Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow: Australia Blog Post No.9: March 25-April 3, 2024

 

Two months have flown by very quickly and sadly, we are we are now winding down our time in Australia. In our travels over our last week, we’ve tried to cover as much territory and squeeze in as many activities as possible. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Easter in Australia and are rushing to purchase our last souvenirs to bring home with us.

Brisbane's Story Bridge Lit Up in the Evening

It would be foolish of us to believe that we could travel for two months and not encounter any rainy days. Indeed, we contended with the worst weather of our trip this past week when it rained for four days. On a couple of these days, we chose to avoid outdoor activities, and hopped into our rental car to explore some areas of the city that we hadn’t seen yet. At Mt. Gravatt, it was drizzling slightly when we arrived at the summit lookout, and we found it quite fascinating to see the city bathed in fog from a distance. 

Foggy City View from Mt. Gravatt

Driving through the pouring rain toward the mouth of the Brisbane River, we were quite curious about what we would find by the coast. During this drive we primarily encountered extremely heavy truck traffic. Truckers who were enroute to unload their cargo onto ships at the Port of Brisbane sped by us in droves whipping up the water from the rain onto our windshield. At Fort Lytton National Park (by the river mouth), we watched a group of school children who were unloading their bus get drenched by the rain while their teachers all stayed perfectly dry under the umbrellas that they carried. How fair is that? Regardless, we remained in the car and continued along on our merry way. At the port lands, we discovered oil refineries, loading cranes for the ships at the docks, and huge stacks of large containers destined to be loaded onto container ships. In contrast to the industrial activities, we were relieved to come across the Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost along the coast. At that place, we viewed birds which included pelicans and egrets living on an island and enjoying their protected status on the reserve of land that is maintained by the port authority. On yet another rainy day, we drove to the Fortitude Valley area of Brisbane (the original centre of the city), to Chinatown, Newstead Park, and to New Farm Park (where we happily travelled to on the CityCat ferry on a nicer day later in the week). 

Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost

New Farm Park in the Nice Weather

The day that we spent at the Workshops Railway Museum in Ipswich (town out in the suburbs of Brisbane) was by far the most productive “rainy day” activity that we planned during the week. We found it fascinating to walk right up to vintage steam and diesel trains, and to also tour the air-conditioned pods where we found brilliant displays depicting the glories of the golden years of train travel. We quite enjoyed the interactive exhibits and walking through the historic buildings on the grounds. As we ate our lunch on the porch of the Trackside Café, we were able to picture the workers from the previous century eating their lunches in the historic dining hall located in the building which is also used as a reception area for weddings and other events.

 Impressive Vintage Locomotive at the Railway Museum in Ipswich

Trevor Drives a High Speed Tilt Train

Restored Spencer Motorcycle at the Railway Museum

Thankfully, better weather arrived for our last week in Australia. On a much nicer, sunny day, we were finally able to eat lunch outdoors again. To help us celebrate,  a friendly Eastern Bearded Dragon lizard kept us company while we ate our meal at a park on Kangaroo Point. Afterward, we toured the Queensland Maritime Museum which we passed by many times previously on the way over the walking bridge to the South Bank. We were thrilled to view the vintage boats, mementos and artifacts depicting the golden age of ocean travel and naval history. Outside on the museum grounds where outdoor displays are kept, we especially appreciated seeing Jessica Watson’s sailboat up close (teenager who circled the globe), and exploring the frigate World War II frigate, the Diamantina.

Video: Sharing Some Tidbits With a Friendly Lizard (click)

Queensland Marine Museum

Lorraine in Vintage Ferry Parlour

Pink Lady (Jessica Watson's Sailboat)

Re-Constructed Version of the Inside of Jessica's Boat

The Diamantina Frigate in Drydock

We felt less like tourists over the long Easter weekend as we attended several seasonal celebrations at the Cathedral of St. Stephen, and a couple of outstanding choral concerts that were presented by Brisbane’s finest musicians. At the Cathedral of St. Stephen, the Archbishop of Brisbane officiated over the Way of the Cross Celebration on Good Friday and the Easter Mass on Easter Sunday. The 8-voice professional liturgical choir provided very moving music for the Easter Celebrations and the church was packed to the hilt. We found the smell of incense to be extremely strong in the church though, and we really wonder why the church leaders don’t consider changing this tradition and moving toward a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative. 

