St Helena Island

When I was at school, I hated history! It was boring!  Why learn about the past?  I felt that the present and future were more important, so I didn't want to concentrate on history!

However, over time,  I have become more and more interested in history.  Now, I feel that it is very important to know where we came from and how we got to where we are.  Everything that happened in the past has shaped where we are now.

Blacksmith

There are no convicts in my family history, but I still enjoy learning more about penal settlements and such.  It amazes me how much we have changed in such a relatively short period of time.

This is what prompted our visit today to St Helena Island.   The island, in Moreton Bay,  is now a National Park but was a Penal Establishment from 1867 - 1932.   Not much remains of the original establishment.  The guides (dressed as prisoners and a warder) kept us entertained with their stories and antics.

You can find out more about St Helena Island,  here and here.

We boarded the ferry at Manly marina and about 20 minutes later we were on St Helena Island.  We were provided with a guided tour of the historical sites on the island and lunch; about 5.5 hours in total.

Cat O' Nine Tails at Manly Marina

My tips;

• There is not much shade or shelter so make sure that you are wearing sunscreen and a hat.  
• Take some water and snacks (the provided lunch was not very satisfying).

Limestone Kiln

Prisoners Cemetery

Shark proof swimming pool

Museum

Can you see the Kangaroo?
They roam St Helena Island

The Ghosts were hiding.

Alex with our Tour Guide & Story Teller

It seemed strange to be walking around a busy city on a ghost tour.  The tour guide certainly received a lot of attention due to his very appropriate costume. 

As someone who enjoys history,  I was very interested in the stories and want to know more.

Brisbane Arcade

We didn't see any ghosts but enjoyed walking around the city and hearing the stories.  It has made me keen to complete the Brisbane Heritage Trail.  We may even do the Boggo Rd or a Cemetery Ghost tour.

The walking tour commenced at the Brisbane Arcade at 7.30pm.  I wont give away the details but we visited several buildings and locations, where there have been sightings of ghosts.   We heard some entertaining and well presented stories about some of the places and people of Brisbane's past.

Brisbane Arcade

If you have had any "Ghostly Experiences" in Brisbane, then please let Brisbane Ghost Tours know the details so that they can investigate and preserve the story.

Town Hall

Pros:   An interesting and different way to explore Brisbane and hear about history.
Cons:  A bit too slow moving for me.  I would have liked to have heard more stories and seen more in the 90 minutes.

The Commissariat Store
Now a Museum and Royal Historical Society

Stephens Lane

Beautiful Beaches

Alex enjoying the view at Point Danger. 

What is your favourite Beach?

I grew up with the ocean and the beach.  Every school holidays and most weekends were spent at my parents Beach House.  The one thing that Alex and I missed while living in North East Victoria was the Beach.  

I love the sound of waves crashing into shore. The sand between your toes and the feeling of sinking as the sand beneath your feet is washed away by the waves.  The screech of seagulls and children having fun.  The wind blowing your hair and the smell of the ocean.

Greenmount Beach

There are so many lovely beaches in Queensland.  Today took us to the Gold Coast.  There were people everywhere as it was a warm day (30 degrees Celsius) and school holidays.   Parking was hard to come by so we kept driving along the coast.  We were looking for a beach that was not extremely busy, where we could enjoy a picnic and swim. 

Near the Queensland and NSW border, we stopped at Point Danger.  It was primarily a surfing beach (I don't know how to surf yet!) so we walked along the beach as far as we could go, but rocks prevented us from continuing along the beach so we went up to the Walk of Remembrance and viewed the beaches from above before deciding on a place to picnic and swim.

Point Danger Walk of Remembrance
Remembering the "men and women who lost their lives in the forty-one Allied and
Australian Naval and Merchant ships sunk along Australia's coastline
during World War Two".

Point Danger

Greenmount Beach at Rainbow Bay was patrolled by life guards and was good for swimming, surfing and exploring rocks.  When the tide was out,  a pool of water remained, which was perfect for young children to play. No dogs are allowed at Greenmount Beach.

Greenmount Beach at Rainbow Bay

However my favourite beach was Froggy Beach.  It is a secluded beach between the rocks of Point Danger and Snapper Rocks and as it is not patrolled there were not many people there.  A real hidden gem!

Snapper Rocks and Froggy Beach

Froggy Beach

I now have a new goal;  I want to try surfing so am going to have surfing lessons before the end of the year (but not during school holidays!)

My Tips:  Take a beach umbrella or beach tent.  Wear sunscreen and reapply regularly as there is not a lot of shade.

The best Zoo in the World?

Is Australia Zoo the best in the World?  I think it may be!

