Spring in Thornhill

The conclusion to our “Winter 2010 Snow Bird” escape. We arrived home 2 weeks ago and finely recovered from the jet lag. Just to recall those last 3 days in Brighton helps me to relive our trip again. We did look forward to home especially after Lewis & Elsa flew back but truly where we were was not a hardship – just not home! Our focus turned to getting ready for our own flights: packing (tossing items never to be worn again); house ready for its owners; and eating leftovers stockpiled from Chef Lewis. We shopped at Taigum (one last time) to check emails; thrilled to receive an email from L&E with confirmation they were home; tired, weary but safe. We took several walks along the boardwalk celebrating our decision to spend the winter down-under. Helena & I did bike the 3K bridge from Brighton to Woody Point (20K overall); a first for both and a check against the last on my to-do list.
Fiona dropped in to inquiry if we needed a ride to the airport & exchange contact information; a chance for us to say so-long, farewell, “ta-ta” and, of course share an Irish Blessing “May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”
We were up at 6am Friday April 9th to begin our marathon day! Ten AM we were at Brisbane Airport for our 12:25 flight to Auckland, NZ. The entire process worked like a case study. We left 27 degrees C traveled 2296 Km to Auckland in 2 hours & 42 minutes; with time zone changes we arrived at 5pm. It was a pleasure to see NZ again. My seat companion from Alberta was just beginning her 1st visit to NZ, a 3-week tour of both islands. Pure joy to read her itinerary, visualize what she was about to see and to recount what made the places special to us; her excitement grew just from our memories. This was also a job interview trip to explore an internal transfer to the New Plymouth NZ office. Aaaah to be young again with the opportunity to work abroad! Leg 1 completed – A1.
Friday April 09 continues with our flight from Auckland for Los Angeles at 7:27 pm with 17 degrees C; 10,498 KM and flying time 11 hrs 11 minutes. As we approached LAX, with a tail wind of 131 KPH, our ground speed was 1022 KPH – and the ride was as smooth as silk. We arrived in LA Friday noon (not bad considering we left Brisbane Friday April 09 just pass noon). LA noon was 5AM Saturday for us and now one hour shy from marking 24 hours since we slept. It was a blessing to sail through US Customs & Immigration; a welcoming relief to fall into the very comfortable bed at the Airport Marriott. (Thanks Ness for the family/friend discount) Leg 2 completed – A1.
Saturday we were at LAX 6AM for our flight to Toronto. Duty Free 2x1L Baileys $37 USD; a trip bonus to enjoy with my coffee for weeks to come! We sat in the 3rd last row in middle & window seats; watched “The Lovely Bones” and “Blind Side”. I was so enraptured the man sitting next to Tom asked if something was wrong with his wife! Tom’s comment, “too little sleep and too much coffee”!
Our flight from LA took 4 hours with a 3 hour time zone adjustment. We arrived at our condo as my watch struck 6:30AM Sunday April 11 – 48 hours since we got out of bed in Brisbane! Now we are back into a routine: tax returns filed, dust layers removed, 3-months of mail opened & addressed, family reconnected with and we are prepared to host our first home exchange guest. The sun is shining and we are going for a push-bike ride! It’s been a full and complete winter – a blast just not a cold wintery blast! From New Zealand --- Kia Ora (hello) and Ka Kite Ano – Until I see you again (bye). From Australia g'day and Roo Hoo.

