Big City in Paradise, Small Town Atmosphere
Written: Jun 06 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lush, green, tropical, with all the conveniences of a big city
Cons: Very hot in the summer
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| teryljohnson's Full Review: Brisbane |
I had the privilege of living in Brisbane for several months in the late eighties. Few days go by where I don't think of Brisbane and Queensland and miss it dearly! It is a clean, modern, lush, beautiful city. Let me tell you about some of the things I enjoyed most about Brisbane.
The most practical aspect to this city is the public transit system. They have an excellent network of trains and busses, and without too much trouble you can get just about anywhere within about a 30-mile radius of downtown Brisbane. During the day trains run every few minutes. You can get a day pass for the trains and do some sight seeing without leaving the air-conditioned comfort of their cars. I always enjoyed riding the train.
Downtown Brisbane is a great place to walk around. There are several beautiful shopping areas and vast malls, like the Meyer Centre, which as I recall is about nine stories high and has a roller coaster attached to the ceiling. The botanical gardens are gorgeous, nestled against the Brisbane river and containing all the beautiful tropical greenery you can imagine. The residential areas of the city are beautiful as well, with palm trees, papayas, mangoes, flowering trees, and many other gorgeous plant life varieties.
There are the most incredible birds flying around Brisbane. I was often awakened at 4:30am (when the sun comes up) to the sound of Kookaburras chuckling and laughing at each other. Their sound is very distinctive, and is often heard on jungle movies, though they are Australian birds. The alert bird watcher can spot many varieties of parrot, and gargantuan fruit bats are seen everywhere as the sun goes down.
There are many things to do in Brisbane, such as the aforementioned shopping. There is also indoor cricket, an unusual but awesome game, if you can get some people together to show you how to play. There are lush parks everywhere. What I found most striking about the parks is that you can walk just a few yards into one and completely forget that you are in the middle of a city. Many parks have free electric grills, which they call barbecues, for public use. There is also rugby, basketball, and cricket to watch and play. There are many night clubs and other places for evening entertainment, and hundreds of fish and chips shops and restaurants.
The best thing about Brisbane is the people. I found them to be very refreshing. Friendliness is the rule, and there are few exceptions. My impression was that they are a very content society, with everyone happy with their station in life and not covetous or competitive with the neighbors next door. Being from the good old US of A, that was a breath of fresh air! Everyone I met was sincerely friendly and helpful.
The only difficulty in Brisbane is the strength of the sun. On a sunny summer day it takes only minutes to start getting a burn, and prolonged, unprotected exposure to the sun promises a severe burn. Skin cancer is an epidemic in Queensland, so be prepared with sunscreen and hats. In the summer, temperatures range around 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 99-100% humidity. In a couple of days you get used to it, but it is still stinking hot!
Brisbane is only about 40 miles from the Gold Coast, which is one of the surfing capitals of the world and a great place to visit. The ocean down there is warm and clear light blue. You can sometimes see a dolphin in the waves with the surfers. The sand is white and squeaks when you walk on it. It is paradise!
Brisbane is within a day's drive of some of the most beautiful places on the Earth. There are rain forests, pristine, isolated beaches, and too many other glorious things to describe. Some day I want to return and teach music there, and take my family and show them the wonders of Australia.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
teryljohnson
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Member: Terry Johnson
Location: Washington
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 22 members
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