Day in Brisbane - Nov. 13, 2013

WEDNESDAY-NOVEMBER 13, 2013

BOTTOM LINE:

Took public bus into Brisbane for sight seeing

BACK STORY:

There is something rather endearing about the Australian accent, and especially if a child is speaking. Not only is it the accent, but also the way that the people tend to shorten words and add a “y” or an “ie” to the end of the root word.  I suspect that’s how the name “Aussie” came about.  After a quick “brekky” (breakfast) we caught the public bus into Brisbane…pronounced Bris-bun or as the locals refer, “Brissy.”

The bus was comfortable and allowed us to sit and listen to people’s conversations.  One in particular was a women speaking about the US being a very unusual and diverse place.  It’s fun to get a glimpse of what others have to say globally about the US. 

City of Brisbane

We took the bus to the center of Brisbane. Our first observation was how clean the city was.  A man who was smoking and accidentally dropped his cigarette, bent over and picked it up to dispose of it properly!!!  Let’s take a lesson!  Secondly we found the people to be very friendly and helpful.  An attorney on his way to work stopped to help us find our way. Very kind! Finally, although we are certain there was a homeless population, we never saw any or any kind of begging or street solicitation.

We decided to get tickets to the “hop on-hop off” bus that could both orient us to the city and allow us to hop off in areas where we wished to spend more time. 

Grand Central Station

War Memorial

 

Courts of Queensland

The tour occupied the entire day. We enjoyed the stunning vista at Mt Coot Tah of the City, the waterways and the green outlying countryside.  We spent time touring the Botanical Gardens with a woman from England learning many interesting things about plants of the area. 
 

View from Mt Coot Tah

Did you know that the fragrant Plumaria tree is pollinated at night by moths?  Our guide pointed out plants which become more fragrant as the day wears on are not being pollinated by butterflies or bees in daylight, but rather by moths or other insects at night…the strong fragrance attracting them in the dark!

Botanical Gardens of the tropics

At the museum of Natural History and Science we learned what a billabong, a swag and what the famed childhood song, “Waltzing Matilda” meant…along with the fact that macadamia nuts originated in Australia, were introduced to Hawaii as a hybrid of two varieties and that the country remains the major producer of the nuts?  This is definitely a fun journey of learning!

Macadamia Trees

 Our return bus dropped us off in time to grab a quick bite to eat and head back to Scarborough Beach Resort to pack up for our departure in the morning.