Easter in OZ

Easter in OZ and we enjoyed a park BBQ, the local tradition. Our neighbours, Helena & Derrick invited us to share their family BBQ. They are experienced at Aussie BBQs, having owned a hotel/restaurant. Their son (a former Chef) gave Lewis a break from cooking as he served up sausages, onions, peppers & shrimp. Their daughter, married to the Master Chef at Noosa’s #1 rated restaurant, & their daughter-in-law (also trained in hospitality) supervised. We and the 6 grandchildren had only to eat, drink, and play bocce ball. It was a marvellous way to spend Easter with a substitute family.
Easter Sunday ended Daylight Savings Time down-under; putting us in a unique situation for time change: “Spring Forward” and “Fall Back” in the same week! The weather is fall-like; cool clear nights, warm-to-hot days and a constant ocean breeze. Each afternoon the foreshore is dotted with surf-gliders; colourful parachutes filled by ocean thermals propel the surfer over the waves & into the air. It is fascinating to watch! Here young and old embrace the outdoors.
On our daily boardwalk stroll we were surprised to see a miniature Cave with a round rock rolled away from the entrance, 2 bunny rabbits and a vase of purple flowers. Apparently, it is another local custom to build this structure using beach rocks & sand; positioned to catch the sunrise ray on Easter morning. Visible reminders of why we celebrate Easter!
Monday, yesterday was Lewis & Elsa’s last full day in OZ. We made a trial run to the airport and then went shopping at the mall. The crowds were overwhelming; school break means mall-visits on both continents! Lewis & Elsa surprised us with a smoked salmon for dinner; what a treat! Elsa had a nearly full bottle of Crown Royal & had promised our neighbour Aiden a drink. Well, needless to say we drank the CR; perhaps not our smartest move with a 3am airport trip and a 20-hour day for L&E – but it was fun! Thank goodness everything worked out well and Lewis & Elsa are now flying over the Pacific Ocean to Vancouver & then home. Hard to believe we have only 3 days before we begin our trek back to Toronto via LA. It’s been and is an amazing trip!
P.S. the derelict house next door continues to shrink. When we returned from the BBQ on Sunday the owner had blocked our driveway with his car & trailer, and shortly thereafter drove away with a load of windows crowned with a bathtub. Yesterday the interior doors, previously removed and neatly stacked on the ground floor by the demolition company, were suddenly missing. Earlier today a shouting match ensued on the street, likely a neighbour impatient with the gawkers, thieves and other interested parties that frequent the site. Time to break out the Dobermans.......

BTW: This most liikely will be the last blog update from Down-Under! We hope to get online in LA ... otherwise when we are back in Toronto. Thank you all for sharing our trip with us ....... LOL

Bluewater Festival – Good Friday

The 2010 Sandgate Bluewater Festival started today. The events take place in lower Moora Park and last for 12 hours beginning at 8:30am. The primary focus is the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race & the Skydive Warriors landing on Shoncliffe beach. However there was something for everybody from the battle of the bands ($5000 prize money) to markets set in a carnival atmosphere. We were warned to expect 25,000 people crammed into the area where we had our BBQ one week ago. We drove the car to 1st avenue with the intention of walking the last kilometre to the point. However our timing was such we hopped on the event train & rode; definitely the cooler way to traverse the last K.
We missed the start of the race but photographed the colourful display of spinnakers as the yachts sailed around Woody Point. We had front row seats (pier) to watch the skydivers. To celebrate Good Friday, the Fellowship Tract League paraded a Cross through the crowds to the end of the Jetty passing out ‘The Only Doorway’ pamphlets. Several hours passed quickly before we headed home for a break from the heat and to another chapter in the ongoing saga of the house next door. The owners were writing graffiti on the remaining walls – unflattering opinions of the builder’s abilities & ethics! The dispute seems to be escalating. We just hope to leave before someone burns that house down!
Last night we watched the fireworks to close the festival; quite pleased with ourselves & our day!

Amazing Walk – April 1st

Schools out today for 2 weeks of Easter break. St. Patrick’s College where Owen attends Grade 9 had their shore to gate walkathon (9:30am to noon). We walked down to the boardwalk to see the 1100 boys walk/run the 5K; from Grade 5 to 12, all sizes, shapes, & personalities entertained us. Boy it was a hot humid morning and we hoped the sausage fry reward was worth their effort! Perhaps the bigger reward is no school for the next two weeks!
This afternoon we shopped at Taigum for its internet access; we feel out-of-touch without the web. The mall was busy due to the school holiday & Easter weekend closures. Thank goodness we only required a few basics. Then, home for hamburgers. Something easy, for tonight we walked the tidal beach before the sun set at 6:30pm. What an amazing walk from the shore out to the receding ocean, ½ kilometre of ocean-packed sand, walking through a few inches of warm water and watching sand crabs before they burrow and disappear. To stand far away from shore and the safety of land, totally surrounded by ocean – was an awe-inspiring journey. We were lost in a magical world between the setting sun colours, water and sand. We took some amazing photos to share on the web when we return to Canada.

