 Hey!... What's up here? Oh I just did some modifications to my HTML code and changed around my template so that I can have some more room for text and pictures. It may mess up the look of some of my past posts, but they are done anyway. I hope that you like the new format, but I do, so it will more that likely stay this way until I decide to change it again in a year or two! Although I don't mind coding in HTML, which is the real reason I gave up coding my websites and started blogging instead. Many of you may have remembered my post from Pella, Iowa a couple of years ago? But I have been promising Mrs. LZ that I would take her back there someday for another visit to the Tulip Festival. Well, last weekend was the time of that visit and although I probably don't have much new to tell you either about the town or even the festival, I do have a lot of new pictures of this years crop of beautiful and unique tulips. So consider this a week late "Mother's Day gift" from me! The same things that were there on our last visit here are still all there: The Vermeer Mill & Interpretive Center, The Wyatt Earp House, The Miniature Village, The Flower Gardens, The Scholte House and the normal Annual Festival Events. The Pella Historical Village itself is a collage of more than twenty buildings, some more than 150 years old. Others were built later or even moved in and restored in keeping with our Dutch heritage. These structures are nestled in a courtyard laced with brick walkways. As we were watching the Glockenspiel (or as they call it "the Klokkenspel") again this year, I noticed something that I don't think I had ever noticed before. That being, that the benches are in the shape of the letter "S"... which unless you know what a "Danish Letter" is, may have NO significance to you at all, but if you do know about these Danish pastries, you'll know that they are a sure joy to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and for that matter) as a snack anytime in between. I'll try and slip in a picture of one of the benches so you can see how well they match up with the shape of the Danish Letters. This little town's economy seems to be related to two things, the first is the Pella Window Company which has its manufacturing, training and corporate headquarters all in this relatively small and quaint little town. The other industry that seemed to be thriving was the tourist activities (at least this time of year)! This town always reminds us of Solvang, California for all of those who are familiar with that town. But I am sure that in the winter, there would be no comparison (at least as far as the weather goes). But the upside is that I doubt that the folks in Pella have to put their tulip bulbs in the refrigerator all winter either. We have always tried to time our visits to Pella at least a week before or a week after the Tulip Festival for the obvious reason; there are just too many people there then. This year by Mrs. LZ and me going on the week after the festival, we still got to see a lot of beautiful tulips, but we didn't get to see a lot of tourists (like us) there. Although we did not do the Scholte House Tour, we did do the Scholte Gardens which are done for FREE. Most of the tulips you'll see in my picture were taken at Scholte Gardens. Pella is beautiful and unique all year long, but at Tulip Time it comes alive with tulips, Dutch attire, parades, food, fun and more. Thousands of residents wear Dutch attire and celebrate our Dutch heritage. Three days each spring, Pella becomes Holland to Pella residents and visitors like Mrs. LZ and I. You can travel back in time with Pella the first week in May to a European village full of windmills, tulips and excitement as we celebrate their 72nd anniversary (2008) of this colorful festival. Anytime you visit Pella, there are historical sights, ethnic foods, Dutch architecture, great shops, and friendly people. Another place that I love is the little Wooden Shoe Pond that is shaped just like a little wooden shoe and is surrounded by little tulip gardens everywhere. Another thing that you can see is how they people who live in the city plant tulips in the parkways in front of their houses. I thought that this was just the GREATEST! Another place that we had a nice meal was at a place called "Smokey Row" and although it was much like a cross between a coffee shop, a 50's diner and a restaurant, it was till kind of fun and the food was good. The service (what there was) involved you going up to the counter and ordering and then paying, but they did bring your food to the table when it was served, but it seemed to be run by some college kids, who seemed more interested in the kids that came in to just talk than they did with the people who were actually eating there, but kids will always be kids! We had a couple of very nice meals there but as for dessert, we moved down the street to Jaarsma Bakery to stock up on some Danish Letters for the trip back home. We also got a couple of other goodies that just looked too good to pass up! “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard (Danish Philosopher and Theologian)                                       
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 The first thing I want to do here is to say “A Very Happy Mother’s Day” to all of you Mom’s out there as we day celebrate this “Holy of Holies” day. That is just a little pun from us Dad’s who better know exactly how very important the celebration of the second Sunday in May every year really is! As for my bride of almost 40 years now… I want to tell you that… “I Love you even more today than the day I fell in love with you all those decades ago!” No kid could ever ask for a more loving mom than you are, and no husband could ever ask for a better wife to help raise his kids than you!” ~ “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to you Mrs. LZ!”Now on with my post… as many of you know, every year the “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffet (the Richest Man in the World) has his annual Shareholders Meeting in the Headquarters city of his company “Berkshire – Hathaway” in Omaha, Nebraska. This year I was one of those 31,000 guests of Berkshire – Hathaway at their annual meeting. It was really quite overwhelming. They refer to it as the “Woodstock of Capitalism” and I would say that was true even if just from a sheer numbers perspective. Although the meeting itself was very well done (and at times) very humorous and even entertaining, I plan to make this post about some of the things to do in Omaha and not so much about the shareholders meeting per se. The meeting was held at the newly built Qwest Centre in downtown Omaha. Inside the welcome package given out to everyone was a small booklet about the things to do in Omaha. Many of those you may have heard of and others you probably had no idea that such a place even existed. Let me tell you about a few top picks on “LZ’s List of What to See” and do while you are there. The first one is also the photo on the top of my blog. It is not only the tallest