The Flavour of Brisbane

As we settle into Australia, Brisbane, jobs, and our new lives, it's occurred to us that we've really been cheating everyone else who reads the blog as to what's going on. We apologize for leaving all of you in the dark about our boring lives. To be frank, not a lot has been happening. We get up, shower, catch the train, work, eat lunch, catch the train home... lather, rinse, repeat. Oh, there is also the never ending photo search. Here is a typical outing with Will.

I thought, perhaps, this was a good time to give you a better idea of what Brisbane looks like. The city itself is located slightly inland from the east coast. The city is also sandwiched between the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Many a delightful weekend get-away to be had; and easy access (think Surfer's Paradise folks).

While your "oot and aboot" (sorry, a little Canadiana humour) in Brisbane, one thing you will notice right a way is that there is music everywhere. It's one thing to have a little song in your head when your on the move, it's something else for everyone else to have the same song in their head. Below is a fairly common sight in Brisbane, the street corner DJ, guitar, or didgeridoo player. This city literally moves to its own beats. (Look on balcony)

People can commute pretty much anywhere in Brisbane by taking bus, train or the ferry system. The ferry system consists of high speed catamarans (CityCat) and rather un-interesting small passenger ferries, for just near the city centre. How cool is that? 

 

Below is a scene from the shores of South Bank. South Bank is a public activity and recreation area on the, you guessed it, south side of the river. South Bank literally looks on the downtown of Brisbane. In this photo you can see one of city ferries traversing the river to the other shore.

This is one of the other forms of river transport in Brisbane. 

Although everyone we've asked in Brisbane has had the same reaction to swimming in the river, they still play on the river. The common response to swimming in the river were as if it were a nuclear waste dump. They look at you as if you'd just had lobotomy. "Why, why why why... why would you do that!?" We've been given many reasons - there are sharks, rockfish, it's polluted, there are too many boats, etc. And yet they seem to have no problems sailing, water skiing, seadoo-ing; just not swimming. 

This city has a real arts community with nearly 30 theatre companies large and small. There are many outdoor art and live performances usually free to the public. It feels like a modern version of the Renaissance with so much culture at your fingertips. What Renaissance would be complete without the dirty outer bits. Its really a tale of two cities. Brisbane's city centre has many districts, like the infamous Fortitude Valley area, that were once home to all the nasty parts of society. The stuff we usually like to think doesn't exist. But now the Valley is more of a cultural mecca, with trendy fashion shops that are renowned for forward thinking and pre-runway styles. Yet after the sun goes down, the the other face, the more traditional face of the valley surfaces; nowhere near the disfigured phantom it once was. More like a well worn pair of dress shoes. Great looking when worn, but will clear a room when off. Daytime brings some of the best, nighttime brings some of the worst.

 

And finally, here's where we've been living for nearly a month now (look to the top floor on your right). This guesthouse is rather swank; a typical colonial Queenslander mansion. We enjoy it here, although it's a bit expensive. We're looking for our own place, but we'll need to work a while first. As soon as we have one though, you're all invited for a house-warming!

And this is our room at the moment. 

Yes it's frilly. 

Yes, it's pink. 

No, staying in this room doesn't make Will any more of a girl than he already is!