To Canberra, Comrades!

Packed & still tired, Roman & I checked out of the Brisbane YHA in the early morning and walked to the Transit Centre to catch a train to the airport. Before getting on the train, I bought a copy of Time Magazine that had a portrait of Barack Obama on the cover. The city passed us by as the train smoothly made its way to the airport. After getting through the long line, a VirginBlue clerk informed us that our flight had been cancelled due to an unspecified mechanical problem meaning we would have to fly to Melbourne (past our final destination) then onto Canberra. Our seats were the front row but at least there weren’t any crying babies to deal with. Unfortunately, VB didn’t approve of my alternative: parachuting from the Melbourne flight as it passes over Canberra.

Being diverted to a city that isn’t on the original vacation plan sounds nice, but because of timing constraints, Roman & I could only stay at Melbourne’s airport and watch arriving & departing planes via large glass windows. Lunch & 2 hours later, we were on our way to the nation’s capital. Upon arrival, I picked up my suitcase and we hailed a cab (surprisingly equipped with a camera & microphone) to my brother’s campus residence. The apartment complex is located in the Braddon neighbourhood and is more secure than Fort Knox and Windows Vista. It’s possible to get locked in & out, there are cameras everywhere, and all the refrigerators are secured with heavy-duty locks!

It was already late afternoon so after we dropped off our excess baggage, we walked over to a Pizza Hut for dinner. Roman explained that Canberra is a city of 300,000 where it’s too far to walk anywhere but too close to drive. I suppose that makes it a bicycle city? On the way, Roman showed me one of his off-campus occupations – working as a clerk at a horse/dog-betting place called ACTTAB. Surrounding the many high school desks are digital screens displaying statistics & predictions for upcoming races.

The evening was spent watching episodes of The Boondocks (an American animated TV series), and planning on what to see in the coming days. Unfortunately, Roman wouldn’t be able to play tour guide because of working obligations (ran out of vacation days), thus meaning I would be exploring the city on my own. Should boredom surface, I could exploit the immense collection of movies on my brother’s external hard drive - Wall E, Rambo 4, Hitman, Napoleon Dynamite, A Clockwork Orange, Eurotrip, Hot Fuzz, March Of The Penguins, and Battlefield Earth, just to name a few.

Canberra is a planned city or as I like to call it, a bureaucratic city. Unlike the standard metropolis that emphasizes economic power via skyscraping corporate towers, a planned city focuses on nationalism & government. Monuments of all sizes, flags, museums, grand terraces, and boulevards lined with tall evergreen trees, fountains, man-made lakes, and large parks; it’s all here. It feels like the 2^nd World to me, minus the propaganda posters & the harsh secret police. Images of other planned cities such as Moscow, Washington D.C., & Pyongyang all surface in my mind (even though I’ve only been to DC). Ancient Greek/Roman architecture built with stone, marble, and concrete are used in all planned cities because of long lasting reliability (i.e. Coliseum, Parthenon, & Circus Maximus).

Despite the world economic recession, I was surprised to see Nortel Networks occupying an office building on this side of the world. On a green hill overlooking the city sits the Telstra Tower (like a mini-CN Tower), a communications structure broadcasting media in all directions. The City Walk is an extensive downtown pedestrian street mall where citizens flock to shop, drink, eat, and party. Nearby is a large park where one can watch water being shot up into the air from the middle of a man-made lake.

The Parliament Zone would be explored the next day because it contained many large government offices as well as being prepared for Australia Day celebrations.

To Be Continued . . .

Celebration x2

After visiting the hyperactive Gold Coast, Roman & I continued our exploration of Brisbane on foot. The only difference was that we were scouting potential dinner restaurants to celebrate two important events: my brother’s birthday & the swearing in of Barack Obama. Both happened to be on the same date: January 20^th. Although it was the right day in Australia, we would be celebrating a day early because at the time, it was still January 19^th in North America. Nothing wrong with a two-day celebration.

While scouring the northern side of the city, we also visited & photographed some famous sites such as city hall, Customs House, and the gate to Chinatown. Since this was uncharted territory, at some points I felt lost & didn’t know how to get back – even the city skyline looked confusing. The northern side of Brisbane is mostly residential & to me, the bungalow trend isn’t as established as it is in Middle Earth. On the way, we also spotted a corporate guard dog on duty.

