Breakfast @ the Paperbark

Our Weeping Paperbark

Once again, it's Summer in Brisbane and gone are the dry, sunny days to be replaced with wet, stormy skies. Summer is becoming more and more like the sort we get up in Cairns but hopefully, without the cyclones! After the disastrous floods of January, I've noticed that us Brisbanites are becoming more clued-up on storms and disaster preparation. The odd thing is, storm awareness was always prevalent amongst Cairns locals. It's just that Brisbane doesn't have the same kind of regular exposure to mother nature that Cairns does.

Craig and I are settling well in our house, despite going through our first break-in. Actually, I've decided to start a one year adventure of getting to know the house and its seasons. The other day, I was getting ready for work when I heard a commotion outside the front of our house. Curious, I looked outside and what did I spy, but a gang of 4 to 5 rainbow lorikeets feasting on the Weeping Paperbark. Now this is a massive Aussie native, standing at maybe 11m. It recently flowered, which translates into a breakfast buffet if you happen to be a Lorikeet.

A Rainbow Lorikeet

I have fond childhood memories of  rainbow lorikeets from when we first moved to Australia. When my parents brought their first house in Ravizza Drive, there was an Australian Silky Oak that regularly attracted Lorikeets when it flowered. Mickey and I spent a lot of time outside, playing in the yard that was completely filled with all sorts of plants (like the orange Birds of Paradise). It was in Australia that we learnt about weird creatures like hairy caterpillas (which shouldn't be touched as they caused you to itch ridiculously) and other deadly Australian creatures like red-back spiders.

The Lorikeets are fond of feeding upside down, and are nearly completely camouflaged when doing so.

Smile for the camera!

After so many years in Australia, I've grown to love the strange flora and fauna alike. There's something truly special about the unusual collection of shapes & colours and knowing that there are so many Aussie plants in the garden, truly make it home for me. And we're beginning to suspect that we might even have a macadamia tree in our backyard... we're going to do some investigating and tell you more. Hope you're surviving the pre-Christmas panic. We finished our shopping today.

Lots of Love,
Demi & Craig.

We've been Robbed :(

It's another dry Australian summer afternoon and despite a hard day's work, I managed to squeeze in some time to collect some groceries. Needless to say, I was really relieved to return home but as soon I walked in the front door, I knew something was very, very wrong. The double french-doors were flung wide open & the kitchen window was clearly ajar. Someone else - someone uninvited & unwanted - had been in my house.

Instinctively, I looked for the valuables and even as I did so, I was mentally preparing myself for the fact that they were probably taken. To my pleasant surprise (followed soon after by confusion), the items I'd expected to be taken were still in the house. This included laptop, playstations, x-box, tv, computers, cameras, all of which were clearly visible. They'd taken our team's trivia money that we'd absent-mindedly left on the table, but oddly, no electronic goods.

Puzzled, I peeked in Craig's room but there was his desktop computer, seemingly untouched. It was only when I ventured into our bedroom that I saw the chaos. My jewellery was strewn all over the bed, searched through & ransacked. Yet even as I looked over what was left, trying not to touch anything in case I contaminated possible evidence, I could see that they'd taken a pair of gold earrings - cheapies that were actually broken.

I broke the bad news to Craig. It's not the kind of thing you want to tell your husband when he's at work on a monday. He told me to call the Police, which I did. As I explained the scene over the phone, I noticed that the thief / thieves had taken one of my decorative Samurai swords. I wish I could claim they were some sort of extravagant heir loom, but they were a fun $20 deal from eBay. Curious & curiouser... But to make things worse, I suddenly heard a loud noise coming from the bedroom.

I couldn't help but panic. Though I'd walked through the house, what if the thief was still in the house? It certainly did feel as if their robbery had been suddenly interrupted. There just wasn't enough valuables missing. I was still on the phone to the police and explaining the situation, they decided to send someone over to my house. No doubt, the nervousness in my voice was giving me away.

Thankfully, it was a false alarm. The noise was probably Craig's printer, that had been unbalanced during the robbery, slipping onto the floor. I wish I could say that I was brave and that I was calm. But actually, I was an emotional wreck. Finding the house robbed wasn't anywhere near as nerve-jarring as the idea that the intruder was still in the house, possibly armed with a cheap eBay samurai sword. As I answered the police woman's questions, to my relief, Craig walked through the front door.

