Autumn's first day

It's the first day of Autumn, and our first trip to the beach for awhile - lovely early morning walk, before a "scorcher" of a day - 35 degrees plus, however only 50% humidity and the sun is shining, so who can complain?

A couple of director's chairs set up early - no directors in sight though!.

Hardly anyone on the beach yet

Except for this couple having fun with their little boy

I took the 2 photos above into the early morning sun - hence their shadowy figures.

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The Oscars - just thrilled that the King's Speech won Best Film, Original Screenplay, Actor and Director.

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We were delighted to hear the Best Director - Tom Hooper, dedicate his Oscar to his Aussie Mum - Meredith (below), an accomplished author.

The story goes - Meredith, was invited in late 2007 as part of a make up token Australian audience to a fringe-theatre reading of an unproduced play called "The King's Speech." The play was about an Australian Therapist and an English King. She came home, rang me up, and said "I think I found your next film"!

Tom says, "I happen to be half English, half Australian, living in London - and bringing a little Ozzie exhuberance to the English drawing room was bred into me by my Mum".

Tom Hooper honored his mother (above) and finished his Oscar winning speech with "so the moral of the story is, listen to your mother". (I always love a good Mum story).

A truly magic film.

Our little mate from the Alice

Lisa has just sent these great photos of her little man (and big man) in the pool in Port Augusta on their way back to Alice Springs from Adelaide. Okay, just a little one kicking in the pool, but that's not quite the case. Mikie (17 mths old) has suffered from birth with DDF - Development Displacer of the Hip. He has worn Rhino Cruiser casts on the hips and top of his legs for this whole 17 months, he has been in and out of Adelaide hospital for tests, operations, re casting, you name it this little one has experienced a lot for one so young. Anyway the news at the end of last week was super, the arthogram showed a great amount of growth in the last 3 months, enough cartilage and bone growth to keep his hip in place. So the Rhino cruiser cast comes off during the day now, and he is FREE, and goes back on each night. His little legs are a bit like jelly at the moment, but should not take too long to build up muscles with swimming as part of his rehab.

This brave kid is having a ball with Daz in the big pool in Port Augusta en route to the Alice.

Don't think rehab is going to be a problem Lisa - he looks like he is loving every moment of his hip and leg freedom.

A courageous and special little man from the Red Centre.

Christchurch

I found this photo today, courtesy of a great photographer from Christchurch, which shows this wonderful city backdropped by those incredible alps, as she was at her Sunsets - prior to last Tuesday!.

I have been at a loss for words over this terrible disaster, so many deaths and injuries, and the huge suffering the residents of this city are undergoing, now and for many more years. Our floods and cyclones have been horrendous, but without belittling these atrocious natural disasters in Queensland, the earthquakes and its terrible consequences in Christchurch seem way beyond these, with too many deaths and injuries, and the substantial unrepairable damage to a very special city. During this terrible uncertainty, the Kiwis are showing so much strength, tenacity, and calm within crisis, the truthful and compassionate messages we have heard from both the Mayor of Christchurch and the Prime Minister of NZ show just a small example of the strength and understanding in this community, it is to be admired, specially under such dire circumstances.

This city will return, maybe in a different shape, and the KIWI SPIRIT will prevail!.

Where have the last 10 days gone??

Well, the weather has been most imaginative and quite unreliable, heavy rain storms, then over the last few days - absolutely boiling and humid - just adore this post cyclonic nonsense!!!. Friday week ago, Ails, Rod, the Brig and I had a lovely peaceful, but ever so chatty lunch at another little french number, the Champagne Brasserie in Broadbeach - attractive artie walls all around us, most enjoyable again. Ails and cousin Susan are off to Iran for 2 weeks in mid April!!. Did numerous things during the week, but one was not to attend our Tai Chi class last Wednesday, Gail had been a bit off colour, and I had been stabbed with a "now you are old - free pneumonia needle" in the left arm on the Tuesday, it (that arm) wasn't too fond of moving early Wednesday morning. Anyway all well now, ready for this coming Wednesday.

