modeling session in which Ms. Casuarius was cajoled into posing by yr. humble photographer.
I am still in Brisbane – 14 days in a row now – but have temporarily forsaken the Kookaburra Inn for this place, the Rothbury apartment hotel on Ann Street. Nice place, but I am sure those are the kind of elevator doors that blood pours through in steaming gouts. I’ve seen The Shining.
Sometimes you see a shot coming just in time to get it lined up, focused and taken. Played for and got. I’m very happy with this one.
Being 42 