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Author Topic: Australia by Tibrogargan January 2007 - present and 155216+ views later!  (Read 657779 times)
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Tibrogargan
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« Reply #260 on: March 01, 2007, 06:33:54 PM »

SOUTH BANK IN BRISBANE

For the World Expo in 1988 they landscaped a large area close to the CBD and built an artificial beach by transporting sand from coastal areas.  The area was so popular during the Expo that it was left for future public use and is very popular.  

South Bank Lagoon



Bougainvillea Arbor on one of the walkways

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« Reply #261 on: March 01, 2007, 11:17:49 PM »

Tasmania looks like a paradise.
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« Reply #262 on: March 02, 2007, 01:07:32 AM »

MAP OF AUSTRALIA


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« Reply #263 on: March 02, 2007, 01:14:26 AM »

"RIVERFIRE" - A QUEENSLAND SPECTACULAR

A very popular event held annually in September as part of the Brisbane River Festival.

In a spectacular display of choreographed colour and music the bridges, rooftops and skies above Brisbane City will light up the river for Brisbane's most popular annual celebration.

The gravity defying Roulettes* will begin the festivities with an awesome display of aerodynamic precision.

Then at 7pm sharp electric skies erupt with a massive fireworks display set to the exclusive Riverfire soundtrack live on Triple M 104.5FM.

As Brisbanites unite on the banks of the river and in Brisbane backyards, Channel Nine hosts Bruce Paige and Heather Foord will cover the action in a special live broadcast commencing at 6:30pm and simulcast live with Triple M from 7pm.

And for the Riverfire finale, an RAAF F-111* strike jet will sweep low over the city, reaching speeds of up to 800kph before performing the crowd favourite ‘dump and burn’ display.

Roulettes fly in formation over the city at dusk

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« Reply #264 on: March 02, 2007, 01:17:02 AM »

Vapour trails from Roulettes flying over fireworks and illuminated city



Fireworks on Story Bridge

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« Reply #265 on: March 02, 2007, 01:18:24 AM »

More Firework Displays at Riverfire



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« Reply #266 on: March 02, 2007, 01:20:31 AM »

The Finale :

F-111 "Dump and Burn"

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« Reply #267 on: March 02, 2007, 01:22:50 AM »

Quote from: "Leslie"
Tasmania looks like a paradise.


Yes Leslie, it is a paradise and you can see why we returned to live here.  I have a very soft spot for Queensland also as you can see so I guess I have concentrated on these two states.  I promise to give the other states a fair go from now on  Laughing
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« Reply #268 on: March 04, 2007, 06:55:15 PM »

