brisbane

To The Stars

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When the stars align and weather cooperates you can be lucky to see something magical when you look up towards the heavens. With a new moon forecasted but weather looking dicey it was left too last minute whether or not viewing the meteorite shower given off from Halley’s Comet was going to be seen. I had the location sorted, time to leave set,  batteries charged and ready to go. All that was left was warm clothes and blankets to pack in the car ( when the rain stops ) and just hope that when midnight comes around the clouds would leave and let this adventure begin.

Sometimes you can be lucky, as my girl friend and I looked out from my balcony as midnight rolled around there they were. Not a cloud in the sky and being able to see some stars so close too city lights the night was looking good. What felt like a mad dash trying not to forget anything and making sure we had enough warm clothes, the excitement and wonder of what we were about to see made time go by fast. With three hours until the meteorite shower was predicted to start, a coffee was needed and the hope that the location I have chosen will work.

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I chose to head to a lookout at Mt Mee just an hours drive from Brisbane CBD, this should be far enough away from any light pollution. Arriving on location and seeing no other car in the car park two thoughts crossed my mind. First I hope I have the right night and second I hope this is the right spot. As soon as we arrived and looked up we saw the most amazing view of the milky way and I can say the best I have ever seen it with just a naked eye. On taking the first photo and seeing the stars mixed with the milkyway I knew I could stop thinking about my second thought I had on arrival. It was just beautiful. With my camera set it was time to let the waiting game begin.

 

The anticipation of where the meteorites would come from and which view would look best to photograph was all I could think about. What felt like forever waiting until 2:30am when the first meteorite flew over. I jumped out the car to start taking photos I had my finger on the trigger for another 30 minutes until the reel show started. Yes I was a bit too eager. 3am came around and the site of the meteorites started to fill up the sky. Playing around with a few angles made me realise the easiest way to capture a lot of the faint metorites was to look directly up. This gave the best chance of capturing the most meteorites  in a shot and with the view of the milkyway it was just spectacular.

Over the two hours I was taking photos, there was one moment of absolute amazement. When a meteorite flew over burning up towards the ocean. This meteorite light up the whole night sky with a bluey, green flash. Of course this flew in a direction where my camera wasn’t pointing, but in that moment I felt so humble to be able to experience it with my amazing girlfriend who sat up wit me, as we kept each other warm under our blanket. As the morning grew later and sunlight started creeping into the sky from the horizon it was time to call it a night. The drive home I can say was interesting to say the least, having someone there to help keep me awake was key.

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I must say this night was such a humbling experience and to shear it with someone I love  was amazing. In 60 years time when the stars align again I know that I am more then ready for this experience again. One thing I will do different though, I will be camping out under the stars so no sketchy driving will occur on the way home.

Redcliffe Kite Festival

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With one of the most popular events to happen in the Moreton Bay area of Redcliffe, the Redcliffe Kite festival saw a massive turnout over the two days. With many market stalls, areas for the young kids, a Carnival for young and old, a massive kite flying arena and live stunt shows by the water, Pelican Park was transformed into an exciting action packed area ready to excite every member of the family. But who am I kidding it was the ultimate kids weekend.

 

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Flight Path

Leaving Brisbane and heading to Redcliffe is really simple, just a quick 35 min drive from Brisbane’s CBD will see you on the Ted Samout Memorial Bridge. With water appearing on both sides of you, just on the other side of the bridge is your destination.
Leaving Brisbane, you’ll want to get onto the gateway motorway (M1) and head north towards the Sunshine Coast. Around 20km along the Gateway Motorway stay in your right- hand lanes and look for exit 122 this will put you onto Deagon Deviation (26) and the sight of the beautiful waters of Morton Bay is just 10 min away.

Arriving on the other side of the bridge you might be able to see the kites in the air and with traffic getting a bit busier you know you are heading in the right direction. Look for the signs that can get you onto Hornibrook Esplanade this will take you to the festival. Parking can be pretty difficult if you are not heading there super early in the morning. There are two options for parking. The first and simpler way was parking at the show grounds and with a free, regular shuttle bus this was the easiest method but you could also get lucky with parks found on the streets but later through the day I wouldn’t hold my breath.

