'A Midsummer Night's Dream'...

... or certainly the dream of some very culturally aware folk in Noosa, Qld. This beautiful amphitheatre has been built in the Noosa Botanic Gardens on the edge of Lake McDonald. Shakespeare plays and other productions are performed here, and it's also a very popular venue for weddings.

Hockey and Noosa

The reason for going to Brisbane was to watch the Australian Hockey League Finals Week of matches. Unfortunately, the ACT team didn't doing as well as they would have liked, finishing fifth out of eight teams.

Sara

Warming up prior to the game

I actually took more photos of aeroplanes over the field than I did of the hockey. The fields were right under the flight path to Brisbane Airport, and being an aeroplane 'junkie', I couldn't resist taking the odd photo during the games.

The road to Noosa Heads, via Maleny, Montville and the Glasshouse Mountains.

Brisbane in the distance on the right.

The beach quite close to where my brother lives.

Views of Noosa.

Surrounding countryside.

We're back, but ....

.... I'm not sure that I want to be, especially when I look at the state of my garden - but more of that later. We had a wonderful three weeks - staying with friends, watching hockey, meeting my sister-in-law for the first time and seeing my brother for the first time in about 5 years, and especially spending a week with Tanya in Townsville. It was so good to see where and how she lives, meet some of her friends, and experience some of the places and activities that she enjoys so much. Thank you, Tanya, for a great holiday.

I know you will be disappointed when I say that I don't intend to post all 845 photos....lol. So here are a few from the first couple of days.

Dawn on the day of departure.

Next morning at Taree, on the Manning River.

Crowdy Head, on the Lower North Coast of NSW.

On the road again.

Lunch stop at Macksville, on the Nambucca River.

The perfect motel at Yamba, on the Clarence River, north coast of NSW.

This is the life!

Yamba Marina.....

....and miles of gorgeous beaches.

Even further North

Arrived in Townsville this morning after a two hour flight from Brisbane. Warm (very warm) and sunny here. Really looking forward to spending this week with Tanya - watching her play beach volleyball this evening and AusTag (a type of touch football) on Wednesday night. Then we will be heading off for a couple of days high up on the Atherton Tableland before flying back to Brisbane on Sunday and beginning our leisurely drive back to Canberra.

Took lots of photos of Brisbane and Townville from the plane - certainly a different view of the cities. I've only taken 300 photos in a week so far; I've been very restrained!!!

Greetings from the North

Well, not as far north as Tanya, but at least we're in the same State, Queensland. 1600klm so far, through beautiful countryside - most of it very green, too, as there's been good rains along the coast. Such a contrast to the dry, brown countryside we've been looking at for so long.

Hockey results have been mixed - ACT best South Australia yesterday but lost to Western Australia today. Rest day tomorrow and then it's ACT v Tasmania.

We're now spending a couple of nights with my brother and his wife in Noosa Heads, a couple of hours drive north of Brisbane.

I haven't taken too many photos yet, but I'm sure that will change, especially when we get to Townsville.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter.

Up and Away, AGAIN!

Yes, folks, it's time to pack the car and head north for about 3 weeks. Firstly we'll have a week in Brisbane watching several hockey games in the Australian National League Finals Week. We hope Sara's ACT team will do well. Following the finals on Easter Sunday we will fly to Townsville to spend a week with Tanya (Purple Giraffes), and we're looking forward to hearing all about Tanya's three weeks in Vanuatu.

May I wish you all a very happy Easter - don't eat too many of those choccy eggs! I'll catch up with you all when we return around 18th April.

Are you relaxing yet...?