thing in the city, but it is also the most noticeable part of the skyline. If you know anything about the Minneapolis skyline, you may think that this is the Wells Fargo Bank Building, but it is not. It is actually another bank though. It is called the First National Bank of Omaha. If you ask very nicely the security will actually let you in the lobby there where you can admire the architecture from the inside. Additionally you can see what they have done in there too. The thing that I thought was very cool was the fact that the building that they tore down to build this bank building was partially saved (at least the façade) to re-use inside the lobby as an historical adornment. I’ll try and post one of those shots too. The lobby was also very cool because it was kind of like a greenhouse with all glass on both sides of the building. There were also very neat brass sculptures both inside and outside the building. The sculptures seemed to all be of prairie dwelling animals that Lewis & Clark may have found here as they mapped out a way to the Pacific Ocean via the Missouri River. This bank is privately owned by the Lauritzen family. (This will have significance much later in my post.) The Missouri River is not only the Eastern border between Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa, but it is also where the Eastern edge and border of the City of Omaha as well. They have almost completed a pedestrian bridge that runs from just a few hundred yards out of the back doors of the Qwest Centre and then over the Missouri River and back inside a park in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was just a pity that it was not completed in time for the meeting! I am sure that Warren Buffett would have wished for it too? But I think they said it will be completed by November of this year. There is also what is termed as the "Lewis & Clark Riverwalk" right along this same area, where we found a nice restaurant called "Rick Boatyard Café." This place looked like a knock-off of the styling of the Coronado Inn on the Coronado Isle just off of San Diego, California (for those of you familiar with that landmark hotel) . I don’t think this styling was by accident. But, it was a nice place to relax and have lunch, and although it was the Missouri River and not the Pacific Ocean, it did have a certain beach feel to it. Another place on the list of things to do and see was the "Old Market" (as it is called). This area was full of restaurants, boutiques and my favorite a real outdoor market that they called the “Farmers’ Market”. This happens every Saturday morning from late spring through early fall. While this was primarily farmers bringing stuff that they grew in their fields, it was also full of stuff that other vendors like bee-keepers and florists brought to sell as well. I’ll put in a shot or two from the “Farmers’ Market” as well. What would any trip to Omaha be without a trip to the world famous “Boys Town” made famous by the 1936 movie of the same name by Spencer Tracey and Mickey Rooney? When in Boys’ Town, you can see not only the farm, the schools and churches on the property, but you can take a car tour from a CD or cassette tape that will guide you around the huge facility and give you enough time to stop in each and every area that appeals to you. While on this trip you can also see the breathtaking Dowd Chapel and Father Flanagan Shrine, and discover how Father Flanagan sparked a revolution in childcare at the “Hall of History”. When you are back at the Visitors Center, you can learn even more about Boys Town’s history and see all of the things of a historic nature relevant to the evolution on Boys Town. In 1916, Father Flanagan opened the Workingman's Hotel in Omaha, a place for homeless young men to live while they looked for work. What you see on this wonderful campus today all came from a Catholic Priest (Father Edward Flanagan) who had a philosophy that “There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.” Another famous quote made famous by Boys Town was not from Father Flanagan, but instead directed to Father Flanagan, when one of the boys who was carrying his brother on his back stated; “He aint’ heavy Father, he’s my brother”. You will also be able to see a statue or two around the campus that depict that quote and in fact it may even be a trademarked symbol of “Boys Town”.Another compelling visitor choice is the Henry Doorly Zoo. This zoo is just packed full of things to do like many innovative facilities and exhibits to not only preserve a broad array of species, but to also vividly present them to the public. These facilities are exemplary to zoos throughout the country and the globe not unlike my last post about Australia’s Zoo. The Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Pavilion, Lozier IMAX Theater, and Cat Complex all showcase fascinating wildlife and other exotic places. The Scott Aquarium and Lied Jungle, Desert Dome, Kingdoms of the Night, Hubbard Gorilla Valley and Hubbard Orangutan Forest provide immersive environments that display animals in their natural habitats and are all worth the visit. If you don’t run out of time while doing the above, you can also check out right next door to the Zoo, where they play the College World Series each year at a place called Rosenblatt Stadium. This is where the College Worlds Series has been played every year for the last 50 years. Rosenblatt Stadium is also Home to the “Omaha Royals” which is a farm club for the Kansas City Royals. There was some buzz around town about building a new stadium for that purpose in the not too distant future. My last suggestion is a very beautiful place (may be the prettiest in the city). Do you remember at the first part of this post in which I discussed the family that owns First National Bank? Well that family is part of the reason for this next item. It is called the Lauritzen Gardens. It is also called Omaha Botanical Center as well. But most of the money that built this wonderful place actually came from the then wife of the President of the bank. Mrs. Lauritzen has passed away recently, at a fairly young age, but they say she never lost her love of the gardens. I just loved the miniture Railroad that they have there which has the skyline of Omaha replacated using all natural items. I've never really seen anything quite like it before. Lauritzen Gardens exists as the result of a unique public-private partnership. The garden has held a long-term property management agreement with the city of Omaha since 1993. In 1998, a 30-acre site, with prime visibility and easier vehicular access from Interstate 80, was purchased on the south end of the current property. This new addition increased the garden's total acreage to 100, and paved the way for the visitor and education center. Construction for the 32,000-square-foot center began in 2000. A year-round facility, it opened to the public in October of 2001 and features a floral display hall with seasonal flower shows, a unique gift shop, café, a resource library, banquet and meeting spaces, and classrooms. To