I have never been so glad to see Craig in my life. Suddenly, it felt like everything would be okay, that the mess in the house, would somehow sort itself out, now that Craig was home. His boss, Scott, had kindly driven him home having heard the news. Bless him.

So the forensic team won't get to our house till tomorrow morning. Our bedroom is still a mess. I've left it untouched; a chaotic reminder that strangers have visited us. As for the kitchen window & french doors... well they're being replaced. While I know a more secure window & doors won't fool-proof us against theft, something has to be done and we need to move on.

It's not been all bad news. We refreshed our ties with our neighbours and we've relearnt their names. Karen lives behind us, Alan lives to our left. Though both were home all day, neither had heard the theives.

The point of this post: Craig and I are okay. To trivia team, "Let's Billy-Zane This!", we're very sorry, the trivia money has been stolen. We'll fix this somehow. If it's any consolation, it was the most valuable thing the thieves took, besides some cheap asian dvds that I owned.

Yours truly,

Demi & Craig.

Mt Gambier to Geelong - Days 8 to 10

From dipping country valleys, past the seaside and through the rainforests. The Great Ocean Road Drive proved to be quite a delightful mix. With the sun accompanying us, we drove through beautiful gold and green plains, dotted with vineyards that were creatively named to spark the imagination. Craig nominated our first stop at Mt Gambier and while I was a bit dubious at first, it turned out to be a terrific pick. I found this gorgeous stay called The Barn, which was like staying at an elegant wine villa for less than the price of an average city stay. It was really cold! As usual, Craig barely felt the chill while my teeth were chattering away!

A rose in the garden at The Barn

The garden at The Barn

 

Mt Gambier Countryside

 
The next morning, we drove out to look at The Blue Lake, which is Mt Gambier's water supply. I've found that with vast landscapes like these, it's best not to try and describe it with words so here are some pictures instead. You can see why they call it The Blue Lake.

My favorite thing at Mt Gambier was without a doubt, the Umpherston Sinkhole. It used to be an underground limestone cave, but once the roof collapsed, it became a sunken garden. It really is a unique Australian Secret Garden and even though it is located in a park, there were only a few visitors while Craig and I were there, so we really enjoyed the tranquility and the butterflies. Check out these pictures:

Our next stop was Port Fairy and talk about a sea change! It was a little surreal going from open farm fields to the salt-breeze of the surf. We found this little Bed & Breakfast and it reminded me of weekends by the sea up at Second Beach in Cairns. While Craig and I didn't do much, the leisure was priceless. Downtime is what we both so desperately needed after the chaos of the past few months.

We woke up the next day and to our dismay, it was a touch cloudy. And just when we were approaching the highlight of the trip, The Great Ocean Road Drive! We soldiered on none the less and saw some breath-taking views of the Victorian coast. I won't bore you with adjectives. I will upload the photos when we get back! When we finally got to the 12 Apostles, it was spitting with rain. It was a real shame but that just means we will have to go back some time! We finished up in Apollo Bay, a nice summary to our coastal drive.

That's it for now. Will fill in with more details soon.

Xoxo Demi & Craig.

Adelaide Days 5-7

Our initial days were spent beneath gloomy overcast skies. However by Friday, Adelaide realised that the weekend was just around the corner and reflected the city's anticipation with clear, blue heavens. We walked to the Adelaide Central markets, which was like a Cheese, Fruit & Salami Lover's version of heaven. I love walking through all those different stalls, each with their own particular brand of homemade tasty goodness, nibbling a little of this and a little of that. It reminded me so much of growing up, when Mum would take us kids to the market and teach us how to spot a ripe fruit or a healthy vegie.

Adelaide Central Markets

The main reason we'd come to Adelaide, was because I'd won entry into the radiography conference ASMMIRT. Typical of radiography conferences, there were lots of technological goodies and freebies, as all the various companies tried to market their new toys.

