Brisbane, bbq, Bougainvillea

 Breakfast outside on the verandah is usually a good sign that the weather is set fair. Plans were made. Kate and I, were off to Brisbane. This will be our third and final city of the trip. We loved Melbourne and Sydney so hopes were high for Brisbane. 

Ron drove us to the train station with advice and instructions which are so invaluable and make all the difference to a trip, especially in a foreign land. This is particularly true of me and Kate who are apt to wander along, unprepared and underinformed. We tend to find things or places of interest by mistake. We don't really mind - we are easily pleased - but armed with words of counsel and wisdom from Ron, enabled us to set off with confidence. 

We got off at South Bank, which is the south bank of the river Brisbane. (Not the Thames) and within minutes of the station, we were in a lovely park which runs along the river bank. The park creates a wonderful juxtaposition of trees, lakes and colourful flowers such as bougainvillea and Jacaranda trees, along with the steel and glass of impressive and well thought-out high rises. It's like the jungle is attempting to fight back against modern advances. 

When we neared the end of the park, we stopped at the water's edge and caught a river taxi which took us towards the city centre. 

The woman operating the public announce mic started each message along the lines of, "Hello, all you beautiful people" or, "The next stop, my lovelies..." Little girls went up to her and she would say. "Hello, beautiful Amy, (or whatever) this comes with love from the City Cat ferry services." I considered introducing Kate, but thought better of it.

We made our way through beautifully well kept city streets, clean and smart, as we have come to expect from Australian cities. It was well into the thirties and we made for the shade whenever possible. Not that we're complaining. It would have been very wrong to return home without at least one sweltering experience. We had a coffee in an upmarket café, which means we paid as much for it as we would expect to pay in a British Costa, then were back out on the street where we heard music. We wandered up the road and there, in the middle of the street, was a concert with performances by seniors for seniors. The first lady must have been in her eighties and she sung so movingly, it brought tears to our eyes. She had obviously been a pro. and still had an amazing voice. The song was loaded with just the right amount of pathos and emotion. 

Moved, we moved on. 

After much sweltering, we stopped for lunch, which was Sushi. A mutual decision. Perhaps I will be cured as we return to the northern hemisphere?

In the meantime, it was on to the skydeck. This is an impressive semi-circular building with a great big hole in the middle. A free lift takes you up to a great view point, looking out towards the mountains or the coast. There were palm trees up there and a glass floor to stand on and look down at the traffic below. We were feeling lavish. We bought an Aperol Spritz at the bar - just the one, we have a bbq coming up and need to pace ourselves in this heat - and shared it as we sat looking over the city and looking back at a fantastic month of travel and experiences. A woman behind us took photos for us and told us how she had been to Manchester. Everyone who has been to the Uk, goes to Manchester, it seems. That is what we shall be doing tomorrow. 

But first, it's time for the all-important Australian bbq. 

We were joined, for the occasion, by my cousin's son, Matthew and his wife, Brianna. I've never met a first cousin once removed, before but it was a great first experience of doing so. We both agreed that family links seem to become more important, the older you are. 

The evening consisted of eating expertly cooked meat (Ron), playing pool (Ron, Matthew and myself with Joy making a guest appearance) and putting the world to rights/complaining that the men spent too long at the pool table (Joy, Kate and Brianna)

Once we had waved goodbye to my first cousin once removed, we went straight to bed. (I had drunk two whole beers!) More sweltering ensued as we lay on the bed for the night.

Which is why I am finishing this blog the following morning. With a surprisingly clear head.

You will be encouraged to read that only one blog remains.....

Arriving in Brisbane 
Getting the taxi ferry
Posh coffee
Queen Victoria in front of a building of her era with sky rises behind it. I wonder if she's amused?
View from the Skydeck
View down, from the skydeck
The Aperol moment

Walking through bougainvillea in the park
Barbie time 
Matt, Bri, Kate, Joy, Ron and me


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Strange milkman

Image
 Yesterday saw a massive tick on Kate's bucket list; We drove up to my cousin, Joy's house and the garage door opened as if by magic as we approached allowing the car to drive into the basement of the house. The trip to Australia has already delivered, therefore.  We have now been upside down for about 14 hours and, so far, the blood isn't running to our heads.  We awoke after a short but inevitable sleep to the sound of kookaburras. It is the most extraordinary bird song I have heard. It sounds like someone whistling softly who has the ability to yodel whilst whistling. Dawn was just beginning to break and I found the sound both spine chilling and hilarious - not something I thought possible up to now. It was like there was a creepy and psychopathic milkman circling the house on his deliveries. The whistling is soft, melodious and mournful - typical of psychopathic milkmen, I find. Brisbane is tropical. The humidity suggests warmth regardless of the temperature. Today, a...
Read more

Signing off

Image
 OK, so it seems that merchandise which winds up in an airport goes through some sort of 'size-warp'. Toblerones are prone to expand and apparently, 'Pringles' shrink. Both in circumference and thickness. But don't worry, the price has increased, presumably to cover the cost of the different sized product, the different sized packaging and so on.... Airports are obviously very significant sources of revenue. It's Brisbane airport that we're sat in now as we await our flight to Dubai, and so, home. It is quite late in the evening and the departure lounge is quiet. The high ceilings which they favour these days, give the space a hushed, almost reverential feel, as people glide by, their cases gliding obediently by their sides. This is the sterile space between worlds where we 'limbo dance' until we reach our gate and exit it. Only people's dress might give a clue to the country that they call home. It's a good time to reflect on the past month....
Read more

Bruce

Image
 This entry starts with an apology to all kookaburras. The birds which sound like a disturbed milkman are magpies! This is much more believable when you consider the nature of a magpie but it is a far cry from their British counterparts. (See what I did there...) Today we climbed a mountain in the Glasshouse range. Saying we had a smashing time would be such a dad joke that I shall avoid it. The mountains are a series of volcanic lumps which stand in a loose huddle, allowing plenty of flat land between each one, ensuring a great 360° view from each one. They all rise to satisfying points with only a few requiring ropes. Satisfied with the view from Ngungun mountain, we climbed down to a pub lunch. I had a sheep. On a plate. I certainly didn't do justice to it but it was delicious.  I also had a small beer. Rather chilly, I thought... I love that we drove down the Bruce highway to get there. I practiced the word Bruce in my best Australian for much of the journey. I don't know ...
Read more