Tag Archives: 43

Jan 30 2013
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Ibis drinking in the Botanical Gardens

Thursday 30th January 2013, 10.05am (day 524)

Ibis, Botanical Gardens, 30/1/13

 

When I first came to Brisbane in 2011 I remember seeing an ibis wander down the main shopping street and thought, cool, how exotic. Very shortly I realised that they occupy the same ecological niche as pigeons in other cities, and are basically a pest. But they look quite good, with that curved beak and white plumage.

I do like the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane, a beautiful park nestled in the curve of a river, but I couldn’t wander through it today and enjoy the sun, because it’s closed because of storm damage. You get a small sense of the amount of debris that is around by looking behind the bird. This shot is taken through the perimeter fence, with a big zoom (x50 at least), hence the slightly strange depth of field: but I like the effect.

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Jan 29 2013
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Anzac Square, Brisbane

Tuesday 29th January 2013, 11.30am (day 523)

Anzac Square, 29/1/13

 

Brisbane has been spared more flooding, the sun came out, and there were lots of nice things to see. And, well, in the end it was a choice between a photo of her and one of a lizard. But I’ll catch the lizard again some time.

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Jan 28 2013
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Brisbane River boardwalk

Monday 28th January 2013, 1.30pm (day 522)

 

Brisbane River boardwalk, 28/1/13

As you can see, it was a much nicer day today, but there is quite a lot of debris around the city from yesterday’s storm, particularly in the Botanical Gardens. And the Brisbane river is very full – but not yet flooding, indeed, there is evidence that it has gone down, namely the thin layer of mud over this boardwalk below the museums on the south bank. You can see here that it is scant inches – millimetres in fact – below the pedestrian and cycle track. Here’s hoping…

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Jan 27 2013
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Shelter from the storm

Sunday 27th January 2013, 5.50pm (day 521)

Kookaburra Inn, 27/1/13

This is Serge, a naturalised Australian but born in Belgium, smoking a cigarette as he shelters from Cyclone Oswald, which began walloping Brisbane pretty much as I arrived yesterday and hasn’t stopped yet. It’s been very harsh and today no one left the Kookaburra Inn – the backpackers’ hostel where I am staying (expect to see more of this place over the next few months). However, the worst seems to have passed. The rain has mostly stopped and the winds are high, but manageable. I hope. This was the second-worst day of weather to be featured on this blog (after 9/7/12).

There is a double meaning to the title of this post by the way. I realised today, after about 24 hours of being here, that a good proportion of the people staying here are not ‘backpackers’ at all but refugees being housed here by the Australian government, from Iraq and Afghanistan. Interesting. Anyway, you will see more of Australia yet, never fear – but we just have to wait for this cyclone to pass over, which in accordance with all natural laws, it will.

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Jan 26 2013
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Daily Post, Interior

First day here, first cliché

Saturday 26th January 2013, 11.25am (day 520)

Vegemite, 26/1/13

 

First day in Australia (at least on this trip – I’ve been here once before, in May 2011 for two weeks); and it’s Australia Day. So let’s get the first cultural icon into the blog. I fully intend to get a picture of a kangaroo, a koala and a surfer in before I leave. Though possibly not all on the same photo. Do people still wear those hats with corks round the rim?

This stuff’s not a patch on Marmite by the way. Interpret that how you will.

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Jan 26 2013
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Daily Post, Family Member, Interior, Portrait

Transit lounge, Changi airport, Singapore

Friday 25th January 2013, 5.05pm [Singapore time] (day 519)

Transit lounge, Changi, 25/1/13

A 2-day journey through the global lymphatic system that is the air travel network, largely on night flights, is never going to produce great photography, so here’s my attempt to encapsulate this day of pure transit: me trying to keep myself busy in the good-value transit lounge in Changi airport. It gets another country onto the blog – Singapore – but in the most mundane way. Australia tomorrow…

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Jan 25 2013
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Daily Post, Interior

Mirror, Terminal 3, Heathrow

Thursday 24th January 2013, 4.35pm (day 518)

Mirror, T3, 24/1/13

Well, that’s it for me in the UK for a good while – I’m off, away from this cruddy weather, away from the ongoing obnoxiousness of the government who have still yet to actually win an election (thank you Mr Cameron for condemning us to another few years of economic uncertainty on your watch – and didn’t you come in claiming fiscal piety?), away from the cattle-truck commute in the morning…. whatever. And whatever awaits me on my sabbatical, I can at least say this – it’ll be WARM.

Back in the UK in early June, day 650 of the blog or thereabouts. Plenty to see and photograph in the meantime though, so stick around… I’ve moved, but the blogging will stay right here.

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Jan 25 2013
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Brighton pebble house

Wednesday 23rd January 2012, 11.00am (day 517)

Brighton pebble house, 23/1/13

This house caught my eye as I came back from walking Clare to the station so she could head home. I think it shows two things about Brighton: 1) its multiculturalism: unless I’m mistaken, that’s a Boca Juniors flag in the top window (an Argentinian football team). 2) – the fact that this town is built on one of the largest piles of pebbles in the world, namely, the South coast of England.

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Jan 23 2013
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Daily Post, Interior

Last night out with the wife

Tuesday 22nd January 2013, 9.45pm (day 516)

Pelirocco table, 22/1/13

… well, for a couple of months anyway. We travelled down south together as the first stage in my journey to Australia: what with all the snow at the moment (of which I am bored taking photographs), giving myself a couple of days to get to the airport seemed the best move. This was taken on our table as we had our last drinks in the Pelirocco hotel, Brighton (you’ve seen it before): left-to-right; the bottom of a flower vase; the glass with tea-light candle in it; and my White Russian, yum yum.

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Jan 21 2013
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Daily Post, Hebden Bridge, Urban scene

The Summer House

Monday 21st January 2013, 9.45am (day 515)

Summer house, 21/1/13

Today was my last full day in Hebden Bridge until early June. Tomorrow my journey to Australia starts – that is, as long as I can get out of the valley. Ah, what the hell. I have three days to get to the airport.

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