IRWIN LEGACY TO SICK ANIMALS

By Lou Robson   March 03, 2007 11:00pm   Article from:  Sunday Mail

IN A small corner of the busy emergency room, Jon Hanger is preparing to operate. The 36-year-old scrubs up, dons a surgical mask and raises his hands. "This patient was hit by a car and has quite nasty injuries," Dr Hanger says. "Ada's got a bad jaw fracture, serious lip lacerations and is one sad koala."
Ada is among 5000 patients admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital at Australia Zoo at Beerwah, 20km inland of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. Opened in March 2004, the hospital is open 24 hours and treats all-comers. It was inspired by Lyn Irwin, the mother of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.  Mrs Irwin, who died in a car crash in 2000, was a pioneer in wildlife care in Queensland and it was her dream to establish the hospital.
Tree frogs have received tiny leg splints, lizards had broken limbs cast and a 4g feathertail glider was treated for shock. Magpies, crows and emus are welcome. Possums, kangaroos, feral pigs and baby platypuses are admitted. Wild dogs, brown snakes, exotic parrots and blind koalas are also accepted.  "We don't send anything away," Dr Hanger said.  "We are here to relieve the suffering of animals and that means all of them, even feral animals such as pigeons, dingo-cross puppies and wild dogs. We don't look at a species and say, 'Oh it's common, we're not going to deal with it.' "
The small hospital is always busy. Last week, a green sea turtle was treated for shell lacerations, while a koala went under the knife. A 3m carpet snake received medication for a mouth infection while week-old wood ducklings waited for hourly feeds. An eclectus parrot with a nervous condition roosted outside while two baby platypus did laps of a kiddie pool.
Steve's widow, Terri Irwin, said the hospital, initially a koala care facility, had an "all creatures great and small" policy.  Terri, who recently returned to the Sunshine Coast after touring Canada with daughter Bindi, 8, and Robert, 3, to promote Australian tourism, said the facility catered to all animals.  "Steve always had this concept of treating animals the way you'd like to be treated," Terri, 42, said.  "Certainly if my leg was broken I'd hope that somebody wouldn't say, 'There's billions of humans, let's not worry about this one'."
At the hospital, crows are cared for as carefully as rare breeds, possums receive five-star treatment and goannas get top medical attention  "It's the idea of caring for the individual animal whether or not they're endangered and we do not put a dollar amount on that," Terri said. "We've spent thousands of dollars on individual koalas to get them back up and running again."
One injured animal became a family friend. Terri said an emu called Kristy, found while the Irwins were travelling, has befriended Robert.  "We have an emu that we personally brought back from out west a couple of years ago. We go check on Kristy regularly, and Kristy and Robert have a very special relationship," Terri said.  "Kristy stopped growing so they're about the same height and they have long conversations together at the hospital when we drop in, which is often."
The hospital, once an avocado packing shed, is to be expanded to treat up to 10,000 animals a year. It needs more room because some injured animals never leave. Blind 18-month-old koala Sammy, brought in as a baby, would die in the wild and now spends his days eating eucalyptus leaves outside the ER. Three-year-old koala Whistler, the victim of a dog attack, lives a life of leisure in an outdoor enclosure and often donates blood to injured koalas. Reno, the psychologically disturbed parrot, enjoys the calming company of sane birds in a sheltered courtyard. The animals, like the hospital's four vets, six full-time nurses and 70 volunteers, are fixtures.
Inside, it's organised chaos. Donated equipment, animals and staff vie for space. The reception area merges with the operating room. Incubators, gifts from hospital pediatric wards, line the walls along with anaesthetic equipment, tiny X-ray machines and oxygen tanks.  A koala X-ray, clipped to an illuminated white board, shows Dr Hanger's handiwork. There are metal pins, a section of steel plate hand-sculpted to fit the animal's jaw, and a series of staples.
"No one else does this kind of work," said vet nurse Pauline Brookman. "Dr Hanger is really good at what he does. He's one of Australia's best veterinary surgeons."
Since December 2003 he has worked on crocodiles, tigers, cheetahs, pelicans, camels and dingoes. He's wormed venomous snakes and performed check-ups on elephants and alligators.  "About 30 per cent of our work comes from Australia Zoo," Dr Hanger said.  "But the Wildlife Hospital caters for incoming animals, so we charge the zoo for the treatment we give."  
The hospital, built on land donated by Australia Zoo, is part of Wildlife Warriors Worldwide Ltd, a charity created by Steve and Terri in 2002. The charity operates independently with Terri as patron.  Wildlife Warriors Worldwide spokesman Steve Francia said it cost more than $1 million a year to run the hospital and more funds were needed to expand the facility. Donations and volunteers were always appreciated. • Anyone with an injured animal can contact the hospital's 24-hour hotline on 1300 369 652 . For more information, visit www.wildlifewarriors.org.au
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« Reply #269 on: March 04, 2007, 06:58:36 PM »



In good hands ... Veterinary nurse Pauline Brookman and top vet Jon Hanger take a close look at Ada the Koala.
Picture: Megan Slade
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« Reply #270 on: March 05, 2007, 04:18:15 AM »

THE BILBY
 
Bilbies are marsupials and the largest of the bandicoot family. They are covered in silky, grey fur, have a long snout and a slender tongue. Their large, hairless ears assist them in keeping cool as well as hearing predators. Although they have poor vision, their sense of smell is very good which is important for finding food. The strong front limbs have three toes with claws and two without claws which bilbies use to burrow rapidly. The hind limbs are slender with a large middle toe like a kangaroo and are used for grooming. With such a delicate appearance one is led to wonder how such an animal could ever survive such harsh desert conditions.In recent times, Australians have begun a trend of using the bilby as the symbol of Easter replacing the rabbit which has caused so much damage to the Australian environment. The rabbit, with its incredible reproductive capability, symbolised the fertility that spring brings at this time of the year. Although the female bilby has eight teats in a backward-opening pouch, it usually has litters of no more than three young. The gestation period is around 21 days and the young will stay in the pouch and suckle milk for another 75 days. It is possible for young to be born throughout the year, but breeding may depend on rainfall and the amount of food available. Therefore, as a symbol of fertility, the bilby is not really an appropriate substitute. No one knows how long they live in the wild but captive bilbies can live for up to 5 years.At night bilbies emerge from the coolness of their burrows to forage for insects and their larvae or native fruit and seeds. As the seasons change, so do the food sources. In times of drought colonies of termites can provide bilbies with energy and moisture. Bilbies are mainly found in grasslands and acacia scrublands amongst spinifex and tussocks. Although most bandicoots do not make burrows, bilbies dig burrows that spiral downwards to a depth of about two metres. These burrows usually have a single opening which are hidden by a small bush, grass tussock or termite mound. Early this century, bilbies were hunted for their fur, killed by poison baits and caught in rabbit traps. Today they are preyed upon by foxes and feral cats. Most destructive has been the spread of rabbits and cattle who compete with bilbies for food and habitat.
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« Reply #271 on: March 05, 2007, 04:20:02 AM »

