Brisbane Part 2

We camped a caravan park in Newmarket, 4km out of the city on Saturday 21st March and had a great time listening to the lorikeets and kookaburra’s at dusk and then dawn on Sunday!

We headed into Brisbane on Sunday to pick up our hire car for the next 3 days and instead of a intermediate style we were upgraded to a standard which ended up being a Holden Sports car.....two exhausts, spoilers and bright orange included! Daz loved it haha!!!
We checked into our apartment in New Farm and settled ourselves in before heading to the airport to pick up Mum and Dad! Their flight arrived on time and we met them at arrivals, flowers included as it was Mothers Day! They both looked really well and it really didn’t feel like (nearly) five months since we said goodbye to them at Heathrow on a cold, dull November evening!

We caught up that evening over a few drinks at a bar in New Farm (which is a lovely suburb of Brisbane, close to the river) and settled into our new digs for the next five nights! Darren and I had 11 nights of luxury ahead of us, well luxury after camping, but the little one bed apartment was brilliant and a soft bed was much needed!

On Monday we chilled out in the morning and then took Mum and Dad to see Morton Bay on the Brisbane Coastline. We hadn’t been there either so it was something new for us too. We stopped in Redcliffe, a very nice coastal area 20 miles north east of Brisbane which sits on a little peninsula on the beach. The sun was shining while we had a little paddle in the Pacific and walked along the pier, it was really lovely. We had lunch in a little cafe on the beachfront and then took a coastal drive through Scarborough to the tip of the peninsula. During June to September Humpback Whales migrate through Morton Bay and there are many look out points and sightings from the coastline, unfortunately we’re hear the wrong time of year for that. But the drive around was relaxing and it was nice to see more of the area.

In the evening we headed down to the river front and cooked a BBQ on the free stations. These facilities are available everywhere in Australia (the beaches, rivers, parks, campsites etc) and is a great way of socialising and having an outdoor lifestyle, Daz and I love it! We cooked up some sausages and potato pie and relaxed and watched the city cat pass on the river, a great end to the day!

On Tuesday we got up a little earlier and treated Mum and Dad to a day on the Gold Coast! We drove the 50 miles or so to Surfers Paradise in beautiful sunshine and 30 degree temperatures and parked up on the Esplanade, right outside our apartment block that we shared with Zoe and Simon for two weeks about 6 weeks or so ago! The beach was looking better than ever and the ocean and the waves were electric! The surf was buzzing and Mum and Dad were extremely impressed! Even Da and I thought the beach was looking better than ever! Why did we leave?!!!!!

Darren and i popped in to see Zoe and we picked up some mail (thanks Nicki!) and then we took a stroll along the Esplanade and had a drink in an Irish
Pub by the beach! Mum had seen a relocation programme in Australia and they went to Surfers and walked under the sign she so we couldn’t go without having our photos taken under the sign on the beachfront!

Next stop was Burleigh Heads (5 miles further south) a little town less built up and populated than Surfers but with a beach just as impressive. We stopped here for lunch and a stretch of the legs. Our last stop was Coolengatta, a place Darren and I visited during our stay on the Gold Coast but we wanted to show Mum and Dad as much as possible and give them different aspect of the Gold Coast, as it’s not all about the hustle and bustle of Surfers Paradise. Coolengatta and Tweed Heads are the most southern towns on the Queensland coast before New South Wales begins and today the entire Gold Coast was looking spectacular. Surfers were in their element and the beaches just looked so inviting! We had a cheeky icecream before finally leaving the Gold Coast and heading back up to Brisbane.

After an hour on the Pacific Highway we got back to Brisbane and took Mum and Dad up to the summit of Mount Cooth-tha, the lookout point which showed the incredible views of Brisbane city and the surrounding area. The air was so clear and crisp this time we could see out to Morton Bay and Morton Island. The sun was setting in the west and we were able to take some fab photo’s. We enjoyed a drink in the cafe while waiting out tea time traffic and then headed back to the apartment. I think we tired Dad out a little more today so we didn’t let him know what was in store for the next couple of days (and without a car!) as he would probably of moaned nonstop!!!!

Wednesday 25th March was our day in the city!!!! We dropped the car back in at Budget and then walked to the clock tower and City Hall, this was the first sight Darren and I saw when we came to Brisbane 4 weeks earlier. We took a stroll around Anzac and Post Office Square, areas of the CBD dedicated to war hero’s and Australian explorers. We grabbed a rest (and beer) in Queen’s Street, the main shopping mall of Brisbane and Darren and I were at the bar when someone called out my name! Mark, a guy on my course in uni was sitting at a table with a friend. I didn’t even know he was travelling!! Now that was a bit crazy and like people say ‘a small world’. We had a quick catch up and he briefly met Mum and Dad!!!

After lunch Mum and I went shopping and we left Darren in charge of Dad! They were supposed to go to the XXXX Brewery across the river but ended up in a pub all afternoon instead! Same thing I guess!!! We met up on South Bank and caught the citycat back to New Farm! By this point Dad had walked quite far (for his standards) so we tried to get him back to the apartment as fast as possible! We enjoyed a evening in and put on The Aviator after dinner.

After Mum and Dad having a few days in Perth and Brisbane, they have been able to compare the two and see that Brisbane is a lot bigger. They definitely picked a good week to come out, the weather has been fantastic - another element of this area which I love so much!

On Thursday we all headed out again and caught the bus to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary about 10 miles out of town. We had another top day! Mum and Dad had their first encounters with Australian wildlife! Mum and I help ‘Tigger’ the 4 year old Koala (and I’m in love, they are such adorable little things). We fed the kangaroo’s and wallabies, met snakes and fed the lorikeets. We also saw dingoes, wombats and taz devils. But the koala’s stole the show, there being more than 130 living at the sanctuary which is the oldest in Oz where it was set up in 1927 and started off with 2 koalas. They are so so cute. The sanctuary wasn’t too big and felt very homey and natural for the animals. We also got entertained by a very talkative cockatoo! It was a great day out! We had a drink in town before heading back to New Farm on the bus.

Our final outing was on Friday morning before our late afternoon flight to The Whitsundays. We walked to the ferry stop in New Farm and caught the citycat to Southbank and showed Mum and Dad the crazy Streets beach on the riverbank! Daz and I went for a dip and sunbathe while Mum and Dad had a stroll and around the area. We all had lunch on the riverfront before heading back to catch our taxi to the airport.

We had a great time in Brisbane, I think Mum and Dad really enjoyed themselves and got to see lots of different aspects of the area. Having come to Brisbane for a second time, I can’t deny how much I love the city and Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast area.....I just love it and Mum and Dad can now see why!

It’s all go for the next few days, they are only with us for 11 days in total and we want to show them lots of amazing things that the east coast has to offer! No rest for the wicked I’m afraid! x x