We have been to a number of zoos in Australia and around the world but today's visit to Australia Zoo at Beerwah tops the lot!  Impressive!

Most zoos make me sad as I feel sorry for the animals being kept in captivity.  However, I did not feel this way at all after our visit to Australia Zoo today!  Instead I could see that there is a genuine passion and care for all the animals at this education and conservation facility.  Yes. I came away feeling that this is not just a zoo but a conservation and education facility, to ensure that we learn more about these beautiful animals and to make sure that they will be around for future generations also.

Everywhere that we went, the staff were interactive, helpful and friendly.  The zoo is huge, impeccably neat & clean, very well laid out with lots to see and do.  We didn't get through the entire park in the 6 hours that we were there, so have upgraded to an annual membership so that we can go back again (and will save 10% on any purchases). It was very busy and very hot today, so our next visit will be in a cooler month, when it is not school holidays!

My top tips would be:

• Be prepared; Download the app and have a plan.  Be aware of the shows and activities and plan your time around them.
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.  
• Take a water bottle and camera as you will need them both (a lot).
• Get there early (opens at 9am) and intend to spend the whole day there (until 5pm).
• Attend the shows!  Especially the Wildlife Warriors show.  Fantastic!
• Take the shuttle train to "Africa" at the back of the park and then make your way back to the entrance/exit on foot visiting each of the enclosures and areas
• Be aware that every credit card transaction incurs a fee so use cash to reduce the costs.

A Great Legacy to Steve Irwin & Australia.  Well Done & Thank you to everyone involved.  

Coochiemudlo Island

Norfolk Beach - Coochiemudlo Island
Click on the pictures for larger view

We would like to explore all the nearby islands while we are living in Queensland.  Coochiemudlo Island is a small island close to Victoria Point.  Very Close.  The passenger ferry leaves every 30 minutes at a cost of $10.00 per adult return (at time of writing).  Alternatively,  you can take your car over for $55.00 return (includes passengers) but the vehicle ferries are less frequent and we were told that coming back can be difficult if you have not booked as everyone waits for the last ferry!

Amity Traders Ferry from Victoria Point to Coochiemudlo
and return
Note:  Cash only

"Coochie" is only a small island (about 5 square kilometers) so we didn't take our car. We were on the island in under 10 minutes!  It is a good thing that my daughter had cash on her as credit cards are not accepted and the purchase of tickets is completed on the ferry (about 1/2 way across)!

Map of Coochiemudlo Island  - Click to enlarge
Note the number of facilities around the Island

 As everyone embarked from the ferry, the majority of people made their way to the nearby "Main Beach", where there were many boats and water activities for hire.  As all the picnic tables and barbeques along the foreshore were being used, we decided to go for a walk to the other side of the island (just over 1 km) to Morwong Beach.   Our kids (young adults) were not impressed as there was more mud and mangroves than sand.  This is not what they expected from Queensland beaches, so we were soon walking again and made our way to Norfolk Beach.

Melaleuca Wetlands

Morwong Beach
(and Mangroves and Mud)

The easiest way to get to Norfolk Beach is to follow the path to the right when you get off the ferry.  Go past the "Kiosk" and the "Redrocks Cafe" and the path will take you to Norfolk Beach, which was lovely.  There are limited places that dogs are allowed on Coochiemudlo Island so it was a good thing that we decided to leave Molly at home on this occasion!

There are easy walking tracks all over Coochiemudlo island

It continues to surprise me, the number of "tourist friendly" facilities that the QLD government have installed.  There are picnic tables, barbeques, taps and toilets all over the island (refer to the map).

Tip:  Although the BBQs are usually clean,
we take aluminium foil in our backpack

I am not much of swimmer but could soon be convinced to change my mind while in Queensland!  The water is very warm!  In Victoria,  it is never warm enough for me to go swimming as the water is so cold but the water in Queensland is a very comfortable temperature!

Norfolk Beach - On closer inspection, the 'rocks' were clumps
of oysters growing! 

We had a very enjoyable and relaxing day.  Alex and I will go back (without children) to walk around the entire island and explore some more.

Norfolk Beach

Norfolk Beach

In summary:

Pros:  
A small island that can be walked around if you are fit.  Quieter and less populated than many of the other beaches that we have visited.

Cons: 
You need to take all your own supplies as there is not much there. There are prettier beaches in Queensland.

Coochiemudlo Island...."had been known to generations of Aboriginal
 families as Kutchie Mudlo, the place where they obtained the red ochre
stones used as body decoration and as the pigment for shields and skins"
Jones EF 1993

Main Beach - East Foreshore

Main Beach - West Foreshore

I would like to know the story about the Thong Tree!
Were these left behind and washed up on a beach?