keep this beautiful and thriving organization running, the garden is privately funded, and relies on capital campaign contributions, event sponsorships, admissions, memberships and facility rental income. Nearly $20 million has been invested in the attraction to date. Lauritzen Gardens was so named following a generous contribution from the Lauritzen family, a family that has played a significant role in Omaha's history and development. I haven't even mentioned the truly wonderful pink marble Joselyn Art Museum which was packed with beautful art from everywhere (and from every artist) you can imagine. To say nothing about the Heartland of America park with its Memorials and huge fountain and lake. Or what about the Durham Western Heritage Museum which is actually a converted Railroad Station in the days when train stations were in palce to be. It even had a working "Soda Fountain" like those that would have been around during World War II. For those of you who thought, what in the heck is there to do in Omaha, Nebraska, like LZ and 31,000 of my closest “new friends”, you can now say; “There’s a lot to do in Omaha! You’d be surprised!” I know we were! Oh! and by the way... for those of you who are going to attend Blogstock '08 in Tekamah, Nebraska this is the city you will perhaps even stay in and certainly will be flying into. “Without God at the beginning, there can be only confusion at the end.” “No race that does not take care of its young can hope to survive—or deserves to survive.” ~ Father Edward Flanagan                                    
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 One of the other things “To DO” in Brisbane is actually included here is this post, but it really isn’t in Brisbane, but Brisbane happens to be the closest real city to it. But really, my purpose in this post is not to try and take a side or even give much insight other than my opinion of this truly wonderful park. We were so impressed with this zoo, that we wished we could have spent more than just a day there. I have wanted to do this particular post for some time now, but because not too long after our visit to Steve Irwin’s Australia’s Zoo, Steve lost his life while doing what he loved most, (communing with nature). When that happened, I really didn’t want to blog about our expierence because it seemed almost disrespectful to his loss. But the pain of that world wide grief from Steve's loss seems to have subsided and won’t be mentioned much again until the next yearly milestone of his death. The zoo is in the city of Beerwah which was only about an hour’s bus ride from our hotel in Brisbane. Australia’s Zoo was actually opened by Bob and Lyn Irwin (Steve Irwin's folks) in 1970 under the name Beerwah Reptile Park. Bob Irwin is a world renowned herpetologist, who is also regarded as a pioneer in the keeping and breeding of reptiles. His wife Lyn was one of the first to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife in southeast Queensland. Bob and Lyn passed on their love and respect for wildlife onto their children, especially to their son Steve Irwin, who had helped his parents since childhood to care for crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the zoo. Over a decade later the park was renamed to the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and the area was doubled with the purchase of another four acres. In 1987 the Crocodile Environmental Park was opened in an effort to aid saltwater crocodile protection. By the 1990s the Crocodile Environmental Park had become very popular and was seen as unique for its display of crocodile feeding within the park. In 1991 Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin overtook management of the zoo. In 1992 the park was renamed again, becoming Australia Zoo. Currently, the zoo maintains more than 1000 animals and over 550 staff. The zoo has encompassed a large area of 72 acres which will be expanded to over 500 acres over time in the areas in which many of the animals live. In order to reduce long walks, a 'modified trailered bus' has been utilized, named Steve's Safari Shuttle, which operates on a reasonably narrow bitumen roadway circuit. At the zoo there is also a stadium, named the 'Animal Planet Crocoseum', which has a capacity of approximately 5000. At the time of its construction, it was the first in the world where snake, bird and crocodile shows were conducted. Australia Zoo calls these shows 'Wildlife Warriors 101". One can also view a crocodile feeding and even participate in an elephant feeding (the elephant feeding can be participated in during the mornings on the roadway circuit at the first crossover to the internal section of the zoo or in the afternoons at 'Elephantasia' (Australia's largest Elephant exhibit) around the back of the zoo near tiger temple). There is a running space for kangaroos that you can feed, and there is often an opportunity to pet a koala. The zoo's sponsored charity Wildlife Warriors also run a rescue operation and care station for any native wildlife who may be injured in accidents outside the zoo. As of the end of 2006, the elephant enclosure was expanded, the water pool had just been completed and 'Elephantasia' officially opened in December of 2006. Furthermore, a construction of an artificial island (to represent the Island of Madagascar), began in 2006, and accommodates African animals such as tortoises, lemurs and other species not yet represented. The South-East Asian Precinct will also be improved with the introduction of Orangutans, and transfer of the Komodo Dragons, which inhabit an enclosure near to the entrance to create a more complete Bio-Climatic Asian Region. A number of high-profile people have contributed to or supported Australia Zoo, including Justin Timberlake and the Dalai Lama. Speaking of celebrity types, they had a guy there at the park as an entertainer playing many of the aborigines’ musical instruments like the didgeridoo and then more contemporary instruments like drums, guitars, keyboards, harps and flutes. His name was Matt James (also known as Matty). Matty's songs were very unique, and even though I thought about buying one of his CD’s, (and retrospectively wished I had) because I could not find them for sale outside of the park. I thought for sure I would be able to find them once I got back to the states, but I was not able to find them anywhere here. Mrs. LZ was almost scared to death when we were in the ‘Animal Planet Crocoseum' and the zoo employees started walking around the Crocoseum with snakes, asked everyone to pet them. Mrs. LZ said; “No thank you!” And she meant it! If you happen to follow news from "down-under" about the Zoo, you may know that in March 2008, the Zoo was accused of animal 'cruelty' and of breaking Australian law 13 times by not releasing koalas within their prescribed habitats. The Environment Protection Association said that they are now monitoring and investigating why the Koalas were not released correctly. Recently a staff member told a local paper ("The Sunday Mail") that American-born