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Friday, Gail and Steve came over for a long seafood lunch - great afternoon, the barbequed salmon steaks were superb, the day was very hot though.

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Today we took off for a very early walk at North Burleigh, huge Surfing competition going on this weekend at South Burleigh - not one human over 30 years old down there I think, anyway it was lovely where we were.

Looking over Miami Beach (at high tide) from North Burleigh Headland

Overlooking South Burleigh beach - also at high tide

Plenty of action setting up with the Life Savers at North Head

It was time for the North Burleigh Nippers to take to the beach during choppy seas.

Dear little souls, so serious, lined up by age and all decked out in their many lovely styles of North Burleigh Nippers gear.

Yep, there was a sale on at the Surf Club, bought this exact number above for Immy's next Christmas pressie - a size 6 (for a nearly 4 year old) sounds safe to me!!

Ah, the Age Manager, they start at 6 and move up by each year to late teens.

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Today was another boiler, Bob came around for lunch - in the aircon, Kumi is still in Tokyo after the recent death of her Mum, she will be back on Friday.

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Some more planning going on right now to celebrate our 35th W. Anniversary in April - ah ha, who would've thought!

Mid week activities

The post cyclone humidity and heat has hopefully moved on - today is a glorious day. Early this morning we went over to Burleigh - and so did this young Kookaburra - he just pirched here for ages looking at the view and the beach walkers.

It was very quiet and peaceful this morning

The Brig (blue and white) stepping it out along the sand Reflections were great again today - even the high rises shone in the sand

At 8.30 a.m. we met up with Gail and Steve - the boys sat and talked with little "scruff" their dog, while Gail and I attended our first Tai Chi class (offered free) at Burleigh Beach.

It's very gentle at the time, but our legs knew all about it after an hour of such "gentleness". We are going to go again next Wednesday morning.

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Received some great news when we arrived home - our God Daughter, Lynne and her husband, Brian, have just had a little boy in New Hampshire - they have called him Greyson Henry (after Grandpa Henry), a little brother for the 4 year old twins, Dylan and Owen.

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We have seen two great films in the past week - The King's Speech, and Tamara Drewe. Thoroughly enjoyed both of them, it was raining outside.

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We were sad to hear of Ken Olsen's death, Ken actually founded Digital Equipment Corporation in an old Mill in Maynard, Massachusetts in 1957 - 3 employees. By the mid 80's there were 125,000 employees in 86 countries. At this stage Digital (DEC) was the second largest computer maker in the world, behind IBM. Frank spent the majority of his working life with Digital in the UK, USA and Australasia, and I also worked for them in the UK. Of course some of our close friends of today were employed by DEC for many years.

Waitangi Day

Today is WAITANGI DAY across the Tasman Sea - commemorating the Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi - New Zealand's Founding Document. This treaty was signed by Representatives of the British Crown and various Maori Chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand 171 years ago. The map below shows where this document was signed - yes, in the beautiful Bay of Islands near Paihia. Below - an artist's impression of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6th February, 1840.

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Decided to include some photos of New Zealand (not taken by me) below. We have been fortunate enough to see all the places in these photos, however, there is still so much of the picturesque "Land of the Long White Cloud" we have yet to explore!.

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Cape Reinga - the northern most part of New Zealand

And again at night - Look at those stars!

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Now to the South Island

The incredible fiordland - Milford Sound

Mitre Peak

Picturesque grazing in the South Island

Lake Wanaka near Queenstown

The little Church at Lake Tekapo below

And the new Kiwi Wroes

at their holiday Bach at Ohawini Bay in the Bay of Islands this January. Love this flag - back dropped with a silhouette of Auckland - the City of Sails.

The Courageous

Well, she was a monster, 500 kms wide, dumped 300 mmm (12 inches) rain, and 295 km/h winds. She was five times stronger than Cyclone Larry in 2006. thousands of residents sheltered in evacuation centres, and 200,000 are without power. Note that this part of Queensland is not nearly as heavily populated as the South East Coast of the State (where we are) - so these numbers quoted are substantial.

