2022 Roadtrip through Central Queensland

So, throughout this pandemic, I have not had a chance of leave, and I am finally taking three weeks off, and touring for a break, and to get out of Sydney!!! I will be heading up to Brisbane (staying with friends), out to Toowoomba to see a mate for lunch, afternoon tea at Harli with another friend, before a weekend on the Sunshine Coast. Up to Rockhampton for a nights stay, through to Longreach (via Emerald and Clermont) where I will visit the Qantas Founders Museum; so excieted!! All of this is confirmed!

After this, I will become somewhat 'fluid' and stop where I stop, drive where I drive, but for NOW, via Quilpie and Bourke before home!!!

So, I left in the wee hours of Saturday morning, I may, or may not, have had to return home after leaving Sydney, but oh well...

Now my first stop was to visit my old mate Frank who passed away 18 months or so back. He is at a cemetary along side a beautiful lake and waterfall; sadly not flowing when I went past...

Along the road into the cemetary, is an avenue of Bunya Pines (Araucaria bidwillii), with a sign warning about the nuts The cones are 20–35 cm (7.9–13.8 in) in diameter, and can weigh as much as 18 kg (40 lb)[11] and are opened by large birds, such as cockatoos, or disintegrate when mature to release the large 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) seeds or nuts.

From here I pushed north, through Port Macquarie, Cofffs Harbour, and did whats often said on long trips, 'Stop, Revive, Survive'!!!

The drive up was, largely, uneventful aside from a rather intense, but short, storm at about the Byrone Bay area or so, where I was reduced to about 60km/h (from 110km/h), and upon arrival, and after a VERY hot shower, I had a Roast Pork and veges, with a delicious crackling!!!!!

Stay tuned - more to come, but I am in Brisbane for the next 6 days!!

Hoo roo for now...

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Merry Christmas to ME - Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM lens

So I got myself a Christmas present, of which recently was the first opportunity (in a break at work) to use my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM lens…

First shot is a frond of one of my Cyathea ferns, the other, Alyssum flowers… Pretty happy to see what else I can use it on!!

A return to some photography I have wanted to get back into!!

Hoo roo for now...

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2022...

G'day, and welcome to 2022...

I have been working a LOT lately, and I mean a lot.... This week has been 42hrs, whilst last week, 54hrs including 9.5hrs on Christmas Day!!! Today was also day 13 worked of 13, and tomorrow is my one and only day off in three weeks, so I am hoping to spend the day resting up before another hectic day at work!!!

Working in the pathology sector, as you could imagine is rather busy (unsure why 😂) and todays work trip took me across the Blue Mountains to Lithgow. The day was hot, hotter to the East, but a really nice drive along the 'Bells Line of Roads'. However, when I got to my location, they were closed, as were the next two at Springwood and in Glenmore Park, so it really seemed a waste of a day to be honest....

One of the good things about the day though was, a brief stop along 'Doctors Gap Road' in the Vale of Clywdd, and where I stopped was a small patch of interesting flowers... The area is dry, and had a great contrast with the blue sky!! I even managed to photograph a bee!!!! (iPhone photos)

Here is also the farms at the foot of the mountains, along the western side.... A lovely day really!!!

My aim is, moving forward, to restart the blog and post something interesting from the day.

Hoo roo for now...

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MARIGOLD'S & GARDEN

Well, the marigold's are all up and kicking along and flowering well... I have these against a westerly wall, and get the full afternoon sun for a short while. Infront, I have Blue Lobelia's and behind, Sweet Pea's are climbing away well...

And whilst the Canna Lillies have almost finished and will be pruned back almost to ground level, the courtyard is looking so good. Come spring, with the Poppies, Alyssum and Crocus all up, new foliage on the Canna's, it will look really good; I can't wait to see how it grows!

Hoo roo for now...

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Sunrise.....

We've been having just the BEST sunrises/sunsets of late, todays in Seaforth, was no exception at all... Check the video above, which if it doesn't 'autoplay', will take you to my Flickr to view it there...

Hoo roo for now...

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Happy Mothers Day

So, this weekend was full of a LOT of hardworking, and RIP to my back; AGAIN!

Friday afternoon, I hired a Britex Carpet Cleaner from Woolworths. Feedback on mums house was that the carpets needed a clean and was putting off buyers. So, and the 'Sparrows Fart' I drove out to mums and got stuck into it.... And, they came up a treat! I thought that two rooms MAY have needed a second going over, but when I went back later in the day, they looked fine...

