Further along magpie lark creek

I decided to head back to a trail I once religiously exercised along near Bulimba Creek. I often trekked the route before six in the morning. After that time, Brisbane’s summers were just too hot.

A lush Melbourne park

Fitzroy Gardens, named after an early New South Wales governor, was on the edge of the city centre located on a generous section of land. If I’d hoped to see an abundance of Australian native trees, I would have been disappointed. There were a few pines, gum trees and Moreton Bay fig tees, but this was more of an English park. Chestnut and elm trees appeared to have been planted when the park first opened 150 years ago because their girth and height was vast.

Whippoorwill Point Loop

I’d already ascended from Sandy Cove, so what the heck, I thought, I might as well continue along the trail. There was no one to disturb my temporary ownership except the occasional call of a bird.

The best kept secret Auz foods

If you’re arriving from North America, you’ll notice how fresh the fruits and vegetables are in Australia. Amazingly, you don’t need a knife to peel a mango if you’re there in the right season. But make sure it’s a Bowen mango. They’re the best along with delicious custard apples and passion fruits. Queensland has the perfect climate for these tasty fruits, so it’s the place to try them.

A park of tiny buildings

Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens were not only filled with old trees carefully arranged over lush grounds, but small buildings.

Sandy Cove Beach

Tucked away from Harrison Hot Springs was Sandy Cove Beach. It may have only been about a kilometre up and down a winding path, but it seemed like a world away. I met no one along the trail but when I arrived at the beach, a flock of birds took off, their wings clapping the air.

Remains of Cleveland’s European past

Cleveland’s courthouse that’s now a restaurant, became a police station for a time where local lawbreakers could be locked up on site. This wooden building from the 1850s had Moreton Bay beckoning at its doorstep.