BILBY IN IT'S NATURAL HABITAT

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« Reply #272 on: March 05, 2007, 04:20:59 AM »

BILBY EMERGING FROM BURROW

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« Reply #273 on: March 05, 2007, 04:25:55 AM »

A LARGE CONFECTIONERY MANUFACTURER PRODUCES "EASTER BILBY" WHICH HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR AND PART OF THE PROCEEDS GOES TO THE "SAVE THE BILBY FUND"

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« Reply #274 on: March 05, 2007, 04:30:04 AM »

FRILLED NECK LIZARD

Otherwise known as the ‘cloaked-lizard’, the Australian Frilled Lizard is truly a unique creature. Its spectacular frill is used for defence and communication. This distinctive reptile loves the sun and is a member of the dragon family, a sub-species of lizards. Like most lizards it is active during the day. The energy absorbed from the sun warms its body allowing it to feed and run quickly.
Adult Frilled Lizards vary in size and weight but are usually between 26-38 inches in length (from head to tail). Their long, strong tail can measure up to 25 inches alone. They can weigh up to1 lb. The diameter of the frill is 8-10 inches, about the size of a small dinner plate!
Frilled Lizards can be found throughout northern and north western Australia. They favour tropical to warm temperate dry forests, woodlands and savanna woodlands, usually with an open shrubby or tussock grass understorey. This reptile chooses to dwell in trees. Using its long, slim front limbs and its strong hind legs it is able to stretch and move easily between branches. Frilled Lizards mostly live a solitary life, defending their territory against rivals.
The Frilled Lizard hunts in the trees for spiders and insects like cicadas. It goes to the ground looking for ants, small mammals and small lizards.
The main predators of the Frilled Lizard are birds of prey like eagles and owls, larger lizards, snakes and some mammals like dingoes and quolls.
When it sees danger the Frilled Lizard slowly lowers itself onto the ground, relying on its natural body colours to act as camouflage. If the lizard feels threatened it will extend its legs, open its brightly coloured mouth and show its teeth. It erects the frill which looks like a scaly umbrella. This helps to make it look bigger. With a loud hissing sound, it will jump towards the threat. If the frill and hissing is not effective the Frilled Lizard will begin to thrash its tail repeatedly, whipping it against the ground. As a last resort, the lizard will make a sudden turn and run off on its hind legs to the nearest tree, climbing until finding safety. If it is forced to fight, the Frilled Lizard is able to deliver painful bites with its large canine teeth.
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« Reply #275 on: March 05, 2007, 04:34:29 AM »

FRILLED NECK LIZARD ON ALERT.

Colour of the Lizard varies according to it's surroundings and can range from grey to brick red.  (refer to pictures of Bilby to see red colour of the outback.)

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« Reply #276 on: March 05, 2007, 04:40:26 AM »

PERTH - WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Offset by the vast tranquil waters of the Swan River, the beautiful city of Perth is a tourist's delight. Modern and vibrant, it contrasts with its historic counterpart - the port city of Fremantle accessible within 20 minutes by car from Perth.   The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Western Australia was in October 1616, when the Dutch navigator Dirk Hartog landed at Shark Bay, near Carnarvon. Von Edels discovered land a little further south in 1618, while, in 1619, Frederick Houtman sighted small rocky islands off the coast near Geraldton and named them Abrolhos, meaning 'lookout'. British authorities settled at the Swan River in 1828 and on May 2 1829, HMS Challenger commander Captain Charles Fremantle raised the British flag at the head of the Swan River and proudly took possession of the territory. Captain James Stirling arrived during the following month on his ship 'Parmelia' and with settlers in tow, founded Perth at a site near the present town hall on August 12, 1829. The Swan River colony experienced initial difficulties including a shortage of labour, financial problems and poor communication. To cope with such problems, the British Government sent convicts to Western Australia from 1850 to 1868 to assist with development. Tourists commonly refer to Perth as the ‘friendly city’ and famous notables have also renamed the city after their personal experiences. Astronaut John Glenn called Perth the ‘City of Lights’ after his historic fly-over in 1962 and victorious America’s Cup skipper Dennis Connor referred to it as the ‘most isolated city in the world’
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« Reply #277 on: March 05, 2007, 04:43:29 AM »

PERTH SKYLINE



BLACK SWANS ON SWAN RIVER BANK

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« Reply #278 on: March 05, 2007, 04:45:04 AM »

TREE WALK NEAR PERTH

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« Reply #279 on: March 05, 2007, 04:47:21 AM »

SWANS WITH CYGNETS PARADE THROUGH PERTH'S BURSWOOD PARK

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