Striding on Straddie

 We are out to try some different things this time around eg we have brought the snorkel gear but the snorkel sites here are advanced being amongst the surf. We did the gorge circuit again this time but unlike 2020 when we were here in Summer, this is whale watching time and there were plenty of them.  What we saw were spouts and humps. The gorge is a spectacular walk. We moved over to the Deadmans Beach where there is a reef that butts onto the shore. Our snorkelling is not good enough to manage this area. Straddie is blessed with huge stretches of sand.  We picked up some lunch and drinks along the way and preceded to a place only we know, just like the song. This is a she-oak shaded spot laid back with a view. 

North Gorge

Blue Meany

rock pool

Beach Hotel Stradboke

It has taken til 2:00 pm but we have found our balcony which does have a distant beach view.  Right now there is a singer down below who I assume is on his weekend job and not his day job. We cannot remember the exact details of last time we were here. The ferry is straight forward, literally drive on one end and drive off the other end. It is a 20 min drive to this corner of the island but now it is snooze time. There is a kookaburra looking at us that you can almost touch but is not laughing so we may get a nap. 

I have to remember my facebook to see if there are any birthday messages there.

Mini Bounce

 Grand Final day is a long day already but we got the Grandies to an indoor playground for a two hour session before lunch. We may have overdone it as Charlie was completely cooked when we sat down for lunch at the local tavern. This was abandoned in favour of packing it in takeaway containers. The final is about to start and we have to get back to the house but these teams are not particularly high on our list. We do have a birthday cake to have this afternoon.

Keperra

 Another 6:00am start got us to the Grandies in time for the breakfast mayhem session. We dropped them at daycare at 8:15am and then back to our room here for a snooze. Fine in theory, except for the renovations on the hotel exterior. New shutters requiring a scissor lift with the associated banging and grunting. We got out of there after an hours Pure Bookkeeping session and headed for Keperra Nature reserve. Don't try these walks. The tracks are just steep fire service roads. We did time our 3.5km circuit in between rain attacks.  There was a cold wind blowing so we ventured onto the opposite  side for a drink. Here there were a number of vicious thorned trees designed to wound. We stopped off at Huskk on the way back for lunch. The food was tasty but the cafe is surrounded by busy roads. 

Scarborough

 There was a strong coolish wind today but we tried the beach anyway as we had some time. Lunch was at the Flame Restuarant where we shared a seafood basket. The calamari here was perfectly soft. The beach was not so good with the wind. We moved the car a few times and in the end got down close to a rocky groyne. Sounds exactly what we would do at home. The weather is meant to be worse tomorrow.

Google TV

 Since we updated our TV last month we now have a spare Google TV device. These are very portable and easily taken on the road. The catch is your hotel room needs a TV with a HDMI port and a reasonable internet. We have been using it to catchup on the World Bicycle Champs, or should I say we have been falling asleep trying to watch the WBC. Today we have ferried the Grandies to Day Care so we have the afternoon for some site seeing. 

Swimming & Library

I know we are rusty at keeping the grandies on track so I don't recommend a double swimming lesson session followed by a Library book session. I think we should leave this to the seasoned parent professionals. It does make more sense here as the library is right next door to the swimming pool.  However when Evie stubs her toe and is not much interested in anything else and when you get into the library the emphasis is more on the computer games than the books and there is no time limit for other kids to get off. Debbie almost lifted one kid away from the screen but the au pair went off to find the mother who started a beeline to the scene of the crime. Eventually a screen became free. They didn't have computer games in the library when our kids were going there.

Lesson No 2

fairy bread at the library

ShornCliffe Pier

 You have to keep these Grandies occupied so what better way than the beach. The temperature here was for 28° today so the plan went well.  It is school holidays and there were a lot of people around. Even a seaside class where they were trawling a net thru the water to gather specimens.  The water is bathtub warm and I tried the gopro but there was not a lot to see except jelly fish. Charlie does not yet like the waves but he did go in the water for 15 mins.  The main action was on the sand and I do recommend the  coffee cart with a sultana muffin.

the hotel pool is good for short laps

we did a rubbish run and Evie picked up a half a bag

North Lakes Tavern

 It is about a 30 min drive to this Westfield shopping centre and the tavern there is a convenient half way drive between Nundah and Caloundra. We met Brendon and Cathie for an early lunch. Of course this was all after we bundled up Evie nad Charlie and got them off to pre school.  The menu at this place is diverse and I could easily have tried at least four different meals. In the end I went for the chicken in filo pastry. After solving the world's problems over lunch we have now made it back to our hotel room and maybe there is time to try the pool here later.

