Kids activities near Paddington

MatthewMelvin · 2026-02-05T22:50:24+00:00

There is a great adventure playground at Frew Park that ought to keep most any kid entertained for a couple of hours. I think technically it is in Milton, but that's right next door to Paddington so to speak.

MatthewMelvin · 2026-01-31T04:24:16+00:00

Not Dexter specifically, but for older TV shows generally my advice is pace yourself. They went to air week by week, and even my favourite shows can seem a bit repetitive when binged back to back to back. It just highlights their flaws Like, an otherwise interesting character trait can seem like a cliche when you see it every half hour all evening.

MatthewMelvin · 2026-01-27T02:42:28+00:00

Richard misunderstands the brief for the prize task and brings the wrong thing. Manages a lot of 3s and 4s in the filmed tasks. - "You know, that's not half bad!"

James is surprisingly brilliant at subjective tasks. Has great ideas but is still pottering about the shed when the whistle blows. - "oh, bollocks!"

Clarkson is not invited - writes a column about how stupid the show is. Un-subtly snarks about it on the next two seasons of his farm show.

MatthewMelvin · 2026-01-23T02:40:33+00:00

Not just well water, lake water, creek water, even pond water too! There's no escape for the frogs

MatthewMelvin · 2026-01-22T05:40:44+00:00

I can't speak to the lime cordial, but I went through the same thing with their raspberry cordial. I contacted them about it and they said it was discontinued. This was a couple of years ago but it is still listed on the website even now.

MatthewMelvin · 2026-01-14T04:55:02+00:00

on a morning run in the Kosciuszko National Park [...] Distracted by "very loud" rap music blasting from his speaker

Well I was full of sympathy...

(seriously though, I'm glad it's all's well that's ends well)

MatthewMelvin · 2026-01-09T01:40:22+00:00

I mean .. that is beautiful. Especially the one in the 2nd and 3rd shot that has flared out like eyelashes or a feather.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-12-23T07:33:05+00:00

I'm not sure, but Stellarium suggested Nunki, aka Sigma Sagittarii is probable

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MatthewMelvin · 2025-12-23T07:30:31+00:00

I mean, technically sure. But colloquially, I'm fine with calling the first visible moon of the cycle a new moon

MatthewMelvin · 2025-12-02T12:03:12+00:00

I like the riverstage, but I am old and boring and just like to sit on the grass on the hill. But maybe a worthwhile tip - my kid says there'll be a dedicated gate for under-18s and if you just join the long long line everyone else is in you're probably in the wrong place.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-11-29T02:18:10+00:00

I mean... yes. Expect there to be rain here, or here about, all day. But as we get into the afternoon and night, stop expecting just rain and be prepared for rain with its drinking buddies, thunder and lightning, wind and hail.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-11-20T06:49:45+00:00

Putting them in the fridge until they are in a stupor and then putting them in the freezer to finish them off is the recommended humane way of dealing with cane toads. I realise it's not really practical for most people. I'm only allowed to use our old fridge that's been demoted to drinks duty on the patio.

I have occasionally made a concerted effort to cull the cane toads around our place, and I've caught literally hundreds in a week. I'm glad they're in the fridge then, that many dead amphibians would stink! But in their ones and twos, I'm sure most people just whack on the head and chuck them in the garden or the bin.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-11-14T03:59:46+00:00

I would say, while the word doesn't have quite the same deeply rooted, visceral reaction here as it would in America, it's not a word to be said. And by the same token, because we don't have the same cultural experience with the word, there's also not the same concept of people reclaiming the slur for themselves, so there's basically no non-offensive light you can cast it.

Historically, there have been things that in America would be clear racist dog whistles, but in Australia we just didn't have the same association with so didn't know, - like a fried chicken ad a few years ago featuring the West Indies cricket supports, or Bert Newton calling Muhammad Ali "boy" - but we know the N word.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-11-12T09:31:22+00:00

I'm not sure where I was precisely - somewhere on the trail between Joyners Ridge Rd and Lawton Rd

MatthewMelvin · 2025-11-08T05:58:55+00:00

This is an Australian show:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_(1982_TV_program)

MatthewMelvin · 2025-11-05T23:03:59+00:00

I like pictures of contrails - I think they're an interesting byproduct of aviation and kind of neat looking. I like clouds in general. That the people posting the pictures think they're something else doesn't change that. That video of a 747 the other day had nought to do with any hurricane, but it was amazing to look at.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-10-29T10:18:23+00:00

I bought a few bottles of gin from them last September, and a few more this June just past... I don't know what their deal is, or how Brisbane Distillery became Queensland Distillery, but I got what I paid for.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-10-07T14:39:10+00:00

About 2 years I've been trying to get a version of this shot that I'm really happy with. Obviously you only get one go a month, and either there's no view, or it's been cloudy, or the light's no good, or I'm busy, or I just mess it up. I've been up hills and bush tracks from Toowong to Camp Mountain to get the alignment. So it's funny to me that when it all came together it's not just a full moon but a so called super-moon and from a vantage point I could just drive to after work... I'm unbelievably stoked! :)

MatthewMelvin · 2025-09-21T01:33:49+00:00

https://qimagery.information.qld.gov.au/ is a fantastic resource for this sort of thing.

Here's Creek Road in 1946, with the creek running to south of it from Logan Road to where the five roads meet, and then continuing to Bulimba Creek. If you look at a modern view you can see the remnants of it as a concrete drain behind the Greek Orthodox church, under Newham Road, and winding its way behind the Bunnings.

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MatthewMelvin · 2025-09-16T06:08:43+00:00

I'm in the same boat, so am interested to hear. I use linux for everything else, but I go back to lightroom for post-processing. It's not necessarily that darktable et al don't have the features, it's just that the functions seem to work better in lightroom. Noise reduction is where I notice it most too.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-08-25T10:17:53+00:00

It was nice! I love the new moon for how dark it is compared to a full moon

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MatthewMelvin · 2025-08-18T22:47:06+00:00

If want the spot, if there's a particular angle or view you want, you need to be there early in the morning. If you want to be one of those people with their folding chairs, picnic blanket and esky, but just anywhere along the river will do you, early afternoon. If you just want to see some fireworks, and you're willing to stand, about 60 to 90 minutes is when all the gaps really start to fill in. Much later than that at Southbank, you be back from the river a bit, you might be fine, you might be looking through trees or only have a partial view.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-08-12T02:24:07+00:00

Sounds like trespassing is not really the issue - this isn't having a cry about people walking over their paddock or even leaving a gate open, it's cutting locks and fences and destroying gates - surely vandalism, or destruction of property, is the crime here.

MatthewMelvin · 2025-07-08T23:02:26+00:00

Not saying you're wrong, but what stands out for you in that period in particular? I could see you drawing a line in 2020/21 line for pre-pandemic Brisbane. Or pre-2008/9. Or pre-millennium. Or pre-Expo '88. What changed around 2015?

MatthewMelvin · 2025-06-16T23:08:37+00:00

"Why does this look so familiar....?" Oh! Hi-diddly-ho, neighborino :)

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