After my relaxing weekend it was back to work on Monday 2 July. It was hard getting up at 6:30 AM every day, and so I decided to do a little bit of research to find out a more appropriate time for transport and commuting to work. As it turned out I found a train that would allow me to get up 45 minutes later than I had been previously and still arrive at work on time, score!

The office I now work in is very very friendly and welcoming, and the people are incredibly talented. I have found myself working on a project that is both challenging and rewarding, and I am working with the best people on it. When I'm not working on it, ping-pong and FIFA provides a lot of entertainment!

This week, I had three very late nights, one in particular I did not get home till 2 AM. Still, it'll be worth it as I can use this time to make up some long weekends to visit other places. In particular I'm planning a trip to Sydney very shortly. Other destinations I have in mind include Stradbroke Island, Morten Island, Rockhampton and other places North of Brisbane.

I have to say that I am enjoying the work I'm working on and it has made the week fly by. Before I knew it it was Friday again and it was time to organise my accommodations for the next couple of weeks. I purchased a 4 share ensuite, as opposed to the 6 shares which were not ensuite. This will definitely also help cut down the time I have to get up at in the morning. In addition, train noise is significantly reduced.

On Saturday, I changed rooms and did the usual - washing and relaxing. After a full week of heavy work, I needed a day to just chill out.

On sunday, I planned a long day. First up, I desperately needed a haircut and wandered down into the city in search of a barbers. I eventually found one at the Myer centre. After getting my wig chopped, it was off to search for some good lookout spots around Brisbane.

First up I wandered up to the Roma Street Parkland. I ended up discovering that the parkland was actually nicer than the botanical gardens that I saw with Scott, Lauren, Stu and Jess. That said, it still wasn't a patch on Melbournes botanical gardens which are truly beautiful. After spending half an hour in the parkland, I decided it would be a good idea to see the north side of Brisbane which I haven't really explored yet.

I set off north from the parkland and walked all the way along Leichardt street turning into St Paul's terrace. The view from the north of Brisbane is actually quite impressive as there is something of a dip in between Leichardt Street and the CBD. The buildings in between are single or double story and backdrop is an impressive skyline.

I eventually reached the corner of Campbell and Markwells streets in Bowen Hills and spotted some houses that I thought looked interesting. They were sat on a hilltop overlooking the rest of Brisbane. I headed towards them but unfortunately when I arrived at the estate I discovered it was private and bared by gate. Instead I headed the other direction down the street and discovered a Polish church perched on a hilltop.

The view from the church was actually fairly spectacular looking across the river towards Hamilton. After spending half an hour looking around the grounds and at the view I decided to walk towards Newstead Park. I had seen the park from the city cat that I had taken the previous week and decided it would be worth the visit from land.

After walking for about 10 to 15 minutes I arrived at the park. It has a truly spectacular view looking all the way up to Hamilton and further than that across the toll bridge called the Gateway Bridge. Towards the south you could see all the way down Hawthorne.

I decided to walk to Hamilton in order to catch the city cat all the way back to Southbank. This would give me the opportunity to capture the missing photographs of the last part of the journey that I had taken the previous week. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and returned to the hostel to cook my meal, chilli on toast.

After spending a month in Brisbane, I've come to realise that although the city is quite beautiful it has no real history or heritage to speak of. It is certainly worth a visit but I do not think I will end up spending a great deal of time here outside of work. I am looking forward to going on my trip to Sydney.