The Gold Coast-our home, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and some of the other areas which were recently flooded, are immediately below that white cyclone mass approximately where I have put the circle above.

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We were prepared just in case we were caught in the "tail end", but basically weren't affected at all. Mind you if there was any chance we would be hit full on by a cyclone, the house would have been prepared, special belongings put into the car, the house locked up, and we would be off to somewhere far from from this terrifying, treacherous and traumatic experience. A good percentage of these courageous people endured this terror, as many have "weathered" through previous cyclones including Larry and Tracy.

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However, there were many who did take off south just like we would've - well before Yasi hit.

Above - just to show what a monster she was in full force, this is Cyclone Yasi superimposed on the USA.

"Battered BUT NOT Beaten" - how typical of these people. Loo only remains in this house A piano is the only survivor in this house.

Thousands of houses are ruined, and Schools, like the one at Tully (ground zero for Yasi) below.

Doubt whether one boat stayed unscathed at Hinchinbrook Harbour at Cardwell below.

Below a Banana plantation totally wiped out and the house in floods

The majority of the huge Banana, Avocado and Sugar plantations have been flattened. Since this cyclone landed in OZ - the rain still falls - some areas have now received 500mm (20 inches) so the rivers are flooding, even right out west, and Yasi and her tail end is whipping up storms and terrible winds all over - Alice Springs in the Northern Territory is another area where the mighty Todd River will flood in the next day or so - thanks to Miss Yasi. And the tidal surges are now in action, flooding many of the coastal towns which were already nearly flattened by Yasi at midnight on Wednesday.

The Army and the SES are now moving into the huge areas affected as they clear the roads and access, arrangements are being made for temporary accommodation for many people, it will be a long time before these houses are rebuilt or repaired - there are so many damaged or wiped out.

Ships full of food, repair material etc. will be arriving in Townsville from tomorrow, some areas will be without power for a few weeks, as lots of damage has been done to the infrastructure and of course the roads?. The Insurance companies are not playing silly twits, like they did with the floods (what is a flood, where did it come from and so on!), so that is also a step in the right direction., AND the people are just getting on with it, so much calm and common sense, helping each other, even though many are still traumatised by the roar and horror of this particular cyclone - far worse than their experience with "Larry." Another major situation is jobs, as many of the northern population work in the Banana plantations and the Cane fields - 85% of these crops have been dessimated. So much damage and heartbreak - being handled and managed so courageously by these Queenslanders.

In one area - Innisfail - which was ground zero when Larry (a C 4) hit in 2006, had rebuilt with category 5 cyclone in mind - so those particular places came through this terror quite well - and of course the same thing will happen with rebuilding the damage from Yasi. You experience, learn and take action!!!

Freezing storms and treacherous cyclone

Below is a photo taken in the USA which Lois sent - not sure where exactly, but after today it is even going to have more snow height - the USA is expecting a terrible freezing blizzard/storm which they expect to hit more than one third of the whole country - a terrible situation, the majority of our American friends and family will all suffer through this - they say this has been the worst winter, and now there is so much more to come- our thoughts are with them, their safety and warmth.

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In the meantime Queensland prepares for its worst cyclone ever - YASI, it has just been upgraded to the most treacherous category -5 - same as KATRINA in New Orleans, and is a monstrous size, twice the area size of LARRY (a 4) which did so much damage in 2006, and ten times the area front of TRACY, which nearly destroyed Darwin in 1974.

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All Cairns Hospital patients and the elderly have been flown to Brisbane. All the islands have been evacuated along with the sea front, and 500 kms along the north coast. We really dread what will happen when this cyclone hits this state - for all the people the little ones and elderly, their houses and businesses and of course the wildlife and grazing livestock. Just can't imagine the terror these people and animals are going to feel when YASI hits. Our thoughts are with them all for their safety and well being, not a lot more to say today..