I got an insightful peek into the world of liver transplantation and afterwards, it was time to chill out at the National Wine Centre. Dominick, the head of MRI at Queensland X-ray, was also attending the talk to give talks about MRI imaging. It was at the wine centre that we met up with Dom and his wife, who had a good ole chat with Craig about the plight of being the other half of a radiographer. For some reason, I'd imagined that there would be a lot of wine varieties from various sellers but I was a little disappointed to find only 6 kinds of wine and all seeming from the same company. Not that I'm much of a wine buff. I can only really enjoy Moscatos or dessert wines (yes, I know, the sweetest kind of wine) and Craig was a beer man. It wasn't a complete disappointment though. There were some awesome cheese & salad dressings store, thus restoring our faith in the tastiness of South Australian fare. After saying goodbye to Dom and Michelle, we made a quick escape and soon found ourselves a decent pub for some real food.

Adelaide by Night

The River Torrens. Can you see the sleeping black swans?

I spent most of Saturday at the conference, reviewing breast imaging, neuro topics and stroke pathways. Since starting MRI a few weeks ago, it had opened up a whole new world of imaging, now that the MRI talks had become more relevant to me. All in all, it was a pretty educational day.

It didn't take long for Sunday morning to come along, marking the first day of our road trip on the great ocean road drive. Our first stop was the lovely town of Hahndorf. It was originally a German settlement so naturally, Craig and I headed straight for some German food for lunch. And boy were those Kranksies delicious! Hahndorf is like this great place you would take family and friends. The street is lined with beautiful maple trees whose leaves had turned red in the Autumn weather. And the quaint shops were a mixture of fudge, boiled American lollies & mini cinnamon donuts. It was like a sugary, German town for all ages. Craig and I stocked up on goodies for our trip, with enough sugar & water to last us till the end of our holiday! And with that, we were on our way. Until the next post, take care!

Adelaide - Days 2 & 3

I was determined to begin my mornings in Adelaide with 30mins of mindfulness meditation. Usually at work, the up & down of my work scheduled, combined with various other social commitments make carving out meditation time a bit of a challenge.With the precious availability of leisure (yes, free time that was all my own!), I wasted no time devoting some attention to the health and well being of my mind.

I set aside some floor space in our tiny hotel room, facing west, which happens to be the window. Yes, that's the same window that when opened, confronts you with a bland grey brick wall. Thankfully, meditation doesn't require a view, just a cushion. I've always found it hard to practice when I'm away from my meditation room. Setting up a routine and getting to the cushion is always the hardest part but once I'm there, sitting has a momentum of its own. Meditating on holidays has always required a bit of research and thoughtful organization.  Over the years, I've gently taught my family that meditation does for my mind what yoga/exercise does for my body. And if they just give me that 30-45mins to myself, the rest of the time we spent together will hopefully be more pleasant, because I won't be as easily overwhelmed by my bad habits. After four years, Craig still seems a little skeptical at times but respects my practice enough not to intrude.

An Adelaide War Monument

By the time I finished my meditation, Craig is well and truly ready for a coffee. We decide to wander the city by foot. We seem a little out of place, strolling leisurely about in typical tourist fashion while everyone else rushes about, either heading to work or school. On this unusual tuesday morning, we are oddities amongst the native Adelaide folk.

An education centre at Botanical Gardens

Adelaide Botanical Gardens

Did someone say Meerkat?

Craig's favourite, Monkeys (Gibbons)!

Panda!

Getting friendly with a native.

Our wanderings take us past historical monuments, war memorials and into the botanical gardens. We even walk along the river Torrens. We seem to be mixing a lot with school children, young families or retirees. At the zoo, Craig is really enjoying getting behind the camera. He's a great photographer and I love his intensity and focus, qualities that I've failed to cultivate. I've tried learning the manual techniques of using a DSLR but I don't use them enough to feel comfortable yet. I'm more of a "spontaneous" photographer, but I know that I need to learn more about DSLR, if I'm to bring out the best in my pictures.

Craig went along easily with my craziness. I took us on what would seem like a lovely and gentle stroll to the Old Adelaide Gaol, but I'd underestimated the walking distance. It had seem far closer on the map but we persevered and finished the walk. At least we were helping to burn off some of the rich food we'd been having. Craig had been reluctant to visit a museum so I compromised, figuring that a building would still trigger our interest, without hopefully, the boredom of just walking past glass exhibitions. It was a little eerie, walking through stone rooms and barred windows where you knew so many other people had suffered.

