Posted on by Gary

Hello 2019 I hope you’re going to be better than 2018

Hello 2019

A new DICK® butcher’s knife to go with my DICK® boning knife. DICK® is a brand of German knives.

Hello 2019, oh my, how you started well. Of course, for me and my alter ego, viz., Yummy Lummy, ringing in 2019 was all focussed on two “F” words. Family and Food.

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Over the Christmas New Year (CNY, not to be confused with Chinese New Year) break, I was on-call and had to remain in Canberra, although on Thursday, 27 December I did venture to Kioloa Beach. With work commitments completed, I needed to get out of Canberra and see my family and fulfil some food fantasies.

The added benefit of visiting Brisbane in early January is you can guarantee the weather will be warm and humid. Canberra was horridly hot and dry. It felt like being in an hot air oven. Whereas, Brisbane was delightful. The days and evenings were sultry, the air was warm and there was a cooling breeze in the late afternoon rather than a hot dry wind blowing over Canberra. I love the feeling of forming beads of sweat while doing nothing.

It was great to see my parents and my daughters, albeit, I only saw Ms23 once but I did get to spend more time with Ms21 and Ms17. A good part of our time was spent eating or preparing food. We also did a lot of relaxing and chatting.

On Wednesday, 2 January, we drove up to Caloundra and caught up with one of my brothers and his family. We swam and surfed.

Kioloa beach versus Kings beach

In two weeks I spent time on two beaches. I happily acknowledge that I grew up on Kings Beach but being a Queenslander, I would never be biased!

Kings Beach, Caloundra

Sand quality and temperature

The sand of Kioloa Beach was more coarse compared with the fine white sand of Kings Beach. This makes trudging through the sand of Kings Beach more difficult. On the days I was at Kioloa and Kings beaches, the sand of Kings Beach was significantly hotter making it uncomfortable to walk on. Walking along the cooler sand of Kioloa Beach was a lot more pleasant.

Kioloa beach, New South Wales

Surf

There’s no question, the quality of the waves of Kings Beach is superior. I was able to catch and ride the waves more easily and more frequently. The waves if you can call them that of Kioloa Beach on the day I was there were ripples.

Water quality and temperature

The water off Kioloa Beach is cold. Not unpleasantly cold, but cold just the same. The water of Kioloa Beach is also crystal clear and a beautiful blue. Whereas the water off Kings Beach was warmer, cloudy, and on the day I was there suspended a large amount of brown-green seaweed. Fun for seaweed fights with the kids, but getting a mouthful of seaweed every time I rode a wave into the beach was less than ideal.

Summary

Aesthetically, Kioloa Beach is a better looking place to visit. It’s also closer to where I live. It’s not patrolled though and it raises for me something I’ve noticed about NSW beaches. There doesn’t seem to be a great awareness of the safety associated with swimming between the flags of a patrolled beach. I’ve seen people go into areas where you can see the potential for a rip. Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, swimming between the flags was just something you knew from school was the thing to do. It was drummed into us in primary school.

I’d choose Kings Beach to swim in. The waves are better and I’d elicit much more enjoyment from a day there than a day at Kioloa Beach. That said, if you want a beautiful beach, head to Kioloa Beach.

What have I watched this week?

Cricket

My Dad likes to watch cricket on TV. As a kid I loved watching cricket on TV. However, the era of Ponting, Clarke and beyond has ruined cricket as far as I’m concerned. The media reporting of sport focusses too much on personalities rather than the sport. I don’t care what the individual sports persons do in their private lives. People like Clarke and the captains after him just rub me the wrong way. As far as I’m concerned cricket is dead to me. That said, while spending time with Dad with the cricket on TV I did watch a few overs. I wonder if Australia will ever win another game of cricket.

Black Mirror

My small screen viewing mentor, Kate, has recommended I watch Black Mirror on Netflix. Black Mirror is an Anthology series which explores a futuristic life with advanced technology and philosophical concepts extended beyond regular morality and ethics.

Last year I did watch one episode, viz., USS Callister which was a take on Star Trek. At the time I thought it was a little weird and very dark. At Kate’s suggestion, I’ve watched the newest interactive episode, viz., Black Mirror: Bandersnatch which exploits an interactive mode on modern ‘smart’ TVs, tablet devices, and smartphones.

I’ve also started watching the episodes from season 1. Most episodes are an enjoyable watch. They are all thought provoking. Many explore dark subjects. Some are just creepy and out there.

If you like something that will make you think, if you like watching a show which will stretch you a little, give Black Mirror a go.

What have I listened to this week?

Just the usual podcasts revolving around Star Trek, photography, technology, and humour.

While driving to and from Caloundra last week, we listened to Carol King and James Taylor.

What have I eaten this week?

This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them. The details of each photograph are best seen when using a desktop computer.

There has been a huge amount of food. I’ll focus on the food I enjoyed while in Brisbane and my return to Canberra. I’ve also added in some non-food photographs.

