Brisbane

One week spent in Brisbane was enough time for Annie and me to see the city, and we were ready to leave by the time Riley joined us from her WWOOFing days in Tasmania. Still, though, we were able to show Riley everything there was to see in the city’s center in two days’ time before heading out to the Gold Coast… our next stop along our journey south to Sydney. But, first, here’s pictures of Brisbane!

Me (wrapped in a towel and scared of the rain) next to a Nepalese Peace Pagoda we visited on our walk to the Southbank Beach.

 

 

 

The man-made Southbank beach and swimming area.

Riley and I put her waterproof digital camera to the test!

 

The last night we were in Brisbane we tried out the hostel’s trivia night… and ended up winning (with the help of a few Belgians and a Frenchman). First prize was an all inclusive 3-day “Noosa everglades” canoe/hike/camp tour for 2 people, valued at $280. Our plan was to buy a third tour and split the cost amongst us- but it turns out that none of us would be able to go because of the bad weather that Noosa’s been experiencing for the last couple weeks or so. The everglades are flooded and all tours are cancelled until late this month. What a bummer.

Random short videos

Video of cricket tutorial using pasta sauce

Watching some koalas at the sanctuary

British boy telling us (Americans) how to properly eat

KOALA Sanctuary!!

 

A sheep dog standing on top of its herded sheep.

 

Wombat sleeping in its den, and kookaburras.

 

A dingo and a Tasmanian devil!

Trying to catch up – In Brisbane

It’s been so long since I’ve updated my blog that I’ve lost track of when my last entry was. But, I’ll try to do my best to make sense of all that’s happened in the last week or so… using pictures!

Annie sitting on the docks of the Hobart harbor marina writing a postcard to home.

This picture is evidence that sometimes we eat good food (a steak and roasted vegetables) as meals. Here we are at Launceston Backpacker’s, a hostel we stayed at for one night in between our two-day bus ride from Hobart to Devonport.

Making the most of our short stop in Launceston, we took a difficult one hour hike up to Launceston’s Basin to see what the world’s longest single chairlift span looks like (at 308 meters). The Basin was absolutely gorgeous with a giant reservoir to swim in (as well as a public swimming pool) surrounded by beautiful landscaped hills that offered bridge walks and waterfall photo ops. Riley was the only smart one in the group who thought of packing a swim suit.

Another view of the Launceston Basin.

Annie, on our walk around the basin.

The other Spirit of Tasmania ferry boat; taken as we passed them out in open waters 5 hours off the coast, which marked it as the half-way point back to Melbourne.

Once in Melbourne we booked a hostel for two nights in the city center with no intentions to stay longer. We had already booked a flight from there to Brisbane that would leave on the 20th.

So, we did it! We made it to Brisbane after a short two hour flight from Melbourne and are happy to be here. The city is absolutely stunning with its mix of public space and pedestrian-friendly streets.

Annie felt sorry for a street performer dressed as Charlie Chaplin, who would unfreeze from a position when paid a dollar, so she paid him to move. Turns out he wanted a hug; and, in return he gave her a piece of bubble gum.

Brisbane River nightscape.

 

Huge Ferris wheel we could’ve ridden for $15, but didn’t.

 

 

 

 

 

On our walk along the river’s waterfront we stumbled across a free public theater arena that we’ve heard plays something new every night. On this night, we watched the screen for 20 or so minutes before we figured out that it an Australian Short-Film Festival. I think this’ll be part of our nightly routine adventures.

We also found this place on our walk… the Southbank beach! It’s a man-made beach (with a huge heated swimming pool) just a few meters inland from the river’s shore. It’s free to the public and open all day and night. Annie and I are definitely going there tonight.

Tasmanian road trip & Hobart

A view of a mining town’s hills. Trees have a hard time growing in this particular area because of the factory’s gaseous releases of sulfuric dioxide, nitrogen oxide, etc., which leads to the creation of acidic rain.

I took so many pictures of lakes during our drive I can’t tell you which one this is! Maybe Lake Burbury?

A photo of Riley walking toward Hobart’s Salamanca market. It’s a lot like Seattle’s Pike Place.

We caught the start of “Hobart’s 20K International Speed-Walking Race.” I was told that a good race-walker can do 10 kilometers in just 38 minutes. Impressive, until you look at them go. They were hilariously awkward to watch.

Main street in Hobart.

Hobart’s harbor on a cloudy day.

 

I asked an old man walking his dog (nearly the same height as he was!) if I could take a picture of his great dane, but he insisted that I be in the picture instead. So, there you have it… me and one big dog.

 

 

 

 

A view of the harbor on a sunny afternoon.