Australia 2022

 Finally managed to get to Australia for July and August 2022 having booked the flight in January 2020!  Trailfinders kept the money for me and I didn't have to pay any extra for changing the flight times a couple of times.  Every flight from Stornoway to Brisbane via Heathrow was delayed for about an hour or more.  The queue for check in and security at Edinburgh took me a couple of hours and the queue for security at Heathrow was a trek and took about an hour.  Luckily I had plenty of time to spare having arrived at the airport early.  I had stayed a couple of days at Leonardo Hotel, Heathrow.  I was going to meet up with Judith but she had to stay home due to the heat.  The heat which had not reached the Outer Hebrides, thank goodness.  I managed to pass the day wandering and taking photos.

Leon and Theo

Mr grumpy

Arrived at Anna (my niece) and Leon's house in Brisbane just after midnight.  Watched Theo play in the park and then at his swimming lesson.  Anna drove me to Bribie Island to stay with Ady (my sister).  I was back with Anna a few days later after celebrating her birthday at a lunch at a nearby pub with her friends.  Ady and I played the Keno - only Aus $20 and I won.  Apparently I was just one number off the jackpot.  Still enough to treat everyone.

Anna at Redcliffe waterfront

There is a white faced heron's nest in the tree next door to Ady's.  We have been watching the two coming and going and building their nest.

We have had a few good walks with the dogs - Blue and Chilli along the waterfront on Bribie, watching the sunset over the glass house mountains.  Ady fetched me and Theo from Anna's and we took Theo to Australia Zoo.  It was my first time and a very enjoyable day.

Theo in the jaws

There are not as many pelicans or cockatoos as they are mating somewhere else on the island.  However, we have spotted a few pelicans and I was lucky to catch one fishing.

The white faced heron on the nest

young masked lapwing chick

little egret

Pelican catching and trying to keep the fish

We had a lovely walk at Buckleys hole on Tuesday.  Without the dogs as it is a conservation area.  On Wednesday we went to the Eric Joseph Foote memorial gardens in Budrim.  Excellent walking area for the dogs.  Early on Thursday morning we took the dogs to Beachmere.  They are allowed off the leash on parts of the beach.  It was a beautiful morning and we saw a few flocks of birds.  The egrets posed beautifully.

I think these are wallaby tracks

Loads of moon snails make a pretty pattern

Heron

Blue with a photo bomb from Chilli

Pelican at Beachmere

Ady and the dogs - icm

Beautifully posed egrets

Banana Chilli

and the splash when she lands

That's it for now.  We are doing a whale watching trip next week so hopefully I will have some images from that.

A fabulous trip on EYE SPY by www.brisbanewhalewatching.com.au 

The whales and dolphins gave us all a treat.  A very comfortable trip with a friendly and efficient crew.

I have loads of images like this one 

You can see at least four dolphins just under the water

Dolphins and a whale

Dolphins enjoying themselves

Three whales

This is how close they are to the boat

A few breaches.  This is two images together

Two flukes

A wave

Anna

Moreton Bay island

About to come up to breath

Four in a row