davlap

19 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

People are really stupid, aren't they?  Who on earth needs to stockpile anything for a lockdown that lasts THREE WHOLE DAYS?

If there are no more cases. If we get to double figures (or even less), watch this space !

If it is the more virulent strain there are surely going to be more, given the places visited.

If not, what does it mean? Will anybody listen any more (yes I know, might be eating those words in a day or two)

24 minutes ago, calNgary said:

I think it is the right thing to do, try and get on top of it now rather than being locked down for weeks and weeks because it has got out of control. You only need to look at the media to see how it took over in the UK and we really do not want that to happen here. Last years lock down was bad enough. At the end of the day its 3 days, so no different to a long weekend really.

 Cal x

It kind of is. But the point of my post is the cost in collateral damage. To people and businesses. Even before anything has actully really happened.

On our local suburb  FB group -  25k north of the CBD

"Aldi at 10:30 this morning. All the produce, meat and Toilet paper was flying out the shop."

Some of the comments on there are getting pretty nasty.

We keep hearing about the community spirit in Aus when there are natural disasters. This is the other extreme. Everybody for themselves.

Not sure how healthy this is for communities, not just now, but long into the future.

I don't for one minute subscribe to the conspiracy theory, or the claims of fake news. Nor do I agree with herd immunity. Just maybe look at a bigger picture and act when its needed (no- not when its too late)

57 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

The alternative is to do what NSW did and let life go on as normal while they track and trace - and look how that turned out.   Not a huge number of reported  cases, but it's probably all over Sydney (there's Covid in the sewage in 36 suburbs), and Melbourne has had two separate outbreaks caused by the Avalon cluster.  And that's not the highly infectious variant. 

 

This is the point. Few new NSW cases, linked to known clusters. These clusters starting up, not really going anywhere.

A measured response because they largely identified the spreaders (not in a ll cases) and can focus the areas for lockdown, track and trace and target the message.

Greater Brisbane is in full lockdown. To me, way over the top. The endless messages start to become noise. The UK (and US) kicked off to a large extent because people gave up with the endless stick and restrictions and started to ignore the rules. 

41 minutes ago, Maussie said:

It's difficult all round but living under lockdown part III and working in the NHS, I know I'd happily trade a strict limited lockdown and next to no Covid cases for what we currently have in the UK.  I don't think you can be over the top of you're currently getting away with it. You should carry on doing all you can to avoid the situation we have in Europe. Especially being so close to vaccine roll out, however useful they out to be. 

It's no conspiracy but certainly lots of continuous cock-ups which fuel speculation. 

I fully agree with what you say. We know people in the UK who have had it, wife was a nurse in the UK for 25 years and many of her friends are still there in the thick of it.

I also know people, older, retired, my age and above who sound totally depressed. They have been classed as vulnerable - after the brief summer respite they are back in lockdown again. Totally alone and miserable and lacking exercise, poor diet, cut off from social (face to face) interaction. Not great with technology, not getting to GP for ongoing care. Not all totally due to Covid, but a depression and isolation that's sapping their energy and will to do anything

This kind of thing is so harsh:

"If you are in those Greater Brisbane areas and you may have planned a vacation over this weekend. I'm so sorry, but you will not be able to go. You will have to reschedule," she said.

Worse, are those cases where people close to dying (cancer etc not Covid) are not allowed to get visitors. How can you not manage a handful of people, who most likely would agree to any requirements if it meant seeing and being with loved ones to face the end together.

I thought this amusing - giving the states 'permission', or taking away their thunder?

"The premier will urge other states and territories to also declare Great Brisbane a hotspot "until we get through this together"."

Having said all this, I seriously doubt Aus could cope in a full scale escalation. Wife is a nurse (community based mostly), couldn't even get a thermometer to test her patients at the peak earlier in the year

I always expected any hint of Covid in QLD would cause an immediate (knee-jerk?) reaction.

So, a cleaner has the 'UK strain' (thought it came from South Africa originally). They live south side,  came to the city by train and worked in a quarantine hotel. Got tested and went into quarantine, but may have had it for a couple of days.

So, from 6pm tonight greater Brisbane (North and South) is in full lockdown. No leaving the house, shopping, daily exercise only, soon mandating mandatory masks.

Is this over the top, or safe, good management? Not a single additional case detected. Surely it is too soon to be 'going to go hard and we are going to go early' as Annastacia  puts it. The side effects on peoples physical and mental health will potentially cause more damage. Then we will get the endless expert speculation and doom and gloom.