 

On Arrival

Heading toward the entry of the festival I would recommend on buying your tickets on line. This will help your eager awaiting children get in quicker to see some of their favorites on main stage and be amazed by the kites that have come to the festival. With the events on the program being really well laid out it gave a good amount of time to get around the grounds and see everything the festival has to offer. Depending on what you have decided as your main attraction that you would like to see, I would keep an eye on the time if you don’t want to miss seeing one of the jet ski stunt shows. There is an announcement over the speakers to remind people when it is on but I would get there at least 20 min before the show. This can give you some time to have a sit-down and a bite to eat and make sure you get a good spot to see the demonstration. As the show comes closer to starting, the shore line along the Cleanaway ocean zone becomes very crowded and it could be hard to see the action if left too late.

 

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If food is on your mind there are many stalls with plenty to choose from, from hot dogs, Mexican, Indian and dessert stalls to finish it all off… if you have the room for it. There are a lot of tables and chairs on both sides of the kite flying arena and the main stage has live shows such as Trolls alive and Paw Patrol happening all day. Another good idea is to bring a picnic blanket and find a nice quiet place under some trees in the park. This is a good idea for large families or if you have gone with a group.

 

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I would recommend eating before the lunch time rush comes in, with lines becoming quite long, waiting in the sun cannot be too much fun and it is good to have lunch over and done with before the Yak52 Aerobatic Display starts. Even though this show can be seen from around the whole ground, it is best to once again be by Cleanaway Ocean Zone to see some amazing aerobatic displays by this old plane and its pilot. This is a short display, and I’ll give you a hint when looking out onto beautiful Moreton Bay look to your right down the shoreline to get the first glimpse of the plane as it flies in. With the aerobatic display over, and your food has settled in your tummy the afternoon can be filled with going on some of the rides at the KiteFest Karnival section or head to KiteFest Kidz zone where there is plenty to do to tire out the kids for the drive home. With attractions such as jumping castles, pony rides and a public kite fly zone I’m sure there will be enough entertainment to make you have to carry your kids back to the car.

Tricks and Tips

With so much to do and see at the Redcliffe Kite Festival it is easy to spend the whole day there and with the car being so far away it is definitely recommended to bring a bag with a few essential things in it. First and foremost a hat and sunscreen or everyone traveling with you, it is a long day in the sun and the heat can get to you after a while. I would recommend bringing a water bottle and with a Hydration station near the entry you can fill up your water bottles as much a s you like, this I thought was a very good idea for an event that is out doors. You are able to bring your own kites from home and as I said before if you have room bring a picnic blanket this will allow you to stop and be comfortable where ever you find some shade. As there are constantly new kites being flown up and down in the Kite Flying Arena, and as the day goes on you might notice them getting bigger and bigger. I would keep a good eye on your children as the gaps in the fence are just big enough to let your curious children through and onto the arena grounds.

I hope this article has given a good insight into a day spent at the Redcliffe Kite Festival. Even though it might be an ultimate kids weekend I think we all turn back into a kid again at some point over the weekend. It is definitely hard to snap back into reality as you leave the grounds and see the last glimpse of the kites being flown over head, but this last sight is the one that makes you can’t wait to be a kid again next year..

Cedar Creek Falls

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Whenever you hear Mt Glorious mentioned, first comes to mind is the beautiful drive along the ridge line from Mount Nebo to the valley that makes up Wivenhoe Dam region. For a different experience, I would like to take you to the other side of this ridge line to the base of the mountain where you can find a steady flow of crystal clear water filling rock pools as it goes and it is called Cedar Creek Falls.

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Travelling

Getting to Cedar Creek falls is very simple as long as you do head to the right Cedar Creek falls when looking at a map. Make sure you are looking for Cedar Creek at Mt Glorious and not where maps will take you on your IPhone or android device and that is to Cedar Creek Falls at Mt Tamborine. Now this is sorted Cedar Creek Falls at MT GLORIOUS is a quick 35min drive from Brisbane’s CBD. As you reach Samford Village and drive along Mains Street, it turns into Mt Samson Road just outside the village, follow this road until you see the sign for the falls and Cedar Creek Road. If you go over the bridge just after the turn you have gone too far and you’ll find yourself in Closeburn. From the turn off onto Cedar Creek Road it’s simple, stay on this road for 10 minutes or until you reach the end, whichever comes first.

