Contrary to popular belief, Brisbane winters can get pretty bloody chilly! The days are lovely - sunny with temps around 22C. But the mornings and nights are icy! We had a few mornings of -2C but for the most part, the lows are between 7 and 14 degrees. So when the first warm weekend days arrived at the beginning of August, we were keen to get out in the sunshine & make the most of a nippy pool.
We'd par-boiled and had been marinading some pork belly ribs for a couple of days so it was time to cook 'em up. What better way than over a "proper" barbie!
Scott chopping some wood for the fire
The resident pyromaniac doing her thing
Scott with beer in hand on his new pool chair
Onto the bubbly... cheers! Ribs, fresh avo & a baked potato. Yummy!
Grrrrrrrrr!
This is Scott's pride & joy! He worked damn long & hard making up his new tool bag. He's THE most organised techie!
Kerry & her fandamily went to visit friends for a weekend and kindly offered us their house in Robina while they were away. Woooohooooo!!!! We spent the WHOLE weekend at Burleigh beach. It was heavenly to feel the sand between our toes and to swim in the sea again. Spending time at the beach really cemented our decision to move back to Sydney. Brisbane is a great city. There is plenty going on culturally in and around the city. The weather is nice - okay, not sure about the middle of summer with it's scorching heat & high humidity... :( But winter's nice. The infrastructure is great for outdoor living, cycling & walking. BUT, it's absolutely nowhere near the ocean - I mean REAL ocean - not just Moreton Bay with it's ultra salty, murky, waveless sea water. Why not move to the Gold Coast and commute? Just out of the question. If we were able to commute by train and just work in an office all day, it' would be fine. However, both of us have to drive to work because we're out on site most of the day. And not necessarily in the city either. We work anywhere within a 2 hour driving radius of the city which could make the commute from the Gold Coast over 4 hours on a Friday afternoon. That's just too much. As well as the fact that the company won't pay for our petrol if we move that far away. We really will always be happy we came to Brisbane though - if anything, it's made us realise just how much of a connection we have with and in Sydney.
So we've started saving and are busy planning our move back home to Sydney! Watch this space....
So we've started saving and are busy planning our move back home to Sydney! Watch this space....
My birthday started on Friday, 28th August when Scott came home with these absolutely STUNNING roses.
7.30am on my birthday! Not looking very glamorous! LOL! Scott spoilt me rotten though. iTunes vouchers, JB HiFi voucher (electronics + DVD store), new headphones for my iPod and a Leatherman Skeletool! I really couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do for my birthday.... I've got to that point in my life where I'd rather ignore the fact that I'm another year older! LOL! At the end of the day, the only thing I really wanted to do was to head out on the bikes along the sea around Redcliffe on Moreton Bay. Remember the kite festival? Well we parked in almost exactly the same spot next to where they'd the festival.
Scott taking the bikes off the bike rack
All fresh & ready to head out
But wait! Before we get too far, it's time to feed the pelicans
Gulp!!!
Mom & dad with their youngster. Youngsters can be recognised by their white eye ring, brown feathers & furry "mohecan". 
Over the old Hornibrook Highway which is for cyclists, pedestrians & fisherman only. The new Houghton Highway is on the left.
On the other side of the bridge at Brighton Park
Heading back towards Redcliffe
I managed to wrestle the camera away from Scott!
This was classic! Along the Hornibrook Esplanade there were a couple of guys unloading their ute, setting up for a barbie. Click on the pic to enlarge if you can't see it clearly - 2 leather couches!!! Now that's called hanging out at the beach in style!
Scott's Point
Loved these pelican bike parking racks
Parking my bike in the pelican's bum! LOL
The Gayundah wreck at Woody Point. I found the following info on a website about Queensland shipwrecks: Gayundah. Steel gunboat, 360 tons. Built at Newcastle-on-Tyne for the Queensland Navy in 1884. Lbd 120 x 26 x 9.5 ft. Hulk filled with concrete and scuttled to form a breakwater at Woody point, Moreton Bay, Queensland, 1958.
Heading along Margate Parade
A pamphlet we picked up at the visitors centre at the beginning of the ride - Redcliffe Bikeways. Click on the link to check out the online version - this one put out by the Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Just before we got to the Scarborough marina, we saw a sigh saying that the tandem skydive landing was happening shortly. So we took a bit of a break before turning back and watched them land along with other passers-by.
Time for lunch! We found a great restaurant along Marine Parade in Redcliffe. I had a bucket of prawns and an ice cold beer! Note the VERY rosy cheeks - this ride was the longest I'd been on - 30kms. What a great way to spend my birthday!!!