Mrs. Irwin plans to sell the tourist attraction to US television channel Animal Planet and move back to the United States with children Bindi and Robert. The speculation surrounding the sale and move was believed to be behind the recent rift, which saw her father-in-law, Bob Irwin, leave the zoo he started 32 years ago. The zoo employee said the rumored sale and $100 million Disney-style wildlife theme park was common knowledge among the zoo's current 550 staff members. However an Australia Zoo spokeswoman said the leaked information was incorrect. She said Australia Zoo had not been sold to Animal Planet and Mrs. Irwin had no plans to leave Australia. The spokeswoman refused to comment on future plans that might involve Animal Planet. As you can see from the attached shots I too there, we had just a wonderful day at the zoo and were extremely impressed with how friendly all the employees were. As a very positive review from me was how clean this park was. Much like you would expect from a “Disney type” park. “I believe our biggest issue is the same biggest issue that the whole world is facing, and that's habitat destruction.” ~ Steve Irwin              
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 I took this shot while we were touring the city. It shows what a real metropolitan area Brisbane is. It also shows the river that the city is named after. As you can see from my photo, the city was very metropolitan, but yet not as large as Sydney. There was also a bridge (the Story Bridge) there, that was designed by the same man who designed the world Famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. Brisbane is actually the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and it is the third largest city in Australia. It has a population of just fewer than 2.0 million and an urban agglomeration of over 2.4 million people. It is a city set close to the Pacific Ocean, and is situated beside the Brisbane River on plains between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland. (Ask me about Moreton Bay bugs sometime!) They aren't really bugs at all, but rather they are small little lobsters. The flesh of the Moreton Bay bug is reported to be unusually versatile, and can be cooked in a variety of ways, both sweet and savory. The city of Brisbane was named in honor of Sir Thomas Brisbane; the city grew from a harsh penal colony established in 1824 at Redcliffe, 40 km to the north. The colony was moved to Brisbane in 1825 and free settlers were permitted from 1842. It was chosen as the capital of Queensland when it was proclaimed a separate colony in 1859. The city developed slowly until after World War II, when it played a central role in the Allied campaign as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur. When people visit Brisbane, there are the "must-see" places? Where are these places that give tourists a memorable view, an insight into the city, the history and the people of Brisbane. If time is your enemy when visiting Brisbane, try one or two or more of these top picks. Perhaps next time you’re here, you can explore the many other delights the city has to offer on a day trip around the Brisbane regions. One of the guided tour bus tours we decided to take included the Green Mountains and the rain forests there. It also included the Tamborine Mountain area. Tamborine Mountain is certainly not a typical suburban community. The local population numbers about 6,000 people. The peace and beauty of this area has attracted many talented artisans and crafts. Keen gardeners consider it a perfect retirement spot where they can indulge their green thumbs to their heart's content and develop gardens straight out of Eden. Young families choose to live here because they consider it an ideal place to rear children away from the temptations of suburban life. Mrs. LZ and I had a very nice morning tea at a small little restaurant here as part of our tour. It was a very nice open air dining area that we chose to eat in. As you can see from the photo, Mrs. LZ was enjoying herself while we were there. The photo of me outside of the place looks as though I was expecting to pay the bill for everyone on the tour bus. Many professional and academic people also call Tamborine Mountain their home. They consider the daily trip to work is more than compensated for by the delights of coming home to the relaxed lifestyle and fresh clean air this Mountain plateau offers. Farming is still a way of life. Where once this fertile area produced commercial citrus fruits, vegetables and milk, it now produces mainly avocados, kiwifruit and rhubarb. It is also an excellent producer of cut flowers, many exported directly to overseas markets. This small plateau is rich in animal and bird life. Bird feeding is a local hobby enjoyed by many residents. The most friendly and colorful birds are the parrots, especially the aptly named Rainbow Lorikeets. The beautiful red and green King Parrots, the pastel blue and yellow Pale Headed Rosellas and the red and purple Eastern Rosellas are all to be seen in most Mountain gardens. The music of the Mountain is provided by a less gaudy band of feathered creatures. Magpies, Butcher Birds and the shy Whip Bird harmonize from daybreak until sundown. The Mountain is home to the first National Park declared in Queensland and now has a number of separate parks on the plateau and the shelves surrounding it. Six of these sections have walking paths in them of varying lengths and degree of difficulty. If you can find the time to walk through some of our National Parks you will hear many other bird songs and see an amazing range of Australia's bird life. The Brush Turkey inhabits the rainforest in this area and home gardens. The hen Turkey is the perfect female liberationist. The male builds huge mounds of leaf mulch then she lays her eggs in the mound and walks away leaving him to manage the entire incubation process. Notice the cool bridges high in the air going from trees to other trees? I thought that they were very cool and something that you just don’t see much of in the states (at least that I am aware of). Also if you wonder what Mrs. LZ is looking at inside that tree, it is a tree that has actually been taken over by what they call a strangler vine, which basically "takes over" the tree from both the outside and the inside. It only keeps the tree alive for its own nourishment. In fact the next shot after Mrs. LZ's picture looking up the inside of the tree, is actually the same thing that she saw looking up there. The bright areas in the center of the picture, are actually the top part of the tree (with the sun showing through) that the stangler vine has taken over from both the outside and the inside. Is that wierd or what? I have put together this little "LZ's list" of major things not to be missed while you are there: Mt Coot-tha Lookout ~ Even if you only have an hour or so to spare, you can take the drive up to the top of Mt Coot-tha to get a view of the whole of Brisbane city. You’ll see the curves of the river, the lines of the freeway, and the skyline of the CBD. Plus, on a clear day you can see south-west to the distant ranges, east towards Moreton Bay and miles in every other direction. Enjoy the facilities of a cafe, restaurant and lookout at the top. South Bank ~ Where did people gather in Brisbane before South Bank was created? It’s hard to imagine the city without this destination. Every visitor to Brisbane will enjoy South Bank’s sandy beach, the open grassy picnic spots, the shops and dozens of eating places. There are the cinemas, regular free live entertainment and many festivals and fireworks throughout the year. The Cultural Centre ~ From here you can enjoy Queensland’s arts and theatre at the Cultural Centre, South Bank. Spend time at the Queensland Art Gallery, Sciencentre (especially popular kids), State Library of Queensland and brand new Gallery of Modern Art . Get tickets to see a play, opera, ballet or dozens of other performances at the Cultural Centre. