It’s surprising what you find when you use a different car park
On a fine sunny day back in June I used one beside the Croydon tennis club I was having a ‘bad back/aching legs’ day and it was closer to Main Street
And look what I found – a brand new mural
(Photos will enlarge with a tap/click or using two finger spread)
Seemingly painted by Thulii Mara as part of the (Eastern suburbs) First Nations Art Trail. Unfortunately I can’t find anything else about it. Although you can see more of his work on his website – https://thullimara.com
Walker (Thulli Mara), Creator and Protector, 2024,
On that day the colours were deep and rich as well as bright and vibrant. I must go back sometime and see how they are weathering
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A little bit of colour to share with Min’s Wednesday Words and Whimsylink up found HERE.
To see more murals from around the world click HERE
Painted at the end of 2023 by Jimmy Dvate but last week was the first time I actually saw and photographed them. Because of the disruptive road works in Montrose between now and ‘early 2025’ (replacing the beautiful roundabout with traffic lights….least said about that the better!) I’m now using Mooroolbark as my ‘local’ . Other walls were painted at the same time – hopefully I’ll get to them soon.
They really do look better when enlarged – so much more detail is visible Click/ tap or finger slide to enbiggen
Sami hosts Monday Murals and if you would like to see more – follow this link.
I have a special liking for steam trains. They’ve always fascinated me. Doesn’t matter where I see them or in what form – real or imaginary – there’s something about them that always puts a little smile on my face, a feeling of excitement. I suppose it’s sort of in the genes – my paternal grandfather was on the railways in Ireland (most of the males in his family were as well) Like his brother he ‘rose up through the ranks’ to become an engine driver but others were engine firemen, station masters, porters and a generation before ‘gangers’
The engines always look like big monsters needing all that coal and water to make the steam to ‘turn the wheels’. I’m not that cluey to understand how it works but THIS might help if you really would like to know
This mural is in George Street Bowen depicting locomotives used in Queensland. B1079 – – – C17
I’ve no idea aka I can’t remember why we were at Spencer Street Station so early but this was a a real surprise. Steamrail were obviously having a day trip / tour somewhere. Hissing and steaming, providing photo opportunities, putting smiles on peoples faces, promising a good time for all.
Min is now hosting a Wednesday link up – Wednesday Words & Whimsy. Why not drop in HERE and see who her visitors are – perhaps you’d like to join in as well
The light was different – it was in the shade The ‘canvas’ the artists had to work with was entirely different Large walls and the sides of two story buildings
These are just a few more of the murals in Fifth Lane Mackay
Sunny sideIn the shade
If you want to see it best……Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge
Fifth Lane Street Art – Mackay Queensland September 2021
A fun way to spend some time getting to know a strange city I’ll let your eyes roam up one side of the alleyway the way ours (and our feet) did
Fifth Lane Street Arts Project is the culmination of 16 local artists and five visiting artist’s work in an outdoor gallery that has something for everyone.source
Bright and cheerful…. That’s how a local described the new ‘paint job’ on the public toilet block in Marian Qld. While we were in Mackay last year we took a drive out through Marian to the Pioneer Valley and discovered they had indeed had a face lift. The pale blue Hens and Roosters decor from the last time we drove through (2009) was gone, they kept the same theme, altered the design slightly and went all green. It was certainly easier to see and access, using some of the grassy area as a parking spot.
10 September 2021
And look what we saw in Yeppoon later that month. More decorated loos – right there just a short walk up from the beach
26 September 2021
The screened area to the right of the ‘gents’ is the same one as to the left of the ‘ladies’ It’s a shower – get rid of the salt and sand – area And look, they both have dogs waiting patiently outside
Linking to Monday Murals – it’s a colourful world over there with lots to see.
