BrisVegas

CBD from the Riverside, Brisbane, Queensland

The term of endearment used by my Brissy pals to describe their fair city, so an image to represent that description seemed appropriate today.

This was the first full day in the city that was to be the last port of call on my Australian adventure and the third of her state capitals I had visited. Each was unique. Each endearing in their own way. I only got to see the smallest fragment of them, but they all left their mark and I would love some day, to return to them all and get to know them a little better. For me, Melbourne was like how I imagine parts of New York to be like. Long straight roads, tree lined and very Cosmopolitan. A place to relax and enjoy at an easy pace. Sydney was, well Sydney. Many of "young" Australia's crown jewels all in one place. A place for cameras around every neck. A picture postcard city for the tourists. Brisbane, in spite of the towering central business district that dominates the skyline, reminded me of my home town, Glasgow. It felt like a city made for working in. Functional. And yet, there was a vibrancy that matched that of her sister cities. I'm sure I'm doing each a huge disservice with my generalisations but like I said, I only saw a really small part of each in my brief stays.

After dropping off the car, I decided to take a stroll across the Story Bridge. It was only as I approached the other side that I realised I hadn't really wanted to do that, as all of the places I intended visiting we're back on the other side. D'oh! It wasn't a problem though. The city is served well by a fantastic river ferry service. Not only are there the city ferries and the faster city cats, but Brisbane also offers a frequent free to ride Cityhopper service for the central stops. So I wandered back along to Kangaroo Point and took the short trip across the river from Holman Street to Eagle Street Pier on the riverside where I'd dined last night.

The thing that struck me about images I'd seen of Brisbane, was how the city has grown around itself. More than either of her siblings, there is a stunning mix of old and new and perhaps just a little new made to look like old. Nowhere is this more prevalent than Ann Street. A lot of the oldest buildings in the city are to be found here, with no less than 14 heritage-listed. Another common feature of all of the cities, are their stunning war memorials. Anzac Square in Brisbane is no exception. The circular shrine containing the eternal flame sit atop a remembrance wall on Ann Street, with steps leading down to the garden containing statues that commemorate the dead of not only the two World Wars but also those of South Africa, Korea and Vietnam. On the other side of the square is Adelaide Street, which leads on to the more cosmopolitan Post Office square, popular it would seem with tourists and workers alike, who were all taking in the sun as lunchtime approached.

One thing I was discovering too, was that even with the 16mm lens, it was almost impossible to shoot the way I wanted. As a result there has been a lot of humming and hawing over the results. Only time will tell what can be salvaged. I wandered along to the City Hall before deciding to have lunch. Shooting the historical building and King George Square had been on my list of things to do, but Mercedes had decided to plonk a bloody tented village in the square that completely blew that idea. I got a couple of shots, but not at all what I was looking for. It was time for lunch, so I consoled myself with a pizza! :-)

I had a plan before I came out. I would pick up my prezzies for taking home throughout my visit. A gift from here. A gift from there. However, by the time I factored in all the packing hassles and time, I found myself in Brisbane, with three days to go and only two gifts acquired! Eeeek! Time to go shopping. It was now that Brisbane reminded me of Glasgow, more than ever. Wandering along the pedestrianised Queen Street mall was just like walking down Sauchiehall Street or Buchanan Street. An hour or so later, I exited the tourist tat gift shops with the semblance of at least the start of what I needed. Shopped out, I decided to head back to base to drop off the bags so it was back on the Cityhopper and round to Sydney Street from North Quay for the stroll back to the apartment. After a refreshing cuppa, I decided to take a walk down to New Farm Park. J had mentioned that they sometimes had photographic exhibitions on at the Powerhouse arts centre. There was indeed and after a while sauntering round it, I headed back out and along the front and watched the traffic heading up and down the river. Before long it was time to be heading back. I'd passed the local shops on the way down and noticed a wee bakery, so I popped in on the way back and picked up some treats. Yummy!

The rest of the day was just like being back home. J got back from work first and we settled down with a cuppa and bun to watch, of all things, Eggheads. I hadn't seen it for ages, but J was a converted addict. Hahaha, and I tell you what, she'd be the first pick in my pub quiz team too. An absolute font of knowledge! We were both just discussing how we'd never actually seen a group of challengers win when what do you know, they did! Blimey, of all the firsts I expected to see on my trip, this definitely wasn't one of them! Quickly switching channels, we found the end of another show and you'll never guess what happened there too. Astonishing!

D had got held up at work and so when he finally got in, there wasn't much time for tea before he had to get himself set up for his Thursday night ritual. iRacing! Pizza was the order of the day before he got himself settled behind the wheel and J introduced me to Parks and Recreation, a really funny comedy from the people that did the American Office. D joined us post race, a first and second place having given him "top dog" status for the night, as we managed to get through the first two series. Time was finally called on the night after D had to wake both J and I after we fell asleep on the sofa.

Hahaha, like I said, it was just like being back at home!