August Theme Day - My City's Skyline 31 Jul 2016 1:30 PM (8 years ago)
Here's the ever changing view of the city from Gladstone Road in Highgate Hill. Plenty of cranes around the monolithic "Tower of Power", 1 William Street, which is soon going to hold all of Brisbane's civil servants and is dominating the skyline at the moment.
But not for too long...the powers that be have approved this giant casino complex called Queens Wharf see the computer fly-through here. Due to start construction next year and be finished around 2022. The view from here will certainly be very different by then.
You can see other theme day posts from around the world here.
Look Down 27 Jul 2016 2:57 PM (8 years ago)
Whoops! I missed the theme day. Too busy galavanting on the other side of the world. I discovered that wifi alone doesn't cut the mustard (in UK, Ireland and Greece, anyway). The coverage was sketchy and the speed was slow. And blogging from a phone is a bit hard for me too. OK grumpy old bird rant over. I know I know first world problems and all that.
So July's theme day was 'Look Down' and here's my offering. The view from the City Hall clock tower on to the concreter's dream that is King George Square. The square underwent a renovation a few years ago. It used to be grass with fountains and big trees to sit under. Now in the middle of summer the searing heat bounces off the concrete and reaches face-melting temperatures. There's hardly any shade or anywhere to sit. On the plus side, if you fancy protesting against poor urban planning, you can fit thousands in to this space and the clean up afterwards is relatively easy.
.%20The%20coverage%20was%20sketchy%20and%20the%20speed%20was%20slow.%20And%20blogging%20from%20a%20phone%20is%20a%20bit%20hard%20for%20me%20too.%20OK%20grumpy%20old%20bird%20rant%20over.%20I%20know%20I%20know%20first%20world%20problems%20and%20all%20that.%3Cbr%20/%3E%0A%3Cbr%20/%3E%0ASo%20July's%20theme%20day%20was%20'Look%20Down'%20and%20here's%20my%20offering.%20The%20view%20from%20the%20City%20Hall%20clock%20tower%20on%20to%20the%20concreter's%20dream%20that%20is%20King%20George%20Square.%20The%20square%20underwent%20a%20renovation%20a%20few%20years%20ago.%20It%20used%20to%20be%20grass%20with%20fountains%20and%20big%20trees%20to%20sit%20under.%20Now%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20summer%20the%20searing%20heat%20bounces%20off%20the%20concrete%20and%20reaches%20face-melting%20temperatures.%20There's%20hardly%20any%20shade%20or%20anywhere%20to%20sit.%20On%20the%20plus%20side,%26nbsp;%20if%20you%20fancy%20protesting%20against%20poor%20urban%20planning,%20you%20can%20fit%20thousands%20in%20to%20this%20space%20and%20the%20clean%20up%20afterwards%20is%20relatively%20easy.)
This is my stop! 16 Jun 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
Make the most of it 15 Jun 2016 2:34 PM (8 years ago)
View from City Hall 14 Jun 2016 2:17 PM (8 years ago)
%20to%20go%20up%20to%20the%20clock%20tower%20in%20an%20ancient%20manual-operated%20lift.%20You%20get%20a%20different%20perspective%20on%20the%20city%20from%20up%20there.%20This%20is%20looking%20north-west%20with%20Albert%20Street%20on%20the%20right,%20Roma%20Street%20train%20station%20and%20Roma%20Street%20parklands.)
Blanket with your coffee? 13 Jun 2016 2:33 PM (8 years ago)
My favourite place to sit and have a coffee is on the Goodwill Bridge. Great staff, lovely coffee and a picture-postcard view. (No, I'm not being paid to write that.) This was taken a couple of weeks ago from a moving CityCat so apologies for the blurriness. As you can see, it was warm enough to take your shirt off while canoeing down the river. It's chilled down to about 20 degrees celcius (68f) which means winter woolies for many Brisbane folks. I know. I used to laugh... but you get acclimatised after a few years. And if you're having coffee on the bridge at this time of year they even provide blankets. Toasty!