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary ~ Visitors from overseas will just love the abundant and easily seen Australian wildlife at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. You can hold a koala, feed a kangaroo, (or as Mrs. LZ did) pet a wallaby, hear a talk about our reptiles – it all makes for a great day out. A trip on the river ~ Even the locals love to get out on the Brisbane River and it’s so easy and cheap to do with a journey on the CityCat. One of these shots I took looks out over the bow of one of theses as we were crusing the Brisbane River. For just a few dollars, you can take a cruise up and down the river, stopping where ever you like along the way – South Bank, University of Queensland, New Farm...The City Cats glide over the water and we saw million dollar houses. We travelled under the Story Bridge (that I mentioned above and have included a shot of here) and get a whole new perspective. The ferry guide gives you a lot of information about the city as you cruise along. This boat trip up the river was actually very fun and helps you really see the city from many different perspectives. We stopped along the river and enjoyed a lunch with a couple who were vacationing here from New Zealand. It was very nice and at our tour guide's urging, I enjoyed their famous local beers "XXXX Gold" as it was called. Then we cruised back to where we had stated the boat ride. Brisbane is a very nice city and well worth the visit if you get up to Southern Queensland. A woman uses her intelligence to find reasons to support her intuition. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton                 
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 Leaving New South Wales from Sydney and moving up the coast we flew from the Sydney Airport up to the Coolangatta Airport. Coolangatta is the closest airport to Surfers Paradise and is in the state of Queensland. We made this trip up here via Qantas own budget airline “Jet Star.com” Airlines, which was more like flying “Southwest” (or “TED” in the states), than it was like really flying directly with Qantas. We were however thrilled to see a Krispy Kreme Donut Café in the Sydney Airport, right next to our Jet Star gate. This was like a touch of home to both of us and something that seemed familiar from our home in the Midwest USA. I am sure that almost all of you have heard of Qantas, but there may be a few things that you didn’t know about it. For example, did you know it is the national airline of Australia? And, did you know the name was originally "QANTAS", an acronym for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". I only make that point, because Coolangatta was our first visit to the State of Queensland. As we were flying up there, we flew over areas that reminded me a lot of the Southern California costal areas before all of the excessive development from about the1960’s and on until even today. Qantas is also nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo”, the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Kingsford Smith International Airport, and is Australia's largest airline. Qantas is the world's third oldest airline, the oldest in fact in the English speaking world, and the oldest airline operating under its own, and same, name. In 2007, Qantas was voted the fifth best airline in the world by research consultancy Skytrax, a drop from the second position it held in both 2005 and 2006. I couple of other interesting facts were supplied to me by one of my blogging buddies ( Peter Holtie), who also told me that Qantas is the only word that starts with a “Q”, (but is not) followed by a “U” in the English language. An additional point that Peter made was that it is the ONLY airline flying with a perfect safety record. I will say, that their service was exceptional, professional and fantastic to boot, but the safety part would have been the BEST! Once we landed in Coolangatta, we had to find a way to get to the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise. Both Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise are in an area of Queensland that is called the “Gold Coast”. We found that we could either take a cab there or more reasonably priced there were buses that actually dropped you off at the hotels along the strip in Surfers Paradise and other areas along the Gold Coast. Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle operates door to door airport transfers, one way and return, 7 days a week from the Gold Coast Airport, also known as Coolangatta Airport. We felt lucky that our hotel was one of those with a stop, and even luckier, it was cheaper than a cab or limo. After arriving at the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise, we checked into our room and then decided to check with the concierge to see what was available to do for our week while we were there. To our surprise, there was much more to do there than we had ever expected to do, let alone to have to try and do it all in a week. So we started planning out the week and set up reservations for some of the things we knew that we really wanted to do while we were in Surfers Paradise. Our room was on about the 21st floor, so we had a very nice view of both the ocean, but also of the nicely appointed grounds and pool of the resort. The most shocking thing about this Gold Coast area was the huge number of hotels and condominiums in the area. I was expecting something, more like Newport Beach than Miami Beach or Honolulu. As you can see from the photos I took there, the beaches were pristine and not full of people at all. It was an everyday ritual for me to get up and go down to the beach before sunrise and try and get some good shots of the beach. As I looked south down the beach all I could see was beach as far as I could see. All I could think of was what prime land that would be back in the states. Of course with a name like Gold Coast, it is more than likely prime land there in Australia too! The Marriott there in Surfers Paradise also had some very unique and impressive amenities to it as well. One of the things that were really