 

Upon attending an evening concert at the Queensland Arts Centre on Maundy Thursday, we were impressed with the superb performance of Handel’s Messiah presented by the Brisbane Chamber Choir in partnership with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. On Good Friday, we were equally impressed with the polished, dramatic performance of John Rotar’s Passio (musical dramatization of the Passion of St. John) at the Cathedral of St. Stephen that was presented by the combined forces of The Australian Voices and the One Equal Music vocal ensemble. Rotar, an Australian composer, also serves as the conductor for the Australian Voices and he conducted the performance of his own work. 

 Brisbane Chamber Choir and Queensland Symphony at the            Queensland Centre for the Arts

Australian Voices and One Equal Music Performing John Rotar's Passio

To round out our Easter Celebrations, we splurged and made a reservation for the Easter lunch buffet at the Suzette Restaurant at the Sofitel Hotel downtown. At the buffet, we overindulged in succulent seafood and other exotic local and international dishes and desserts while seated at a table that offered us an amazing view over Anzac Square and Post Office Square.

 Easter Sunday Buffet at Suzette Restaurant Overlooking Anzac Square and Post Office Square

For our final Australian out-of-town outing on Easter Monday, we travelled to the Currumbin Sanctuary on the Gold Coast. We viewed many interesting Australian animals at Currumbin, but the highlight of our visit was the rainbow lorikeet feeding which takes place at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm daily. 100s of lorikeets fly out of the trees daily for this feeding, and we loved having the opportunity to interact with these colourful birds so closely.

Video: Lorraine Feeding Lorikeets at Currumbin Sanctuary (click)

Trevor Sprouted an Extra Head

A Tray of Rainbow Lorikeets

The end is near. We depart from Australia on Wednesday evening, April 3rd on a Qantas Airways flight to Los Angeles. We will spend a few days in Los Angeles before we arrive back home in Canada on April 7^th. We are feeling very sad about leaving Australia where we have enjoyed many amazing experiences over the last two months, however, we also look forward to getting home again and sleeping in our own bed.

  

Real Spectacles Are Not What You Wear On Your Nose: Australia Blog Post No.8: March 16-23, 2024

 

In Australia, we continue to encounter a plethora of spectacles that will not be forgotten quickly when we return home. We truly relish the amazing Australian scenery, exciting demonstrations, performances and various public events that we’ve experienced during our travels. Since our days in Brisbane are numbered, we refuse to take anything for granted, and we plan to ensure that we remember every spectacular experience when we return home. 

 

We’ve noticed that the people from Brisbane really enjoy getting out of the house on the weekends to attend big events whenever possible. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade (held on the Saturday before the big day itself) was no exception. City workers closed many of the major roads downtown well in advance of the parade, and large crowds of people lined up and down the streets to witness the grand event. To obtain a good vantage point of the parade, we picked a spot near the Port Office Hotel, a heritage building with a very popular pub that is frequented by many of the locals. An event organizer told us earlier that this location was a prime spot from which to view the parade. At this position, the general parade participants and bands all stop for a moment to perform a salute to the dignitaries who are observing the parade from this spot. People from the community and outlying areas (many dressed in green) all gathered for the parade with tremendous enthusiasm. From the side of the road, the crowd cheered, clapped, and rallied spirit for floats, bands, costumed characters, politicians, dance troupes, and other participants.

