(Sigh. I originally had the best of intentions with this blog – updating no more than a day or two behind. How's that line go again? “The best laid plans of mice and men...” I'm currently already in SF – so I'm two countries behind. Bad Mike!)
Brisbane has the dubious distinction of playing third fiddle to the big two cities in Australia – Melbourne and Sydney. Up the coast a ways, it marks the start of the Gold Coast, a slightly over-developed bit of condos, hotels, and white sand beaches that stretches for... ??? miles. Big, but that's Australia for ya...
I only had a short bit of time here – I caught a flight out from Alice Springs, after tempting myself one last time by browsing some seriously cool abstract Aboriginal art in the local shops.
I escaped, budget mostly intact, and we landed in Brisbane 'round 3, and I rolled over to the sparkling new YHA hostel. As I was leaving the next morning, that didn't really leave a lot of time to explore the city, but I gave it the ol' college try.
And ya know what? Brisbane is pretty cool. Not the sublimely pretty of Sydney, nestled by a world-class harbor, or the more urbane feel of Melborne, city of a thousand cafes.
Nope, Brisbane is more self-conscious about it – only recently making major efforts to step it up a notch and try to carve out their own identity. They've made a great start too – with a complete renovation of the south river bank (a la London), a top-notch technical university, and a cool pedestrianized shopping district on Queen's Street. Good stuff.
So – my first afternoon was spent wandering riverside, checking out their version of the London Eye:
… and the cafes and restaurants that dot the meandering walkways. I finally got dragged in, entirely against my will, into an open-air cafe for a pint (or whatever the Aussies call the @#$! thing) of tasty Cooper's Ale, while listening to a local band's seriously credible covers of “American Pie” and other faves.
I did a very circuitous route through the downtown, eventually ending up at the Australians' version of Burger King – Hungry Jack. For you fast food fans or even marketing geeks... there originally WAS an Aussie version, so the US company had to create the HJ brand. As they finished their first years in biz, getting everything rolling, the original went out of business – alas, after all their efforts promoting Hungry Jack, 'twas too late to re-establish the BK brand. What sadness. :)
The next morning, I got up bright and early and headed back out to explore.
Weather-wise, even in winter, the Gold Coast is ridiculously sunny. I loved it.
A quick 15 minute walk and I was back on the south bank, getting there early enough to squeeze in the full circuit, a breakfast crepe, and a quick browse at the crafts market, all in time to get to the airport for my 12:00 flight. Brisbane was going to be my first “no shopping” city where I avoided adding any goodies to my by-now dang heavy rucksack, but I'm a pepper junkie, and couldn't resist a gourmet Aussie fire pepper blend. Curses!
The rest of the afternoon was a quick flight to Hamilton Island, in the Whitsundays a fair ways up the coast.
A fast ferry ride amongst the islands, and then checking into my Airlie Beach hostel, facing a gorgeous beach:
...and I had the afternoon to chill out, stock up and get ready for my 3 day sailing adventure leaving the next day. Some blogging and then a beer and entirely too much pizza and squid at Mangrove Jack's and I called it a day.
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