Don’t Forget – if you want to see it best……Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge
Sometimes good things happen when you get in a muddle at the exit from an unfamiliar supermarket car park and end up in the ’wrong’ street. What a nice surprise this was – on the side wall of the Mount Evelyn bakery
Painted in a sepia look reminiscent of days gone by, the bakers horse and cart is making its way along the bushland track to make deliveries at various properties
The only thing I’ve been able to find is it is the work of a local artist – David Monks
First week of the month – first week of the school year – what I’d thought was going to be a fairly quiet start to the year proper turned out to be busy busy busy with something planned for most days. Actually I should have remembered that after the long covid related ’enforced break’ it was the week Probus and Book Club were able to meet again, and being the first week of the school term choir rehearsals could also begin again. Then add into that an appointment with the optometrist plus time at the pool and yes, it was busy busy busy!
Some early morning fine tuning is going to have to happen though because after a long layoff when ’my things had been on hold’ I’d forgotten the ’thrill’ of chivvying The Golfer along so I could get my fair share of the bathroom and leave the house on time 😊
It was worth it though to see familiar faces and enjoy company I’d missed for a while ~ ~ ~ ~ Couch potato me watched lots of summer sport…..now it’s time for the winter type with Snowboarding Slopestyle plus Freestyle Mogul being this week’s attraction. All these athletes are at the top of their game and I feel for them if they take a tumble
So how did you spend last week – did you get any surprises?
The sun doesn’t always shine here first thing in the morning We’ve had a few cool cloudy very windy mornings recently (like this one below) ones where I’ve popped down to Rose Bay on the off chance it might move on early but no joy (or should I say no time sitting reading by the sea) Only thing to be seen there was a tiny bit of sun shining somewhere up above which highlighted the choppy seas and a lone yachtsman moving along in the distance.
So it was off to town to find some newish murals I’d seen around and about…..actually I’d noticed a few of them when we were last here but never got round to taking photos. James Ellis – a young mural artist from Brisbane, came up here in 2017 (plus a few years since) and has put a lick of paint on some shop premises and other places, same as he has been doing all over Queensland.
The top two are on the side of one of the local fish and chip places…..how do you get your fish – off a trawler of course – and the side wall of a local ‘all things outdoorsy’ place received a great big ‘one that got away’
This is what went on the side of the pool shop building Yes GREAT BIG turtles
He collaborated with another artist (Jarad Danby) to give this plain blank stairwell wall a lift. Directly across the road from a beach – one little lad looking skyward. Ready for some time on the sands with his trusty sandcastle building spade
I have found quite a few other ones but I’ll leave them for another day. Best enlarge these for a better view
Linking to Monday Murals hosted by Sami at Colourful World ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He doesn’t seem to have a website but is on other social media
And I often wonder – how did women cope here in the hot Australian sun all those years ago wearing the ‘fashionable’ layers of clothing deemed necessary in those days
Mural in Bowen Far North Queensland showing early settlers. Painted silos Colbinnabin Northern Victoria showing early settlers
I also wonder if I would have rebelled at fashion trends of the day and removed many of those layers in the privacy of my home 😊
Linking to Monday Murals hosted by Sami at Colourful World
The silos were painted by Tim Bowden – I’ve been unable to find the names of the Bowen artist
Often when toilet blocks get renovated they sometimes get fancy murals painted on the outside in lieu of just a quick coat of paint. We came across these on a drive through the Pioneer Valley in a place called Marian about 25kms from MacKay. Fun to look at sadly no name to say who painted them.
Lloyd Park Marian Qld August 2009
The Ladies section was empty ….or so I thought….and being the city girl that I am gave a little squeal of surprise (to put it mildly) when I saw these in the bowl.
During cooler and drier months, the green tree frog can often be found hiding in toilet bowls across Australia, source Checked the other stalls – same again – and as there was no way I could have lasted until the next place up the road learnt that where there’s a will there’s certainly a way. I now know I can pee almost standing up…..with trepidation and difficulty 🙂
Do you know you can find a toilet block online? I was trying to place where these were in relation to Dame Nelly Melba’s house…..there in Marian not here in Coldstream…and discovered a site called ‘The National Public Toilet Map ‘- A project of the national continence program – and each block has a number. So if you’re travelling in Australia and ‘need to go’ that’s where you can find the nearest one to where you are.
