Just some further pics taken on yesterday's long walk.
You can read about the stop at Queens Park Lions Lookout here.
Wandering along 9.5km of footpath gives you time to look around and see things in the neighbourhood. Things you would miss if driving.
These gorgeous hedge cats for example. These were hidden in a yard behind a high fence and I only saw them because the driveway gate was open as I walked past. So cool! I can't imagine how tricky they were to shape out of the hedge.
This next photo is something you don't see too often in the wild now - a payphone. This one is in surprisingly good condition too, with no graffiti or vandalism obvious.
I saw a lot of old houses on the walk, many large Queenslander style homes, but also a lot of these little worker's cottages. They always intrigue me and have that air of late 1800s Ipswich history about them. These three are all likely over 100 years old.
There's nothing like a walk through the CBD for a glimpse of Ipswich history. This is Nolan's Corner, at the top of what's now the Nicholas Street Precinct. While it's been known as Nolan's since 1925, I believe the building dates back to the very late 1800s.
The very modern Icon building, built in 2013, appears behind it. On the left is the old town hall, now the Art Gallery, and further down the Old Post Office tower.
This pic is in another park I stopped by on my walk - a pathway lined with young fig trees. When I was a kid this park had a concrete cricket pitch in the middle. The ground was always uneven and full of green ant nests. In my late teens I'd often end up sitting on the cricket pitch at night with friends stargazing. We saw a lot of shooting stars there. I'm not sure you would see them now as there's too much ambient light.
I can't wait for the fig trees to mature more. There's nothing like stepping into the cool shade under a fig tree in summer
Two more sights - a cheery footpath greeting, and a native gecko on someone's gate latch.
This last one's pretty cool. I've been meaning to stop and check out this little free library for a while. It's at a Kindergarten. Not surprisingly, most of the books inside were for kids ;-) I didn't take a book this time, but have a few I'm finished with here that I might drop in for someone else to enjoy.
It was fun wandering, and great to see so many cool sights. I was very mindful of being in the moment, so there were many things I didn't photograph and quite a few I couldn't - like the coolness creeping up your skin as you step into the shade of a big tree at the Fiveways, the sounds of children laughing as they whizzed along on the flying fox in Queens Park, or the smell of freshly mown grass as I walked past the groundsman at a church.
My legs are aching today, but it was well worth it!
Until next time,
@Sammie