The weather was still hot & humid, but not like the current heat waves, so Roman & I did our best to stay out of the scorching sun. If its one place that could really use a solar shade, it would be Australia. India too.

The lucky restaurant for our celebrations was Pig & Whistles, a traditional British restaurant/pub not to far from Customs House. Even though it was a Tuesday night, the place was quite active – the outside portion was completely full with chatty customers. We had no choice but to eat inside but that wasn’t a problem. Being meat lovers, we went all out & ordered juicy steaks with drinks. To mark both events, I had two beers. I had been fasting all day so the steak & Pure Blonde beer tasted euphoric. Surprisingly, my stomach wasn’t satisfied until I ordered garlic bread after steak.

When Roman guided me back to the hostel, night was firmly established in the sky, and the cityscape & streets were brightly illuminated. Large bats flew over our heads looking for their evening meals.

When I think about it, Barack Obama isn’t the first Black American President – that title should be reserved for Morgan Freeman who played the role of president in the movie Deep Impact. Obama is the first real Black President because Morgan Freeman didn’t have any actual control over American government policies. As I mentioned in a previous post, I always knew there would be a Black American President in my lifetime; I just didn’t expect it to be so soon – 138 years after slavery & at the end of the first decade of the 21^st century.

The election of a Black President in a nation built on slavery sends a powerful message to the world that true change is possible. I think it sends the strongest message to the Vatican. The Vatican has been around for more than two millennia and it has yet to have a Black Pope. When & if it happens, I hope he wishes to be refereed to as Pope Daddy – the establishment could use some comic relief.

To Be Continued . . .

The Gold Coast

To the south of Brisbane, there exists a city that thrives on tourism, water sports, and vacationing. That city is called Surfer’s Paradise and it sits on a stretch of coastline that’s known as the Gold Coast. A combined $14AUS ticket pays for the hour-long train trip and the fifteen-minute bus ride into the city centre. Even though my brother & I don’t surf (yet), we still made the trek down to this tourist hot spot on a sunny day that was peaking in thirty-degree temperatures. Wearing sunscreen is a must.

The train drops you off on the city’s outskirts but you can still see the high towers that make up the coastline cityscape. While on the bus, you pass luxury suburban neighbourhoods, the kind you see next to famous amusement parks like Disneyland. Upon entering the city centre, you notice that every bit of space is not wasted, with palm trees lining the main streets, expansive malls coated with assorted beach colours, and hotels & luxury condos stretching into the clear blue sky. Pedestrians are everywhere, walking alone, with friends, relatives, and/or children, looking at what to buy, where to eat, and when to head to the beaches.

I suggest to wear sunglasses at all times because the sun reflects off everything. The beach setting reminds me of Miami but the tall skyscrapers have me thinking of Dubai. Both thoughts are odd because I have yet to visit those cities.

We dropped into a restaurant/slot machine place for a light lunch – I had a delicious Caesar salad whereas my brother Roman had a steak. From there we explored the beaches. In Australia, you’re only allowed to swim in designated areas marked by flags & patrolled by lifeguards who are heavily sponsored by DHL. Swimmers, surfers, BBQers (tanners), and people playing beach cricket make up the majority users of this vast sandy coastline. As an added form of entertainment for some, the wearing of bikini tops is optional for women.

After walking a good length of the beach, we headed inland, exploring the main streets and its immense wealth of tourist trap merchandise. Anything associated with beach culture can be found on sale, next to the generic hair salons, music stores, and restaurants. There’s even a small amusement park with rides for families & thrillseekers. Surfer’s Paradise boasts the tallest residential tower in the world. Queensland Number One (Q1), a tall clear glass luxury condo structure that’s also the city’s centerpiece, stands at a height of 322.5 metres (1058ft). If I were rich, I would definitely buy a condo in this building.

Upon the arrival of late afternoon, Roman & I decided to find a suitable restaurant for dinner, the lucky winner being Hard Rock Café. I decided to forgo the consumption of alcohol when my plate of beef fajitas arrived, choosing to wait for my brother’s birthday. After happily paying for the meal with our parents’ credit card, we took a bus back to the train station just as the sun began to set on the horizon. We managed to catch the early train by a slim margin. By the time I made it back to the hostel, I was so tired that I just flopped onto my bed and dozed off.