cool and a bit unusual was the fact that it had its own lagoon (with a real sand beach) in it. It also had a bar that you had to either swim to, underneath the falls, or take a group of tunnels to get back into. This was a little dark, especially if you just came out of the sun and walked into, but either way, it was very unique and nice to see. The other things about the Gold Coast area that were unique, was that it was made up of a lot of neat little beach towns that all seemed to be connected to each other. And at times, it was difficult which of the towns you were actually in. In addition to Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise the cities had names like; Coolangatta, Currumbin, Bilinga, Tugun, Main Beach, Burleigh Heads, Southport, and the Gold Coast Hinterland are all in this area. Coolangatta is situated at the southern end of the Gold Coast and it is home to some of the area's prettiest beaches. Located at the mouth of the Tweed River, just a 30 minute drive from Murwillumbah and Lamington National Parks. Currumbin, Tugun and Bilinga which are also situated at the southern end of the Gold Coast. Main Beach is at the northern end of one of the Gold Coast's most popular walks. The historic Main Beach bathing pavilion is worth a stop offering timely refreshments. There are also several dive sites in the area including the wreck of the Scottish Princes. Burleigh Heads is nestled beneath the beautiful Burleigh Headland National Park. The beach is protected and offers fantastic views north to Surfers Paradise. Burleigh's tubular surf is famous around the world and its host to international surfing contests. Echo Beach, just south of the headland is a great place for a picnic. Broadbeach has fantastic parkland adjoining it that has playground equipment and great picnic facilities. The Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club is located at Broadbeach and it hosts the annual Australian Surf Lifesaving Titles. The streets are lined with trendy al-fresco cafes and other eateries. There are some good craft markets on the first and third Sunday of every month. Surfers Paradise is a popular spot for families with its perfect swimming beach. There are nearby cafes and shopping areas including the Paradise Centre which is situated on Cavill Avenue, the main shopping street. There are excellent night markets on every Friday night. We did this, but I actually don’t think we bought any thing there, but there were many local artists, displaying their handy work there. This area around here was also called the Cavill Mall area. This was where we found many nice restaurants and in spite of that, ended up eating at a Hard Rock Cafe, which also had a familiar feel to it from the states. Trying to live "outside the box" just a little while ordering, I ordered an Aussie Burger, while Mrs. LZ did the healthy eating thing and ordered a salad. Southport is recognized as the Gold Coast's Central Business District. Southport also has a selection of shopping malls, boutiques, cafes and restaurants and is sheltered by the Broadwater Spit overlooking the Broadwater and South Stradbroke Island. Both Mrs. LZ and I managed to find a few things here that we just had to have. The Gold Coast Hinterland is a sub-tropical paradise that makes the area one of the most biologically diverse regions in Australia. There are a number of National Parks within the hinterland's densely forested McPherson Range making it a paradise for walkers. If you look closely at the picture where our flight took off from Sydney flying North, you will see the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and eve the ferries going in and out of Circular Quay. I apologize for the reflection from the plane window, but I was so excited by the view of the whole Sydney area, I didn't even notice it, until after we landed in Coolangatta. We were here in this Gold Coast area for a week and managed to eat and shop in almost all of these areas. Even though this area is very popular destination with not only the Aussies themselves, it is also a popular tourist destination for people from New Zealand, Japan and Asia as well. Even though these areas are popular and full of people, it doesn’t take you very long to get away from the city and the tourists and get to the hinterlands if that is your purpose. Many of you may have already figured out that Surfers Paradise is where I took the picture that has been on my blog site template for quite some time now? One of my very favorite shots, not only beacuse of its natural beauty, but more so because of the memories that go with it. “It is true, I never assisted the sun materially in his rising; but, doubt not, it was of the last importance only to be present at it.” ~ Henry David Thoreau                    
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 Circular Quay is really the hub of Sydney Harbour. It's situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove, (which was) the founding site for Sydney and Australia. It is a stepping-off point for most attractions based around the harbour and an exciting place to be on a warm summer's day. The quay (pronounced key) is a vibrant, bustling place with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbour, including Manly, Watson .y, Mosman and Taronga Park Zoo. This is also where we caught the ferry to several other places. There are great views of the Harbour Bridge, in every direction and all are just a short distance away. You can see that most of my shots here are either from or of this particular area of the Harbour. We also walked over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge on foot over to North Sydney from this area. This also gave us some great shots of the Opera House from above. On the southern side of Circular Quay is a walkway that leads to the Sydney Opera House and then around to the Royal Botanical Gardens; (from my last post). While on the Northern side, a short walk along a lovely landscaped walkway takes you to the Harbour Bridge and "The Rocks", one of the oldest, most attractive and most interesting parts of Sydney. This is also where Mrs. LZ and I enjoyed not only walking and shopping, but also a couple of really nice meals were eaten by us here in "The Rocks" area. Circular Quay is also at the foot of the central business district and the older, historic end of the city. Buses depart here for Bondi Beach and the eastern suburbs. This was also the place that we walked to each morning to have breakfast almost all of our mornings while in Sydney at a place called City Extra. It was kind of neat, because their menus were much like a newspaper, which I am sure, was intentional. You’ll see a shot of Mrs. LZ having breakfast here. You’ll also be able to notice the Harbour Bridge in the background of the picture. We enjoyed our morning walks down here to the City Extra and because this place stays open 24 hours, it's convenient if you get the munchies at a ridiculous hour. It's also nicely placed, right next to the Manly ferry terminal. The plastic chairs and outdoor