Crowd Gathers By Port Office Hotel for St. Patrick's Day Parade 

Costumed Marionette at St. Patrick's Day Parade

Characters on Stilts

From the moment that we first read about the Spectacle Garden at the Roma Street Parkland on a travel brochure, we wanted to ensure that we paid a visit to this incredible green space located in Brisbane’s city centre. When Trevor first stepped out of the car near the rainforest and fern gully section of the park, he practically jumped 3 feet off the ground after he almost stepped on an Eastern Bearded Dragon (a lizard) that was wandering around casually. We subsequently encountered many of  his little lizard friends (and even baby lizards) everywhere throughout the park. We quite enjoyed eating our lunch beside the pond and watching the ducks, turkeys, birds and other wildlife frolicking around. At the Spectacle Garden, we found brilliant seasonal colour and unique subtropical foliage as promised in the brochure.

Roma Street Parkland

The Spectacle Garden in Roma Street Parkland

Eastern Bearded Dragon in Roma Street Parkland

Upon visiting the Irwin family’s Australian Zoo in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, we found it virtually impossible to see everything in the park in one day. The late Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) founded the zoo originally, and his wife Terri, daughter Bindi and son Robert continue to operate and develop the world-class facility. The Irwins also continue to add new displays to the zoo regularly, and we were a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. During our visit, we found animals from Asia, North America and Africa as well as the Australian animals that one would expect to encounter in an Australian Zoo. The daily afternoon show at the Crocoseum is attended by hundreds of spectators, and features the feeding of a huge crocodile. We would never ever consider attempting to do something this crazy, but the zoo staff appeared to know what they were doing. We were able to document this spectacle by shooting a short video. 

Poster for Bindi Irwin's Daughter's Birthday Celebration at the Zoo

Lorraine Feeding a Kangaroo at The Australia Zoo

An Elephant Struts His Stuff

Croc Feeding at the Crocoseum

Video: Crocodile Feeding (click to view)

After driving for two hours up the Sunshine Coast north of the city, we stopped to investigate Noosa Heads, a very popular holiday resort town. When we arrived, we were surprised at how well the buildings of the town have been camouflaged from the beach area. We were quite impressed at the manner in which the town has preserved the trees and beaches along the shoreline. It was sunny and extremely humid as we walked along the spectacular trail following the shoreline at Noosa Heads National Park. Numerous people in bathing suits (young and old) carrying surfboards passed by us as we traversed the trail. We spoke to a well-tanned, older gentleman in his 70s or 80s (dressed in a bathing suit) who was about to carry his equipment down the rocks into the water. He laughed when we told him that we hoped he wouldn’t fall off his surfboard. “That’s all part of the fun,” he said. 

Tea Tree Beach at Noosa Heads National Park

Noosa Heads National Park 

Lorraine at Noosa Heads 

 Spider at Noosa Heads

Trail at Noosa Heads National Park

On Tamborine Mountain which lies inland, west of the Gold Coast, we visited the Tamborine Mountain Skywalk. At the Skywalk, we walked along impressive bridges that have been constructed through the top of the rainforest. We then visited the Knoll Section of Tamborine Mountain National Park and drove along the top of the mountain which is relatively flat compared to others we’ve experienced. We passed avocado farms where the owners were selling fresh produce, a coffee plantation, and to top it off, we observed a wedding party in a Rolls Royce that had stopped along the edge of the cliffs to take wedding photos.

Tamborine Mountain Skywalk

View from the Top of Tamborine Mountain

Finally, we must mention another phenomenon which is uniquely Australian; signs advertising pie shops along the highway. Just like in Canada, we frequently spot the big golden arches of MacDonalds that may be found everywhere in Australia, and we see countless signs for KFC and for Hungry Jack’s (Australian version of Burger King) and for pizza joints and other fast foods. Australians, however, also love to eat a good meat pie, and we discovered Beefy’s pies along the highway near Bribie Island and also on the freeway leading up to the sunshine coast. On the highway back to Brisbane from the Gold Coast, we came across the Yatala Pie Shop where throngs of people were lined up inside the store and at the drive-through to purchase savoury meat pies and sweet pies for dessert. We were advised by our Australian friend Alan earlier on our trip, that meat pies are best served warm. During a subsequent picnic lunch, Trevor successfully warmed up meat pies from the Yatala bakery at one of the electric barbeques that are provided for free public use in many of the parks and recreation areas throughout Australia.

