Brisbane - Mar 15

Summary: nice drive, good fish, tropical fruit, Brazil, thoughts on Bris-Vegas

After a relaxing week in Port, we were ready to get on with it to our last real city – Brisbane. Our 7am departure gave us a head start on somebody, but the road was still full of fellow travelers. Our first destination was Coffs Harbour, home of the Big Banana. The banana was not all that big, but the drive up really underscored that this is a relatively thinly populated area (by US standards, not Australian) in absolute paradise. There were great views, mountains all around, beaches a-plenty, and not all that many people. Real estate speculators reading this blog – you know who you are – there is a case to be made that the beaches between Sydney and Brisbane are among the finest on earth and are not overdeveloped* (*The last 100km south of Brisbane might be, but the NSW portion looks relatively open). While the construction delays were annoying and I have never seen so many speed traps in my life, the landscape off the road was among the best I have seen to date.

We stopped for lunch just north of Byron Bay and found, yet again, that playgrounds go well with water and prime real estate. It may look like beer, but it was sparkling apple juice. I also discovered fish’n’chips in which the fish was grilled. It was great fish and a cute little town. (something Heads)

As we got closer to Queensland, there was nothing that could stop us. Nothing could slow us down – full stomachs, full tank of fuel, Alex was satiated, I was mission-oriented… but then a little sign said “Tropical Fruit World”. As someone who has not met a tropical fruit that I disliked, this was really unfair. A force beyond my control steered the car left onto the exit, left into the mountains, and within 5 minutes left into a parking spot. Zombie-like, I arrive much to Alex’s delight in an orchard of every possible fruit tree: from coffee and banana to names that nobody can remember. I learned that there would be a fruit tasting in about 25 minutes. We walked around, didn’t buy anything, from the gift shop or fruit stand, but I was intrigued. As someone who had spouted out lines line “I am getting hints of strawberry and citrus” in various wine regions across this lovely nation, maybe I could say “I am getting hints of ‘Cab Sav’ and Shiraz” while eating some oblong spikey juicy thing. We skipped the full-on tour, as I really did want to get to Brisbane, but the fruit tasting was well worth the price of admission. We waited around by some exotic cacti with a Mexican theme (maybe Mexico is exotic here), but then we were told the tasting was ready to go (and we were the only customers). The woman doing the tasting (pictured somewhere) did a great job of introducing the fruits and highlighting how they were utilized in various oils and creams (available for a reasonable fee). Interesting stuff. About a fruit and a half into our tasting a couple showed up. Without revealing any details, let’s just say that they made me and the woman doing the tasting uncomfortable. She did a great job of managing the show, but I was impressed at how seamlessly she did so. We tasted Jack Fruit, which can be upwards of 70lbs per fruit and the seeds, fruit, and skin all have good uses (and the fruit tastes like bubble gum). We continued on with an exotic Mexican (sorry, I just love that thought) cactus fruit that Alex and I both loved, a fruit that tastes rather like champagne, some fruit you know, and some Brazilian grapes that Alex adores. She actually gave us the rest of those grapes.

Speaking of Brazilian (wow, the blog could go in a few directions here)… there has been a recurring theme of broadcasts in Portuguese (put down the razor, you didn’t see this coming did you?). In Cairns, Darwin, Broome, Perth, Esperance (!?), Adelaide, Melbourne, and again now in Brisbane, we have radio stations in Portuguese. Portuguese means my ear initially thinks it is Spanish, but when I try to listen in I understand none of it. Whether this is for Indonesian expats or what, I am not sure. It is not one constant channel, so I do not think I am picking up Indonesian stations. Thoughts? Suggestions? What am I getting and why am I getting it? It sure looks like there are more Mandarin or Cantonese speakers. All the Brazilians are driving cabs in San Francisco, so what is it?

So, Alex and I drove north to Brisbane. As soon as we crossed into Queensland, traffic picked up and there were buildings all around. Tweeds Head (great name for a band, by the way), is the last stop in New South Wales and yet another place I would have liked to have stopped. Everything from Byron Bay up looked good from the freeway, but we were on a mission. We could see the skyline from 10-15 km out. Brisbane has quite a few skyscrapers. Note: there is a night and day version of the view from our room facing West.

We pulled into our hotel and were struck by exactly how good this city looks at ground level. Sydney is the best looking city on earth. Brisbane is a smaller version: Beautiful tall buildings, pubs, people on the street, statues, oldish looking buildings, a river – what I have seen impressed me. According to the sign on the way in, Brisbane is considered Australia’s most liveable city. Pittsburgh is America’s most liveable city (1984, 2007) and that must be good. (I’m from the ‘burgh for those wondering how I’d know that) I can see why: warm weather, great beaches, and more playgrounds than Alex could play on. Alex and I checked into the Hilton, but not before passing an Irish bar that wonderfully says “Drinking Consultants”. Oh, and there are about 4 other Irish looking bars withing 3 blocks of the hotel. I don’t know if it is a St Patricks Weekend effect or we have found some “little Dublin”, but every bar says “Sean”, “Mc”, or “O’ ”. Throw in that even the Thai bars have a Guinness special running and Alex’s red hair might get me a discount somewhere (he’s asleep now, but I am not above carrying him around in his pajamas). The Irish Club is across the street. Not sure if the Irish exported a lot of criminals back in the day, but Brisbane has more Irish pubs than Nashville did when I lived there, and that is saying a lot. (Note to anyone offended: kiss me hind parts, I’m Irish too as the red haired co-pilot might indicate).

Anyhow, we pulled in, checked into our room on the 23rd floor, and got on with walking around. The concierge said that a loop with south bank would only take a half an hour. I am not sure which branch of the Special Forces he was with, but Alex and I took it in just under two hours thanks to focus and dedication on our part. The Google Earth version (and every map) shows this area as green. It is green, but let us be clear, it is fully developed: museums, cafes, restaurant complexes, hotels, prime real estate playgrounds, …did I mention cafes? It was amazing (take Darling Harbour Sydney and plant more trees). Even the main walkway is lined with flowers (that photos could have been taken for about 2 km). First off, every other person in Brisbane got married this weekend. That is just a fact. Second, they all have photos that accidentally include us in the background. (Aside: I have found that if there are a lot of local newlyweds having their picture taken, you are in an attractive part of town) This area also has a large public pool, comparable to Cairns’ lagoon (was that this year?). We walked over a couple bridges and through a Botanical Garden on the “city” side, but our little walk told me all I needed to know. This place is really attractive, warm, and has lots of outdoor dining options. It is not as “European” as Melbourne, it is strait up Australian with a side of Asian. I can see how Australians see it as their city. If Adelaide and Melbourne are “European” and Sydney is American (come on, a rugby player got shot at – I’m claiming it as ours), Brisbane is more purely Australian than any other big city (Perth has a legit argument with my reasoning here, but they are not here right now). The walk also took us over some mangroves as the photos show. Brisbane has exceeded my expectations on one night. We went out walking on the pedestrian mall behind the hotel – it was packed. When we got back and did a walk at night, it was still packed (although the retail stores were closed) and the people were in that 18-35 age range.

Next up: Gold Coast for 2 nights.