The view from my "office"

[drron]

More from Hong Kong plus chopper and ferry.

 

[kookaburra75]

Watching sunrise at Palm Cove

We're normally not up that early

 

[RB]

I have good memories of Coonabarabran. We lived at the Observatory from 1979 to 1983. I kept coming back for work after we moved away, even after I retired. Last time was in 2013. Good to see it still goes strong.

We were living out there then. Moved around 1990 but still go back. I know this event is popular Dates and Events

 

[goosh]

Be careful what you feed them as meat, mince etc causes terrible feet and beak deformities in the young. I believe this is due to lack of calcium which they get naturally from eating insects.

Thanks! My better half is a wildlife carer, they are her birds, but i have gotten use to them every morning and their singing.

 

[prozac]

I love to hear magpies warble.

 

[OZDUCK]

I love to hear magpies warble.

I like magpies except when you are riding a bike and they swoop down and hit your helmet. Actually this has been a relatively good nesting season. I have only been attacked about 5 times so far.

 

[jxv]

We were living out there then. Moved around 1990 but still go back. I know this event is popular Dates and Events

Thanks for the link.

The open days, both at Siding Spring and Mount Stromlo Observatories, were always fun. I used to point one of the telescopes at a double star and enjoy the excitement of the visitors as they had the opportunity to look through the eyepiece.

I’ll keep my eye out for the AAT 50th celebrations next year.

 

[drron]

I like magpies except when you are riding a bike and they swoop down and hit your helmet. Actually this has been a relatively good nesting season. I have only been attacked about 5 times so far.

I still don’t get swooped by magpies even in places I have never been before. It seems that magpies have a way of telling who are not a threat to them.

 

[QF WP]

Not a bad view from my lunch venue today





Forgot to get one from the 3rd floor restaurant- but we were essentially under the Bridge

 

[jxv]

I have fallen behind with views from our tour of India. We are having a rest before we fly home on QF70 tonight, so I have a chance to catch up.

Ranthambore National Park. We did two Safari trips in “cantors”, open 4WD trucks with seating for 20. They are great examples of Indian utilitarian engineering.

Loading up!


At the NP gate.


We saw deer and monkeys close up and a sloth bear in the distance.

 

[OZDUCK]

I still don’t get swooped by magpies even in places I have never been before. It seems that magpies have a way of telling who are not a threat to them.

As far as I am aware they are especially protective of their nests when a bike goes past. I have not been swooped when on foot for years but it often occurs when I am on the bike.

 

[jxv]

On our second safari, in the early morning, we concentrated on finding the elusive tiger and leopard. We were sort of successful, as we caught a glimpse of a tiger walking into the bushes away from us, too quickly to take a photo.

A leopard walked past behind the bushes, hard to see in this photo.


There were also some impressive banyan trees.

 

[jxv]

Jaipur, the Pink City, though the colour really is more like terracotta.





A decorated elephant on its way to a festival.


Another decorated elephant. This one would make a nice conversation starter in your lounge room.

 

[jxv]

The Amber Fort. The defensive fort is further up the hill, this is a palace for the Maharaja.





The Mirror Galery.




The ladies of the court, wives and concubines of the Maharaja, could watch the proceedings in the courtyard from behind elaborate marble screens without being seen.


The courtyard garden.

 

[jxv]

India has recently overtaken China as the most populous country at 1.43 billion.
A lot of people seem to be on the road at any one time. They cram themselves into trains, cars, “Jeeps” and any other vehicle that can be found. Jeeps comfortably accommodate four adults in the back, but we have seen up to 14 people alight from them!

When the vehicle is full, you can always hang on to the back. This guy is hanging on with one hand and talking on the phone while the traffic is going at 80 km/h along the highway!

 

[jxv]

Our final tourist activity in India was a visit to the National Railway Museum in New Delhi. It was interesting to find out some information about the history in their exhibition. The outside exhibits were generally not in good condition. It was obvious that the Indian Railways have more pressing needs than the preservation of historic material.




This German built curiosity from 1909 merits a mention. It runs on a single rail with “balance wheels” running on a concrete plinth or on an existing road.

 

[jxv]

A final post from India, from the Encalm Privé lounge at DEL, where we are whiling away some time before boarding QF70 to MEL, with a drink or two accompanied with food from the well stocked Indian buffet.

A very spacious lounge


with a great buffet.

 

[Flashback]

A final post from India, from the Encalm Privé lounge at DEL, where we are whiling away some time before boarding QF70 to MEL, with a drink or two accompanied with food from the well stocked Indian buffet.

A very spacious lounge
View attachment 351648

with a great buffet.
View attachment 351649

That looks far nicer than what I used to get to use (Plaza Premium IIRC) when I used to travel there regularly on BA.

 

[Daver6]

A final post from India, from the Encalm Privé lounge at DEL, where we are whiling away some time before boarding QF70 to MEL, with a drink or two accompanied with food from the well stocked Indian buffet.

A very spacious lounge
View attachment 351648

with a great buffet.
View attachment 351649

That looks a million times better than the lounge QF used to send pax too!

 

[Port Power]

The view from current “office”, Hotel Sacher, Salzburg, Austria. Unfortunately not a river view for me.



Sacher Hotel viewed from across the river.