%20This%20was%20taken%20a%20couple%20of%20weeks%20ago%20from%20a%20moving%20CityCat%20so%20apologies%20for%20the%20blurriness.%20As%20you%20can%20see,%20it%20was%20warm%20enough%20to%20take%20your%20shirt%20off%20while%20canoeing%20down%20the%20river.%20It's%20chilled%20down%20to%20about%2020%20degrees%20celcius%20(68f)%20which%20means%20winter%20woolies%20for%20many%20Brisbane%20folks.%20I%20know.%20I%20used%20to%20laugh...%20but%20you%20get%20acclimatised%20after%20a%20few%20years.%20And%20if%20you're%20having%20coffee%20on%20the%20bridge%20at%20this%20time%20of%20year%20they%20even%20provide%20blankets.%20Toasty!%3Cbr%20/%3E%0A%3Cbr%20/%3E)
Cranes Everywhere 12 Jun 2016 6:00 PM (8 years ago)
Aussie 11 Jun 2016 11:30 PM (8 years ago)
I've been trying to snap one of these posters for the past couple of weeks but Brisbane City Council have been very quick to remove them.
Hard Boiled Egg 10 Jun 2016 1:35 PM (8 years ago)
The wheel was yellow in the middle and white around the outside last night. I told my daughter it was just like an egg and to which she gave me a look like "that's stretching it a bit". Then we arrived at our destination visiting friends staying at Casino Towers with this amazing view and -hey presto- check out the reflection in the river!
Ibises 9 Jun 2016 2:10 PM (8 years ago)
The sacred ibis isn't so sacred in Brisbane. They have adapted well to urban life here and hang out anywhere there might be a free meal such as park barbeques and bins. That long bill is perfect for dipping in and pulling out tasty discarded morsels.
Buy Local Eat Local 8 Jun 2016 2:21 PM (8 years ago)
In an effort to buy more local produce I've joined a local food buying group. We've got quite a few popping up all over Brisbane. We try and order fruit, vegetables and eggs from local farmers. We've also got local dairies, bakeries and grocery suppliers on board and some of our members even sell their own stuff too... meaning our trips to the supermarket are less frequent and we spend a lot less of our money there.
Underwater Doorway Girl 6 Jun 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
Another offering tucked away in a quiet road by street artist Barek.
Breeze in 4 Jun 2016 5:57 PM (8 years ago)
Thirst Quencher 3 Jun 2016 4:54 PM (8 years ago)
We haven't had much rain to speak of for months. Our summer this year was very dry and that's when we normally get the bulk of our year's rain. But now, 4 days into our official winter, it isn't just raining - it's an "event" according to the media. It's been pouring steadily in Brisbane since last night and is forecast to continue throughout the day delivering totals of between 100 and 200 mls. My plants will be happy!
What's happening in Bulimba right now? 2 Jun 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
Art classes, choir, senior citizens group, baby massage, father and baby group, baby goods for sale (lots of babies round here!) dance classes, cleaning services, weight loss group, pilates, ultimate frisbee, furniture for sale, a theatre production and a penthouse apartment with big balcony and courtyard pool to enjoy it all from for $415pw. And possibly a cat.
%20dance%20classes,%20cleaning%20services,%20weight%20loss%20group,%20pilates,%20ultimate%20frisbee,%20furniture%20for%20sale,%20a%20theatre%20production%20and%20a%20penthouse%20apartment%20with%20big%20balcony%20and%20courtyard%20pool%20to%20enjoy%20it%20all%20from%20for%20$415pw.%20And%20possibly%20a%20cat.)
View from the MOB 1 Jun 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
Taken from inside the Museum of Brisbane looking across the dome of City Hall.
June Theme Day: Shadows and HIghlights 31 May 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
Here's my take on the City Daily Photo theme Shadows and Highlights. Morning breaking through the kitchen windows at work. Plenty of shadows and the prospect of food which, for me, is always a highlight.
To check out what other City Daily Photo bloggers have posted for this theme, click here.
