Brisbane, Queensland Australia

August 29, 2012 – Return 2 Oz - 2012 Begins:

We are off for another Aussie Adventure. Who would have guessed 4 years ago at the end of our 2008 trip that we would ever be back here? 

August 31, 2012 - (we lost 8/30 x-ing the International Dateline) After about 32 hours of waiting and flying (& flying, & flying….), we arrived safely in Brisbane Queensland, Australia, a bit tired and sore from a lot of SEAT time. We arrived with our 6 pieces of baggage/carry-ons, the only things we lost were a few snack items we hadn’t consumed and Customs Officials didn’t approve of us having.

After a quick shower and change of clothes we set off to explore a bit of the city. Our hotel the Mercure is ideally situated, right on the beautiful Brisbane River and close to the Central Business District (CBD).  We walked a few blocks, explored getting Mike’s phone converted for use in Oz, had a nice dinner and were back to our room and in bed before 6:00pm.  Brisbane (Brissy to the locals) is the 3^rd largest city/ and the fastest growing city in Australia, almost 2 million “Brisbanites”.

September 1, 2012 – Up early we found an open-air style pub for breakfast, a good night’s rest and a robust breakfast we were ready to SEE what there was to see. We got on a City Sightseeing tour. Great day to be out exploring: Chamber of Commerce perfect weather (sunny, temps in the low 20 degrees C or 70 + Fahrenheit). We enjoyed seeing Brisbane again, this time not fighting the confusing streets, the traffic, and having an interesting commentary as well. The view from Mt. Coot-tha was stunning.  After the bus trip we took a River Cat Boat ride down the gorgeous Brisbane River.  Our last stop was a ride on “The Wheel of Brisbane” a 180ft high Ferris wheel on the Brisbane River - another great vantage point of the city and river.  Going out tonight to find an authentic Australian pub for dinner. We found one that was serving a local specialty: Morton Bay Bugs – sort of small lobster type of seafood, interesting and a bit different.   Days 1, 2, 3, 4 have been fantastic!