journal entry: the great wheel of brisbane

September 14, 2008

... A giant ferris wheel, The Great Wheel of Brisbane (like 'The Eye' in London, England) dominates the South Bank skyline. In fact, you can see it from the waterfront sections of Brisbane's downtown area. It's that huge and imposing.

Joe [editorial note: my friend] and I went for a ride. The ticket lady in charge of collecting the admission fee asked if I was American or Canadian. Apparently they keep a tally of where tourists are from -- for book keeping purposes, perhaps? I always find that a bit odd, but the woman was genuinely friendly about it. She said she couldn't tell the difference between Canadian and American accents, but knew I had to be one of the two. I politely informed her I was 'merican, through and through.

I was so nervous getting into the Great Wheel car. The Wheel itself is over 200 feet high! You enter in to a climate controlled 'car' that swings whenever you move. There's an emergency call button to press if you panic, which I appreciated. (I do hate heights, after all.) I joked that I might need to use it.

A big boned Maori girl got me and Joe in to the car, and she seemed amused by nervousness. Joe sat across from me, and everytime he turned to take a picture, the car would swing slightly. I was jumpy about that aspect of the ride, but the views were glorious and well worth the moments of swaying terror.

It was almost sunset when we went up for our ride. It was rather romantic really, riding up in the sky as the sun was lowering in the horizon. I couldn't help but think it would be a wonderful spot to be proposed to, or something of the sort, with all of Brisbane at your feet and the sun casting a golden sheen on everything, river and glass high rises alike.

The ride stopped once while we were near the top. That made me very nervous. I remember saying to my friend, "Okay, we can move any day now." I was more than a bit anxious floating up above the known world, but I was also exhilerated by it. Like I said, the views of Brisbane were incomparable.

The entire ride was about ten minutes, or three full rotations. The admission price was steep, but entirely worth it.

The Great Wheel of Brisbane was definately a high light of my visit to the South Bank, and I would recommend it to any tourist visiting the area. It won't be here forever, as it is a temporary monument, and it ofers unparalleled views of the Brisbane metro area.

photos: brisbane

me, at the Streets Beach, South Bank

the beautiful arbor walk

skyline of downtown Brisbane, view from the boardwalk, South Bank

downtown Brisbane

the great Wheel of Brisbane, South Bank

brisbane's south bank

Brisbane, oh Brisbane. What a beautiful city you are! Out of all the hundreds of towns and cities I have seen, you are by far one of my favorites.

I can't begin to list all the reasons that make you so wonderful. I do know your location, along the banks of a grand river, certainly help. So does your architecture, which is full of sleek and modern high rises. There are the cultural gems that dot your expanse, such as the Queensland Museum and the numerous art galleries that line your streets. Your shopping is wonderful. There are enough malls and boutiques in Brisbane to keep a Paris Hilton style socialite content for months. Even some of your more famous suburbs are equally gorgeous, with million dollar homes rising up on lush green hilltops that overlook the grand view below.

I had quite a love affair with you while I was visiting Australia. And no wonder -- you're the country's fastest growing city. It seems everyone has the same opinion of you as I do!

***

My introduction to Brisbane began my second night in Australia. I happened to stay one night in an incredible luxury hotel, The Emporium. Located in a once seedy neighborhood (Fortitude Valley), the area has now gentrified in to an area of Maserati dealers and upscale shopping. A wonderfully decorated and sporty spot, The Emporium was a great way to get introduced to the decidedly casual-but-wealthy Brisbane lifestyle.

The hotel alone was an awesome experience, but my god! Brisbane herself!

My formal introduction to Brisbane began on the South Bank, the city's beating heart of culture. This is the area in which the performing arts center, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Museum of Modern Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum and the famous landmark the Brisbane Wheel are all located. Other must-see sites include the South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach.

The Queensland Museum is home to a wonderful (and touchable!) assortment of exhibits, all focusing in on Queensland history and her native fauna. Kids will especially get a kick out of the place, which was evidenced by the fact that hordes of well mannered children were swarming several of the more hands-on exhibits. Wonderful old dinosaur bones, an Aboriginal exhibit, and the chance to crawl around inside a native Queensland tree are all to be found here. The free admission charge makes it quite a deal, and the museum is funded by the State of Queensland. I had a blast here, taking photos, fondling the exhibits, and taking photos of myself fondling the exhibits. I also learned quite a bit.

The Queensland Art Gallery is virtually next door to the Queensland Museum, and also boasts a free admission fee. There are some truly lovely works here, and heavily showcases Australian artists. I especially enjoyed the Aboriginal Art section. The Aboriginal pieces were intricately made with thousands of dots painted on to canvasses of all sizes, in designs that held symbolic and religious meaning. There are some lovely sculptures as well, and an interesting pool that is often part of an ever-changing art installment.

The Whale Mall is a little walk-way that showcases life-sized models of whales hanging from the ceiling. Recordings of whale calls play in the background. Benches are arranged for those who want to sit, listen and watch the startled faces of people walking past. Of course, I loved it.