tables make it a pleasant spot to while away an inexpensive meal. A range of pastas were available on the menu, as well as salads, pies, steaks, ribs, fish, and Asian-influenced dishes. There's also a very good selection of desserts. The food is much nicer and a better value than next door at Rossini. Of interest to a large number of Sydney visitors — particularly those who grew up on Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson and other well-known writers — are the metal plaques embedded in the Circular Quay walkway from near the Overseas Passenger Terminal down to the jetties and up to the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. This is the Sydney Writers Walk and the plaques contain interesting and pertinent passages from the works of Australian and international writers honored there. Actually the writers — with their metal plaques embedded along the walkway around Sydney's Circular Quay — are being honored, and their lives and works celebrated, on the Sydney Writers Walk. You will find these plaques from around the International Passenger Terminal on West Circular Quay, down to the walkway between the ferry jetties and the train station, and all the way to the side of the Sydney Opera House forecourt on East Circular Quay. The writers represented on Writers Walk include not only Australians but also those who lived in, or visited, Australia, such as D H Lawrence, Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain. The plaques, themselves actually, provided interesting, informative reading in capsule form, especially… if you are not familiar with the writer. There is a major railway station at the quay, which is part of the underground City Circle, which skirts around the CBD. Alongside the ferry terminals are a number of small outdoor cafes (I'll throw in a picture of one with this post) and the area is a magnet for buskers and hustlers of every description. Notice the two Aboriginese guys getting ready for their show here in the Harbour at Circular Quay? The top picture on this post shows our hotel (Marriott) which was our home for the week we were staying in Sydney. It is directly to the right of the larger skyscraper as you look at that top picture post. While we spent a complete week in this area of Sydney, it seemed as though we never really ran out of interesting things to see and do here. I would recommend it to anyone traveling down-under. “But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” ~ Thomas Jefferson          
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 I don't know how many of you watch much TV, but Mrs. LZ and I like to watch some of the reality TV Shows. One that we have been watching ("The Biggest Loser") had this week’s episode from Sydney, Australia. Of course as we watched the finalists climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and doing their version of a Triathlon in the Botanical Gardens, it brought back many fond memories of Sydney and especially of the Botanical Gardens. I thought I would go back into my photo archives’ from the trip and see what I could find that might be interesting to you all. The gardens themselves are very easy to find. If you are at what is known as the Circular Quay (pronounced key) area of the Sydney Harbour (where all the ferries start from) and if you are looking north, the Harbour Bridge would be on your left and the Opera house would be on your right. All you have to do is follow the path around and toward the Sydney Opera House and then just keep going around it to the East and there taking up a very large area, is the Royal Botanical Gardens. It is just about the only thing around there without a high rise on it. The history of the Royal Botanic Gardens is very interesting as well. The first farm on the Australian continent, ‘nine acres in corn’ at Farm Cove, was established in 1788 by Governor Phillip. Although that farm failed, the land has been in constant cultivation since that time, as ways were found to make the relatively infertile soils more productive. The Botanic Gardens were founded on this site by Governor Macquarie in 1816 as part of the Governor’s Domain. Our long history of collection and study of plants began with the appointment of the first Colonial Botanist, Charles Fraser, in 1817. The Botanic Gardens is thus the oldest scientific institution in Australia and, from the earliest days, has played a major role in the acclimatization of plants from other regions. In this same area, there is a place that is referred to as Mrs. Macquarie's Point. It is really at the far side of what is called Farm Cove where the Harbour's water goes in all around the front of the Gardens. Almost like a small port within the Harbour. This point is also at the top of what is called Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, because if you look at it on a map, that is sort of what it looks like. Both of these places were obviously name after the first Governor's wife. After a succession of colonial botanists and superintendents, including the brothers Richard and Allan Cunningham, both also early explorers, John Carne Bidwill was appointed as the first Director in 1847. He was succeeded the following year by Charles Moore, a Scotsman who had trained in the Botanic Gardens of Trinity College, Dublin. Moore, Director for 48 years (1848–96), did much to develop the Botanic Gardens in their modern form. He boldly tackled the problems of poor soil, inadequate water and shortage of funds to develop much of the Gardens in the form we see today. The Palm Grove, in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a reminder of his skill and foresight, as is the reclaimed land behind the Farm Cove seawall which added a significant area to the Royal Botanic Gardens. In 1862 Sydney’s first zoo was opened within the Botanic Gardens and remained there until 1883, when most of it was transferred to Moore Park. During these years much of the remnant natural vegetation of the surrounding Domain was removed and planted as parkland. The Moreton Bay Figs, one of the major elements of this planting, continue to dominate the landscape. In 1879 a substantial area of the Domain, south of the Government House stables (now the Conservatorium of Music), was taken for the building of the Garden Exhibition Palace. This building, ‘an outstanding example of Victorian architectural exuberance, with towers and turrets deployed around a giant dome 100 feet in diameter surmounted by a lantern 200 feet above the ground’, dominated Sydney’s skyline and covered over two hectares. The International Exhibition held in the Palace attracted over one million visitors. However, the building was destroyed by fire in 1882 and the land, now known as the Palace Garden, was added to the Botanic Gardens. Towards the end of his time as Director, Moore, together with Ernst Betche, published the Handbook of the Flora of New South Wales, further establishing the Botanic Gardens as a centre for the science of botany. Moore was succeeded by Joseph Henry Maiden who, during his 28-year term, added much