My brother in the UK is into the Covid conspiracy theory. I tell him Covid is real, why would hospitals conspire to fill up (amongst other things). 

I'm not against restrictions when appropriate, just not sure if the constant state of hyper anxiety and knock backs to families and businesses is valid.

I dread to think what will happen if we get a handful of cases. The other states will rub their hands with glee at the opportunity to return the harsh border controls QLD have imposed on them

Couple of things I do:

Last time in UK I got a three payg. Credit does not expire, just need to send a text every 6 months. 

I put 5 GBP on it 5 years ago, still got 4 left (texts are 2p). I use this for UK sms requests. Like @Wanderer Returns says, you can get in trouble if it does expire, or some other reason. However, you should be able to call them up to change it.

For various bank apps, I found they will not let you download if not in the country (certainly happened with Nationwide), You may not find them eg on google play store. I used a vpn to switch to UK, downloaded it. Then I disable it when not using it.  I found using the app was a lot easier for some things, as authentication is already done (because you are on the phone), so only password may be needed.

3 minutes ago, FatCat said:

I would not class The Diggers Club as "shop" plants. It is a seed saving group, who are into chemical-free organic growing, permaculture and cultivating heirloom fruits, vegetables and flowers. 

Wasn't having a dig. We bought seeds, plants etc and they mostly died. Tried to grow them the 'right 'way. I just think there is plenty out there that can be 'recycled'. My main disappointment is coriander. It sprouts healthy leaves from offcuts, then quickly dies.

1 hour ago, FatCat said:

Hi

I cannot comment for Brisbane.

But I found growing veggies and fruit in Sydney to be extremely easy thing to do. And I am NOT known for my green thumbs at all.

The garden I grew everything in had terrible clay soil, so I had to make up separate raised garden beds using untreated pine planks from Bunnings, plus I brought a metal tub.

I grew the following successfully and in abundance : strawberries, several types of lettuce, spinach, several types of kale, celery, cucumbers, several types of tomato, broadbeans, peppers, carrots, potatoes, parsley, coriander, chives, mint, spring onions, and garlic. 

I brought a large long cast iron bath, filled it with layers of mulch, straw, potting mix, blood & bone, compost and soil, and made a nutrient rich bed over several weeks. Then when ready, planted everything mentioned above in there, covered it with chicken wire and netting (to keep roos and possums out).

The success I believe came from having really healthy soil and also growing from "advanced seedling plugs" rather than actual seeds. You can get them from The Diggers Club online store, which is based in Victoria but ships Australia wide. I also brought them from the Castle Hill Farmers Market.

The second photo above looks like a passionfruit vine - lucky you

 

@FatCatI've changed my philosophy since that post. I don't buy shop plants and recycle shop veggie offcuts and other dead stuff into various patches I have.

Some things grow well in one patch, not another. I mulch a lot with compost bin stuff or bought mulch.

If things want to live and grow they can, if not that's up to them ! I water, trim dead stuff and harvest soon as possible. Minimal , but daily.

Next door had passion fruit and we must have got 20 or more fruits last year where it came over the fence. I planted some cuttings and they have gone nuts.

Tomatoes, chilies and basil grow and produce good harvests. I have planted some cucumbers and harvested some great tasting largish ones. But then the vine dies. Recently I planted sweet potato tubers and they have gone wild. Didn't know their vines can grow to 10 feet, I can believe it now. you can also eat the leaves, but not tried yet. Same with ordinary potatoes, some tubers have grown a foot in a few days. Ginger is doing well. Got an ace rhubarb plant, but still a bit sour (takes a year before they sweeten enough, apparently)

Weather is hot and humid and quite lush at the moment. You can see how the passion fruit has grown. Tomatoe plant in front of his has produced tens of toms. Chilli plants in the foreground

Shorncliffe sunset and moon rising 

On 30/11/2020 at 09:43, davlap said:

Been watching this frogmouth for a couple of weeks.
Right on a busy path on Sandgate foreshore

Then I see there is a chick, don't have much of a nest. Like mother like daughter (son?) with the bushy eyebrows

 

The frogmouths seemed to have gone away. It was incredible she had a chick in that tiny nest, but in fact, looks like there were two of them !

