No I haven't made some new discovery of great magnitude but I have come across something that I haven't seen at the beach before...black swans! I don't know why but I always thought black swans were only found in West Australia so imagine my surprise when I saw them swimming along at Bulcock Beach on the Sunshine Coast.
I was very excited I tell you! I was disappointed I didn't have my camera with me so had to take photos on my phone. Some people were feeding them bread so they stayed around until it had been eaten and then swam away.
This morning I went for a walk along the Esplanade and saw a pelican with a black swan.
All the children were very excited including myself as it is rare for me to see such a sight.
I had been so engrossed in watching their antics that I almost forgot to look for the cruise ship, Pacific Aria, which was due to pass on its way from Brisbane in the late afternoon. I looked up and there it was but once again I was kicking myself for leaving the camera at home and instead tried to zoom in on my phone. These cruise liners pass very close to the coastline and when we picked up the keys to our unit we were given a timetable of when they are due to arrive in and leave Brisbane. They take 3 1/2 hours to sail between Caloundra and the Post of Brisbane which, for my overseas readers, is the capital city of our State of Queensland. The next liner to pass through will be the Radiance of Seas tomorrow and then the Pacific Dawn on Saturday.
On Saturday we are having a get-together with Down to Earth Forum members so perhaps we will see the Pacific Dawn before lunch. That would be fun and I will definitely have my camera with me then.
We had a good trip from Toowoomba yesterday and it was overcast all the way which was great. Once we got to Beerwah we could feel the heat and humidity though so the windows were closed and the aircon in the car went on. However, once we arrived at the coast it was quite cool and breezy.
We were treated to this scene as the sun went down. Not exactly the most beautiful sunset I have seen here but stunning just the same. Today there was rain in the afternoon which has cleared now and the sun will be out tomorrow. Hopefully it will be warm enough to use the pool here.
On Friday a trip to Green Harvest is on the cards and I am looking forward to seeing Maleny once again. It is usually so lush and green up there in contrast to the dryness of the area between Esk and Kilcoy which obviously missed the winter rain. Closer to the coast it greened up again.
So that is it for me at the moment. Tonight I hope to actually get some sleep as I never sleep on the first night I arrive at the beach and this time the Eastern Koel (Storm Bird) started singing at 3am! Sorry the photos are a bit dodgy but it is hard to manage them when using Blogsy on my iPad.
Have a great week everyone.
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Chel your post made me feel so nostalgic. I used to 'swim' under the black swan fountain at Cotton Tree. I wonder how many people would remember that fountain today? Maroochydore is named for the black swan.
ReplyDeleteSherri I had no idea there were black swans on the Sunshine Coast as it is the first time I have seen them.i love their red and white beaks.
DeleteHa ha I was just about to comment that Maroochydore comes from the Aboriginal word for black swan. It's always nice to learn something new in your own country isn't it. I've only just found out via a Dutch backpacker that Arnhem Land in the NT is named after a Dutch ship (named after a Dutch city). The cruise ships are amazing to see at night. Enjoy your stay in the Sunshine Coast!
DeleteHi Shangri La, I didn't realise that about Arnhem Land either. Thanks for that. We learn something new every day.
DeleteI grew up in Victoria and we use to head down to Williamstown and feed the swans - there was quite a colony of them. Our children were even taken to the same place by my mother to feed the swans.
ReplyDeleteWhere we live now (just down the road from Caloundra) we often have black swans swimming around in the water at the beach a few houses down the road.
Lynette
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That is amazing Lynette as I mentioned I have never seen them before here. We have been coming here for thirty years or so and I wonder where they were during all those years. They are so graceful.
DeleteI agree Chel, I didn't think Black Swans lived or swam in the sea at all. We had a couple of beautiful specimens in our wildlife sanctuary at the place where I work. They had the freedom to go, but they preferred to stay and made their nest among the reeds at the edge of the dam. In those days it was my job to take care of the kangaroos, wombats and swans in the sanctuary. :) The strange bird sounds when away from home, are sometimes confusing when waking in a strange bed. I hope you get some good sleeps now that you've settled in.
ReplyDeleteYes I slept better last night, Sally. I kept the window shut so I wouldn't hear the storm bird. We have one at home and I have never heard one here before so it was a familiar noise but they do carry on a bit :-)
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