Australia Day 2009

Australia day it comes around each and every year celebrated across this land with bar-b-ques and beer.Well that's how the old bush song goes anyway but the boy and myself decided to head for the beach for a short break and a bit of a father and son get away this year. So we packed up the camping gear and hit the road to woodgate beach which is about 350km north of Brisbane.

What do you mean i am not invited



In typical style we were no sooner on the road and down comes the rain it wasn't to bad though we at least cleared Brisbane and were on the highway headed north when the rain got real heavy and forced us to pull over and wait it out at a truck stop so it was breakfast at Mc Donald's followed by krispy creme donuts (there goes the diet). Anyway with our stomachs full and the rain easing we hit the road with a vengeance and the prediction was that we would be there by 1.30.Unfortunately there was an accident further up the highway where it becomes one lane and traffic was slowed to a crawl well there goes the idea of getting there at a good hour as we sat in traffic talking and laughing at the things we saw around us Lester snapped a picture of an aeroplane which was part of a sign for a local gliding club and from the angle we were on it looked that it was a real aeroplane about to crash, this provided us with a few laughs to pass the time away.

Help we're going down "pull up pull up"






About 4.30 in the afternoon we reach our destination and are greeted by a traditional woodgate beach welcoming committee a large mob of eastern grey kangaroos which roam wild and free around the area grazing in peoples front yards.

The welcoming committee





We set up camp and showered and headed to the local bowls club for dinner and a few well earned ales. The place was pumping it was a Sunday night and the club was filled with families locals and tourists alike all out for a good time there was a local duet playing everything from Kenny Rogers to credence clear water revival. It was a good mixture of old and young alike. We were about 1/2 an hour early for the dinner service so i got the drinks in and we sat outside and watched a few of the locals playing lawn bowls which is a sport steeped in tradition which is taken very seriously by its devotee's everywhere except in woodgate beach apparently. The locals were just out to have a little fun and share a laugh the atmosphere was wonderful and we had a laugh with them.After dinner we headed back to our camp and passed the rest of the evening away playing cards Euka and 500 mainly this became a regular nightly pass time when we were not annoying our fellow campers by playing the banjo or guitar.

Ever so serious there is a sheep station riding on this hand,





I win again,



Annoying the neighbours'





Dawn on Australia Day and i decide an early morning walk was the order of the day and neither the weather or the scenery let me down as the beach in the early morning was just as beautiful as it was in the evening the weather was fantastic it rained every night of our stay but fined up for a beautiful sunny day.

Scenes from a morning walk















We're a patriotic bunch at heart,





After breakfast we are off to theodolite creek to do a spot of fishing and have a look around. This was on journey i was happy to take the creek was so pristine and the water so pure and clean trully a sight to be seen with its sweeping sandbars and sparcely vegetated dunes melting into thick treelined embankments as the creek wound off into the distance.We never caught anything but i was still happy to be there just soaking up the morning sun and the serenity which seemed to fill every day of our stay.









Beauty in unexpected places,





We spent the remainder of the afternoon swimming and laying around camp and decided to visit the banksia forrest the following day as we wanted to see the boardwalk and see if we could spot the banksia in bloom. It seems that we were charmed as we did get to see the banksia flower even though it was late in the season and the walk was nice and typical of Australian coastal bushland with sub tropical vegetation giving way to the harsher Eucalypt scrub with paper bark swamp in between but each piece has a beauty of its own.

Boardwalk through the paperbark swamp,





The sub tropical



Iron bark and Eucalypt scrub



The banksia in bloom



Back to camp and Lester made the tea



He thought it was so good he decided to imortalise it,



We spent our days walking,fishing,swimming and generaly just doing alot of good old fashioned male bonding as fathers and sons have done for many years i will leave you now with some of the photo's taken on one of our evening walks.





























With our time at woodgate behind us we hit the road to home feeling happy to have had the chance to be there and share it as father and son. Just one more befor i leave this one is mt Tibrogargen from the highway very imposing sight. Towering above the pineapple plantations.




Posted by chefie

SEVEN DEADLY SINS..(?!)