Could be Mum and Dad with one chick. Two are smaller in size, whereas adults are about the same size for male and female. Clutch size is usually 2 or 3

Lake Cootharaba, habitat Noosa at sunrise

Habitat Noosa , Lake Cootharaba

So we invested heavily ($25) on a tent.

Just got back from Habitat Noosa (edge of the everglades).Glorious sunrise with the roos, 15km hike in 30 degree plus heat , then 'swim' in lake - about a foot deep!

Usual weather deterioration when we decide to go. 50mm rain, thunder and lightning, tent was mostly dry

Bit calmer next day

Been watching this frogmouth for a couple of weeks.
Right on a busy path on Sandgate foreshore

Then I see there is a chick, don't have much of a nest. Like mother like daughter (son?) with the bushy eyebrows

3 hours ago, Bobj said:

Happiness is...a lounge, bedroom and kitchen at the rear

 

Cheers, Bobj

Hey Bob

You might have read I have been thinking of maybe getting a vehicle and heading off for some camping etc.

I see you aren't weighed down with all the heavy offroad gear, winch, recovery tracks etc. 

Is this because you keep to bumpy / dusty tracks out bush and don't have a need?

What do you have for emergency/recovery out of interest.

How old  is the the ute, how many k's on the clock? is it 4by?

Nosey as - no need to answer 

I have requoted, so you can delete the hidden one if you like. Still interested to know why is is marked as hidden.

When I saved it did say I had been editing for too long. Also had a swear word in (not me, copied from online), but I removed that, still hidden

Posted 2 minutes ago (edited) · Hidden

On 03/10/2020 at 23:31, Johndoe said:

Dunno whereabouts you are mate but as Dusty Plains says, best to try some basic camping. I can loan you all the gear you'll need and also give you good locations within 2hrs of Brizzy. No fourby needed.

Thanks to @Johndoe for lending us some gear. We just got back from O'Reillys at Lamington NP

Weather started off a bit rough and was pretty cold at times with the wind, but had some good spells. Appropriate sunsets for the conditions

We use Boost Mobile, they did a 365 day pre paid for $150. 80GB data (for the year) and unlimited UK calls - land line and mobile (and a number of other countries).

They are a cheap arm of Telstra (we get the free Telstra NRL pass through Telstra login)

Unfortunately it has gone up - but may be about $200. More data I think, which I don't need.

Got it because OH elderly parents gave up on anything internet based, skype etc. They always complained of some laptop/tech problem- which were mostly non-existent - they just weren't comfortable. Those methods are never consistent, good quality and sometimes had to keep trying to connect

So we call landline they put on speakerphone. No complaints or problems getting through

Hi @Dusty Plains, great advice and pretty much what I am likely to do. I did mention I didn't want to do anything serious off-road. Plan is to take our hatchback, rent some kit and stay overnight somewhere. OH says she will try it s long as there are facilities.

If all is good, we can than buy kit and build up, buy a second car, or trade in the hatch. There are easy tracks near Brisbane where people take their daily cars, AWD or 4Wd without any drama.

We already enjoy Bush walks and like to avoid the crowds.

Fully aware that going from an idea to reality and associated costs make take some time and easy steps

I've been looking at fb camping in QLD group, a few people ask 'how do I get started' and get good responses

I've posted a couple of times about my (probable) retirement at the start of this year. Bit bored now. I want to move to Sunny Coast, wife wants to stay in urban box. Bit of volunteer stuff keeps me busy-ish. Keeping an eye on jobs.

But my latest thought is to go camping. It would be a ute and swag and get away from the crowds around QLD. I like the @Johndoe and @Bobj style

Trouble is - totally green- not camped for 40 years. No mates, so can't tag along for a tester, fairly practical, but winches and digging out of a hole may be a bit too much

Want / need to do it on the cheap. Got a hatch that the OH uses, so talking $10k at least for an older ute/suv eg saw a 2005 Pathfinder under 200k km.

Prefer 4x4, but not extreme/remote off-roading. No towing- totally useless at it, or even driving big vehicles

Any suggestions on older vehicles.  Hilux/Prado probably best - but these are also more expensive.

There are a couple of good facebook groups, but wondered if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions

Cheers

Another glorious sunrise at Sandgate pier

weird sky today. We were having a shower as the sun came up. There was an orange glow in the light

1 hour ago, Wanderer Returns said:

Wynnum, QLD

Heres what Northside was like at Sandgate