Brisbane – Day 27

This morning we woke up as we sailed up the Brisbane River to the city of that name. I must admit that first impressions were a little underwhelming, it was not unlike sailing up the Humber to Hull, only much, much hotter. I suppose most river ports are the same though with cargo and oil terminals along their banks.

Marion looked at the weather and decided that it would be better to have a restful day on board, a good decision as I have already walked over 15,000 steps. The area where we docked was a little bit like Docklands, new flats, cafes and bars, some prior research was to my advantage. While most people made for the shuttle bus into town, a few others and I found the CityCat quay. This is a fast catamaran service that runs the length of the Brisbane River. A really efficient way to travel, with the added bonus of being able to stand in the open air and admire the riverside properties of the Brisbane skyline as we approached.

I alighted in the new South Bank area, there I walked through tropical rainforest and saw the impressive public infrastructure that the city has built. There was a public swimming lagoon complete with artificial beach, water features and fountains. This was very popular with young children and mothers in the eighty-degree heat. It was a delightful green lung right in the centre of the city. Otherwise the planners appeared to be modern day disciples of Robert Moses, building urban expressways along the north bank of the river.

The town has the feel of a sub-tropical city, sure there is the usual mish-mash of modern skyscrapers, but interspersed amongst these are buildings from the turn of the Twentieth Century. In the centre there is a lovely botanical garden, which in reality is a big park, with bougainvillaea and enormous trees. I particularly liked the old wool warehouses along the banks of the river that reflected what drove the areas prosperity. I did see a new business concept, a boutique barber with craft beer, now that is a thought.

So it was back on the catamaran to the calm and cool of the Seabourn Encore, and a well deserved cold beer, Grolsch I am afraid, but needs must but a great accompaniment to hamburger steak with a Caesar salad. We are in port until this evening when we sail the short distance to Morton Island for some kayaking.