While I did not actually enter the State Library of Queensland, I found it was a nice spot to grab some lunch. Although pricey (like everything is on the South Bank), it's a nice place to sit, relax and enjoy surprisingly tasty sandwiches. There's a decidedly intellectual and upscale feel to the folks who patronize the restaurant there, which I liked.

The South Bank Parklands are a lovely spot. A big, glorified park in the middle of a bustling city, the South Bank Parklands is a wonderful spot for to grab dinner, have a leisurely stroll, or get one of the best views of Brisbane on the massive Wheel of Brisbane. Perhaps most striking is the South Bank Arbor, which extends for much of the park lands. A steel support curved in a soothing design is draped with beautiful purple bougainvillea. It's absolutely stunning, especially when one stops, smells the flowers, and takes a moment to absorb the scene. It is truly lovely.

My favorite part of the park lands was the amazing Streets Beach. It is a mix of a pool and a lagoon, artfully surrounded by palm trees, a gazebo, rocks and beautiful plantings of trees and flowers. You can actually swim in the lagoon, and it feels exactly like swimming at the beach, minus the pesky waves and sharks.

According to wikipedia.org, the Streets beach " comprises a lagoon with enough water to fill five Olympic swimming pools, with sand beaches, palm trees, rocky creeks and subtropical trees and exotic plantings. The beach is patrolled seven days a week by lifeguards."

Another spot I loved was the Nepal Peace Pagoda, a gift from the Nepalese government. It's an intricately carved wooden pagoda that visitors are welcome to sit and meditate in. It has an aura of peace and love to it, and reminded me of Nepal and my visits in the East. Naturally, I loved it.

There is a lovely Boardwalk as well, which runs along the river. It's a nice place to stroll, and frequented by a wide assortment of Brisbanites and tourists alike. There are spots on the boardwalk that have great views of downtown Brisbane across the river. It's close to the city but still removed from all the heavy action.

The Great Wheel of Brisbane is exactly as the name states -- a giant wheel that takes riders in little enclosed capsules to great heights and lets them take in one of the best views the city has to offer. You get a 360 degree view, and it is very high at the top.

Although I'm afraid of heights, I was determined to take a ride on the great wheel. It's only there for a few years, and I didn't want to miss a chance while I had one. A very nice Maori woman got me situated in my capsule, assuring me it wasn't scary and that hey, it was even climate controlled. She then showed me how to work the air conditioning, which was a nice touch. And then, bam! I was off, up, up, up in to the clouds. The capsule would shake precariously anytime I moved, so I tried to keep as still as possible, rotating my head around with a stiff neck and taut torso. However, my fear soon dissipated, and I was filled with the heady rush of seeing an incredible sight: Brisbane, at sunset, in all her glittering glory.

lone pine koala sanctuary

Koalas and emus and kangaroos, oh my.

That, my friends, should be the motto of the delightful Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Located just outside of Brisbane, the sanctuary is the world's largest and perhaps Australia's best known. Home to a diverse collection of famous Aussie critters, Lone Pine is one of the easiest ways to see koalas, kangaroos and emus without trekking through the bush. (I did have a bush experience later in my trip, and managed to see all of those creatures -- and more -- in the wild. Nothing compares with that, but the sanctuary is the next best thing.)

My Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary adventure began while floating along the Brisbane River. The Mirimar Cruise offers a 1.5 hour journey (each way) down the river, finally docking at Lone Pine, which happens to rest along the side of the Brisbane River. It is a wonderful way to reach the sanctuary, and a beautifully scenic one, at that.

The journey down to the sanctuary was filled with commentary on the history and sights of Brisbane. It is also passed by a giant fruit bat colony on an island in the middle of the river. The only way to see the bats, by the way, is via the cruise.

The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, and sitting out on the deck of the cruise was utterly fulfilling. I was especially taken with the fruit bat colony and looking at all the expensive real estate lining the Brisbane River. You would not believe some of the incredible houses that dot that waterway's shores!

The sanctuary itself was a joy. Although not large, it does take a couple of hours to see all of the animals and exhibits properly. The animal enclosures were generally large and full of plants and hiding places, which made it more comfortable for the creatures in question. Wild animals also seemed to have taken to the place, with bush turkeys kicking up dirt everywhere on the paths, and lizards galore darting in and out of the few buildings on the sanctuary grounds.

Lone Pine is definitely the place to see koalas. My visit coincided with the arrival of baby koalas, so I had the pleasure of seeing the little joeys with their mothers. The babies ride their mothers piggyback style, which is disarmingly cute.

The males (or 'bachelors', as the sanctuary calls them) make a god awful noise. It's completely unexpected and a little shocking the first time you hear it -- you don't expect something so grating from such an adorable animal! It's a cross between a bellow and a grunt, and very deep pitched. To hear these guys in action, go here. The noise is quite loud, something you don't get from the recording on that link. You can hear it from meters away.

One of the best parts of Lone Pine is the giant kangaroo enclosure. Here is the spot where visitors can come and pet, feed and mingle with small sized 'roos. A few emus poke about the area as well, although they don't seem nearly as friendly. (They are also a lot more intimidating and larger in size.)

