Line of duty

 

 

 

Mooloolaba beach the other afternoon

Above Gheerulla Falls

 

Sunday's walk with the bushwalkers was another excellent off-track up-the-creek adventure.

We were near Mapleton and the Mapleton National Park, and did a loop, starting at the currently very dry Gheerulla Falls.

 

 

We made our way to the top of this, then onward and upward, negotiating a few more falls and canyons and things, before heading out along an easy fire trail.

Abbascope: an eclipse through Agnetha's eyes!

 

Yesterday there was a rather spectacular total eclipse of the sun. At least, in a remote corner of Western Australia there was. Here it was a smallish partial eclipse, but still worth observing and celebrating.

A thing with eclipses is that you're tempted tolook directly at the sun, and this can be very bad for you. If a telescope's involved, it can be worse.

I was reminded of this when one of my smaller toy telescopes nearly caught fire while I was practicing image projection techniques with it. That's when I came up with the idea of the telescope-free Abbascope. 

 

 

By drilling holes through cardboard Agnetha's eyes, I was able to turn her into a rather classy pinhole camera, and safely view the projected solar images on a screen behind her.

Stony Creek (& Stonier Creek)

 

 

Out again with the Sunshine Coast Bushwalking Club on Sunday, and walk leader Jon treated us to another of his classic off-track experiences.

 

We went to Bellthorpe National Park near Woodford, and explored Stony Creek. In fact we soon diverged from Stony Creek proper, and went up a previously unnamed tributary, which I dubbed 'Stonier Creek'. The stones were boulders, and a few hours of boulder-hopping was the prescription. That and near-vertical bush-bashing around impassable but very scenic waterfalls.

I learnt to keep my eyes open for stinging trees, aka gympie-gympie, or Queensland Stinger (Dendrocnide moroides), the leaves of which I'm assured have a very painful sting, which can affect you for up to 6 months! We encountered several, but avoided contact.

 

That time of year

 

It's the time when it's still rather warm during the day, but lovely and cool in the evening.

 

Perfect for evening strolls (or runs) along the beaches. This was Maroochydore Beach, near the Surf Lifesaving Club yesterday.

Easter storm coming?

Easter is usually storm season on the Sunshine Coast, they tell me. And sure enough, yesterday evening there were two very dramatic looking storm cells on their way from the west. Here's the first of them, somewhere over Maleny: mammatus clouds, lightning galore, the lot.

We somehow missed the worst of it, but we got quite a show.

Lake Doonella Wetlands

 

Lake Doonella's Wetlands Reserve is up there near Noosa. It seems to also be known as the Noosa Open Space on some maps. It's between Tewantin National Park and Lake Doonella,and it's a scenic and interesting place to explore.

 

 

I blame the alleged Steiner School education of the author for the quality of the poetry. But I guess it's the thought that counts.

Back to Scarborough

 

There's something unusually photogenic about the palm trees of Scarborough.

 

And with its rocks, and its Glass House mountain views. Makes you want to get enlargements printed and hung on the wall. Come to think of it, that's what we did after our last visit: Feb 2022 visit

 

 

 

I'm still coming to grips with all these Outer Brisbane seaside spots. Many named after English resorts, and mostly a bit on the sleepy side, past their prime maybe as holiday resorts, but probably very desirable as places to live.

The QSO comes to Buderim

Actually the Queensland Symphony Orchestra ventures out of Brisbane quite a lot, and the Sunshine Coast is a relatively easy bus ride away, compared with so many of the other bits of Queensland they have to get to.

They presented a collection of fine pieces, mostly well known classics, all conforming to the theme: 'Hymn to Mother Earth'.

The venue was the rather fine concert hall of one of the rather well-resourced local private schools.

It was an excellent evening out.

 

Of special interest for me was watching for the first time two old acquaintances from my days in Tasmania. Both are sons of good friends of mine, and both somehow ended up as professional musicians, playing with the same orchestra. They acquitted themselves well, needless to say.