Tuesday, October 15, 2013

End of Trip–the last report

Alas, it is time to end our adventure.  Our last two days were as fun as our first days of this trip.  On Thursday (Oct 10) we headed to downtown Brisbane to play along the water front.  The Brisbane River meanders through the center of town.  In 1998 the city sponsored an exhibition.  A lot of the facilities continue to be used as parks.  We started our day with a ride on the Brisbane Wheel, a large Ferris wheel similar to the London Eye.  Maybe not as big but give stunning views of the city.

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This bougainvillea arch was in full bloom.

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The gardens along the sidewalks beside the river were also in full bloom.  This is a very pleasant area of the city.

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We then got on the City Cat, which is a water bus that goes up and down the river.  It is part of the public transportation system and is a convenient way to move around the city.  It is also a great place to see the city along the river front.

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The boats are catamarans capable of moving up and down the river at 30 MPH.  They are confortable and have lots of seating, both in the cabin and on the fore and aft decks.  Here are some of the views we saw.

Apartment buildings

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Victorian era Queenslander homes

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Bridges of various ages and designs

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A side wheeler that is used for cruises.  There is also a stern wheeler.

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Lovely landings.  I don’t know if this was for a private residence or an apartment complex. 

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This is part of a shopping complex along the river and included nice restaurants.

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We stopped for lunch overlooking the river

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On Friday, October 11, was our day to do final laundry and repack our bags.  We did go to Cooper’s Cafe, a local restaurant in Manly for breakfast and a last drive along the waterfront.

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This Bird of Paradise plant was in full bloom at Cooper’s.  We can’t grow them in Nebraska!

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These are not flooded areas, but are mangrove trees along the water front.  At high tide they are in water as you see here.

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On Saturday, we started our long trek home.  It was a long Saturday (we crossed the international date line).  We left Brisbane on Saturday afternoon, flew through Auckland, New Zealand, and arrived in Los Angeles that same Saturday afternoon after traveling for over 17 hours.  We stayed over night in Los Angeles and flew the rest of the way home on Sunday.

Overall it was a fun trip, but once again way to short.  Thanks to Monty’s sister and brother-in-law for the nice time, all the arrangements, and traveling with us.  And to our readers we hope you enjoyed reading about our adventures and seeing the pictures.  Until next time……………..

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