A day off at Sea World

Yesterday was a super day, sunny and warm, just right for a visit to Sea World - which is a 5 minute drive around the Broadwater. Again, like Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo it is extremely well done, some of the animals were transferred from the original Marine World when it closed and Sea World opened some 3 decades ago. The animals are in wonderful condition, and even though many of them are performing (seals and dolphins) they look very happy to be playing with we mere humans! Our first stop was to watch a few people have an "up close and personal dolphin experience" in one of the many pools in the Sea World.

The look on this lady's face, and that of the dolphin, shows just how much they are both enjoying this encounter.

Next, a walk through the underwater viewing world in Shark Bay - wonderful array of marine life, including this inquisitive Ray below.

Huge sharks and many colourful fish.

Then to the "Fish Detectives Sea Lion Show"

The star of the show makes his grand entrance

Greets his audience with aplomb!

introducing his handler - the little one in the blue outfit

This huge sea lion, immitated (took the mick I think) and obeyed his handler with exquisite grace

We were lucky enough to view Claude and his handler after the show behind the scenes, amazing relationship - these sea lions were rescued from life threathening situations, normally caused by man, and moved to Sea World for their recuperation. They attempt to release them back into their natural environment, but on many occasions that just doesn't work out.

The "Polar Bear Shores" exhibit

A large enclosure with so much equipment needed to emulate the Polar Bear's real environment.

It houses orphaned polar bears, originally found and saved in northern Canada, they lived for a while in a Canadian Zoo, then Sea World was selected as their permanent home

Checking out his mate playing with a piece of polka dot purple fabric

Watch Out

here I come!!

look at the size of that paw!

They rough housed and played for hours - wonderful!

Next - the Imagine Dolphin Show, featuring dolphins that have been saved (one, Cyrus- he is 50), over 4 decades ago from fishing nets and the like, and some have been bred within Sea World.

Again the relationship between the dolphins and their particular trainers/handlers is amazing.

My photos do no justice at all to this show

It was incredible!

They tossed their handlers way into the air!

Sometimes 2 of them teamed up for the trainer toss

Look - no hands, no outboard - just pure dolphin power!

The Grand "Flyby" Finale - dolphin style.

We finished off at the "WaterSki Wipeout Show", and after 30 plus years, this show finishes for good next week! There were wonderful water skiers from Oz, NZ, Canada and the USA who skiied forwards, backwards, with bare feet, on boards, on hovercrafts, took on the ski jumps backwards in groups of 3 etc. etc. All very clever, but pretty extreme, daft and dangerous, me thinks. But made for a nice end to a fun and most enjoyable day.

The Grand "Pyramid" Finale - human style

The Queen's land!

This morning we decided to explore the northern coastal areas of Brisbane, we drove south from Bribie Island - with a quick interrupt for a "random breath test" - to Scarborough. Scarborough, like so many coastal areas in southern Queensland, has its share of canal housing, but it is quite established and not nearly as over the top as some other canal estates are. It is on Moreton Bay - famous for its " Moreton Bay bugs" - the popular crustacean and then of course the wonderful old Moreton Bay Fig Trees which are spread from the Atherton Tablelands near Cairns to the Illawarra Rainforests in NSW.

Fishing off Scarborough in Moreton Bay - with a backdrop of the hazy Glass House MountainsNext stop was Redcliffe, and its jetty. Lovely established coastal village, now maybe a suburb, with simple atmosphere - reminded me a little of Manly in Sydney some 40 years ago.

Redcliffe's old boardwalk and bath house

Its Jetty and beach

This lagoon (and many playgrounds) have been built on the waters edge at "Settlement Cove" in Redcliffe, fabulous facility for families. Not too many swimmers today though- it was quite nippy and windy. Walking from Settlement Cove back to the Redcliffe Jetty.

From Redcliffe we drove south through Margate onto Brighton, with one more quick interrupt for yet another "random breath test" at Woody Point. Brighton's Flinders Parade which runs along the beach front is lined with wonderful examples of the old Queensland architecture.

The Ole Queenslander is normally built on stilts

of timber, with flowing balconies

Ornate doors and filigree work

Some more colourful than others

but all charming

Brighton's waterfront church. Back to the Gold Coast and the Broadwater tomorrow to start all over again!

Bribie Island's wildlife!

After three quiet nights at Warwick, we drove north to Toowoomba, then to Esk (lovely village surrounded by mountains) and onto Lake Somerset, an artificial lake (a very large one) created in 1953, when the Stanley River was dammed. Stayed there overnight - unfortunately it was quite overcast, so didn't take any photos, but would definitely go back there. Great atmosphere, with each campsite having its own fire place etc. etc, and many happy campers. As it is still school holidays in Queensland, sites on the coast are hard to come by, but we have managed to get 2 nights on Bribie Island, just north of Brisbane and south of the Sunshine Coast - again it is overcast, so it's a bit hard to appreciate all the beaches, plus some heavy winds. We drove around the island checking out the different areas and came across this rather large bird - the emu - just a struttin' his stuff down one of the streets of Pacific Harbour.

Nothing like mountain air!

After a very ordinary few days, with the seller defaulting on settlement of the house we had thought we had bought, we decided to head west to regroup, the goal was Goondiwindi (cotton country) some 4 hours south west of the Gold Coast, but we only made it as far as Warwick (2.5 hours west) beautiful scenery all the way, nice quiet park, and plenty to see. So today, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and drove up to Main Range National Park and the Queen Mary Falls - 40 klms away. This NP is nestled in the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, it has a small sheltered rainforest pocket on the valley floor which contrasts so sharply with the open eucalypt forest of the upper slopes. Some of the eucalypts are humungous, too big to get any kind of photo.

Overlooking the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range

Queen Mary Falls - plunges for 40 meters

over glistening rocks and hanging gardens to the Condamine River which then flows into the Darling River, and this flows into the Murray River in Victoria.

There are over 100 different type of birds here, some of which can be encouraged with a little seed.

Reckon this King Parrot and Rosella are checking out who are the nicest kids (below them) they should grace with their presence.

Mr. King Parrot made a good choice, this dear little soul was so gentle, I took this photo before our walk to the falls, and she was still there with her birds when we got back.

Overlooking the Condamine Valley, part of the Darling Basin which feeds the Murray Darling Basin to the South Australian Coast.

Think the Murray Darling is the longest river system in Australia

Finished off our day with a coffee at a super cafe hanging off the side of the mountain beside Carrs Lookout!