Tag Archives: Queensland

Explore It – Gladstone

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TL;DR – Today, I take a wander around Gladstone and its many surroundings.  

Disclosure – I was not paid to visit any of the locations shown here, and all Queensland Government COVID requirements were followed, including the use of masks.

Exploring Gladstone –

In this Covid world, one of the hardest parts has been the isolation from friends and family, I know people have had it worse, but I have had to cancel family get-togethers five times because of surprise lockdowns. To the point that it has become a running joke with my friends every time there is a lockdown. Well, there was a moment of stability (not that there wasn’t a scare the week before that made me think it would all unravel again). So, when you have the chance, you take it, and with that came the exploration of the many faces of Gladstone.

From Brisbane, Gladstone is about a six to ten-hour drive depending on the time of day, whether you get stuck behind a caravan/boat that only gets up to speed in the overtaking lane, and how many stops you can make. For safety, you should be making stops to rest, and our first one was at the town of Tiaro. We stopped here because you can get a mean burger, but also because their butcher is known all up the highway for its bacon, which will become important later. It also has the oddness of having a pedestrian crossing over the main northern highway in Queensland, the Bruce.   

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Explore It – Lego, Masters, and Dumplings, oh my

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TL;DR – Today, I explore the current exhibits at the GOMA and Science Museum  

Disclosure – I paid for entry into both Brickman® Wonders of the World and the European Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York exhibits.

Image Credit: Brian MacNamara.

Article –

Well, when I put in leave at my work to take some much needed time off, I thought I would plan a grand escape to the city, with all that would entail. That was indeed the plan, but then the Delta strand decided that it was time for another lockdown and that people really didn’t need that nice public holiday. This, of course, put all of my plans up in the air, but after the lockdown was lifted, I did get to spend one morning out and about, which we will see today.

Please Note: I was following all Queensland Government guidelines when out and about, including social distancing, signing in to every location, wearing a mask at all times, and regularly sanitising my hands.  

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Explore It – Daisy Hill Conservation Park & Koala Centre

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TL;DR – Today I explore the beautiful Daisy Hill Conservation Park & Koala Centre a pocket of bushland just south of Brisbane.

Daisy Hill Conservation Park & Koala Centre. Image Credit: Brian MacNamara

Article –

This week, month, and year has been a bit stressful, to say the least, so I thought I would take a moment and destress by going to one of the best-kept secrets in South-East Queensland the Daisy Hill Conservation Park & Koala Centre, just south of Brisbane in Logan City.  

Daisy Hill is a pocket of bushland in the hills behind Logan City and a key conversation area for a lot of local species including to koalas. There is a day area on the southern tip with bush walks, grass to run around with, the Koala Centre, and most importantly for me some good old fashioned fire BBQs.

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TV Review – Tidelands: Season One

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TL;DR – This opener immediately drags you into a world of multiple factions that are all untrustworthy and makes you wonder who will you back?

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

Tidelands. Image Credit: Netflix

Review –

There is this surreal moment that, I assume if you lived in Vancouver or cities like that you would be used to, when you see someone drive down a street in a film and then instantly realise that you have driven there before. You know those cane fields, the factories, you know that bridge, that university hall. It has happened before with places I have visited overseas, but never here in Australia, and never with Brisbane playing Brisbane.However as a critic, this is potentially dangerous territory, do I like the show because it is good or because I have a natural drive to see the local film industry do well. However, with Netflix’s new show Tidelands, I don’t think this is the case, and as I review all of the first season I think you will see immediately if this is a show that you should dive into or not.     

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TV Review – Tidelands: Home

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TL;DR – This opener immediately drags you into a world of multiple factions that are all untrustworthy and makes you wonder who will you back?

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

Tidelands. Image Credit: Netflix

Netflix is this big global juggernaut, which is currently dominating the media landscape. Now while that’s fine because we are getting such amazing shoes like Stranger Things (see review) and Lost in Space (see review) however, they have not really engaged with local content as much as they should. Well, today we see the first steps in changing that with Tidelands,Netflix’s first show produced for them out of Australia. So without a doubt, there is a certain amount of novelty seeing my hometown up there on the big screen, and you can’t help but be sucked in. However, beyond the novelty is a story that had me immediately hooked and wanting to see more.

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Explore It – Moving History  

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TL;DR – Today I explore the moving of historic St. Philips Anglican Church

The Move

Article –

Today I drove south of Brisbane to the suburbs because for some people in Rochedale a big move was happening and I was asked to record it for history’s sake. For most people in the area it was the little brown church on the corner, but it is a building with a lot of history. As the older parishioners will tell you, the church was made out of wood salvaged from an American World War Two barracks. During WW2 Brisbane was the headquarters for the South West Pacific campaign, with places like the University of Queensland being converted into the advanced headquarters for the Allied Land Forces. The legacy of WW2 and the American presence still exists across Brisbane and St. Philips Anglican Church is but one reminder of it. But like all things, the march of progress is upon the area as Rochdale is transformed from a rural enclave into a new residential/commercial suburb, and the time for the little brown church on the corner has come to an end, of sorts. For the land it is on will soon to be turned into a traffic intersection so the choice was to move it or destroy it and Coles Supermarkets the new owners decided to give it a new lease of life as a community centre. However, it is an old building, and an old building that needed to be moved, and that precarious endeavour is what we are looking at today. Just a warning that there are a lot of images after the fold, so if you are on mobile you might want to check that you are on wifi.

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Explore It – Jacaranda Flowering time at the University of Queensland  

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TL;DR – Today I explore the time of year that Brisbane turns purple.

UQ Jacarandas

Article –

There are a lot of benefits for living in Brisbane, the weather is nice most of the year round, we have some of the nicest beaches in the world a short drive away, and if you want to escape the heat you have the hinterlands. However, for me, my favourite time to be in Brisbane is the end of spring when the city turns purple as the Jacarandas (Jacaranda mimosifolia) come out to bloom. So today we are going to explore one of the best places to see the Jacarandas in full flower the campus of the University of Queensland which sits along the Brisbane River at St Lucia. Just a warning that there are a lot of images after the fold, so if you are on mobile you might want to check that you are on wifi.

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