Brisbane is the kind of city that you visit and think, “Hey,
I could really see myself living here.” All along the winding river – which brings river wind-iness to a whole new level – are beautiful parks, cafes you want to
duck into, and apartment buildings that look new but not overly flashy. It’s a
city that is approachable and has a certain planned orderliness that makes
everything just… work. A speedy, incredibly punctual series of river ferry
lines (one of which is free) shuttles commuters from the residential side to
the downtown and back again, zigzagging along the river. Bridges alternate
between being pedestrian-friendly and pedestrian-only. The downtown is
bustling, with cafes and international eateries spilling out onto the sidewalk.
I should pause here and say that Brisbane is having
beautiful weather right now. It’s clearly like that a good portion of the year,
since almost all of the restaurants have extensive outdoor seating and open-air
malls are the norm. The city squares were similarly bustling. However, the
weather is not always so kind. During the heat waves a few weeks ago,
temperatures reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a far cry from the
come-outside-and-take-a-walk temperatures we experienced. We took advantage of
this blessing, though, and walked and walked. When we had seen a good portion
of the downtown (and stopped at the delicious Taro’s Ramen for lunch), we
headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens for a shadier loop.
The gardens were lush
and gorgeous and boasted an incredible variety of flora. The gardens border the
city’s skyscrapers on one side, the technologic university on another, and the
river around its other edges. Birds called loudly to one another, cackling and
cooing. It really sounded like they were right next to you, and this seemed
particularly out of place when a 50-story bank building was visible over the
treetops ahead. Though the heart of the city was so close, the portion of the
park by the river did feel like an escape. It also offered some interesting
tidbits, such as the reason behind the sheer cliff faces across the river: a
significant amount of stone used to build the original city was quarried from
this river bank, and it left behind the riverfront façade we see today.
Since the river was so beautiful, we decided to take a free
little cruise up and down it. We grabbed outdoor seats on the CityHopper (the
free ferry) and rode it end to end, enjoying the skyline and the parks that
dotted the riverfront. It’s really amazing how much green we’ve seen in each of
the Australian cities we’ve visited so far.
To close the evening, we splurged on a fancy dinner: the
degustation menu at Alchemy. This came highly recommended by our good friend
the internet, and it was certainly an experience. I don’t know that it lived up
to the hype, but we are also now spoiled by our recent French adventure.
However, this tasting menu had the distinct advantage of being complete after 2
hours instead of 5. Sometimes, it’s the little things.
Spotted: Australian posters similar to some of those seen at the Women's March
TIP: Gippsland Dairy. Their yogurt is the stuff of dairy dreams.
If you EVER get the chance to try it, go for it. My favorite flavor so far is
passionfruit twist, but all of their flavors are amazing due to the rich
creaminess of their slow-churning process.
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