Because of Cleveland’s rich red soil, it was once the bread basket of Brisbane. When we past through on our way to Cleveland Spit, there were farms on both sides of the road. Neatly ploughed rows of luscious volcanic soil were home to a variety of vegetables. Continue reading Disappearing farms
Category Archives: Australia
To market to market
Queen Victoria Markets on the north side of Melbourne city, extended a couple of blocks. When I stepped through the main entrance, the smell of meats had me steering away to the specialized sections of cheeses and even a store that sold crocodile and kangaroo meats. Continue reading To market to market
Almost surrounded by sea
It’s not only Brisbane’s over thirty degree summers that has everyone reach for a cool drink, but the soaring humidity. That was why Cleveland was another coastal location my parents flocked to during summer. Continue reading Almost surrounded by sea
Through university grounds
Melbourne University is ranked as Australia’s best. It lies north on the outskirts of the city centre with buildings a mixture of modern and old. Nearly 50 000 students attend the university many coming from over 130 different countries. Continue reading Through university grounds
Place of the magpie lark
Not far from the ruckus of Brisbane’s Carindale Shopping Centre, I hiked a trail through Tillack Park lined with paper bark trees. The pathway mirrored Bulimba Creek; an Aboriginal word meaning place of the magpie lark. While this was a common bird with a musical call, I only spotted a pigeon. Continue reading Place of the magpie lark
Remembering the fallen
After the British invaded Australia in 1788, thousands of Aboriginal peoples died from violent clashes over land; from starvation; from European diseases that were often deliberately thrust on to Australia’s original inhabitants. Continue reading Remembering the fallen
A childhood haunt
Wynnum’s wading pool brings back memories from my childhood when my parents drove my sister and I to Wynnum to cool off on Brisbane’s sweltering summer days. Salt water from Moreton Bay filled the enclosure at high tide to about sixty centimetres, making it safe for children. Continue reading A childhood haunt