Dinofest

Travel days are normally long but we were on time and playing with Grandies by 1:00pm. We just had time to book into the room here and do some quick shopping before our half hour walk to the Dinofest. These are puppet dinosaurs of all sorts that are walking around or being carried or are just static reminders in their habitat. Evie and Charlie were convinced and a few times they were not willing to get up close. After the show it was a playground session for an hour or so and by the time we got back all we could do was get some pizza ordered in.  We have made it back to the room again in time for the world champs time trial for women but I doubt if we will be awake long.

Soul Origin again

 This place is getting to familiar. As for parking I think we will revert to taking the bus out of the carpark, as by the time you check the walking distance spots and include the walk then it is about the same time frame. The walk is also longer due to the new road overpass construction. I am sitting near the Soul Origin on a Sunday morning which is still very busy at 8:00 am.

Action of Water

I have been places where water has carved thru all kinds of ice, rock and dirt and right now it is attacking the beach here again.  I went back down mainly to check on the Coast Care handiwork.  I can see swathes of clearing in some places yet they leave dead trees in other parts and also cut branches. There is a small ridge section that has been cleared whereby some bird feeders have now been revealed that I can vaguely remember seeing some five or six yar ago. As for the beach, it is strewn with plant debris, as well as a large channel being carved down the centre. Hopefully it will all clean up in time for Summer.

The Woodcutter

I picked a book at random from the Willie book shelves. I have never read Reginald Hill before and this is the last ever book he wrote. It is a stand alone story and also the second one in quick time where I find an innocent man having been nicely framed, was sent to gaol.  It is set in a cold English landscape. In this one the hero gets out on parole and promptly sets about solving his stitchup and getting some revenge along the way. There are over 30 other novels by Hill and most of those went into a TV series about two detectives.  The Willie shelves only have two of Hill's books and I now have the second one featuring these guys. 

Willie Overnighter

 Stayed overnight at Willie and took the opportunity for another gym session. We are off to QLD on another Grandie mission next week so I wanted to get an extra book from their library to take with me. I walk in, in my gym gear to the main desk and there must be 100 residents between me and the library as they are having their Annual General meeting.  Pairs of eyes were saying "why aren't you in here instead of out there enjoying things?"  I went back later after everyone had cleared out. In the meantime I did the usual bike machine followed by the rowing machine but this time my watch picked up that I was rowing and recorded some data. This seemed to tally with the machine's screen. It seems to be telling me that I went harder at the start and slowed by the end. 

Plant Police return

 The coast care group are weeding again and there seems to be bigger numbers than previously.  They are not venturing too far this time but it looks like certian tree types (non native) and grasses are being cut and pulled. There is also action down the ramp. I notice there are a number of dead tree plantings along each side of the ramp lets see how clean they make it. We are heading out for an overnighter but will be back around lunch tomorrow so I will be sure to report the progress then.  There is a trailer for the off cuts but I assume it is not going to the tip as they could throw my tyre on the back, as it is still hanging around near the bin. 

Garden Update No 521

Spring has sprung a bit cooler than the end of Winter but we do have some blossoming going on.  We are very interested in the two new fruit trees from last year. Not sure when you should be noticing small green fruits, especially on the apricot tree. The nectarine gave us a few straight away last year. The word is that some apricots should appear in the second year.  The Japanese weeper has a lot of flowers but the olive tree is a sorry sight after the hatchett job straight across the top half. The middle court yard orchids are going strong.

Tyred Out

Haven't been down to the beach for over a week and that time two of us took bags of junk back up to the top. Whilst the wind has not been back much since then there has been some stormy weather and the flotsam could be higher than the jetsam. Sure enough when I arrive, there is a lot of washed in crap but not as bad as last time eg no plastic bottles to be seen. I filled my bag quickly, so just wandered down the far end to see what's what. There was a tyre with lots of growth inside which made it heavier. Now this was not the heaviest nor the most awkward item to get topside but it took some doing.  I could get a roll going and the trick was not to try and film this action.  The other thing was to catchup to it before it starts to topple and eventually it will arrive at the top bin.   Riddle me this: What goes in circles but stays on a straight line?  