But look what else I also found on the site. The mural is no more – it’s reverted to plain paint . Don’t laugh but I felt a little disappointed…and sad that it had gone.
I’m beginning to think that as I get older I’m becoming more intolerant of change. At one time I’d have just shrugged my shoulders and not thought anymore about it. The weather up there decides a lot of things and it was probably due for a repaint anyway.
I’m not slow to accept change if it’s needed but it’s what seems to be the change for change sake or to benefit others I’m starting to get crook at…..those doing the change will probably ague their case (oh no it’s not money/profit related) but it’s things like rearranging supermarket layouts….knocking houses down to build units….resizing products. This week three of our utility plans have been scrapped – ‘new plans suited for us’ will give us more…..but if you actually read the fine print will cost a little extra in some way or another.
So that’s what I’m thinking about and trying to get my head around this Monday morning – are there ways to accept that which you have no control over….apart from taking a deep breath and sighing each time you think about it (or moving to new providers). Am I mourning a loss, is this just the result of months of ‘you know what’, the slow change of our season…..proper constantly warm spring seems to be a long time coming …..or am I just becoming a miserable moaning old woman!
On the bright side, there’s one thing I do know about the new look at the supermarket…..I’ll be able to add a few more steps to my daily total walking the aisles trying to find where they moved things to 😊
How about you? Is it just me or does anyone else feel like this?
It was only February this year but seems a long long time since we stopped on our way home from Mildura to have a quick look at a recently painted silo in Nullawil. Very different to others we’ve seen….yes a rural scene but not a native animal in sight. https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/nullawil A man and his dog – Darren the farmer and Jimmie the kelpie. by Smug (aka Sam Bates)
We were late getting on the road so The Golfer said it was to be a one photo stop 😢
I found this video online which means I can visit as many times as I like now 😊
Sami hosts Monday Murals – why don’t you pop over and be astounded by all the street art others have found
Just as an aside….In the next month or two after that visit when ‘you know what’ became more noticeable and people were either laid off work or had to work from home because of lockdowns, the animal shelters had a run of adoption requests. It was as if everybody needed a new canine friend to share their ‘new’ life with. They wanted something to take their mind off the uncertainty – to add a little love to their lives – also a running mate to help with their new found obesity😊.
I’m sitting here with a very early cup of tea and wondering if everything turned out the way these new pet owners hoped. For their new ‘canine friends’ as well as themselves. Silly things like did the dogs settle into their new surroundings (hopefully well secured so they didn’t escape into strange territory) did they get fed up with being walked each day…..maybe even several times a day. Were they fed a healthy diet….not just table scraps as used to be the way.
But what I’m really wondering about is whether some of them….any of them….will be returned….handed back…..when restrictions are lifted…..businesses are reopened….people go back to work. Will the new owners still have the time……be willing and able…. to exercise the dogs. How will the dogs cope with being alone all day especially after being the centre of attention for weeks on end? I’ve been told lonely anxious dogs get up to all sorts of mischief.
I know it sounds daft for a cat lover to wonder about such things what are your thoughts?
April 25 2020 – A very different Anzac Day in Australia.
No parades – no dawn services – Â no ceremonies – no gathering of ‘mates’
So here is a different way of remembering the young men /women who have served Australia.