seven deadly questions When i arrive from a very tiring day at work and samahan pa ng pagkain at di pa nakontento at ngpa masahe pa pagkatapos...i dont think makakatulog pko sa mga kabaliwan ko.. kaya naisipan kung tumunganga sa computer at yon nkita ko ang isang blog na medyo interesting...im not sure if this all true pero read nyo lng at tamaan na ang tamaan...heres a blog by someone and just wanna share it here.... questions asked to my self and possible answers answered by my self. ang tawag dito, kabaliwan. 1. bakit may mga taong ginagaya ang ibang tao? big time. -i will elaborate, for example, the idol-thing. or if someone saw a person wearing/doing/speaking things cool enough to be done by them. kaya ginagaya. they think it is cool for them, but sometimes, it isn't-------------most of the time pala. -nakakabadtrip yung mga taong gaya-gaya. yung walang sense of imagination at kumokopya sa mga ideas ng ibang tao. okay lang sana gawing inspiration yung mga ginagawa ng ibang tao, but copying the whole thing is too much bull shit. -i asked myself kung bakit kaya may mga taong ganito. and conclusions entered my mind. baka idol nila yung tao kaya ginagaya to the point na halos lahat na lang ng gawin ng isang tao ay kinokopya.. nye. nakaka-asar. o baka naman they ENVY them. -hindi naman lahat ng pagkokopya ng ideas ay masama, for me, nagiging masama lang 'to pag sumosobra na, yung tipong sumasagad na ang kapal ng mukha sa estero ng dapitan. those people just don't respect the ideas shown by other people, lalo na pag they belong to a group. -ano mararamdaman mo pag nagpakulay ka ng buhok sa bangs, at pagkatapos ng isang linggo, yung kasama mo sa trabaho is wearing the same color and the same hair style na meron ka. deym it. gusto mo siyang kalbuhin. di ba? you think i'm right? oo na, mali na ako. hahaha.. 2. bakit may mga taong mahilig kumain ng sobra-sobra-sobra? -bias ang tanong na to kasi payatot ako. pero i think there is nothing wrong with over-eating. eh gutom ka eh, ano bang magagawa nila? insecure lang sila kasi wala silang pambili ng pagkain. haha. joke lang. -may nagkwento sa akin na pinapag-diet ng nanay yung anak niya. ang sagot naman ng anak, "ma, minsan lang ako magiging bata, hayaan mo na ako kumain ng mga pagkain na gusto ko." -edi ba kasalanan ang GLUTTONY? siguro kasalanan to pag masyado ka ng masiba, na naaaksaya mo yung pagkain, pagkumakagat ka ng cheese burger sa harap ng isang pulubi, o kaya pag busog ka na, tapos bumili ka pa ng malakaing pizza, for yourself. wahahaha.. ayaw mo mag-share. SAKIM! wahahaha... -well, happy eating. magpaka-botchog tayo, kasi pag payat ka, madaming taong naghihinalang wala kang pambili ng pagkain at hindi ka pinapakain ng tama sa bahay niyo, o may bulate ang tiyan mo, o may AIDS ka, o nag-drodroga ka. lagi na lang kami ang biktima sa mga ganitong sitwasyon. wahahaha... joke lang. 3. bakit ang mga babaeng nababastos na nagsusuot ng provocative clothes ay nagiging masyadong emosyonal? -malamang emotional kasi na-abuso eh. whattttta question. -gawa naman tayo ng statement tungkol sa issue na to na panig sa aming kalalakihan. this was tackled to us during our Health class in HS, at binara ng isang kaklase, from our group ang babaeng nagsabi na bakit daw kami (mga lalaki) malilibog pag nakakakita ng sexy na babae. -pero di ba, kung di kayo (mga babae) mang-aakit sa aming mga lalaki, hindi naman kami maaakit. -oo, maganda ang mga tanawin pag may mga ganyang tao sa paligid, pero may mga taong mapagsamantala. malakas ang LUST sa katawan. pero hindi naman mababastos yung babae paghindi naman kabastos-bastos yung suot niya. -ang disgrasya ay naiiwasan kung pag-iingat ay laging akay-akay. yown. -pero, wala lang. pero wag niyo na isipin yung opinyon ko sa taas kasi alam ko, iba-iba yung opinyon natin dyan, at baka magkaroon ng away dito hahaha... 4. bakit may mga taong galit sa mundo na ginagawang hingahan ng galit ang internet? -madalas namin napapag-usapan to ng mga HS friends ko. baka naman the internet is the extension of their ANGER, at gusto nilang ipaalam sa sanlibutan kung gaano sila nagagalit. -may mga tamang lugar kung saan pwede i-post ang mga bagay, at may mga bagay na di na dapat pinapaalam sa buong sangkatauhan. -baka wala silang friend na mapagsasabihan? siguro nga. pero nakaka-asar kasi pag sobra na. ok lang yung paminsan-minsan, o kaya madami kayong nakaka-relate, pero pag ikaw lang ang may galit sa mundo, mas mabuti sigurong wag ka na magpapansin at kumausap ka na lang ng kaibigan, na mapagkakatiwalaan, kung wala kang kaibigan, humingi ka na ng professional help sa isang counselor, at kung wala kang mahanap. KAUSAPIN MO ANG PADER! -pero ano nga bang magagawa nten, may freedom silang gawin yun. gaya netong paglalabas ko ng kabadtripan sa kanila, pero alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi lang ako ang nakakaranas ng ganitong pagka-badtrip pag nakakakita ng ganoong bagay, madami kami. at para sa akin, kung may galit ka, mas mabuting kausapin mo na lang ng personal yung tao, wag mo idaan sa internet, kasi mukha ka lang baliw na papansin. -pero hindi naman ako nababadtrip ng todo sa kanila, kasi ang korni nila eh. -tama ba ako? o mali. wag lang sumobra, yun lang ang hinihiling ng nakakarami, (wahaha.. nakakarami daw oh? baka ako lang.. suportahan niyo naman tong statement ko..) kasi ang jologs ng nakikipag-away sa internet. ang jologs talaga. ang jologs. ang jologs. ang jologs. utak-kanal. (bakit utak-kanal? kasi ang kitid.) 5. bakit may mga taong tumitingin ng site ng may site ng naka logout. -baka wala silang multiply o friendster o kung ano pa man. baka natatakot silang makita nung user na viniew na yung profile/post. baka nahihiya siya sa user na pupuntahan niya. baka nakalimutan niya mag log-in. baka mataas ang PRIDE niya sa topic ng post at nahihiya siyang malaman na viniew ang post na yun (gets mo? para kasing ang gulo ng sinabe ko.) -ako, nahihiya ako minsan tumingin ng site ng may site kasi feeling ko ang taas ng site na pupuntahan ko. yung iba yung level. nahihiya kasi ako kaya ganun, pero ngayon, lumalakas-lakas na ang loob ko. WAHAHAHAHA. -pero mas gusto ng iba, gaya ko, ang viniview ang mga gawa nila at yung mga nagkokomento sa mga gawa nila. redundancy. 6. bakit may mga taong madami ng pag-aaring bagay pero gusto pa din makuha ang lahat? -GREED. -oh baka naman hindi pa siya kontento sa buhay niya. ewan ko. 7. bakit inaabuso ang standing sa pamilya? -yung tipong ate o kuya ka, tapos kaya mo naman gawin yung isang bagay gaya ng pagkuha ng baso, tinidor, kutsara, pinggan, grater. can opener, pero inutos mo sa nakakabata mong kapatid o pinsan? -sagot: katamaran.diyan pumapasok ang tinatawag na SLOTH. -o baka pagod lang sila, o naglalambing. :) -guilty pala eh. walang perpektong tao, at minsan, masarap gumawa ng kasalanan. this post is made out of pure boredom at ng utak ko. pag tinamaan ka sa mga nakalagay dito, SAPUL. walang mintis. HAHA. pero wala namang masama kung tinamaan ka dito. may mga bagay dito para sa sarili ko. at may mga bagay dito na para maghayag ng kaalaman, o emosyon. ano ang nasa isip ko kung bakit ko ginawa to? wala lang. tinatamad kasi ako sa bahay. seryoso ba to? ewan ko. 7 deadly sins yan. mga kasalanan na nakakamatay. at kung applicable ang pitong kasalanan na yan sa iyong sarili, mag-ingat ka. baka pag namatay ka, makita mo ang sarili mo na abo na, kung naniniwala ka sa tinatawag na kaluluwa.

