5/5 - Sydney, Brisbane
Next morning, it was raining in Sydney, but we were leaving for Brisbane,
where it was sunny and warm. After our flight to Brisbane, we took the train
from the Brisbane airport to the Roma Street Station. We then rolled our bags
a short distance to the Explorers Inn Hotel.
We had booked these lodgings ourselves and opted for an inexpensive, centrally
located hotel. The modest room was clean but one of the door locks and the
window lock were broken and there were some ominous oil drops in the elevator.
Our daughter was enrolled this semester at the University of Queensland, and we met her
in the evening on the City Cat for a quick jaunt across the river to the
South Bank. Brisbane is locate on the winding Brisbane River, and one of
the best ways to get around town is to take the City Cat ferry. Besides being
inexpensive and running promptly and frequently, it also avoids traffic and
gives a nice view of the city's well-kept environs.
Our hotel was in a section of the city north of the river about four short
blocks from a ferry stop. The next stop down stream was the South Bank, a
park area that included an extensive lagoon (swimming and waterplay area),
a Buddist pagoda, and lots of space for walking or sitting within view of
the river. Nearby were many restaurants and shops.
Our daughter took the ferry in from her apartment up river and we joined her
for the short trip to South Bank. Unfortunately, we had all forgotten that
the 5th of May in Queensland is Labor Day, and restaurants were either closed
or charged a 15% surcharge. Fortunately we were able to find the nearby Kapsali
Taverna restaurant, which was open. We had a nice reunion meal before using
the City Cat to return to our respective abodes for the evening.