A mural commemorating The Cooee March which started in Gilgandra NSW
Photographed Sept 2015
 During World War I, a recruitment march to Sydney began in Gilgandra, known as the Coo-ee March. The men who enlisted on the way became known locally as "Coo-ees". The march was given this name because the marchers shouted the old bush call of "cooee" at each town along their journey in order to attract recruits. Twenty-six men left Gilgandra on 10 October 1915. At each town on the route, the marchers were feted and a recruitment meeting was held. By the time they reached Sydney just over one month later on Friday 12 November 1915, the number of recruits had swelled to 263. They were welcomed on arrival in Sydney with huge crowds lining George Street near the Town Hall to welcome them and an official address given to them by the Minister for Works representing the Premier of NSW. Source
Painted Silos in Devenish Victoria depicting army nurses/medics from WW1 and modern times ….as well the men and their horses of the Australian Light Horse
Photographed Nov 2019
The GrainCorp Silos at Devenish in North East Victoria were painted by Melbourne Street Artist Cam Scale and are officially the 19th Silos to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail. Â Stage one which comprises of the two tall silos was officially unveiled on Anzac Day in 2018. Marked as a tribute to help celebrate the 100-year centenary of the end of the First World War. Â The stage one artwork depicts a stunning image of a WW1 nurse and a modern female military medic in the Australian Armed Forces. This mural also depicts the changing role of women in the military and society in general.Stage two on the short silos were officially unveiled one year later on Anzac Day 2019. This mural is a tribute to the Australian Light Horse. The Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and WW 1. Source
Every generation of my direct (and extended) family from my 3xGt Grandfather down to a son and a nephew have served (several fell in battle) so it is second nature for me to say
As well as being a serious reflective time it’s also a time that I associate with new clothes and laughter.
As children we always got some sort of new clothing for Easter, dyed chook eggs (no chocolate ones for us) and a day out somewhere.
When I think back to when our children were young it must have seemed like I was a terrible mother because it was one chocolate egg per person not the bucket loads today’s little ones get – and that wasn’t until the thrill of hand dying the chook eggs had worn off and they noticed what was on sale in the shops. They would drop hints about ‘eggs with smarties’ inside – that way they’d get more than just a hollow egg. Â And to be fair I did surprise them some years with a bag of those little tiny eggs or a dozen small eggs in a carton to share amongst each other.
It’s been a different Easter for all of us this year.  No church services or rather no public gathering together services just those streaming.  No trips to the beach, no camping in the national parks, no BBQs with the extended family.  The traditional Easter surfing  championship at Bells Beach postponed.  Locally on warm sunny days over this weekend (same as any other weekend) the open green space at the park would be filled with families using the playground.  Because of ‘the virus’ it didn’t happen this weekend and we also heard today the state of emergency here in Victoria has been extended for another month so it will quite a while until it’s allowed again 😥
The murals on the toilet blocks have been repainted  recently – in a very simple child friendly but eyecatching design.  They looked quite lonely when I was there the other day 😒
Unlike those sunny warmish Easters we’ve had over the years Saturday and Sunday were cold and miserable, today is forecast to be a bit warmer and dryer. Â We won’t be going far though, Â I’d love to take a drive up the hills to look at the changing colours on the trees. Not allowed – stay in your suburb – remember the four reasons
Looks like it’ll be a(nother) day at home…..with The Golfer…..eating and drinking and doing other stuff.
No chocolate eggs this year however we had some of these egg shaped decorated shortbreads gifted to us…..turned up on our doorstep last Thursday. Wondered if the Easter Bunny was having trouble with regular deliveries and had changed stockists but no just a friend trying her hand at something new.
Last year I went with a group to visit the Islamic Museum of Australia  in Thornbury, Melbourne.  While there were loads of interesting things to see inside what did catch my eye even before we walked through the door was this mural on the wall near the entrance.
Painted for the opening in 2014, we visited in 2019 and considering the number of people who would’ve walked past, possibly running their fingers over the brush strokes, there was still a fresh clean newly painted look to it. Looking back down the slope the black grey yellow and white colourings look different, softer, not so definined.  Possibly something to do with the way the light fell on the wall  https://www.janetradyfineart.com/artist/Sabah_Arbilli/biography/https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Museum_of_Australia
Well that’s what we discovered when we got to Deniliquin – which is just a quick (less than an hours) drive up the Cobb Hwy from Echuca.
