Bribie Pics

Below photo shows the entrance gate to the Caravan Park at Worrim where we stay along with Terry & Patricia - it's great.

A Bit About Bribie Island - A Peaceful Place

Bribie Island

As one of only two islands in Queensland connected to the mainland by bridge, Bribie Island projects a carefree community feel with a combination of calm bay beaches and surf beaches ideal for either a leisurely swim or surfing safari. Bribie Island makes for a gorgeous island escape and is popular with nature lovers, water sport enthusiasts and families alike. Bribie Island is the smallest and most northerly of three major sand islands forming the coastline sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland. The others are Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island .

Bribie Island is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 68 km north of Brisbane. The park covers approximately one third of Bribie Island. The tidal wetlands and areas of water around the islands are protected within the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage is a protected marine park and safe haven for wildlife, running as a 35km channel between Bribie Island and the Caboolture coastline. A popular location for water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers, visitors can take a guided kayak tour, wind or kitesurf, go bird watching, pump for yabbies or simply watch the magic of a sunset over the Glasshouse Mountains.

Bribie's Beaches
Boasting both a long stretch of surf shoreline and a calm protected coastline, Bribie offers the best of both worlds for the beach lover. For surfside fun and access to long, white sandy stretches of four-wheel driving areas, head to the popular Woorim Beach on the eastern side of the island. On the protected western side of the island, the beaches at Bongaree and Bellara are both favoured spots for families. With barbecues, picnic facilities, play areas for the kids and calm swimming spots, they make the ideal destination for a day out with family and friends.
Abbey Museum of Art & Archaeology
See the past unfold before you as you discover a collection of priceless antiques and fine arts from around the world at the Abbey Museum of Art & Archaeology. Explore the exciting history of Western Europe over the past half-million years all the way through to modern times. Experience scenes from Rome’s iron legions, fierce Saxon and Viking invaders, plague-ridden towns, knights and manors, Europe’s golden age of exploration and the Industrial Revolution. Or join in the Abbey Medieval Festival, held in July every year and featuring banquets, tournaments and other activities.
Bribie Island Seaside Museum
Learn about the stories of Bribie and the people who shaped, lived and loved it at the Seaside Museum. Become acquainted with Matthew Flinders and his encounter at Skirmish Point. Reflect on the brilliant reclusive artist Ian Fairweather. Learn about the American troop occupation during World War II and get up close to the local bounty of the sea in the incredible fish collection of the Amateur Fishing Association of Queensland.
                                         Beautiful Bribie Island.........
THE ONLY MORETON BAY ISLAND THAT YOU CAN DRIVE TO
Bribie Island is connected to the mainland by bridge and is only 45 minutes from Brisbane Airport.
As you cross the Bribie Island bridge you have captivating views of Pumicestone Passage.
On both sides and in the distance the majestic Glass House Mountains Pumicestone Passage is home to an amazing array of wildlife Dolphins, Dugong, and Turtles cruise the passage and over 300 species of birds visit the island each year roosting in trees and along the foreshore and feasting along the sand flats.Bribie Island is protected by Environmental, National and Marine Parks, 86 %of Bribie Island will remain unchanged, ensuring the natural beauty will remain for future generations to enjoy.
Bribie Island has something for every one with shopping centre, eat in and take away restaurants, hotels,  clubs, movie theatre, golf courses, golf and bowls clubs, holiday accommodation, sports ground, parks along the beach with BBQ areas and toilets, boat ramps, markets, a Marina where you can moor your boat or hire  BBQ or fishing boats, and cruise the passage or just go fishing.

Worrim Golf

We are really enjoying our current house sit at Banksia Beach - Bribie Island is a great place we really like it here. The is everything here shopping wise, banks, supermarkets x3, shopping mall, dr's if needed, dental, medical laboratory for blood tests, xray & imaging, servos, library, cafes, Macas, restaurants and much more. The climate is great & we are only 30mins from Morayfield, Caboolture which is huge, 40mins north to the Sunshine Coast & about 1hr south to Brisbane so really it is a good location. Brian & Terry have been out playing a bit of golf, they go to the golf course at Worrim where they get a good deal that includes a golf buggy so the old fellows don't have to walk so far.I believe last week Brian was hitting better than Terry. Here's the proof Terry's driving & just waiting for the photographer before they head off for 18holes.

Car repairs & Pool Cleaning

27th June 2014

Well winter has arrived here in Qld - I know I know it's nothing compared to the cold like back in home in Christchurch, however believe me we do remember the cold there in fact we have a house sit lined up for Victoria next year - yep in WINTARR as the ozzies say, we will experience a real winter down there - but more on that later. We have not done alot really of late, still going to Caloundra on Thursdays for our line dance class, & and we have improved greatly that we now stay on for the next class where they do more experienced dances & and the steps are a bit tricky at times - great friendships made there & and they are great fun to be with. The Mazda has been running rough since our trip last year where we had it into Mazda twice at Swan Hill to fix the problem - and yep it came back the same so Brian took it back to Swan Hill Mazda & as we had to move on we decided to just leave it. Nothing wrong other than running like a tractor from cold start. Again the car was taken this time to Ford at Caboolture Monday just gone, we decided to try and get things sorted while we have Margaret's (home-owner) little Mazda 2 to use while our Trib is being fixed, got the phone call yesterday to say it's ready to go and appears it was a manifold allowing cold air to get in something to do with the cold idle - Brian told the guy if it was still playing up he would be bringing it back, collected the Trib today & she sounds like a completely different vehicle, 2 new rear tyres next week, and  the aircon & window fix & she will be all good again.