Old Adelaide Gaol

Craig gets in touch with his convict roots

Needing something lighter, I took Craig to the Jam Factory, which is actually an arts & crafts gallery. There, we could overlook a glass-blowing workshop and as cool as it was, the heat from the furnaces easily made you forget about the Adelaide chill. Eating is always fabulous, an adventure of its own. The hardest part is working out what to try next, sometimes earmarking interesting restaurants/cafes for following days. We celebrated our 1st year anniversary at a Greek restaurant. It's good to spend time just chatting together. Sometimes, I get so caught up in commitments and work that I don't always give as much time as I should to Craig. I've long accepted that finding balance is part and parcel of all my relationships. And being in Adelaide has made it a little easier.

We are really enjoying ourselves. :) More to come, Demi & Craig

Adelaide - Day One

Adelaide, City of Churches

Traveling, part and parcel of any decent holiday, can be sometimes tedious or inconvenient. Despite having to wake up bright and early on a monday morning (and we're talking 5am here. Yes, so much for sleep-ins....) we were happy to do it, knowing Adelaide was ahead. By the time we got into the City of Churches, it was 8:30am. As the taxi took us the brief car trip from the airport to the Mercure Grosvenor, I indulged myself in the scenery flashing past my window.

There's something about houses of other cities that get me wondering about how many how generations of people have lived within those walls and what their lives are like. Adelaide was lovely and cool. It was brisk but not uncomfortable. 

We checked into the Mercure Grosvenor and despite being a typical city hotel, there were a few surprises in stall for us. The cleaner had gone a little bit trigger-happy with the Mould Removal and the room kinda stank of bleach. We opened the window to air out the chlorine but no sooner had we managed to lift the heavy frame up, we came face to face with a cement wall. Guess our $160 a night didn't quite include river-side views...

Between the room and our grumbling stomachs, we escaped out into Adelaide in search of a bite to eat. We had great brunch and did some wandering around Rundle Mall. The best part was going to the Palace Cinemas to watch Suckerpunch. We got two adult tickets, a large box of popcorn, Peroni and glass of wine for just $35! You'd never find a bargain like that in Brissy. I was kinda uncoordinated however and nearly spilled all my glass of wine. Just goes to show that no matter how classy you try to be, your mundane self insists on making an appearance.

We spoiled ourselves with dessert; coffee and a mug of hot chocolate. Delish! Tomorrow we are going to walk across the river to the and see more of Adelaide. 

Xoxo Demi & Craig

It's been a bit of a crazy week for all in BrisVegas and we've not been exempt. Last week, I made the drive out to Bellbowrie to help Meg and her family in their post-flood clean up. I have never seen so many strangers turn up, ready to lend a hand in the clean up! There were plenty of gloves & mops as everyone jumped into the thick of the sludge and got straight into it. I have to say, it makes me really proud to be living in Brisbane. I've always considered myself a Cairns girl, having grown up there for 10 years, but I realise now that where you come from doesn't really matter, as long as you're ready to lend a hand. It's really wonderful to see in my fellow Australians.

There were well over 20 of us helping Meg and her family. We came from their childhood circles, their work places, and some even just turned up for the sake of helping out. It took plenty of hours of sorting, giving the gurney a good run and scrubbing but by the end of the day, we had the place stripped to its supporting frame and ready to air out. There were plenty of sausages, fruit, water and burgers to keep everyone going!

After that hectic Saturday, I spent the weekend rounding up clothes & toiletries for Meg and a few other people at work who'd suffered from the flood. There were plenty of generous donations and they're still coming.

Work for me has been pretty normal but Craig wasn't so lucky. GBST, the parent company of Emu Web Design, were having all sorts of trouble getting their two towers running. It turns out that the 2-level underground carpark in Cribb st saved them a lot of damage, because it swallowed up a lot of the water. Despite this, the water still took out one level of their buildings so imagine how much worse it will be without the carpark. So Craig has spent this week working from home but hopefully, on Monday, they're going to attempt to go back to the office. However, even with a temporary power supply, Energex can't promise them electricity. Doesn't sound like fun at all!