Woody Point – March 31st

We are reluctant to spend hours touring in the car these days; more contented to read, plan our meals and enjoy a walk on a nearby beach. We’ve explored wider afield but enjoy our local area more. Today, a case in point, after a reading morning we drove the 10k across the causeway to Woody Point. We parked near the Belvedere Hotel & walked the local beach. We collected another type of seashell; unable to resist the multi-blue tones -- ideal for Sydny’s creations. We washed our shells at a water fountain & used a ‘doggy’ bag to hold our loot. After coffee & cake oceanfront, we shopped at 18th Ave & Beaconsfield. The local butcher caught our attention with his list of trade: fish, crocodile, quail, rabbits & Roo Rump. We resisted his wares and bought a roast chicken with fries at the IGA for dinner. Boring perhaps but a safer choice!

Brisbane – March 30

A week from today will find Lewis & Elsa back in Toronto with us down to our last 3 days! Wet weather but we’re optimistic it will clear, a good day to take the River Cat Ferry into Brisbane. We caught the ferry at Bretts Wharf (2nd last stop East), rode to University Queensland (last stop West), and then back to North Quay to tour the Queen St Mall. The Brisbane River, which flows directly from the ocean, forms an “S” thru the downtown core; hence the River Cat was ideal to see the city. Brisbane shaped itself using the River has its template: amazing bridges (not quite like Sydney Harbour Bridge) but unique and numerous. The curves of the bridges & roads match artistic quality in their symmetry, while the spinning Ferris wheel has a whimsical touch. Building architecture is an engineer’s dream; distinctively shaped for River view; cylinders with outcropping platforms near the top. Near Kangaroo Point (20 million year old cliffs) we watched rock climbers scale the 20 metre face. We passed South Bank, a beach in the middle of the city; Botanic Gardens & Roma St. Parkland, the world’s largest subtropical garden in a city centre.
Queen Street Mall is a catwalk of colour, style and pure indulgence! There are 700 specialty stores, 6 huge style centres, beautiful heritage-listed arcades & stunning shopping galleries. We were no longer in Taigum! It was difficult to pull ourselves along; each store lured us in to have a look (we dropped coin in a few places)! Where to eat! Some locals directed us to a Food Court (not like CDN Food Courts)! We pigged out on Indian food ($3.80 for curried lamb, veggie & rice combo) the after lunch special; as good as anything we’ve eaten so far! After lunch & fighting the nap urge, we hopped on the free shuttle to tour the inner city. We got off at Eagle Street & took the River Cat back to our car (Bretts Wharf in Hamilton). We had parked at Dan Murphy’s; a fine excuse to shop for wine! One half hour later & $20 lighter we were on our way home with 6 more bottles of wine! We loved our day!

Tiagum Shopping – March 29th (Monday)

A humid day, we decided to check out Taigum Mall. Taigum is an outlet mall with the best pricing we’ve seen since arriving down-under! At Lowes we bought 100% cotton shirts & tops for $2 & canvas OZ bags for .50 cents – got to love the end-of-summer sales! We checked out the 100+ stores and had a field day! We ate lunch at Gloria Jean’s Coffee (my full name sake) while the barista ground some coffee to try back in Brighton. We grocery shopped at Woollies but managed to avoid buying the meat special of the day: $19 for 4 jumble chicken patties, 6 kebabs, 500 g chicken wings & a # 14 chicken! What a hoot!
Tonight was a full moon. We walked along the boardwalk and marvelled at the night sky. The moon was so bright the ocean glistened like in daylight; a large perfect halo surrounded the moon & the Southern Cross was etched in the sky! Locals fished from the break wall (catch & release) enjoyed a beer & socialized. A wonderful breeze cooled the evening and the lights from the esplanade houses provided a warm glow to guide our path. An absolutely marvellous night!