Brian developed his usual winter chest infection a couple of weeks ago, now well on the mend however he was out of sorts for a while - hence the winter sheets went onto the bed, we have our own linen, blankets,doona inner &; cover as back up, however as all the linen here is spotless all we are using are our own pillows and winter sheets - they sure do make a difference.

Brian has been trying to do a bit of fishing off the pontoon - has not really caught anything big enough to keep so they have all been going straight back in. I have been pottering in the garden, keep things tidy and ; ship shape, its great to get out and do a bit of trimming etc - will look good by the time the home-owners arrive back - they started their cruise from Holland to Budapest yesterday - lucky buggers.

This arvo while it was nice & warm Brian decided it was time to take the cover off the pool & scoop a couple of leaves out of it, with the cover on it keeps it pretty clean - the pool temp is 22c bit too chilly for us to swim now.

We have seen Terry & Patricia quiet a bit down at the van park at Worrim they are fine have a great sunny spot - we pop down to have a chat & a cuppa, will be catching up with them more in August when we move to the van park for 12 days before our next house sit. Well folks take care & catch you next time.

Jamie's 8th Birthday

Sunday 17th June

Today we had Vicky her partner Adrian, Olivia 13yr & Jamie master 8 come down for the day. It was Jamie's 8th birthday during the week & as the kids had school we decided it would be best to come at the weekend. They came for lunch which Vicky left behind at home in the fridge hehehe, they went off & bought themselves subway while Brian & I had some quiche that I had made. The guys & kids spent most of the afternoon fishing off the pontoon, catching a total of 2 Pike eels yucky bloody looking things big white things with vicious teeth, 2 Bream great eating but they went back in, & two beautiful Mud Crabs both female so they had to go back in, (not allowed to take the females). Around 3.00pm we had afternoon tea, I had made a banana cake & put candles on it for Jamie, you should have seen his face it was a hit that's for sure. The family left around 4.00pm to head back up to the Sunshine Coast via the mongrel Bruce H Way. We had a great afternoon the weather was good nice & sunny. One rule granddad made the kids adhere to was they were not allowed on the pontoon without wearing life jackets - Jamie tried it on & turned on a real paddy, soon realising everyone else was having fun down there & decided if he wanted to join in he had to put the life jacket on - this time with no hassles, Grandad 1 - Jamie - 0.

  Above fish is a Bream nice eating but we didnt keep it - dont why actually as it was the biggest
  one caught. Below is the Mud Crab - which went back in.

Below photos show the ugly Pike Eel which definately went back in.

Time to Fish

 June  12th 2014

Well when you have time on your hands and the weather is still nice once the day warms up - well else to do but wait for the fish to bite.

The Prom cont

We went for a drive to have a look at the Marina - Brian was dreaming but dreams are free

And a couple of photos of a Sunset over the canal, the top one was a real weird sky

Our First House Sit

26 May 2014

"The Promontory" 26May to 15 August 2014

We met the homeowners in the PM for all the do's &dont's nothing like that, just the general exchanges of ph numbers, email addresses etc, it was agreed that we come back around 7.30pm to take them to the airport as they were flying out later that night. We had to use their wagon a much larger vehicle than ours & Chris drove & did really well. We duely arrived & got them to the airport bade farewells and we  then headed back to the Sunshine Coast making our usual stop off at Nudgee for a dinner/drink stop.

Arrived back at Bribie around 2200 & heading back to the van park to turn the fridge off so it defrosted for the next day. Taking all the food out of the fridge we headed back to “The Promontory” (Prom) for short to start our first night in the house. It is beautiful 4bdrms, 2 bathrooms, 3 loos, huge lounge/living/

kitchen and amazing outdoor areas with views over the canal - oh and a pool also a poontoon with 2 boats. The following day we took poppy to the storage area where Terry has his van parked up when back in NZ, we needed it close by as we will be going back to the van park for 12days once the homeowners come home, which means we will have some time with Terry & Patricia before they head back to NZ & we head to our next house sit in the Hinterland of the Gold Coast where we will be for almost 3wks, but will leave that for another entry.

Below maps shows where we currently are (The Promontory - we back onto the canal)

Bribie Island here we come

25 May 2014

We arrived a the caravan park at Worrim and stayed one night, the park is great,very quiet and currently no rugrats (kids). Tomorrow we move to the house sit on "The Promontory" more on that

in the next post.
Photo below shows where the caravan park is at Woorim where we stay along with Terry & Patricia, you will notice I have circled it (the little red caravan symbol) a great spot.

Packing at Sunseeker

24 May 2014

We depart Sunseeker Village tomorrow after being camped here for the last 5mths. We had always intended in moving down to Worrim Bribie Island on the 26^th to be there when Terry & and Patricia arrived over for their winter migration. However after chatting with our good friends Jan & and Trevor Appleton while they were staying at Sunseeker, they said why don't you give housesitting a go? Jan & and Trev left & and that gave Brian & and I something to think about. It would allow us still to be able to do some travel with or without the caravan, depending on wether we could stay in the homeowners home or wether we had to use our caravan. We signed up to the housesitters site and have had fantastic response.

The photos below show us taking down the tarp that we had over the van and annexe during the summer not only did it keep the heat out it also kept the rain away - we never got wet at all so it worked great.