Roots Down 30 May 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
The big fig trees which line Oxford Street by the Memorial Park in Bulimba have these funky sleeves to protect them. Prop roots spring from the branches like scaffolding and grow downwards to support the huge weight of the tree and as a consequence they can grow over a vast area. Here's a closer view:
It reminds me of a poem by Brisbane's newly elected Greens councillor who recited it as part of an unprecedented maiden speech in council last month. A poem in council!? The rest of the councillors probably thought he was mad; a bit out-there for Brisbane! But you don't get more Brisbane than this:
Roots down
roots down
roots down
roots down
my heart's buried deep under Brisbane town
creekbeds, hilltops, riding around
cracking macadamias and putting roots down
I am of this city
its history is my history
my scraped knee and my favourite tree
and swimming lessons in the pool at Craigslea Primary
and Oxley's expedition back in 1823
and our Year 4 excursion to Saint Helena Island
and those weather-worn tennis balls that we were always finding
and the floods of 1974
and the invasion of 1788
and the park on the north side where I rode without training wheels for the first time
and the frog pond of drowning Christmas beetles
and Joh Bjelke-Pietersen
and hunting Easter eggs in the backyard
and hunting kangaroos by Breakfast Creek
and the roller coaster at the top of the Myer Centre that looked like a dragon and screamed at the madness beneath
Roots down
roots down
this town
roots down
My roots are tendrils, tentacles
reaching down below
splitting concrete and bitumen digging in
The soil is soft after summer storms
and the roots grow quickly, thickly
but Brisbane's burbs're built on clay
so once they're down they're down to stay
Roots down roots down brushtail growl hear that sound
But now and then in this circus I encounter a clown
who thinks that because he's got his roots in the ground
he somehow gains the right to define this town
and decide who else gets to put roots down
See the surface seems sufficiently serene
but if you peel back the bandaid you'll see the gangrene
And now I see you've forgotten
I see your roots are rotten
but this garden has no gardener
that's how we got to where we've gotten
The question on my mind is where we going?
This city is growing
sauropod construction cranes on every horizon
jackhammer clattering drowns out the cicadas
the relentless march of apartment towers makes suburbanites nervous
so they build higher fences
and mow their lawns weekly
Roots down, stolen ground
dead trees, river brown
I know something's awry in this city
but I can't quite put my finger on it
It's like we've outgrown the garden bed
roots in a twist
slumbering suburbs
silence those who resist
Vision blurring
but now I hear them stirring
climb Mt Cootha at midnight
see them lighting candles and switching off TVs
Flying foxes in the trees
stench of rotten mangoes
gives way to a cool south-easterly
Pumpkin vines wither and die but the passionfruit keeps growing
skyscrapers sprouting up from the bedrock
Wivenhoe overflowing
activists invade city hall and the clocktower falls silent in anticipation
Change is coming to Brisbane town
we feel it in the soil
while we cracking macadamias and putting roots down
(by Jonathan Sri)
)
Gelato in Albert Street 29 May 2016 1:00 PM (8 years ago)
Happily for the ice cream shops in this part of the world, it's never too cold for gelato or ice cream.
Tower of Power 28 May 2016 4:55 PM (8 years ago)
This is the new government building that is starting to loom over William Street and the river. It takes up an entire city block and can be seen from all over Brisbane. It's due to be completed in the middle of 2017. That tower block next to it is the Parliamentary Annexe building and used to be the tallest thing along that stretch of skyline. Not any more!
What a load of rubbish! 27 May 2016 2:20 PM (8 years ago)
The Judith Wright Centre in Fortitude Valley is hosting an art
exhibition with each piece made from second hand shop and reused
everyday materials. There are 10 artworks on display. Here's a taste.
 |
| Cate Collopy - Plastic Fantastic - Land, Sea, Airship |
Created from a microphone stand, kitchen items, a foot pump, a beer keg, computer parts, toys and a wine glass holder.
 |
| Guiseppo Filardo - Trophy in Waiting |
Created from serving spoons, Christmas decorations, bar stools and a
chair, wine rack, music book stand, jugs, trolleys and more.
 |
| Holly Pepper - Thorn in the Reef |
Created from woollen rugs, coffee bags, knitting needles, second-hand nails, a Webber BBQ, metal lights and more.
 |
| Robert Hains - Pegasus |
Created from a bookcase, school desk, chair and lectern.
You are invited to vote for your favourite and the winning artist gets $4000. Which will support them handsomely while they are rummaging around in the tip looking for their next inspiration! So if you're in the area, pop in and check it out. It will make you see junk in a different light.