To Be Continued . . .

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 . . .

The Tower & Northern Sydney

I feel that many cities that dot the world have jumped onto a specific tourist trap bandwagon: an observation tower. Just build a high altitude structure that gives 360-degree views of the surrounding area and let the money flow in. The Sydney Tower is one such structure.

Downtown Sydney happened to be crowded with shoppers, venders, and several buskers when Roman & I chose to visit the tower which happens to stand near a large street mall similar to Ottawa’s Sparks Street.

Bundled with a standard $20AUS ticket is a 3D virtual ride called OzTrek where you explore the nature & culture of Australia. Just don’t get motion sickness when the chairs start moving. For an extra $40AUS & called the SkyWalk, you step onto the roof of the tower and get over your fear of heights. There’s also an expensive classy restaurant for those who enjoy high dining but you have to make reservations first and ride in a separate elevator.
The OzTrek ride was alright and the panoramic views were worthy of photographs. I always get a kick when seeing entire cities from the sky; they all look like giant termite mounds. If the tower had a glass floor, the experience would be even better. I would only avoid buying snacks and drinks up there because of inflated prices & not much of a selection.
For our last full day, Roman & I decided to study the Sydney Harbour Bridge (SHB) closely before exploring more of Northern Sydney. Construction on the steel arch bridge began in 1923 and completed nine years later, officially opening in 1932. It's been nicknamed 'the Coathanger'. The bridge is an important transportation artery, catering to pedestrians, vehicles, and trains, while commercial & passenger ships pass beneath it every day.

If you’re travelling across the bridge via car, be prepared to pay a toll – I’m guessing the money goes towards maintenance costs. For thrill-seeking tourists, there is the option of partaking in a Bridge Climb – tramping up to the very top of the steel bridge to get an amazing panoramic view. Originally, I was planning on doing the climb but the $189AUS per person price made me reconsider.

Northern Sydney is mostly filled with condos & apartments, especially along the waterfront. If I were living in this city (and have $1 million AUS), my residence would be in this neighbourhood along the waterfront. That way, I could just simply hop over to the opera house via boat for an evening performance. The neighbourhood sits on several hills, with narrow streets moving up & down, and snaking around large tropical trees. Despite being close to the city centre, these residential areas are surprisingly quiet.
One of the main attractions on the northern waterfront is LunaPark, a family fun centre built in the style of an early 20th century fair. Delicacies such as hot dogs, Coke, and hamburgers are hidden behind loud ragtime music & coloured murals from the past. The park reminds me of the Ex that comes to Ottawa every August except it is smaller. Roman & I just walked around and let the hyperactive kids enjoy the rides.

For the evening, we decided to thank our hosts by ordering locally made pizza from a restaurant called DaVinci’s. The pizzas were devoured within an hour and we shared some of our experiences with the brothers. Before going to sleep, I packed my suitcase because we would be flying to Brisbane the very next day. Sydney certainly is a fun place in the southern hemisphere.
To Be Continued . . .

Taronga Zoo

On January 14^th, Roman & I decided to spend the day at Taronga Zoo, located in northern Sydney. Taking the ferry is the best method of transportation because you avoid traffic congestion, only costs $10.40AUS in total, and the boat drops you off near the zoo gates. As well, you receive a beautiful panoramic view of the city, especially the Sydney Opera House.

The zoo sits on several plateaus so when you disembark, you have to choose between walking up to the rear entrance or taking a free bus ride. Student admission costs $23AUS. The zoo was bustling with many schoolchildren on summer vacation. Since we arrived at around noon, Roman & I decided to eat before exploring the exhibits. While we ate pricey nachos & pizza, a smart & curios Ibis bird walked around the eating area, cleaning up any left over food that fell to the floor.

Taronga Zoo is divided into four sections: Australia/NZ, Africa, Asia, and Antarctic. Each section then divides into several enclosed enclaves for the animals from that part of the world, as well as preventing the predators from eating the vegetarian exhibits. Should you have extra money-to-burn, the zoo offers visitors to photograph you feeding and/or holding giraffes, koalas, and small penguins, just to name a few.

Lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes, kangaroos, mountain goats, emus, cranes, deer, elephants, fish, seals, monkeys, chimps, meerkats, hippos, ostriches, crocs, gators, lizards, pelicans, ducks, bats . . . there’s more but that’s all the animals I can remember seeing at Taronga.