  • Pork belly with leeks, onions, spring onions, and broccolini
  • Owl Statue, Belconnen
  • Water feature Canberra Airport
  • Bacon and eggs, Canberra Airport
  • QF1554 CBR to BNE
  • Gate 13, Canberra Airport
  • Me at Wheller on the Park
  • iFly Indoor skydiving centre, Westfield Chermside
  • VW Golf rental car
  • Fried toast and a fried egg with coffee
  • Lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs, and Endeavour prawns
  • Lobsters
  • Moreton Bay bugs
  • Endeavour prawns
  • Lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs, and Endeavour prawns
  • Lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs, and Endeavour prawns
  • Lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs, and Endeavour prawns
  • Moreton Bay bug with roe
  • Lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs, and roe
  • Lobsters, Moreton Bay bugs, and roe
  • Roast beef, turkey, and ham
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch Pavlova with cherries, mango, and strawberries
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch Pavlova with cherries, mango, and strawberries
  • New Year’s Day 2019 Lunch Pavlova with cherries, mango, and strawberries
  • Toasted beef, turkey, and ham with Swiss cheese, cranberry jam, and garlic, dill, and chives aioli.
  • Fried toast, smashed avocado, and a fried egg with coffee
  • Kings Beach, Caloundra
  • Seafood tools, Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Hot and cold seafood platter, Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Hot and cold seafood platter, Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Hot and cold seafood platter, Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Hot and cold seafood platter, Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Hot and cold seafood platter, Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Affotgato at Alfie’s Mooo Char & Bar
  • Six wings and three drumsticks from 4 Fingers, Westfield Chermside
  • Hello possum
  • Smashed avocado with fried bread and coffee
  • Westfield Chermside water feature
  • Archer Speciality Coffee
  • Gingernut biscuit with caramel and chocolate
  • Me at the Sandgate Fishmonger
  • Grilled cod, prawn cutlets, crumbed calamari, and a pineapple fritter at the Sandgate Fishmonger
  • Grilled cod at the Sandgate Fishmonger
  • Pineapple fritter, Sandgate Fishmonger
  • Chicken Karaage and Soft shelled crab from Motto Motto, Chermside
  • Chicken Karaage and Soft shelled crab from Motto Motto, Chermside
  • Salted caramel Queensland nut gelato, Gelatissimo, Westfield Chermside
  • The Gilbert with Hollandaise from Cafe 63, Westfield Chermside. Mashed avocado, smoked salmon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce.
  • The Gilbert with Hollandaise from Cafe 63, Westfield Chermside. Mashed avocado, smoked salmon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce.
  • The Gilbert with Hollandaise from Cafe 63, Westfield Chermside. Mashed avocado, smoked salmon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce.
  • Me at Cafe 63, Westfield Chermside
  • Baked salmon with asparagus and broccolini cooked with some sesame oil
  • A new DICK® butcher’s knife to go with my DICK® boning knife. DICK® is a brand of German knives.
  • Breakfast wrap and coffee from Dobinsons Bakery, Westfield Belconnen
  • Tasmanian Heritage Double Brie with avocado on toasted sourdough bread
  • Crispy ramen noodle and speck pancake
  • Owl Statue, Belconnen
  • Shopping trolleys, Belconnen
  • Shopping trolleys, Belconnen
  • Lake Ginninderra, Belconnen, Sunday morning
  • Fried egg, Tasmanian Heritage double brie, and mashed Hass avocado on fried sourdough toast.

Yummy Lummy this week

If you want to see how I fulfil a food fantasy check out this week’s post on my Four-day Brisbane seafood challenge which went into five days.

Lobsters

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Final thoughts

  • How did you see in 2019?
  • What were the highlights for your first week of 2019?
  • Do you have any food fantasies?
  • What sort of beaches do you like?

11 Replies to “Hello 2019 I hope you’re going to be better than 2018”

  1. I find it odd that I was surprised because you live near water, but I was surprised to learn you surf. And rather impressed. I’m not sure I’ve ever known anyone in real life who actually does this. No wonder you like fishes. :o) Although, the seaweed part wouldn’t be any fun.

    1. Thanks, Kris. I don’t live what I would regard as close to water. Canberra is about 300 kilometres inland and 600 metres above sea level. It takes a few hours to drive to a beach for me.

      I love swimming in the sea and body surfing. Catching waves and riding them in to the beach is one of the most pleasurable things I do.

  2. I haven’t been to either of those beaches Gary but they both sound nice for different reasons. I had a dreadful cough so spent NYE on the lounge feeling sorry for myself!! But then again I was only going up to friend’s for a few drinks and early night so it didn’t really matter.

    1. Sorry to read about your cough. I can empathise. On arriving back in Canberra I developed a full on head cold and I still have a productive cough. It’s most unpleasant. I’m grateful I wasn’t unwell while in Brisbane.

  3. Sounds like you know your beaches well and had a ripper of a time in the water, Gaz. Hopefully you didn’t too many mouthfuls of seaweed. Not a fan of getting into the water but I like strolling along the beach and sitting on the sand under and umbrella. Warm air and cool breeze would be great too.

    1. Thanks, Mabel. My formative years were spent on beaches and in the surf. I think this winter I’ll make an effort to drive to a NSW beach and walk along the sand with my camera. It’ll be too cold to swim 😂

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