The Brizzy B

Disclaimer: No one calls it that. I made it up.

Now I don't know if it was because I was coming from Sydney and I was comparing it in my mind or if it was because my hostel wasn't in an ideal location or what but Brisbane did not strike my fancy quite like some of the other places I have been to. 

I hopped off my 14 hour train ride (okay I didn't exactly hop-more like trudged) and made my way to my hostel. It was quite early in the morning and once again I knew I wouldn't be able to check into my room right away. My plan was to immediately go to the Australian Zoo. Well, by the time I was checked in, my luggage stored, and I had made myself presentable it was too late to in get on the deal the hostel offered. So to plan B, walk around the city finding all of the wonderful things it has in store. 

It was both a long and short walk. I found the city's botanical gardens and it was a beautiful walk that took you along the edge of the Brisbane River. While the Sydney gardens had bats (did I say that lat time? Oh well there are bats in Sydney's gardens) the Brisbane Botantical Gardens had large iguanas that kind of snuck up on you. There were several times when I almost abruptly ended an iguanas tanning time because I was so busy looking up and around and through my camera lens I didn't notice him until the last minute. Through the gardens I made my way to South Bank which is close to one of their universities. South Bank is defintiely one of the city's highlights. Besides it giant ferris wheel, access to ferry's, and a multitude of dining options, it plays host to the city's beach. Yup, that's right. In the middle of traffic and high rises Brisbane put a beach and it's really nice. The day I went it was very crowded and being one of the major tourist spots and what looked like a mini-vacation spot for local moms, I doubt that it ever sees a slow day (especially when it's close to 30 degrees out). Now I say the walk was both long and short because in terms of distance, and distance compared with what I walked in Sydney, I didn't walk a very long way. However, as mentioned before my bag weighs quite a bit, my shoes are not made for walking, and it was very hot that day. Making my way back through the Botancial Gardens I sat down on a bench and seriously considered making it my permanent residence. I did manage to make it back to my hostel where I checked into my room and took a nap.

The next day was Good Friday where I spent the morning at Hillsong (they are getting their own post) and then decided I needed a vacation from my vacation. It was a good day to do so because although Aussie's aren't particularly religious and most love Easter for the chocolate, they close everything down Easter weekend. Not even the major grocery store was open on Good Friday. Your best bet was 7Eleven. After church, I parked myself by the hostels pool and made my goal to get the tan that I should have after living in Australia for 3 months.

Saturday I made my way to the Australian Zoo. I have to say, seeing a 12 foot croc launch itself out of the water on tv is one thing, but to see it in person is something else. During the feeding shows you could hear the jaws clamp down on the pig leg it had been given. It echoed. I was lucky enough to have Terri, Bindi, and Bob Irwin as the hosts of the Wildlife Warrior show. Apparently you might see Terri or Binid but rarely all the three. I got to feed an elephant which was a slobbery experience. The Crocoseum, which holds the main show, is a building dedicated to wildlife education and now it also holds a Steve Irwin memorial. There were about 15 cases on one wall that each held two khaki button up shirts with messages written all over from fans as well as 8 completely full condolences books. It was overwhelming. Taking all that in and then watching his family talk about his dream and continue on his life work was both tragic and uplifting. It's hard not to feel bad for a family that lost something so dear to them, but you can tell that working with the park and doing what he did has brought a lot of healing. Overall, the park is an expensive trip, but if you pack your own lunch you can keep the costs down because all of the shows are free.

Easter Sunday was spent at Hillsong, wandering the city one last time (mostly in search of lunch) and then making my way to the airport. I wasn't planning on spending over 20 hours in a train when a plane can take me to Melbourne in 2 1/2 hours. 

Next up: Hillsong and why that church is worth moving to Australia.