A weekend in Brisbane (21^st to 23^rd November 2014)

We drove to Cairns and took a Qantas flight down to Brisbane. We both watched the Jersey Boys film on the plane but the sound was very poor from the headphones. This is a film about the Four Seasons and their road to fame.

In Brisbane we picked up an Apex rental car and drove down to Carole and Jim’s where we stayed for the weekend. Brisbane has a number of toll roads and the car was equipped with a sensor that picks up the toll system’s transmitted signals and charges ones credit card directly. The navigation device in the car has a traffic monitoring system that provides route redirections to avoid delays – very useful.

We had a very enjoyable weekend, not only meeting Carole and Jim but also Helen my cousin, Carole’s sister, and her husband Fred as well Fred’s family from Fred’s previous marriage. Each morning we were serenaded by a magpie or two that have an unbelievable song.

On Saturday morning we visited Daisy Hill Koala Centre, which is both an educational and rescue centre for Koalas.  Koalas are not very active during the day but we did get a few movements while we were there.

Koala

In the afternoon Jim drove us down to Brisbane and we took one of the fast commuter boats along the river to see the city skyline and strolled along the river.  

Commuter Ferry

We eventually arrived at the base of the George Paragon Restaurant were we met Helen and Fred and eventually Tima and Jason and enlisted a guy in a bar to take a group photograph. Other group photos were also taken as directed by Carole, who clearly had a plan in mind.

Family Group

We ate on the veranda at the George, since it was warmer outside than in and had a fantastic view of the river and famous Story bridge . The night life in Brisbane, especially down by the river is very vibrant and all the bars were heaving with youngsters.

Brisbane night scene

Sheila and I were both invited around to Andrew and Angela’s house for a barbeque breakfast the next morning, and met most of Fred’s family, except for Ricky who was in Sydney (at the GABBA) working.  Angela is Fred’s daughter. It turned out that Dean’s wife, Michele, mother lives in Christchurch, England, about two streets away from my sister, Sue and her husband Robert.

In the afternoon Sheila and I and Jim and Carole went up to Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve where we could get a panoramic view of the city from up high, including the coastline and the GABBA cricket ground, which we had passed the previous night. Another unsuspecting tourist was commandeered to take a group photo. The afternoon was spent sorting out internet access and re-packing the luggage in the car so that we didn’t pull a muscle every time we lifted cases in and out of the car.