Enter Brisbane

Our flight to Brisbane was scheduled to take off in the early afternoon, thus letting my brother & I sleep in. When it was time, the Stunt Brothers drove us to Sydney International Airport where we exchanged our thanks & goodbyes. Since Roman checked us in over the Internet, all I had to do was hand in my suitcase for stowaway. Virgin Blue (but the planes are painted red) was the lucky low-cost carrier to be servicing us, but you still have to pay for food, drinks, and entertainment. The flight was uneventful but when we arrived, we were allowed to walk on the tarmac before entering the terminal. I always get a kick out of that because I grew up recognizing the tarmac as off limits and only accessed by VIPs.

We caught a train to the Transit Centre and then walked to the YHA hostel to claim our room reservation, and to drop off our baggage. We rested for some time before venturing out into the city on foot. Downtown happened to be experiencing a growth in commercial development with several high tower buildings being constructed at once. Like Ottawa’s Sparks Street Mall, Brisbane has 2 pedestrian street malls that intersect under a large artistic canopy surrounded by shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. If you're looking to party under the watchful eye of bouncers & the police then this is the area to be! Roman & I visited 3 bars during our first night in Brisbane, and I have to say that Pure Blonde is a really good AUS beer.

We had to wait until the next day to take a tour of Queensland Parliament. The architecture is from the 19^th century and the building had undergone major renovation several years ago due to a massive termite infestation. We were shown the Legislative Council & Assembly, the Library (unfortunately no Harry Potter), and the backyard green that’s used for private parties, ceremonies, and cricket.

What I found surprising is that next to Queensland Parliament is QUT – Queensland University of Technology. Should there be a labour dispute or student protest, I’m guessing parliament & its MPs will be hearing a lot about it. The campus appears similar to the University of Ottawa except it sits near the Brisbane River, which runs through the city.

The Botanic Gardens are also nearby, letting QUT students & MPs get away from the bustling city life for lunch. The gardens are home to tall palm trees, ponds, fountains, many fields of grass, and happy singing birds. Roman & I managed to photograph a happy goanna trying to catch flies for dinner. Large bats roam this area at night, preying on insects.

We crossed over to the other side of the river via a modern looking pedestrian bridge where it’s perfect to snap photos of the evening skyline. On the other side is South Bank Parklands, a large rest & recreation area equipped with large public pools, restaurants, an outdoor theatre stage, digital screen for movies, and many walkways. An artistic metallic fence (reminding me of the movie Jurassic Park) covered in green & purple vines, follows & encloses one of the main walkways. Even though night was upon the city, Parklands was filled with people swimming, enjoying the evening views, and having family dinner picnics.

While walking back to our hostel, Roman & I passed the modern looking State Library of Queensland. I felt very lucky to be visiting Brisbane because the library was holding a gaming exhibit called ‘Game On: Play Your Way Through The History of Videogames’. I eagerly paid the $12AUS admission the next day when the library was open. There were two rooms displaying hundreds of classic & modern games as well as character memorabilia, gaming consoles, and posters. My mind flooded with happy childhood memories as I played the classics such as Pong, PacMan, Tetris, Asteroid, and Gallactica. The only disappointment was being forbidden to take pictures; I really wanted to take a photo of the actual Max Payne clothing that was on display!

To Be Continued . . .