Brisbane | John Kidde Writes

02/12/2014

Brisbane’s South Bank

I am redirecting back to my original idea of going through my Australia travels in 2007.

Every Tuesday was a free day in Australia. For me, anyway. My class schedule at uni just worked out so that every single Tuesday I had to day to myself. Where I could do whatever I wanted. Most of the morning was spent running along the Brisbane river, then doing schoolwork and then whatever else I wanted. Which got me thinking: What is there to do in Brisbane?

So I started to venture out and see. Not only on Tuesdays but on the weekend too.

Immediately, I found myself getting off at the South Bank CityCat stop and exploring the South Bank Parklands. Mainly because it was just the second stop from my apartment, but also because it was gorgeous to look at from the ferry.

I’ll be honest, what originally brought me there was the movie theatre, the Cineplex, (where I would end up spending most of my Tuesdays, I mean how could I not?) but after a movie was over I would wander around through the gardens, by the closed water park, and along the riverwalk. It was a nice way to unwind after a movie and stretch my legs and possibly grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants at the plaza food court before I would head home.

At the South end of the Parklands is the Queensland Maritime Museum. That is where I saw these two ships dry docked:

And at the North end is the QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Center) where you can see musicals, plays, and ballet and classical music performances. Next to that building, and connected to it by a bridge, is the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre where they hold rotating exhibits and hands on science experiences. When I was there, 2007 was the year of the surf lifesaver and the halls were filled with vintage surfboards and other related materials the detailed the history and dedication of the surf lifesavers as they ensure our safety in the water.

**If you’re reading this and are planning out your Brisbane visit keep in mind that I was there 7 years ago so things might have changed – and I’m sure they have.**

Tagged Australia, Brisbane, Brisbane river, CityCat, QPAC, Queensland, Queensland Maritime Museum, Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Center, Sciencentre, South Bank, South Bank Parklands

14/03/2014

In Brisbane

It’s been called Brisneyland or Bris Vegas on account that it’s a place to party and have a good time. I didn’t know that until I arrived and given the amount of time I spent there, partying, learning, taking in the scenery I feel confident that I can say I agree with those two nicknames. Now, that doesn’t mean that there are rides and attractions all over the city, but there is plenty to do and see that makes the entire city fun and enjoyable – and not just for the adults, for the entire family too.

After a quick flight up from Melbourne, Brisbane was a welcome sight. Firstly, there was a ton of sun and it was much warmer to boot – and this was still July (Winter) but I felt right at home because the weather is so similar to what I experience in California. Secondly, it was just nice to finally be in the city I was going to call home for the next six months.

View from apartment balcony

I was put up in an apartment just off Coronation Drive and it was conveniently located to a shopping centre complete with market, a subway & CityCat ferry terminal, and more importantly the bar/restaurant The Regatta, and a First Choice Liquor, a store similar to the American BevMo or Total Wine & More. I would end up spending many a night at The Regatta, no matter what day of the week it turned out to be. What more could I ask for?

The city close up

This being my introduction into Brisbane I didn’t want to do anything too rash or get lost so with a small group of about four or six, we set about exploring the surrounding area and found that if we wanted to find something relaxing to do after a day at Uni or just on the weekend, we could find it in this area or easily hop on the public transit and go somewhere else. We were situated just on the outskirts of the city to experience the night life, but also far enough away so that we could have some peace and quiet when we wanted. The best of both worlds.

It wasn’t a long flight but it was a quick transition into “OK, I’m here now and tomorrow is when I actually have to do work” because there was an orientation the next day and it was for all international students so we could get our IDs, change any classes on our schedule and other administrative stuff. I didn’t fly to Australia to just party, I was there with a purpose…but partying was part of that.

Tagged Australia, BevMo, Bris Vegas, Brisbane, Brisneyland, CityCat, Coronation Drive, Down Under, First Choice Liquor, The Regatta, Total Wine & More

13/03/2014

Melbourne

It’s Melbourne. Not Mel-born or Mel-bournee or any other butchering of the name of the capital of Victoria. Here’s some audio to support this:

Pretty simple right? Eh, not so much. I still here people mispronounce the name and maybe that’s because they’ve never been there or they just don’t know any better. Hey, I once watched a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ puzzle where the category was ‘On The Map’ and the last two words were ‘New Zealand’ and they had a few of the letters up top to let you know the answer was ‘Auckland’ – hell, it even got down to missing the ‘U’ and still the dummies couldn’t guess it…. You wanna know what happened next? I’ll show you:

“I still haven’t heard of it.”…….gahhh. Anyway, enough of tangent, back to Melbourne.

Many consider Melbourne to be the cultural centre of Australia and I may or may not agree. I did not spend a whole lot of time there (actually only a day) but it’s certainly nothing like Sydney or Brisbane. Melbourne is home to the Australian Open held every January and if you didn’t know, it’s part of the tennis Grand Slam which also includes the US Open, the French Open and The Championships Wimbledon. But it, like Sydney and Brisbane, have museums and theatres but for some reason many label Melbourne the cultural centre. Maybe it’s because they hosted the Olympics back in 1956 and that was the first time the games had come to the Southern Hemisphere and it was also the first time they were held outside of Europe and North America. So maybe, just maybe, it all stems from that but I won’t comment any further because I’d rather not tick off the friends I have in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth or wherever else they might be around Australia.

Here’s a taste of what I saw, which was mainly exteriors because I was just walking around the city taking in various sights.