SINULOG 2009

The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus. (Santo Niño is the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu.) The festival features some the country's most colorful displays of pomp and pageantry: participants garbed in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums. Sinulog came from the Cebuano adverb for "like water current movement".
The celebration lasts for nine days. On Sunday, the ninth day, the Sinulog grand parade unfolds. A solemn procession takes place in which hundreds of thousands, all devotees of the patron, participate. Earlier in the day, a grand and colorful water-parade is held from the Mandaue City wharf to Cebu City wharf.
“Pit Senyor kang Mama kini, Pit Senyor kang Papa kini..” is the chant completing devotees’ offering dance of Sinulog in honor of the miraculous Santo Niño.
A pageantry of faith, a festival held in honor of the Santo Nino, celebrating the origin of the island of Cebu–this is Sinulog.
Sinulog is a dance ritual in honor of the miraculous image of the Santo Niño. The dance moves two steps forward and one step backward to the sound of the drums. This movement resembles the current (Sulog) of what was known as Cebu’s Pahina River. Thus, in Cebuano, it’s Sinulog.
Historians say that Sinulog is the link between the country’s pagan past and its Christian present.
Historical accounts say before Portuguese navigator came to Cebu on April 7, 1521 to plant the cross on its shore and claim the country for the King of Spain, Sinulog was already danced by the natives in honor of their wooden idols and anitos.
Then Magellan came and introduced Christianity. He gave the Santo Niño (image of the Child Jesus) as baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Cebu’s Rajah Humabon who was later named Queen Juana. At that time, not only the rulers were baptized but also about 800 of their subjects.
I haven’t witness the water parade but I have so many pics to showcase during the float parade.