However, after lunch, I did my HUGE lounge room rug, one that was given to us by L's parents when we moved to Merrylands in 2005!! It was found on a 'Council Cleanup' and was used in the garden for L's 21st birthday!! L would be 50 now, so its an oldie, and pure wool as well!!! Now, I have been wanting to clean this rug since I moved here in 2016, thats almost 4 years now!!!! You can only imagine the colour of the water coming out of the machine!! (Thank GOD for some Endone in the reserve medication cabinet...)

So, after a HORRIBLE nights sleep of waking up every 2 hours, a hot shower at 0230, I gave up at about 0700 of any more sleep, and (slowly) got myself ready and drove to L's grave with some flowers, Sunflowers... I had 3, one each for L, and for each twin... The Chrysanthemum's and Gerbera's were for mum and home!

And on my way home, I then stopped in at Pinegrove, where I was reasonably lucky, as it wasn't TOO busy; just yet. Mums name plate/plaque had been installed recently... I later found out, from a mate coming to help put lounges back on the rug, that when he drove past, the line to get in was nearly 1km long!!!! So I am glad I did my visits early!!!!

And, after all of this, including resting my back, this afternoon I called J the MIL, and had a chat with her, its a shame that we couldn't get together today with this Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, but as of next week, some of the lockdown restrictions will be lifted, so maybe a belated day together....

So I hope you all had a great Mothers Day, or are about to HAVE the best Mothers Day pending on where you live...

Hoo roo for now...

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Another sunrise....

Whilst this is, yet another sunrise shot from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, it was so beautiful today....

I think I should start to take my real camera, Canon 6D, into my work day...

Hoo roo for now...

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Some more 'iPhonography' whilst working - Sydney Harbour!

So, with my current working schedule, I am normally stopping first at Seaforth on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Its a nice spot, and I visit just near The Spit Bridge.

But today, this stop was not required, and I had a little bit of extra time up my sleeve, so I ventured to somewhere more familiar, my old work at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. More over, Mrs Macquaries Chair, which has spectacular views of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Opera House! I managed to get here just on sunrise this morning, and there was some glorious light; I just wished I had my actual camera instead of my trusty, if not old, iPhone 7PLUS!!

I was actually here several weeks back, and even though I was in my fully marked work car, with the engine running, an overzealous Ranger started to book my as I hadn't used the parking meter. When I got out and said I am here, and the car is running, we had a quick chat and later went on my way! haha

Also here, is a small garden, and a most impressive Xanthorrhoea... Isn't she lovely with the CBD as a backdrop??

After that, the day got very 'boring' and routine, heading to Darlinghurst, then the Inner West before heading back to the Lab. In my drive from the Lab up to Galston however, in these times of Coronavirus (COVID-19) where at a funeral only 10 people are permitted to attend, I managed to get to see a very dear friend in Melbourne, preside over his mothers funeral in Tasmania over a live stream, and whilst I was driving, I was more listening to it as opposed to watching, as I wanted to remain safe on the road. You did a wonderful job and held it together in a very testing time DW, I know mum would be proud...

No time for any sort of gardening in the courtyard today though, but the beds will all get a water tomorrow, and maybe a light trim of the Vibernum screen just to keep it in check, but we will see!!!

Hope you've had, or have, a wonderful Wednesday!

Hoo roo for now...

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Another dull day really

Well today was a bit of a 'just another day'... I had a bad nights sleep really, and I feel that was the catalyst for the day ahead! But I woke up before my alarm at 0430 anyway...

A quick shower and a shave, some breakfast whilst Bronty was outside, and I got the car ready for the work day ahead and left into the darkness and soon, rain...

Whilst the day itself went ok with nothing out of the ordinary happening, from Seaforth, to Darlinghurst and up to Galston and Kenthurst, before a quick stop at Lakeside Private Hospital....

But, getting home this afternoon I saw that the Poppies and Alyssum's were going great guns, as are the Marigolds, Sweet Peas and Lobelia's on the side of the house, so I would give them a foliar feed! So I set about mixing it up in a 9lt watering can, and hand watering them... I can't wait for Spring to bloom!!

Also, this past summer, the Cyathea Tree Ferns took a bit of a hit in the sun and heat, so I have moved them both together, and into a more protected area. As such, I have several new fronds rolling out...

Hoo roo for now...

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'The Spit' - a blessing though COVID-19

So far, in this pandemic of COVID-19, work has changed, a LOT! But for me, more fortunately, I have been filling in whilst another colleague is on leave...

And whilst I am grateful I still have a job, let alone a full weeks lot of work, we can't deny that through these challenging times, we are all on stress trying to work and make ends meet...

The view, sunrise doing my first job in Seaforth, is nothing more than a pleasure I have during this time!! How are you handling these challenging times??

Hoo roo for now...

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