 

Food

If food is on your mind as you’re driving through Samford Village, I would stop for a bite at any of the local cafes or restaurants due to there will be no other options for food once you leave the village. In Samford Village, I would recommend the Samford Village Hotel where they have a beautiful grill open every day, a kid’s menu for under 12’s and a gourmet pizza selection enough to fill all your hunger needs. There is also a nice park to sit in for lunch and let the legs have a stretch out before getting to the falls.

When I head to Cedar Creek Falls and a nice juicy steak isn’t what I’m after, I’d rather pack a nice back pack lunch and once I am at the falls eat on the smooth rocks nearest to the car park, or if my stomach hasn’t started rumbling just yet, start heading up the creek and finding a nice quiet place at any of the rock pools along the way to the falls. Always remember if you do take your lunch PLEASE!! Take a bag for rubbish and put it in the bins provided in the car park when you leave.

 

Location

Now your tummy is full and energy is up, time for your Cedar Creek Falls adventure to begin. I would recommend taking a back pack with a towel, camera if you like to take some happy snaps along your adventure, and of course a water bottle. Even though the air is quite cool, the sun can still shine quite brightly through the trees and this can cause dehydration pretty quickly and it is a bit of a hike from up the creek to get back to your closest water source.

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Now that your back pack is sorted, put on some good waterproof walking shoes just in case you feel a bit adventurous and would like to take some more trickier routes across the creek. Yes, in some sections, your feet can get wet but it’s all a part of the experience. Setting off from the carpark I would allow a little over an hour to reach the main falls but with the many photo opportunities and swimming holes along the way this journey could take up to two hours especially if the kids are along for the journey.

The journey along the creek can fill your ears with the sound of birds chirping and the constant trickle of water as it flows down the creek along its drop offs and pools that build up. This sound is only broken up by people’s laughter and conversations as you pass different groups that have taken up waterholes as you make your way up the creek along the smooth flat rock sections. These sections are broken up with lots of rock hopping across and along the creek. You will also face some bigger boulders that will have to be climbed over to reach next sections but there are many foot holes in the side of the rocks to help you get over them.

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A nice steady pace along the creek will find that you get to the falls without a problem but always remember if you ever need to cool down to continue your adventure, the water is right there, what are you waiting for… hop in and cool off.cedar creek-1 copy 3

Cedar Creek is a very simple place to get around you can either go up or down stream so there is no worry of getting lost just remember always follow the water and you’ll be fine. After your walk up the beautiful crystal clear water that makes up cedar Creek Falls, you will arrive at the falls and what, I think, is the best water hole of them all, with nice easy banks to get in and out of the water, and with the calming sound of the water rushing over the stone wall into the water hole, it makes for a beautiful relaxing end to your adventure. As you are sitting around and relaxing by the water’s edge, you may notice people walking further up and over the waterfalls edge. This continues further up the creek but I should mention this is a journey you need to be prepared for a little more than what you have experienced so far. If you feel like continuing on remember to pack extra supplies, but that will have to be a story for another time.

Tricks/ Tips

With a backpack, full of supplies and protective shoes ready Cedar Creek is an easy and fun place to get around.
This is definitely a place to visit through the summer months as the cool temperature moves in through winter and the water rushing from the top of the mountain can get quite chilly. I would recommend going more towards the end of summer this will give you a better chance of less people being in the area if you would rather have the place more to yourself, and the water temperature will still be quite nice, but with our summer I might mention we can have very severe and freak storms. This is a place where water levels and flow of the creek can change very dramatically. If this is noticed I would start making plans to head back to the cars as the creek can be very unforgiving in the case of flash floods.

If photography is your thing, and you are a nature lover, I’d recommend any time in the winter when you don’t have to worry so much about having to deal with large groups of people that flock to the location through the summer months. I’d also recommend, if possible, heading there just after some rain to see the creeks flow at full potential but remember to always stay careful and let someone know you’re going, you never know what can happen. Its better being safe than sorry.

I hope this article has given some good insight into what you need to know before you go to Cedar Creek Falls always remember mother nature is an amazing thing and that we should always respect it. Places like Cedar Creek Falls are popular destinations for young and old and will keep its natural beauty if we clean up after ourselves and do the right thing by it.