to Moore’s maturing landscape. He organized the construction of a new herbarium building, opened in 1901 (today part of the Anderson Building), and made major improvements to the Domain. However, the Botanic Gardens suffered from loss of staff positions during the First World War and, in the depression of the 1930s; the position of Director was lost. Both the Herbarium and the living collections languished. From 1945 Robert Anderson worked to reunify the two. In 1959 the title ‘Royal’ was granted and the Herbarium and Royal Botanic Gardens were administratively reunified under the title Royal Botanic Gardens. Knowles Mair (1965–70) achieved reunification and the Royal Botanic Gardens began its return to eminence. The breadth of activities increased over these decades with the formation of the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens; educational and ecological programs; the Flora of New South Wales; the scientific journals Telopea and Cunninghamia and programs of computerized documentation of both the living and herbarium collections. The Royal Botanic Gardens celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1991. During Professor Chambers’ ten years as Director, the Rose Garden (1988), the Fernery (1993), the Herb Garden (1994), and the Oriental Garden (1997) were opened and the Rare and Threatened Species Garden (1998) was commenced to further enrich the experience of visitors. The Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation was established to seek a wider range of support for future needs. In 2003 the business name of the organization, comprising the three Botanic Gardens and the Domain and administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, was changed from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney to the Botanic Gardens Trust. There were many wonderfully unique things in these Botanical Gardens, but some of the ones that blew our minds were the huge amount (and size) of the fruit bats that seemed to be everywhere in the park. Many of the gardens' numerous fruit bats (aka flying foxes) choose a spot high up on these palm trees. We were told that the bats were NOT indigenous to the area, but they sure were everywhere. The first time one of them flew closely over our heads, I thought is was a USAF B-2 Bomber on patrol. The bats seemed to be harmless and mostly just hung around hanging from the trees that they seemed to prefer. Here are some more shots I took of the gardens. There was a really cute little tea room not far from where the majority of these fruit bats liked to hang out and although we did stop there and had a little something to eat, we made sure we stayed under the roof while eating. You may also notice that Mrs. LZ is on the first car of this little train that actually took us on a trip around and through the Gardens, but then when we got back to the start we went back in a walked all over the Gardens rather than running and biking through this place like the "Biggest Loser" contestants did. Notice also that Mrs. LZ couldn't wait to get her seat right behind the engineer? That is her sticking her blonde head out of the train with the pink sweatshirt on. This place was much like New York's Central park in size, but much prettier and the fact that it was right on Sydney Harbour, didn't hurt either! "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton        
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 I think many of you might remember, that in those early posts of mine, I would only add one picture to each one of my posts. There are many of those posts that I would (retrospectively) like to go back and add many more pictures than just the single one I used to post at the time. Everyone seems to enjoy the increased numbers of photos that I started adding at several bloggers requests sometime last summer. This is one of those that definitely needs more photos and even more time for discussion. If you remember it, it was in fact the one I posted about Millennium Park back then, of Mrs. LZ and me standing on what “is known as” the BP Pedestrian Bridge. It was really one of the most unique footbridges I have even been on in a city anywhere that I can recall. This is the first bridge designed by architect Frank Gehry, and also doubles as a sound barrier from the traffic of Columbus Drive. Designed in such a way as to provide a smooth transition over Columbus Drive, the bridge does exactly that and more. I heard somewhere that the bridge had a 5 degree incline to it. But it really did seem easy to traverse it; you don’t even notice that you’re over the road until you hear the cars driving underneath you. You may notice the cops on Segways at the other side of the bridge as we were walking toward the lake? Originally they proposed to put a suspension bridge over the drive, but they thought it might waste too much space. Gehry designed this bridge, and frankly it does a great job of winding over Columbus Drive, while providing an interesting study in stainless steel bridge construction. From overhead you can really tell how well the bridge curves in and out, moving up and down depending on where you're standing. Millennium Park itself opened less than four years ago on July 16th, 2004 and is located in Chicago bounded by Randolph Street to the North, Columbus Drive to the East, Monroe Drive to the South and the great Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue, to the West. The park was originally just an open expanse with railroads and parking and an unsightly eyesore in Chicago's great front lawn that is Grant Park, and is now one of Chicago's most enjoyed public spaces. The park has been open now for almost two years and its effect on the surrounding area has been astounding. New restaurants, condominiums, hotels and various amenities have cropped up around the park making it an even more vibrant area to enjoy. Some of the other stuff there that I loved was the Cloud Gate sculpture. Originally this piece thought to have been assembled somewhere else, then brought by barge to Chicago, but this did not occur due to various issues. This piece will not be ready for the official opening of the park, but was on view for the public to see. They were barely able to make it in time for a September completion date. By then, all that was left was to weld and polish the sculpture to a beautifully unique and seamless marvelous looking structure. Anish Kapoor is world-renowned for his large art sculptures, and this addition to the park was really being something spectacular to see. This was the artis | |
Hey!... What's up here? Oh I just did some modifications to my HTML code and changed around my template so that I can have some more room for text and pictures. It may mess up the look of some of my past posts, but they are done anyway. I hope that you like the new format, but I do, so it will more that likely stay this way until I decide to change it again in a year or two! Although I don't mind coding in HTML, which is the real reason I gave up coding my websites and started blogging instead.
