Sandgate on a Saturday...

Last Saturday, DH and I took a drive to Sandgate, a beach suburb of Brisbane.
In the distance to the south, you can see the gantry cranes of the Port of Brisbane...

The sky was somewhat overcast but we still set off on our walk along the path beside the beach...

I love the way how, in recent years, the lovely old homes near the beach have been lovingly restored...

 The next house is called 'Cremorne' and is a real hotchpotch of styles and eras of architecture...

 Maybe one day it will be restored fully?

DH and I had coffee at a cafe called 'Fish on Flinders' on this street...just across the road from the BCC Swimming pool complex. (And how I did not take a photo, is quite out of character! lol)
As we wandered back to our car, it started to rain...

 Always the gentleman, DH left me to shelter under a very large tree where I stayed dry, while he went on alone to fetch the car...getting quite wet in the process.
I had noticed in the distance, looking south, that there seemed to be some work being done on the old Shorncliffe Jetty, which had been closed for ages. It had been found to be unsafe and locals rallied to get it replaced after its certain demolition. Eventually the Council agreed that a jetty was an asset to the community and that it would be replaced...eventually. So DH and I headed south to Shorncliffe...another lovely Brisbane beach suburb. Well there's not much left of the old jetty...

But we know there will be a new one!

Now while I had been waiting for DH to come back with the car at Sandgate, I was sure I heard a steam train whistle. And sure enough, as we drove past the Shorncliffe station, we saw a steam engine on an excursion...Shorncliffe is a terminus for this line.

The old train was 'parked' and obviously waiting for when the line was clear of suburban trains to continue the excursion.
It had been a lovely Saturday excursion for DH and I too, albeit in Mitzi Micra!  

Many, many years ago on my dad's day off, (Wednesday), my parents would take me on the train ( and suburban trains were steam...it was a long time ago, remember?) to Sandgate. My mother had a box brownie camera and was renowned for taking the occasional blurry photos. Here are some old photos of my family on a day trip to Sandgate...

One day I must try to work out what part of Flinders Pde this is...if the shop is still standing it's probably one of the many cafés. 

My dad obviously took blurry photos too! Lol

My dad loved this area and had the dream of retiring here...sadly he died in his 50s so never achieved the dream. It's a favourite place of mine to visit.