What has webbed feet, a beak and swims in water, but is not a bird?

View down valley from Eungella.  Fuji F10

14th September 2013

Today Ellen and Dan took me on an adventure up into the hills and the rain forest.  The views down the valley from Eungella are beyond spectacular.

The rain forest is enchanting; and nice and cool to walk through.

And in a little pool, swimming amongst the turtles, was a chimera that only Australia could conjure up; the platypus.

Cute, but bizarre; and a lot smaller than I thought they were too.

Platypus.  Fuji F10

Strangler Fig.  Fuji F10

Rain Forest.  Fuji F10

Turtle.  Fuji F10

Jacked Up

Scissor-lift lorry.  Fuji F10

13th September 2013

Aircraft always seem so ungainly when they are at the airport; the wings just get in the way.

Having seen the two-storey passenger loading contraption at Heathrow to cater for the A380's, I am often amused by the range of bespoke vehicles that are needed to keep an airport functioning.

This lorry seems to be adapted so that it is capable of hitting any bridge in the country, not just the low ones we get around Swindon.

Palm and a hot tin roof

View from hotel window.  Fuji F10

12th September 2013

As we always opt for the 'budget' rooms in hotels, the view from the window is very unpredictable and best advertised as a 'select cityscape view'.

This week I have been lucky in that the room next door must have a view of a concrete car park wall.   I had a view out over some old sheds, but with a rather impressive palm tree in the midst of them.

I have seen much worse on my travels!

Cactus Down Under

Cacti Adelaidii.  Fuji F10

11th September 2013

Here in Adelaide they have some very 'functional' cacti.   As the jetlag took hold over lunchtime, I took a wander to clear my head and stumbled across this nice specimen of Cacti Adelaidii.

They are very common growing on the edge of the pavement throughout the city but many do seem to be in a slight state of disrepair where errant children or students have acquired the cover-caps of their arms to decorate their rooms with.

In the UK, the trophy of choice was a traffic cone, or for the really adventurous, an estate agents sign.

12 Grimmauld Place?

Adelaide Building.  Fuji F10

10th September 2013

I managed to get time for a very quick walk around Adelaide city centre this evening.

There is quite a variety of different architectural styles in the city.

The narrowness of this building, pushing its way between its neighbours did remind me of number 12 Grimmauld Place in Harry Potter; the house would shrink and dissapear.

Or is it just turning people to 'narrow' minded shopping...

The Scream

Power Socket in Australia.  Fuji F10

9th September 2013

I came to plug my laptop in today and realised that the power sockets in Australia are nothing like the UK plugs.

My trusty international adaptor should do the job though.

If only I can remember where I packed it ....

Super Size Me

A380 ready for boarding.  Fuji F10

8th September 2013

Today I had my first flight on an A380.

They are just vast!

It is nice to have a reasonably wide seat and useful leg room even in cattle class at the back of the plane.