You buy kangaroo food at the gift shop for $1 a bag. My friend and I each bought one. Having armed ourselves with the paper sacks full of kangaroo friendly pellets, we made our way in to the enclosure.

It was well worth the $1 price for the food. The kangaroos come up and nibble at your hand, tickling you with their fur. Their mouths are surprisingly gentle, like a horse's, and if you keep your palm flat, you aren't in any danger of getting skin nipped off.

The personalities of the various animals really shine in this enclosure, too. Some will come right up to you and demand food; others will hang back and shyly watch, waiting for you to notice them. A few young kangaroos were hopping about as well, and seemed like children everywhere -- curious, eager, and friendly.

Another highlight of my visit to Lone Pine was getting a photograph taken with a koala. Although it's an extra fee on top of the admission price, I felt it was well worth it to even have the chance to hold such an amazing creature. I held a cuddly old female, who felt like a big furry bag of cat food. (Same weight, same sensation.) Koalas are very lethargic creatures, so you really have to cradle them when you hold them. They also have long claws, which are a little scary and can scratch if you are wearing a shirt with short sleeves.

For any prospective koala-holders: watch out for males. They have a scent gland, and apparently can make people who hold them smell a little funky for a few hours.

Other than the koalas, 'roos and emus, the sanctuary had wallabies, dingos, birds, snakes, lizards, and almost every other distinctly and famously Australian creature imaginable. The wallaby was especially cute -- a strange cross between a pig and a giant hedgehog.

I would highly recommend a visit to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to any visitor in the Gold Coast/Brisbane area. It is especially great for kids or the young at heart, and is quite educational. There are some great talks scheduled through out the day, and plenty of chances to look at rare animals up close. The fact that the animals live in nice exhibits and appear to be well cared for also adds to the appeal of the sanctuary.

photos: brisbane river festival '08

brisbane river festival '08

The noise, the crowd, the expectations and excitement. Conversations, at a loud volume, swelling and diminishing as people walk past, laughing, cheering, holding hands and slapping sweaty palms. Me, rooted in one spot, trying not to get pushed or stepped on, perched on the edge of a tiny iron railing, a seat made of metal and the fabric of my jeans. I can't fall, I'm safe, there's only concrete and crowds around me, but still I sit, precarious on my metallic throne.

Cameras are flashing all around, little glittering globes of light that pop for a second with blinding brilliance. Bright white orbs, dancing in air, going off in my face, making me blink, shake my head, blink some more. My friend standing next to me is doing the same thing, my camera in his hands. It gives off little pops of white light every two minutes or so. My friend is making lightning white flashes of his own. Recording posterity. Recording the crowds. Recording a specific moment in time.

This, I think, is expectation.

Everywhere I look there are people. Hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands of people. Babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults, the middle aged, seniors. Drunk people, sober people, stony faced people, joking people. A thousand different accents, and me caught in the cradle of their voices, listening but not understanding a word.

I'm here, at the heart of this massive event, almost by accident. Luck and chance brought me to this place, and now I'm standing in the middle of Brisbane, Australia, waiting for one of the nation's biggest shows to begin. Brisbane River Fest is an annual event celebrating an amazing city, and the RiverFire is perhaps the greatest extravaganza during the festival, a sweeping show of fireworks and burning jet fuel along a great expanse of the Brisbane River.

It seems the whole world has come to witness the event, and it's a great feeling. All of us, pale faces, Asian faces, dark faces, have come to be a part of this moment. It's communal. It's all of us in it together. It's children and old people coming together.

Expectation and tension mounts as we wait for show time. Finally, when it feels like we can't stand another moment of craning our necks heavenward, it begins. A jet flies low over the crowd, and then zips upward, letting loose a stream of fuel that is then set alight. A streak of fire fills the sky, a stunning sight that makes the crowd gasp.

And then -- the fireworks. Oh, the fireworks! Hundreds of them, shooting up into the sky, beautifully timed to music. They glitter and glisten and gleam, just like pyrotechnics should, and all of Brisbane stands there watching, gasping, oohing. Every two minutes I turn to my friend in awe and ask, "did you see that?!" or "how much money did all of this cost?"

There's a lull in the fireworks, a little trick to make the crowd think the show is over. And then boom! The show begins again in earnest.

It lasts for a long time. The technicolor glitter, the show in the sky, the burning jet fuel and impressive fireworks. I haven't been this enchanted by anything in a long time, and it's a good feeling.

My second night in Australia, and this happens. What a beautiful experience. I want to open my arms wide and say thank you to this wonderful country for arranging this event specially for me. Of course I know it isn't really in my honor, but I can't help but feel like that.

This is the moment when I realize that I love this place. Australia is welcoming me with open arms, and I am doing the same to her. We love each other. It's a love affair that has begun with literal fireworks.

I smile to myself at this thought. I don't tell my friend what I am thinking, but he can see it in my face. "Happy?" he asks.

I nod and then start to laugh from pure happiness.

"Very," I tell him.






(clip from the opening of the River Festival ... fast forward to 3 minutes to see the actual start of the show -- it's high quality footage!)

surfers paradise: photos