To tell you about our time in Brisbane (aside from the koalas), we have to start with a really big “thank you” to our friends Robin, Doug, Gavin and Lindsay Hibbard, who are extraordinary hosts. Not only did they pick us up at the airport and share their home with us, Robin was a delightful tour guide to the city, with Doug explaining rugby to us during Sunday’s matches.
Monday was all about koalas, kangaroos and the other wild and wonderful critters here. But you’ve probably read that post already.
Tuesday was a tour of downtown Brisbane, which is really lovely. Botanical gardens, parks, and riverside restaurants were the order of the day. One of the things we are loving about Australia is the public spaces they create for residents. They certainly seem to work on the concept of high taxes, high services. Every community we’ve visited has an extensive park in the center of town, frequently with pools, lagoons and beaches—all open and free to the public. It’s been great to see so many people using them throughout the day. After talking to a number of people we are getting a better sense of the socio-economic structure of the country and find it really interesting to see how it works (and it does seem to work). More research to be done.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our new friend, Coconut the pug. I think she knew we were missing our Papalote and was a huge snuggler! A couple of home cooked meals (including a lesson in making salsa) rounded out our time with the Hibbards and we wrapped up our visit in Brisbane on Wednesday heading out to Airlie Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.
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