On a more descriptive level: the tigers & lions were sleeping; the kangaroos were hopping all around except for a loner in a corner; hundreds of ducks were bathing in water; pelicans were trying to look pretty; the hippos needed toilet paper & air freshener; a mountain goat posed on a makeshift plateau; the crocs lied motionless in their pond; and the penguins annoyed my brother by never staying still for a photo. (That has to be the longest BLOG sentence I have written thus far).

In the late afternoon, Roman & I attended a short spider demo where a zoo staffer talked about common & dangerous spiders found in the Australian outback. The demo would have been better if he had talked less & showed more than 3 spiders. Before the demo began, a rather large emu sat nearby in the shade. I was able to snap a lucky picture before she somehow disappeared without me noticing. I’m guessing she got up and walked away while I was paying attention to the demo.

Roman & I photographed the distant Sydney cityscape before being asked to leave the zoo – it was closing time. In total, I had taken 45 pictures. We caught the ferry back to the city centre and headed off to a pub for a beer break. After that, we headed back to Lewisham for a proper dinner.

If you happen to be visiting Sydney in the future, pay a visit to the city’s zoo and enjoy what it has to offer. Be prepared to walk because there’s a lot to see and best to visit on a sunny day.

To Be Continued . . .

Flight Of The Kiwi

Catching an international flight at 0700 hours is a challenge, considering you have to wake up at 0330 to shower & get dressed, catch a cab at 0430 to the airport, and get through the tedious lines of check-in, security, and boarding. Due to overestimating, I made it to the airport with more than 2 hours to kill. I don’t think I truly woke up until the plane was in the air and I thank my sub-conscious again for not boarding a different flight.

My Air New Zealand flight from Christchurch to Sydney lasted 3 hassle-free hours and my suitcase arrived in one piece. I still think it would be better for the flight crew to teach passengers how to land the plane instead of how to fasten our seatbelts. I met up with my brother Roman, who had bussed from his hometown of Canberra to show me around. His appearance hadn’t changed since I last saw him – still has the long European soccer hair look. After paying $14AUS each, we caught a train to Lewisham station, located in a suburban area near the city centre. The airport train line is privately owned, explaining the high ticket price.

The rail system sacrifices appearance for performance – the trains run smoothly, passing by security walls decorated with graffiti, dirty industrial buildings, and stations that could use some paint & renovation. These picky details don’t bother established citizens who hop between trains, hoping to get to their destinations on time, and away from the hot summer sun.

For the duration of our visit, my brother and I stayed at the place of his university friend, Alex. The house accommodates him, his two younger brothers, & father. Getting along wouldn’t be a problem for me because the brothers were all heavy gamers, immersing themselves in the worlds of Warcraft III, Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Duty 4, and Mirror’s Edge, just to name a few. As for occupations, the two older brothers are professional stuntmen.

Roman & I hopped a train ($3.40AUS for tickets) to the city centre the next day. The weather was hot & humid. The industrial scenery slowly disappeared, being replaced with commercial & luxury residential buildings. We disembarked at Circular Quay station, standing above the ferry terminals, and sitting under a main highway. Ahead of us in the distance were the two most recognizable landmarks: the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

This area of Sydney is teeming with tourists, buskers, and merchandise sellers; in short, a tourist trap. Roman & I navigated our way through the endless crowds towards the Opera House, a project that took 17 years to complete, and was designed by John Utzon. The Opera House is not one structure but three: restaurant, theatre, and opera. While photographing this 20^th century wonder, my thoughts reminded me of the racing game Need For Speed II – there’s a level where you race around the Opera House in an exotic car of your choosing.

From the Opera House, Roman & I tramped through the Royal Botanic Gardens, enjoying the lush green flora & animal life. For some reason, there were a lot of runners that day; I was tempted to run alongside one mass & ask why was everyone running? The Gardens are also home to hundreds of bats.

The last place we visited for the day was the New South Wales Parliament building – the Canadian equivalent being provincial parliament. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get a tour of the place and one of the chambers was off limits to the public. Nevertheless, we photographed what we could and enjoyed the contemporary artworks on display before heading back to Lewisham for much needed R&R.

To Be Continued . . .