fruit from the Saturday market

Queensland grown tropical fruit from the Saturday markets, a 350 metre stroll along the river from our Brisbane West End apartment. Hurrah! for summer. Is there anything better than Queensland grown mango, Tahitian limes, plantains, pungent red papaya, yellow pawpaw, juicy oranges and bush lemons. And those impossibly sweet rough leaf pineapples

Quan Yin and purple orchids

Swathed in enchanting Vanda orchids, Quan Yin showers very real blessings along Brisbane's river front. Except the orchids are unreal. They're cleverly crafted by Nong, a talented Thai girl who travels weekends from the Gold Coast to display her wares at South Bank Lifestyle Markets beside the Brisbane river. As real as nature but intricately fashioned in fine white clay, each hand made leaf and petal is delicately painted and styled into authentic looking flowers that stopped me in my tracks. I swore never to accept artificial flowers, but never say never. These artworks share pride of place with Quan Yin.

Jacaranda time at the Regatta Hotel

Brisbane's slightly infamous old watering hole stands right across the river from our new apartment. So near yet so far. Takes me back to college days. The Brisbane Boys College rowing shed once stood on the waterfront adjacent to the pub. Head of the River. I was too young to row but not to slip into the then hotel gardens. Actually saw a woman chain herself to the foot rail in the bar to protest that females were not served in the bar. Police dragged the lady off to the lockup. We've come a long way, baby.

Brisbane connection working a treat

Quickly discovered the river is the link to inner city living in Brisbane. What fun to welcome Sydney visitors Mark Roeder and Janine Bavin. Mark, author of The Big Mo spoke at the Brisbane Writers Festival and stayed to update on my new inner city digs. Janine lunched with us at Mecca Bah a new haunt just beyond Fortitude Valley. Home made pizza [Spit roasted lamb, rocket, yoghurt & sumac and Sardine, caramelised onion, roast tomato & olive] preceded a seriously good tangine with beetroot salad - almost no room for a round of middle eastern ice cream. Almost.

The last orchid to leave the garden

Smashing results at the three day mega sale. Every single orchid sold and there were approximately 2,000 plants on the Cooroy Gardens six acre property in the Noosa hinterland. 

Publicist and popular Noosa personality Helen Flannagan scored the last orchid and garden manager Seyen Surjan was there to see the sale went smoothly. Most everyone left happy and there is enough running-away-from-home money to tide us over to the next big event. Time for a little R&R methinks. Part of the jade collection went to family friends in Ipswich and the cinnabar lacquer lions will soon return to Sydney and the couple who first introduced me to Apple Mac – I am forever in their debt.  Stay tuned.