In amidst all the chaos, our front fence finally got fixed! It kinda looks a little funny as there's this nice new shiny segment and the rest of the fence is still rusty, hehe. However, I figure it's just part of the history. And we finally got rid of our ridiculous gates for $50. What a bargain! Our gates were kinda useless as we lived on such a busy road that they only stayed open, and they were very old and rusted too. Having the front open makes the house that little bit more spacious. Anyway, that's it for now.


To all our family & friends, please take care of yourselves. We are thinking of you all.


Lots of love & hugs,
Demi & Craig.

The Flood of 2011

Dearest Friends & Family,

Most of you have probably seen Brisbane splashed across the news and headlines of the world. Our state is in the midst of a major crisis, comparable to its last great flood of 1974. Firstly, Craig and I are both fine. We fortunately live on the south side of Brisbane and we're some distance from the Brisbane river and any of its creeks/tributaries. While we're well removed from the critical areas, it's impossible to ignore the tension that's come over our city.

It started on Tuesday with the devastating flash floods that caught Toowoomba unaware. So far, 12 have been found dead and amongst the casualties, are infants & children. There are still many people unaccounted for and the number keeps changing. Sometimes it's in the 50s. Other times, it's in the 90s.

By Wednesday, it was clear that the flood waters were heading towards Brisbane. Wivenhoe Dam's capacity was up to 174% and the water couldn't be kept at bay. Better to release it in a controlled fashion than the alternative: an uninhibited wall of water that would wreck complete havoc on the city. Despite the controlled releases at Wivenhoe, the dam doesn't stop filling. Last night, it got as high as 190%. As for all those controlled releases, there's only one place it can go... the Brisbane River.

Craig, along with many of his colleagues and hundreds of Brisbane workers had to leave the CBD (City Business District) during lunchtime as the threat of flooding drew closer. At that time, the river was supposed to be at low tide: it looked anything but... As the water levels rose, businesses were shutting down before the city effectively became dissected by the rising waters. Once the waters rose, roads would be closed off and you would be stranded on either the north or south side. So people were getting out while they still could. In the midst of this evacuation, thousands upon thousands of people were trying to save what possessions they could. All the while, the threat of the rising waters continued.

Craig made it home safely and planned to work from home. Then we heard the news that they were cutting the electricity to the CBD and the surrounding suburbs. You see cities brought to a standstill in epic movies or action films but to witness it happening in real life, is another thing entirely.

Today, I made my way to work at Greenslopes. The hospital is also located on the south side so I didn't have to worry about any flooding. Some of my colleagues however, were not so lucky. Many of their usual routes were blocked by rising flood waters. About 1/3 of our staff were stranded on the north side and told to stay at home, while we managed with a skeleton staff. At present, our hospital is relatively safe from the flood waters. Other hospitals were not so lucky. The Mater and the Wesley were two such hospitals that were facing the prospect of becoming suburban islands. While both hospitals were situated on high ground, their surrounding roads coming in & out could possibly be flooded out. For the time being, both these hospitals are open. Hospitals on the north side were operating on code brown: External Emergency. Our waiting rooms have been relatively quiet. If the staff and patients aren't glued to the television, watching the tragedy unfold, they're listening to the radio or checking the net for updates.

Outside of work, there's further evidence of the panic that's beginning to grip Brisbane. Super market shelves are bare of essentials such as toilet paper, bottled water, milk & bread. People are stock piling for the uncertain days ahead. There's also been word of looters trying to make the most of a dreadful situation. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale had only one thing to say about it: “If I find anybody looting in our city they will be used as flood markers."

Despite the grim outlook, Brisbane as a community is coming together. Sonographers have come in on their day off, to cover colleagues who weren't able to make it across the river. In amongst the terrible images, are also scenes of neighbours helping each other out, people volunteering at the emergency centres, teenagers rescuing younger kids. Even the premier, Anna Bligh, and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, have been pretty amazing. I don't think anyone wants to be in their shoes right now. But both have been sincere and you can tell they're as devastated by what's happening to Queensland & Brisbane, as the rest of us.

Tomorrow at 4am, the Brisbane River is expected to peak at 5.2m due to a King Tide. That's when the worst of the damage is going to occur. Until then, the city can only wait and support each other as best it can. The most important thing, is that no more lives are lost.

Flood Images