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a wheel

Tarry at Tarra

 We are back again at the Tarra restaurant, this time with the Klyes. This must be the third or fourth time in as many months.  This place must be doing something right.  You can tell it is a winner when a bus labelled the Foodaria Tour unloads 20 people from NSW to come here on their itinerary.  This time I had a chicken schnit but not just any oridinary chicken schnit, this one was dressed up very fancy.  At both ends there were scallops for entrée and also apple cake for dessert.  

Desert God

Wilbur Smith is mostly always setting stories in Africa.  This is one of the Egyptian series of books but none of these made it into TV or films.  Not that there is any lack of action in this one, including chariot fights as well as boat action on river and sea.  The main man is a eunuch who never ever seems to put a foot wrong. I have read some of Wilbur Smith before this one and the action theme is his staple choice which has seen many films and TV shows as a result.

Playgrounds

 There were a lot of photos taken in the last week and it is a tour of indoor and outdoor playgrounds.  It was a rest day yesterday but I did collate a few of them and some more video. The video is from the All4 Kids venue.  It is pretty funny. Nana gets buried in a pillow and cannot easily get out. The photos are from various parks.

Pirate boat

Mouth open Park No 1

Double swing Park No 2

Party Vids

It has taken a few days to find a chance to get the video camera unloaded.  A lot of preparation went into the kids entertainment and I can remember back to when I had a 40th in Marysville, which was opposite this one, being an adult theme with Grand Final big screen, water volleyball and the epic fat suit wrestling tournament.  This generation is all about younger kids being had at an older age. 

This was before Marysville burnt but a lot of these wood sculptures survived.

Willie Session No 12

 Debbie has gone to retrieve Kaia so I have some time for a morning session.  There was all manner of exercise activity in the centre but fortunately it did not involve the gym.  There were chair exercises and aerobic sessions thru the morning but all in the main hall. I did my similar routine but this time profile six was a large hill that took 25 minutes to ride up. After that I crossed to the rowing machine but got caught up in interval training which consisted of 10 seperate 500m lengths with a 30 sec rest period. I did five of them for 2.5 km total.  I snuck right through the middle of the aerobic session to get into the library to return a book. Last night we were all ready to try the new fish and chip shop.  The last one closed and we were not happy.  So we look up the number and get a message about it being closed on a Tuesday. Drat. We got take away Thai instead.

Queenslanders Away

 Laura has passed her trial by aeroplane.  Take two kids under 5 with one large suitcase, a backpack and a computer bag and get them on the flight, all the while timing their sleep pattern to an exact period before boarding so that the actual flying time might be as less ratty as possible. Don't forget snacks, drinks and video devices with at least 10 Bluey episodes.  Before all that it was haircuts, chalk drawing, garden cleanup and book reading as well as more Bluey.  Topped off with a late airport lunch of regfrigerated sandwiches. We can look forward to all the same fun all over again in about two weeks.

big sand pit

Airport Leggo

All 4 Kids

 The cleaner was coming this morning at 10:00 am so it was best to move out for a couple of hours. The All4Kids is an indoor playground with a cafe in Geelong.  No appointments are need just pay for the kids ($13) and you are in. After you pay for snacks, drinks and lunch then they will have made their money. This place is huge and must have the world's biggest jumping castle. Now this makes two jumping castles in three days.  It fills a factory sized space with undercover parking.  There are a lot of injury potential.

The after Party Party

The next day that is. We were very sleepy after getting some letfovers ready for two grandies last night and we even had to fast forward the cycling to the last 10km as we could not last thru the whole event.  We slept on the fold out couch bed which we have not done before. We were also missing a sheet but did not really notice. This morning started with an emergency dash to the shops as Charlie did not have a toothbrush.  But the Sun was out so Evie had an early walk as well.  After breakfast it was a 30 min playground session before we got to Asher and Kaia's house for lunch. This was a quality three hour playtime but with a few coniptions as these kids were running on empty.  We have made it back to Clifton Springs in goodtime and with some quiet kiddies in the back seat as well.  They would not be used to these sorts of longer drives.