I have a new camera! 

It's a nice little (ok, not so little) Nikon Coolpix L120. Very happy. Having a lot of fun trying out all the settings and learning what does what.

This weekend was perfect for trying out the new camera. Saturday was spent at West End Markets (photos care of my man - camera had not been purchased at this stage). West End markets (aka Davies Park Markets) are a great place to pick up fresh fruit and veges, meat, seafood and other food items. It is also a great place to go to try out yummy food, pick up little nick-nacks, and meet friendly people.


The markets are on every Saturday morning at Davies Park, Montague Road, West End. Free Entry.

<fresh seafood.. umm yeah, one mum was scaring her daughter silly showing her all the fish. The look on her face was priceless when she got a look at this little guy


We followed up our visit to the markets with yummy fun at Delta Continental on Vulture Street. If you love fine foods or have been looking for that elusive meditteranean ingredient, Delta is the place to go.  You enter a typical deli set up with olives, cheese, antipasti, sweets and other treats. In the opposite corner is a little doorway and a small set of stairs leading to a small supermarket set-up with three aisles of delicacies. Orange blossom water, preserved lemons, pasta flour, dried lentils, coffee, feta, parmesan, salami, chorizo, nuts, jams, pastas, canned goods, and olive oil. This place is an Aladdin's cave of wonderful foods.


Time for a coffee... yes! And it was off to BlackStar Coffee in West End (44 Thomas St). I have to admit to being a big fan of Blackstar. From their relaxed atmosphere, to their yummy drinks, this cafe is the perfect place to relax on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning.  I even picked up some freshly roasted and ground coffee for home. :) (my love for coffee will become obvious in coming blogs) The food smelt fantastic and we will be returning to try their poached eggs. mmmmm...

Saturday afternoon was spent at South Bank, followed by a trip to Cineplex South Bank to see The Hangover Part 2. After the movie we walked back in to Brisbane. I was a lovely clear night, if a tad chilly, but I managed to get some nice shots of our lovely city. There are a few shots I am quite proud of, and I'm sure I'll just get better the more I learn about my camera. 

 Treasury and Expressway

 South Bank

 Gotham at night

 The expressway lights

 Hotel Carlton (aka The Myer Centre)

Brisbane City Hall

To be continued in part 2... Dolphins and Polar Bears and Penguins, oh my!

So I'm home ill. Not the way I'd like to be spending my Wednesday, work is mentally calling and I know I have left them short staffed for the day... I may be a closet workaholic.

I have spent the morning lazing around the unit watching movies and reading, and as my guilt for taking the day off has kicked in, I have decided to make a useful contribution to my Blog on Brisbane. For anyone wondering, Brisbane has some great activities on this weekend.

For Movie goers Friday and Saturday nights are the last chance you have to enjoy the Open Air Cinema at South Bank.

• Friday you can enjoy The Adjustment Bureu (Matt Damon and Emily Blunt) from around 7pm (doors open at 5:30 and film starts at sunset)
• Saturday night brings you Just Go With It (Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston)

Openair has a fully licensed bar and festival food (no BYO) so go along and enjoy a good film out in the beautiful cool night air.

Saturday and Sunday give us the wonder that is Paniyiri.  This Greek festival of food, people, fun, and culture is an annual event taking place in South Brisbane at Musgrave Park and The Greek Club.  Always a lot of fun and full of wonderful Greek treats like Honey Puffs, Paniyiri is perfect for the whole family. There are amusement rides, fireworks, dancing, cooking demonstrations and Greek Films. Admission is $8 for adults and $2 for Aged Pensioner (children are free).

The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) also has some wonderful and interesting collections on display at the moment. The Let There Be Rock cinematheque brings together documentaries and feature films focusing on the rebellious nature of Rock. There are four documentaries showing this Saturday (21 May 2011):

• 1:00pm Cinema A - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Murder Ballads 2008 M
• 2:00pm Cinema A - Six Ft Hick: Notes from the Underground 2010 18+
• 4:00pm Cinema A - No Direction Home: Bob Dylan 2005 M
• 8:00pm Cinema A - Wattstax 1973 R18+

And then on Sunday 22nd May you have... Woodstock 1970 M at 2:00pm in Cinema A.

For more information on what is showing a GOMA as part of Let There Be Rock please click here.

Here's hoping the weekend is perfect and clear for all those great outdoor events.

So, on a little bus trip yesterday we went through the new Boggo Road Busway. Soooo quiet.  We joked that it was haunted and wondered if the new Boggo Road Urban Village was haunted. The new Ecosciences Precinct is an interesting building and made me want to learn more about it and the New Urban Village.

The Ecosciences Precinct has been built on the old Boggo Road Goal site. Boggo Road Goal was home to John Andrew Stuart and Jim Finch, the men who fire bombed the 'Whiskey au Go Go' nightclub in Brisbane, and Nathan Jones, a serial armed robber who later moved onto become a world champion Strongman, join the WWE for a short period, and then have several small parts in films (Troy, Fearless and First Strike to name a few). Opened in 1903 the prison has been a landmark for many Queenslanders, with the Beenleigh train line running close by.


Now the Boggo Road Goal is becoming the Boggo Road Urban Village. The new Ecosciences Precinct built to research climate change and water issues, and to balance the needs of the environment with needs of industry is an award winning building. 

After just looking at it from the outside I really want to have a closer look. The ideas behind this structure and the sense of scientific community they are building here are fantastic. I can't wait for the Boggo Road Urban Village to be completed and see what they accomplish here. They are currently in the phase of appointing a preferred developer. With the public transport infrastructure being set up with the Eastern Busway providing bus services from the University of Queensland and the Eleanor Schonell Bridge at Dutton Park, to the Boggo Road Urban Village, Princess Alexandra Hospital and the South East Busway at Buranda, ease of access to Brisbane and South East Queensland will make this a highly sought after address.

Good morning world. This Blog is the culmination of several ideas. For a while now I have been developing an interest in photography (though I am in no way a professional, in fact I am very amateur), the lovely architecture of Brisbane and the wonderful places it contains.

I have to admit, over the years of living in and around Brisbane I have been ignorant of many of the delights of this river city. I would walk though on my way to work, head down. I would not see the small cafe hidden down an alleyway, the amazing park lands, the cute little patisserie with it's delectable treats, the gorgeous old terrace buildings. In fact, I used to let our wonderful city and life pretty much pass me by. In the last 18 months I have come to truly appreciate what a wonderful city I live in. The people are fantastic, the restaurants are top notch, and our skyline and architecture unique.

My aim here is to create visual diary of Brisbane and it's people. We have such a wonderful way of life, living, and sharing with one another.  I will gladly take suggestions from people for places to share. Please drop me a comment if you would like to see your little piece of Brisbane featured.  I'm making a list...