Although my desire for adventure is generally for the excitement of hiking and romping in uninhabited areas, Brisbane had been on my go-to list since I arrived in its airport this past February. Perhaps its intrigue was simply that it was the first place I saw in Australia. Albeit, the only parts I saw were the airport and the roads connecting the international and domestic terminals, but something about the city captured me. Unfortuately, money would not allow me to spend a great deal of time in Brisbane and New Zealand, and my choice between the two was clear, so I decided to make Brisbane a day trip. I scheduled it as my layover while en-route New Zealand, arriving early in the morning and leaving late at night, and although I wish I could have see more, it worked out well.
The best way I can think to describe Brisbane is as the love child of London and New York cities. Of course, I have never seen London, and I have spent only a matter of hours in NYC, but as far as the popular images that are portrayed of each of them - this is it.
I picture London as a city of old buildings, Churches, cafes, and cobblestone roads (or at the very least, brick).
New York is probably the exact opposite; sky scrapers, metal, and glass making up the best of the architecture.
But Brisbane - Brisbane was strange and striking because it combined the two styles.
Of course, the buildings in Brisbane are not actually old (at least, not very), but many of the structures are made out of brick and stone that give them the appearance of having aged with elegance. Most of the buildings were new - New York City-like buildings with large glass windows, but then there were walkways made out of brick and buildings thrown in as if to accent them. The city seemed bright and alive (despite the fact that it was raining for most of the day), something that stood out even more to me when I arrived in Auckland (more to come on that later). I was accosted almost immediately by a group of environmentalists trying to raise awareness (unfortunately, as this was two months ago, I now forget what they were trying to raise awareness about), and at that moment I knew that Brisbane was my kind of city.
New Buildings:
"Old" buildings:
I did not have anything planned to do while in Brisbane. I did not know what museums there were or where good shopping was. I'll admit, I was a bit nervous about winging it, but as it turned out, I probably would not have had nearly as good a time if I had a plan. After wandering along a street of shops, ranging from tourist stores to outrageously expensive fashion boutiques, I came to the end of the sidewalk. I was about to turn around and head down the other side, when I realized that if I crossed the street in front of me I would end up in a market. I allowed my nose to lead the way to freshly baked foods and organically grown fruits, and realized that I had walked into my own little slice of heaven.
Turkish garlic bread, raspberries, and freshly squeezed orange juice - probably the most delicious meal I have eaten since I have been in Australia.
The Market:
After lunch, a little more wandering revealed that two museums I had heard of were closed for construction, but a stroke of luck (and a map that I picked up from the train station) led me right to the entrance of the city's botanical gardens.
I call this one "Afro-tree":
After wandering through the gardens, where I stopped to finish my lunch which was too large for one sitting, I regrettably had to head back to the airport for my flight which was leaving in only a few hours. Despite the shortness of my time in Brisbane, I loved it.
Part two of this trip, consisting of my time in New Zealand, will be up soon (hopefully)!
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