Cleveland Lighthouse Point Photography Session

CLEVELAND LIGHTHOUSE POINT, PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION, QUEENSLAND. AUSTRALIA

Up 3am, this time with Kim and Shari making the early one hour drive south-east of Brisbane to Cleveland, situated on Moreton Bay. Known for its boutique retail choices, relaxed café culture, and smorgasbord of eateries, Cleveland features coastal and harbourside dining on Redlands Coast. The beautiful Raby Bay Foreshore Park, with sandy beaches, a dog off-leash beach, playground and sprawling grassed areas is perfect for coastal picnics and outdoor catch-ups with friends and family. Cleveland Point Park is a picturesque park with playground for young children, surrounded by sea and adjacent to the historic light house at Cleveland Point.

The Cleveland Point Lighthouse was built in 1864 and is unusual because it is hexagonal rather than round. Also it is clad with weather boards instead of the metal cladding found elsewhere in Queensland. It was moved in 1976 to this location 30 metres from where it was built to make way for a new beacon which I have to say isn't anywhere near as impressive. The white hexagonal timbre-clad lighthouse attracts many keen photographers and gives Cleveland Point a piece of history to hold on to.

Located next to the park is The Lighthouse Restaurant. This dine in restaurant has stunning views and serves great local seafood. It also has a coffee shop (dine in and take away) and a take away Fish and Chippery.

Early risers got a treat this morning with a vibrant sunrise that blazed the sky, and the night before got stunning sunset photos, likely from fires in Queensland and New South Wales. The bright reds, pink and orange were breathtaking and Every-one at one time or another has marveled at the beautiful red and orange colors of a sunrise or sunset.

Sunrise finished it was time for breakfast and because we weren’t too far from Wynnum we finally got to check out Frenchies Café. Frenchies Café is a paradise for both pooches and dog lovers alike. Canine patrons at Frenchies are treated like royalty - even though there are communal water bowls available, each dog also has their own personal water bowl, in addition to their own mat. Your dog can literally lie at your feet in style and comfort.

There is dog decor in every nook and cranny of Frenchies, keep your eyes peeled. From little figurines to pillows, you won't be able to escape the dog life, no matter which area you are seated in. There are even dog themed products for sale. The items for sale are mostly French Bulldog themed (as per the name of the cafe), but there are also other breeds of dogs too. 

Being a dog themed cafe, Frenchies of course has named some of their menu items after breeds of dogs, including "The Whippet", "Staffy's Smashed Avo", "The Great Dane" and "Schnauzer's Shakshuka". Frenchies has a "Woofers menu" - or in other words, a menu specifically for dogs! From woofachinos to pancakes, to scrambled eggs and fried rice, your pooch will be spoilt for choice and also offer pooches go.  They don't come much more dog-friendly than Frenchies Cafe at Wynnum.

After breakfast we headed to Manly. One of Kim’s favourite markets is in a lovely park right beside the ocean in Little Bayside Park in Manly. The Manly Creative Markets often is the reason we head to the Wynnum and Manly area. There is a lot to like about these markets. It operates at a convenient time of 8 am to 3 pm ever Sunday. 

This makes it is a perfect place to visit for lunch while you are in the area. It is nice to walk along the coast from Wynnum to Manly and then stop at the markets. There are many stalls selling food, but there are also restaurants and cafes nearby if you prefer. The markets attract a more amateur crowd of stall holders than most other markets. This means a lot more products that reflect the creative stylings of local Queenslanders. You also get some great stalls and wonderful food as well.

While your around Wynnum and Manly, take a foreshore walk starting at the northern end with the ethereal Mangrove Boardwalk, with observation seats and insights into a unique water world and its inhabitants. Take a walk around the main streets with charming old-fashioned blend of businesses – from fabric, stationery, curtains, book and sewing machine repair shops to continental delis, galleries, cafes and Brisban'e best collection of op shops. Worth visiting in particular are The Collective Store, a fantastic little emporium of wares and clothes all hand made by artisans.