mja blog

Category: Travel

  • Bundaberg here we come

    This popped up on my OneDrive feed this morning. It is eleven years to the week that Jo and I last visited the regional city and stayed at Lime Cottage in Burnett Heads, a farmstay property about 15 minutes from the city centre. It was our second stay at the cottage. I remember on our earlier trip looking out the kitchen window and seeing several curious goats near the fence a couple of metres away.

    Burnett Heads

    On this trip Jo and I visited the Botanic Gardens, Kelly’s Beach at Bargara, and the Bundaberg Rum Factory. I think we may also have gone to the cinema to watch Breaking Dawn: Part 1, part of the Twilight movie franchise.

    I took lots of photos of colourful plants at the gardens, and this one of Jo Blossom which is one of my all time favourites:

    Bundaberg Botanic Gardens

    I was also taking lots of photos at odd angles, at our visit to the beach.

    Kelly’s Beach, Bargara

    I’ve since discovered that the cottage, along with the property and main house, was sold in September 2020 and is no longer on offer as holiday accommodation.

    Some pleasant memories of my 2011 vacation with Jo. Looking forwards to making more great memories with Jo and Mum next month!

  • Beach dreaming

    In two months’ time, we’ll be getting ready for our roadtrip to Bundaberg for a week-long holiday! Mum, Jo and I will be staying in a couple of rooms right near the beach and I’m looking forward to lots of swims and relaxing walks by the sea. The local surf lifesaving club has a beach wheelchair available for hire on the weekends, and we’re hoping to take Jo for a paddle.

    It’s a shock to realise it is more than ten years since Jo and I last visited Bundaberg! We visited the Botanic Gardens, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery and Bargara beach.

    Stock photo at the top, by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

  • Hinterland

    Almost finished the workshop exercises for Week 5, around economic surplus and government intervention. Some of the lecture material seemed almost political, the effect of government taxes, subsidies and even the minimum wage on competitive markets. It has given me an interesting insight into why governments step in, and who benefits.

    I left Portobello yesterday as scheduled. Despite the rain, the power blackout and the stairs, I had enjoyed the simplicity and convenience of the little apartment. It had been an idyllic few days, although I missed sharing the highlights with H. I am sure he would have enjoyed the coastal walks, the swim in the sea, and the nearby coffee houses and Asian-style restaurants.

    I wanted to go for another swim before I left the Sunshine Coast, but being perfect weather, and a Friday (when nobody works?) the beaches were packed. I managed to squeeze into the car park at Shelly Beach, where there was a school group studying the rock pools. I went for a quick dip further along the beach, where I noticed a couple of other people. The surf there was a bit too strong for me and I made the sensible decision not to venture too far or too long in it.

    Leaving Caloundra, I skipped the Bruce Highway exit and took the longer inland route home via Kilcoy. Stopped at Maleny Botanic Gardens, photos below. The Glasshouse Mountains are a stunning backdrop, and the feature of several different vantage points from the terraced gardens.

  • Blue Skies

    Yesterday was a glorious day, not a cloud in the sky. I ventured out mid-morning for a break and a reward for finishing my First Aid theory work. I returned mid-afternoon after getting through my economics reading, this time went for a swim. The water was wonderful.

    Today is my last day at Portobello, check-out time is 10am. I am up early to get a little more study done. Looks like another perfect day ahead.

    Swim between the flags
    Ship on the horizon

  • Sunny haircut

    Crossing a few to do items off my list this week. Yesterday I finished all the Week 4 economics work, including my first live Zoom workshop with other students and our tutor Nizam. Usually I’m at work when they hold these. Completed UTAS’ mandatory Academic Integrity module, made a start on the First Aid course work, and had my hair cut at a local salon.

    It was wonderful to see the sun, a little bit of rain in the morning, but mostly sunny and blue skies. Went for a walk up to Moffat Beach and watched people on the beach, the water looked great. I may go for a swim myself this afternoon. Took a few photos of Moffat and Dicky Beaches with the blue skies overhead, although very patchy – you can see rain up the coast.

    Post-hair salon selfie
    Moffat Beach
    Near Raintrees Resort at Moffat Beach
    Dicky Beach

  • Wetlands

    Yesterday was eventful. After a morning of heavy rain, and lots of study, I decided to head out for a beach ramble around 2.30pm. I headed north again, up to Currimundi, and discovered sections of the delightful coastal walk through the Coondibah Creek reserve land, which sits in the wooded area behind the dunes. There is a bridge where the creek forms a lagoon and the overflow streams into the sea. It eventually comes out at Ballinger Beach, a couple of streets away from the Dicky Beach Surf Rescue Club.

    On arrival back at the apartments around 4pm there was no power. Luckily my phone and tablet were fully charged so I was able to carry on with my economics text (not the most interesting holiday reading). The power was out all through Dicky Beach from downed lines, so I couldn’t buy my dinner from the Japanese takeaway around the corner as I’d planned. Instead a salad of leafy greens, diced fetta and watermelon then an early night. Lights came back on around 8pm (to resounding cheers in the apartment complex).