The pattern of weather since we arrived here seems to be repeated each day. A bit overcast in the morning with occasional rain brightening through the day, becoming quite warm in the afternoon with lovely sunsets. Today was no exception as we headed for Brisbane, post breakfast.
Our Brissie Experience began in Southbank Park, an area initially cleared of its industrial past for Expo 88, developed over the next 25 years but severely impacted upon by the floods of 2011. The area looks inviting with a modern bourgenvillia covered walkway, riverside 'Streets Beach' and tropical tree lined gardens. We boarded the City Cat for a journey downstream to New Farm Park enabling us to get an excellent view of the city, including a few historic buildings as well as modern glass giants.
A cafe nearby the City Cat Landing Stage facilitated our morning coffee break, whilst Lesley who does not do coffee, had a chocolate covered coconut ice cream. The park was the site of a former farm during the early 19thC with convict labour. By 1842 there were too few convicts to manage the land so it was made available for sale and many wealthy merchants built large mansions. It was declared a public park early in the 20thC and a large bandstand was erected complete with rose gardens for local people to enjoy being out in the country but nearby the river which was also used for leisure pursuits. We picniced overlooking the river then made our way by City Cat back to the city centre, the temperature climbing as the afternoon progressed.
We walked up through the city streets visiting an ethnic art gallery with some very interesting pieces and a very informed salesperson to the City Hall; a grand and imposing building with a very tall clock tower built in the early 20thC but needing a substantial amount of underpinning in recent years to stop it sinking into the ground. We made our way to the exhibition on Moreton Bay and the river which was fascinating.
Through a variety of media, the gallery revealed uses of the river when it was a hunting and fishing ground for Aboriginals, through first settlement by Europeans, the building of bridges, industry and leisure. Some of the islands in the bay were used, especially during the 19thC, for the quarantine of new arrivals to the area, for those suffering from leprosy and as a prison. I felt very informed about the area and enjoyed the time spent browsing the artefacts on show.
A culinary-cultural treat lay in store for us on another floor of city hall, where a famous tea house from 1936 had been carefully dismantled and its interior re-erected. The wooden interior was plush with chandeliers and waitresses dressed in white linen and black dresses. A sumptuous array of cakes were on display alongside a range of leaf teas and coffees and we all benefited from a sit down, a refreshing hot drink and a cake or bun of our choice.
We then continued our walk through the city past numerous street cafés, bars and restaurants with a growing number of musicians gathering on street corners preparing for the Friday night trade. Brisbane is such a vibrant city, full of life, enough shops to satisfy those who seek retail therapy, some interesting architecture, lots of cultural activities, all reflected in posters hanging from various posts declaring, "Brisbane, the place to be!"
Our journey home reminded us of the M25 on a typical Friday evening, John referring to the highway as a very expensive car park, but once home we enjoyed a sundowner of wine, cheese, figs and biscuits followed by a tasty dinner of potato omelette with English style pork sausages and salad then a trio of desserts.
Our evening ended with a showing of the first part of a series entitled, First Footprints about the people who first inhabited Australia, their art, culture and way of life. It is astounding to think that Mungo Man lived so long before any of the oldest civilisations with which I am familiar ever existed and the rock art, maps and trackways that existed and continued to be used over many tens of thousands of years till the invasion by 'white' settlers in the late 18thC. I am looking forward to seeing the rest oft the series.
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