Down to only three hikers this week, but we still seized the day and took an art focus for this week's outing. We began with coffee in the city after a stroll around the Jan Powers Farmers Markets to select a tasty morsel for morning tea. Then it was a hike over the Kurilpa Bridge to the Queensland Art Gallery, where we joined a free tour of a Picasso exhibition highlights. Pablo Picasso's 'Vollard Suite' is a set of 100 etchings, engravings and aquatints created by the artist in the 1930s and named after Ambroise Vollard, his sometime art dealer and publisher. The exhibition is on until the 15 April and tours are available at 11 am each day. Another display in the gallery at present is on Thai art of the 1990s. I found this particularly interesting as we spent a great deal of time there in the early 90s. Kamin Lertchaiprasert’s 'Problem - Wisdom' made of papier mâché (from recycled Thai newspapers) was especially fascinating. After we had our fill of the art gallery we again crossed the river, this time via the Go Between Bridge. We followed the river towards Toowong, enjoying more art on the way, mostly on bridge pylons. By now it was very warm, so we took a ferry to the University of Qld before crossing the river yet again, this time via the Eleanor Schonell Bridge.. We had a late lunch at one of our favourite cafes - Cafe 63 - and were pleasantly surprised to discover that Margot had been carrying a bottle of wine and a heavy block of ice to keep it chilled in her backpack all day. The commitment of this hiker is truly astounding. This went down a treat with lunch, but made the final few kilometres back home hard to hike. All in all, we felt 14 kilometres a worthy effort for the day.
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Yes, it's that time of year again people - the Surfers Paradise Sand Safari, where artists get creative with sculpting sand. Sadly, the sculptures are being threatened by strong winds and heavy rain. Our plan on Wednesday was to walk from Main Beach to Surfers, but heavy rains forced us to take shelter in a toilet block half way there. Our teeth were gritty with sand blown by blustery winds and our skin was glowing from nature's microdermabrasion treatment, but it was very uncomfortable, so we made the decision to return to the car and drive to Surfers. Not the best of weather for our day out, but still a great day. There were not as many sculptures this year as in previous ones, but they were protected by tents, so if you want to brave the elements this weekend, they are available for viewing.
Today was another hot Queensland summer day, so we pulled out all the best strategies to cope - we got a very early start, we did a short walk in the cool of the Currumbin Valley rainforest, and then we swam. We began with a walk along the Cougal Cascades track, a bitumen path which follows Currumbin Creek alongside a series of rock pools and small waterfalls. The path gently rises as it follows the creek and platforms provide views of the cascades. An historic sawmill is at the end of the track. It was early enough and well shaded, so we did not suffer the heat too much at all. Then it was back to Currumbin Rock Pools, which provided a cool backdrop for morning tea. After morning tea we made the scenic drive back down the valley to Palm Beach Parklands. We had thought we might do a hike around Lake Laguna and along the beach, but the sun was beating down by now, and the water was blue and inviting, so we tossed aside our hiking boots and donned our swimmers instead. We worked up an appetite in the water and had the most wonderful lunch at Dune Cafe . The food was delicious, the view spectacular, and a lovely breeze kept us cool. All in all, another perfect day for the Hungry Hikers.
Melbourne has many fine old homes, and I picked up a Melbourne Walks brochure called Elegant Enclave, which I followed early one morning. I began at Federation Square and followed the suggested route through East Melbourne, passing many fine buildings with lofty verandas, classic columns and elaborate ironwork from the Victorian era. The homes, apart from being quite beautiful, have some very interesting history.
The cafe on the corner of George and Simpson Streets is a great spot for a coffee break before heading down Simpson Street and turning left in Hotham Street. At Dorset Terrace (see next picture), I followed the lane beside, which Canterbury Terrace backs onto. I then crossed Gipps Street and continued into Nunn Lane, left onto Grey Street and left again back onto Powlett Street.
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