I’ve got short legs so drew the short straw and sat in the back with another short legged lady while the two ‘fellas’ led the way in the front.  Not my favourite place to be because I like to see where we’re going,  I’m not keen on looking at things sideways or peering through the middle of the front seat passengers but we can’t have our own way all the time  (can I 😊😊)
Rainy days are not the best days for ‘sightseeing’ so as we drove past a visitor Information centre with signage for a cafe on the door we all nodded to each other and mouthed the word Coffee!  As well as the Information place and the cafe the building also housed the Peppin Heritage Centre . The Peppin family were early settlers to the local area who specialised in sheep farming, developing the Peppin Merino breed that is associated with wool production in nearly all the Australian states.
It was agreed that we couldn’t just sit there in the car complaining discussing the much needed precipitation,  we were out for the day  so while the rain tumbled poured down outside we’d have a wander through the little museum, learn lots about early times, sheep breeding (and hard life in the middle 1800s) on the stations around the Riverina, then,  rather than venture out into the cold, wet, windy day to look at the outside displays (yes I know, we’re fair weather tourists) have coffee and cake under the same roof.
When the rain moved on and the skies cleared, – it was time to move on ourselves 😊
Back in the car, aimlessly driving round, and there it was!
When we were up this way last April we looked at some painted grain silos in Rochester just south of Echuca – do you remember the Silo Art I showed you?
Well it appears rural art comes in all shapes and sizes…..and forms!
Deniliquin now has a newly painted WATER TOWER!  Painted by renowned  street/mural artist  Cam Scales!
I’ve lightened this up considerably – the sky wasn’t that blue, the clouds were a lot darker, it was about to rain again so I didn’t even look at the other side lol  But I did get this one picture featuring two kookaburras to remember it by😊
In April 2016 while The Golfer and I were cruising round the South Pacific we stopped into Papeete Tahiti – and just look at what we saw 😊
Some fabulous enormous end of building murals.
I haven’t been able to find the name of the artist/s responsible for this first one but did discover it was painted during the 2014 Street Art Festival or Festival of Street Graffiti as I saw it described somewhere.
An online article plus a (see how they do it) video taken during the festival:-
This second one was a painted the next year 2015 for the same now annual festival,  a collaboration between American artist Pose and Australian Dabs&Myla . Bright bright colours! Seen better when enlarged (with a click) 🙂
The Golfer and I made our way up to Echuca in the north of Victoria again last week, this time to enjoy the company of interstate visitors. Â And even though they are very very long time friends it’s sometimes difficult to know how to ‘amuse’ them, particularly when one has a permanent ankle injury and the other ‘a bad back’….which meant wandering about and taking in the sights and sounds of the little compact town that Echuca is was not on the list of things to do and see.
So one day it was ‘top up the tank’ for a quick drive down the road to have a look round the little town of Tongala. One of those rural places opened up in the 1870s with a smallish population that…..according to census returns……is slowly growing; up from 869 persons in 1911 to 1869 in 2011.  Like lots of small towns, locals rack their brains to find ways of bringing people (and money) to the area.  Assisted by local artist Murray Ross, Tongala has hit on street art in the form of murals – lots of them, showing the history of the town and the associated dairy industry, as their way of bringing those visitors to Tonny….as the locals call it 😊
Often on a Monday Andrew (High Riser) shows photos of murals – joining in with a weekly meme called just that…..Monday Murals.
A couple of weeks ago we spent some time up on the Murray at Echuca – and with a forecast of better weather than the last time (when it was so cold we spent most of the time inside) this time we planned to go out and about exploring within an hour’s drive.
Rochester is just under a half hour drive away through flatfish farming land, some sheep and loads of cattle to be seen, particularly those lovely black and white herds of Holstein Friesians so prevalent in northern Victoria because they are part and parcel of our dairy industry
After lunch at the historic Shamrock Hotel  it was just a short walk over the train tracks to see what we came for.  The art on the disused silos.  Featuring a Squirrel Glider and an Azure Kingfisher painted by JimmyDvate.
Still Waters 