 

Yatala Pies (Off the M1 Motorway)

Electric BBQs (Barbies) in Australian Park

Warming Up Pies in an Electric BBQ

Our days are numbered in Australia, but we will be sure to take full advantage of every minute in this country to enjoy the other spectacles that still await us.

 

 

 

 

Embracing the City, Coastline, Interior and Australian Wildlife: Australia Blog Post No.7: March 8-15, 2024

When we planned our trip to Australia, we really liked the idea of travelling to Brisbane because staying in this city provides us with the opportunity to not only embrace the city itself, but also to explore the surrounding coastline and the mountainous land of the interior. We also wanted to have a chance to see as much Australian wildlife as possible by visiting various sanctuaries and trying to spot some of the country's unique creatures in the wild. After our first two weeks in Queensland, we feel that we are well on the road to accomplishing these objectives successfully. 

Road Warning Sign

From our home base downtown at Quest Apartments, we’ve expanded our exploration of the Central Business District in a variety of ways. First, we have found and investigated many of the tourist highlights within the city itself including the Anzac Square, Post Office Square, the Cathedral of St. Stephen, Brisbane City Hall, the Treasury Casino Building, the Queensland Parliament, and the list goes on. We find it quite fascinating to observe the dramatic contrast between the numerous stately old historic buildings and the modern, recently built structures. For example, we marvel at the way many of the old hotels (where the tourists and locals may be seen mingling in the bars) constructed in the city’s early days, blend in with the modern skyscrapers. Secondly, we have found it quite easy to carry out our normal day-to-day living activities in the downtown area, including grocery shopping, walking through shopping malls, podiatrist appointments, haircutting appointments (yes, our manes were getting a bit shaggy), and Trevor even scheduled an appointment with a registered massage therapist. We also purchased tickets for a couple of upcoming choral concerts that are taking place while we are in town; more on that later.

 

The Ship Inn, a Heritage Building on the South Bank

Post Office Square in Brisbane's CBD

Anzac Square in the CBD

Cathedral of St. Stephen

Everyone loves the Brisbane River, locals and tourists alike. Brisbane is located slightly inland, away from the Pacific coast, and the Brisbane River winds through the centre of the city. Many people get up very early in this town (as early as 6:00 in the morning) during the cooler part of the day to enjoy casual strolls and runs beside the river.  Local organizers have planned several runs that we’ve witnessed firsthand over the past two weeks. During last weekend’s “Fun Run,” for example, over 7,000 participants walked and ran in honour of International Women’s Day. 

Fun Run for International Women's Day

We see throngs of customers on the patios of the bars and restaurants downtown beside the river regularly, especially on the weekends. We've also taken advantage of the very impressive local river ferry system to explore various parts of the city. Choosing this mode of travel provides us with a much cheaper option than some of the river cruises offered by tour companies, and allows us to see the city skyline, expensive homes, trendy condos and parks from the river This past week, we travelled on Brisbane’s TransLink CityCat catamaran service out to Queensland University to explore the campus, and we also used the free KittyCat City Hopper Ferry to bring us back to the main ferry terminal from the trendy Howard Smith Wharf located under the city’s historic Story Bridge. 

CityCat Catamaran Ferry Passes Under the Story Bridge

Travelling on the CityCat

KittyCat City Hopper Ferry

Riding on the KittyCat

While most of the Australian population lives close to the coastline where the beaches are “hopping,” we’ve really appreciated the subtle contrast that we find in the mountainous interior lands away from the water. On a beautiful Saturday morning, we drove northwest out of the city to D’Aguilar National Park where we arrived at several spectacular lookouts after climbing up windy mountainous roads with hair raising hairpin turns. From Jolly’s Lookout and the Westridge Outlook near Mount Nebo, we were able to view the breathtaking scenery of the Queensland countryside for miles and miles in the distance. We drove to the top of Mount Glorious where we stopped at the Maiala picnic ground to eat lunch, and where many hikers walked the trails to explore the beauty of the mountainside.

