Taken from the river bank at Cotton Tree where the ever changing light attracts photographers from everywhere to capture these magic moments
Photo Of My Week
Brunch At A Marcoola Cafe
Waking this morning with the sound of the rain on the roof of my van….. Put me into a mood to spend the day relaxing and taking some time to catch up. Nothing in the cupboards tempted my taste buds and so here I am at the “Bulli” cafe at Marcoola Beach, just a few kilometres up the road from Maroochydore.
This little backwater block of shops is not a place you would normally stumble on as you make your way along the David Low Way towards Noosa. To get here you will need to turn off just after the northern end of the Sunshine Coast runway and head towards the beach. Turn in by the shops and you will find it secluded but busy at this time on a Saturday morning.
I was welcomed with a friendly greeting and shown the choices from the menu, as well as offerings from the specials board. I decided on the baguette, with avocado, cheese, tomato and bacon. To this I added an orange juice and a short black coffee. Total price $15.50.
Faced with a choice of inside and alfresco dining, I opted for a table just outside the door, but far enough under the awning to get protection from the drizzling rain. The outlook gives the impression of a little beach town, almost left behind from the maddening world, with a little park and pagoda across the un-curbed street and back-dropped by low sand dunes shielding it from the coastal breezes.
I found myself looking at a fellow patron, a couple of tables over, who looked extremely familiar. Try as I might, I could not get the brain cells to dredge up the memory of who he was, or how I knew him. Such a frustration… so much for relaxing the mind.
The orange juice arrived first, followed closely by the short black. With the number of people here, I had expected a bit of a wait but, within a very short time, the baguette arrived, nicely presented, and I tucked in.
Now baguettes are not a staple of my diet….. I don’t eat a lot of bread… but this one was definitely good. The bacon, not so crispy that it shattered (just as I like it) but cooked enough to satisfy most tastes. The coffee was strong, (just as it should be), and there was a refill offered not long after I had drained it. The orange juice was…. well there isn’t a lot that you can say about orange juice… it is what it is, but in this case it was cold and refreshing.
As I sit here writing this at the cafe table, the rain is starting to fall more heavily meaning that the walk back to my truck will be wet. This is, of course a sign that I should order another coffee and wait it out.
The group with the “guy” that has cause me so much frustration got up to go and I stopped him to ask…..Alas, He didn’t know me.. came from Brisbane and had a brother in North Queensland who looked just like him but none of this gave me that lightbulb moment. We parted company with me none the wiser.
Across the street, a family has become stranded in the pagoda as the rain increases intensity. Although it is not a downpour, it is enough to make even a short dash across the street uncomfortable.
This is November on the Coast, but today is definitely a jeans sort of day. It is not cold, but the rain kind of makes you feel that you need just a bit more cosy-ness in your day. Just the right sort of weather for brunching at Bulli in Marcoola
Early Summer
Summer seems to have come early on the Sunshine Coast here in Queensland. Hot sticky nights that are normally the preserve of January and February have begun to test the powers of getting a good night’s sleep.
Now this might sound like a good old whinge, but as I sit here enjoying a coffee in my “today” office at Banjo’s Bakery and Cafe on the Sunshine Plaza at Maroochydore, I find have discovered a tiny micro climate where the breeze is sweeping along the banks of Cormeal Creek. How pleasant is this welcome break from the oppressive heat I have so recently stepped away from?
The view today, is somewhat less inspiring due to the development of the Plaza building on the opposite side of the creek, but in the fullness of time this will transform into a relaxing and tranquil space.
Banjo’s is one of my favourite coffee spots in the Plaza. I am particularly fond of their Danish, be it the apricot or apple version, and it is the latter that is the pick for today.
After a very torrid week at my other job, I am taking a bit of me time to reflect on places where I have recently been and work through the photo’s that I took along the way. The travelling, it seems, is the easy part of this travel writing business. It is the editing and writing that take up the time. Still I find playing with words a satisfying pass-time, made all the better by a good latte.
Some years ago I started taking photos of letterboxes that I came across along my travels. The ingenuity that goes with the crafting of some of these is astounding, and this is especially the case the deeper into the bush one travels. On a recent trip to Rockhampton, I drove along one stretch of road and found several examples, each seeming to be trying to outdo it’s neighbour for uniquisity.
GMail…..If you are handy with a chainsaw you can whip one of these up in a few minutes. Good use of an old dead stump at the gate.
Cream Anyone? There will be some who can remember the old cream can. Some even who have dragged them onto the back of a truck before carting them off to the milk factory. This one has weathered the years well and is still doing stirling service in its new role as a mail box
Shades of D’Arth Vader……. Turned on its head, this “passed its use by date” gas bottle could be a reminder of Ned Kelly from the past or maybe D’Arth Vader from the future
This Hollow Log has found a new life set up on a tree fork and keeping the weather off the few letters that get delivered in this day of electronics. Maybe it also doubles as a shelter for a wayward possum on a cold night.
44 Gallon drums were common place on rural properties back in the day. They still can be found storing liquid and, with the tops cut off, make an excellent storage bin or, like this one, a mail box.
Not sure obout this one…. Cooked the motor, perhaps
A bit more traditional, but liked the attention to detail with the tin coping around the eaves
All of these boxes were scattered along one short stretch of country road I travelled as I headed out to Seventeen Seventy and are probably the highest density of odd-ball mail boxes I have come across. There are others out there that are weird and whacky which I will bring to you as I see them.
If you enjoy this post please feel free to share it with your friends and if you would like to leave a comment I’ll be happy to respond. Thank you for taking the time to drop by……….
In A World Of So Many People, I Will Meet 100 Strangers
Jesse Taylor is today’s new Stranger. I meet him as I was taking out my garbage. He was headfirst into the back of his van sorting out some wiring. I noticed the guitar and music gear and stopped for a chat.
Jesse appears to be living the dream… He has taken his love of mosaic and combined it with surfing and manages to keep it all together travelling and singing in his renovated tradies van. Currently he does his gigs, mainly around the Sunshine Coast but nest weekend will find him playing at Byron Bay in between hitting the waves.
Writing most of his own material, Jesse describes his style as Folk but will dabble in other genres such as Jazz and Reggie.
Check him out online… Jesse Taylor Coastline will find him in a search engine. Good start to the project and after listening to a few of his songs I also get a new artist to follow as I do the long miles down the road
This picture is #1 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the www.flickr.com/groups