Fri., Sat., December 6,7 Brisbane - Two days in one

    We plan to leave Brisbane today, it probably will be afternoon before we get our of here with last minute blogging (now that three of us are using the netbook), another reservation to book, laundry, showering, lunch, and a goodbye tea with Wayne and Lorraine.  They tried to tempt us to stay another night, which is sooo appealing. We've had a wonderful time here and could be happy staying a month.  But we've also got  a 12/12/12 meal planned with Kim, which we're also very excited about, and a couple days of Australia in-between, so reluctantly we are moving on.

It's very difficult leaving this nice little room...

... with its view of the river ...

...  and watching the flying foxes heading out to their feeding grounds
every night

     We walked around Brisbane the past two days, getting a taste of this beautiful city.  Set on the winding Brisbane river, which you can see from almost any part of the city, it has skyscrapers downtown, apartment towers on the banks of the river, and trees everywhere.

Viewing the central business district from an overlook on
Kangaroo Point, where we stayed

Riding the free water bus called the City Hopper

     Brisbane is a new world city.  A few 'older' buildings are left standing (if mid-19th century can be considered old), but like the US, development is the religion of the Oz municipal personality.

St. Stephan's Cathedral is a lonely pile of stone in the glass and metal city

A Catholic cat on the lookout for Protestant mice?

Aussies have been using metal in the construction of their buildings
for most of their history

    But this willingness to bulldoze allows for the creation of fantastic public parks and buildings.  The South Bank has a couple kilometer long parkland intelligently laid out with playgrounds, rainforest habitat, an artificial beach, and wonderfully presented free museums.

The obligatory reptile photo

Giant aluminum snake at art museum

Giant walking stick insect in Queensland Museum

Kristy taking her turn to photograph the inside of this sculpture...

... from the ground looking up

Public art can be functional ...

... or fanciful

Sometimes you see something that you just want to own

      We are fast approaching Christmas, and even in warm, sunny, green Oz people are excited about the season, in their own 'down-under' way.

Sand sculpture on artificial beach

     Wayne and Lorraine invited us to experience the annual Lord Mayor's Carols in the City held in the Botanic Gardens at the foot of downtown Brisbane.  We caught the City Hopper and traveled the river at dusk to the park.  I was expecting to see a dozen or so carolers bedecked in Victorian winter attire, or at least Santa hats and elvish costumes, on a small stage with a hundred or so spectators singing along.  But when we arrived we had to pick our way through thousands of families sprawled on blankets and chairs on a hillside overlooking an elaborate sound stage, finally finding a few square feet of grass to plop down on.
     Turns out that the whole production is recorded by channel 10 and broadcast state-wide on Christmas eve.  Emceed by local TV celebrities, the nearly three hour production featured some of the most well-known singers in Australia, ranging from country western to gospel and classical, as well as pop and rock.  There were also dancers, a magician, and a comedian who revamped "Jingle Bells" along uniquely Ozian lines.  Sitting in T-shirts and shorts under the warm, starry Southern skies, it was fun seeing all the kids and parents enjoying the Christmas cheer.

Caroling in the City

     But the best part about being in Brisbane has been sharing meals and walks with Wayne and Lorraine.  They are witty, generous, funny and wise; it was easy to renew a decades-old friendship.

Dinner in our room with the Hirds