Westridge Outlook, D'Aguilar National Park

No matter whether we are traversing the city or the countryside, we find ourselves constantly seeking opportunities to see the Australian wildlife. In the City Botanic Gardens, we see many Ibis birds wondering all over the place constantly. On one of our day trips, we were thrilled when a Kookaburra bird landed near us and put on a big show while we took photos of it. While we ate our picnic lunch during our visit to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, an Eastern Bearded Dragon Lizard and his wild turkey buddies kept us company. Birds such as Ibis and turkeys constantly hover close by whenever we eat lunch outdoors looking for some scraps of food.

Ibis in the City Botanic Gardens

Eastern Bearded Dragon Visits Us

Kookaburra Puts On a Show

 The Lone Pine Sanctuary is located just outside of the city, and we drove to it quite easily from the CBD. However, a tour operator also brings visitors out to Lone Pine by boat. Unfortunately, we arrived at the sanctuary at the same time as the tour boat. For the first part of the morning, we found that large groups of tourists (many American) crowded out some of the prime animal exhibits, and they also monopolized the areas where visitors are allowed to feed kangaroos (bags of food pellets are sold for $2 each). As a result, the kangaroos were fully fed when we tried to get close to them and they were not very interested in the food that we held out to them. Therefore, we have saved our bag of kangaroo food for another occasion. Lesson Learned!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Koalas at Lone Pine Sanctuary

Feeding Kangaroos at Lone Pine

Sheep Dog Demonstration at Lone Pine

Our exploration of the Queensland coastline outside of Brisbane continues. We previously travelled to the Gold Coast south of the city. We have now expanded our travels toward the coastline north of the city onto Bribie Island and the Sunshine Coast. In a previous blog post, we mentioned that Gold Coast is a very trendy tourist area. We have found Bribie Island and the Sunshine Cost north of Brisbane to be much less “touristy” and less commercial than Gold Coast. It took just over an hour for us to drive to Bribie Island, and we crossed the bridge to the island during a weekday when less visitors were present, and when traffic was light. On the island, we found beautiful, paved pathways that follow the water for miles at the inland towns of Bellara and Bongaree. We also drove over to the more isolated, undisturbed Red Beach area that the lady who cut our hair in Brisbane recommended as her favourite beach. We watched several surfers excitedly unloading their boards from their car roof racks at Woorim Beach on the open ocean side of the island as they prepared for some exciting action in the water. 

 

Bribie Island With Bridge to the Island in the Background

Red Beach on Bribie Island

Australian Pied Oyster Catcher Birds on Bribie Island

On another beautiful sunny day, we drove a bit further north out of the city onto the Sunshine Coast where we planned to explore several communities and scenic lookouts. We stopped at Kings Beach in Caloundra and became so enthralled with the beautiful coastline, that we ended up spending the entire day at this location. The temperature was above 30º on the day we visited Kings Beach, but a beautiful breeze blew in from the ocean consistently, so we felt very comfortable. The waves were swelling quite high in the water, but several swimmers still braved the waters under the watchful eyes of the lifeguards who were equipped with surfboards, dune buggies and jet skis. Surfers demonstrated their skills skimming through the water, while several brave souls flying their hang gliders jumped off a cliff and manoeuvred their crafts high in the air over the beach. Once again, we really enjoyed the beautiful views that were offered from the paved walkway and boardwalk that followed the coastline. As we ate our lunch at one of the picnic shelters overlooking the water, we were again pestered by Ibis birds that were looking for us to share tidbits of our food with them.

 

King's Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast

Pedestrian Walk at Kings Beach

Kings Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast

 Our adventures in Australia continue! We are very excited about the plans that we are making to tour more areas of Brisbane and the amazing State of Queensland during our final two weeks in Australia. Stay tuned for the next edition of our blog.