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Australasia » Australia » Queensland » Brisbane By Tory
June 23rd 2007

Lunch Time
Feeding the elephant for the 5th time just so that I could get this pictureAfter being dropped at Brisbane airport and saying our goodbyes to the surf crew, Linda, Saskia, Sanne and myself jumped into a taxi and headed for the city, we had phoned ahead to Banana Benders Hostel who had a four bed dorm for $25 a night. The taxi driver had told us it would be $25 to get to the hostel but the meter had climbed to $42 by the time we got there, after some argument we agreed on $35, the driver was French, after a heated discussion we realised his English was not great $25 & $35 sounded similar when he said them.

We checked in and started to get dressed up, planning to go dancing, I was really looking forward to this as I had not been clubbing for ages. Linda suggested we had 1/2 hour sleep before we headed out as we had only had 6 hours sleep the night before. Unfortunately the alarm didn't go off and Saski woke me up at 12.15am so I took off my make up and went back to sleep.

Fully refreshed on Sunday I got up and went to explore the city, however I ended up on the
Crock's Rule
That is Steve Iwins caption and he is still very presant at the zoo.internet for a few hours updating this blog and putting all the photo's on, by the time I had finished I had to go to the supermarket as I had agreed to get dinner supplies for everyone. This wasn't the most sensible idea as my back was really hurting from my surfing accident and I had to carry the heavy shopping 30min back to the hostel. When I was back I just sat and chatted to some other backpackers with a cup of tea, very English! The girls came back later and we all cooked dinner together. After dinner I went out to phone mummy, daddy and Jay, as I was on the phone to Jay Linda, Sanne and Arnold (our new friend from Belgium) walked past on there way to the pub, so I agreed to catch them up when I had finished my call.

Monday we had planned to get up early hire a car and drive to Australia Zoo (Steve Iwins Zoo), we all set our alarms but we all turned them off and went back to sleep. When we did eventually wake up after much depate we decided to go to the zoo anyway as
Tortoise for Mum
There weren't any giraffs but I know you like tortoises mum and these were massive.Linda need to start looking for work on Tuesday. We were lucky with the weather, it rained on the way there and whilst we were sitting in the crocasium (which is under cover) watching the crocodile show then it held off all day until we were leaving. At the zoo I fed an elephant, I had to do this five times as Saskia kept missing the picture but we finally got one. I also stroked a Koala and Kangaroo, this was the first kangaroo I have seen in Oz apart from the one that was squashed on the side of the road when I was on The great Ocean Road tour in Melbourne. The tigers were really cool too, the keepers go in the enclosure and just sit with the tigers, what a good job that would be, although I would be scared myself. I really recomend to zoo if anyone happens to be in Australia, there aren't many species of animals but you get close to the ones that are there which makes it different from most zoo's.

Tuesday Linda and I decided to go to the Modern Art Gallery as it was raining, it is similar to
Dingos
Wild dogs!! they just seemed to be sleeping all the timethe Tate modern, there was some really pointless art but also some really good art my two favourite were the space room which is a mirrored room with a water floor, ultra violot litghts and coloured balls on string, the door closes and it looks like the room goes on forever. My second favourate was a series of 20 photos that told the story of a mother and sons relationship from the sons birth to the mothers death. The worst peice was a display of cutlery next to chopsticks showing that chopsticks are used for many things but there are many different peices of cutlery for only one thing. Very odd! After the gallery we had coffee then got soaked going to the supermarket to get dinner, I said I wasn't going to do the shopping anymore after today as I always get wet or hurt (backache).

Next day I went to Mount Coot-tha with Saskia and Sanne, this is a National Park 20mins by bus from Brisbane, there is a lookout over Brisbane which I thought looked really pretty view but the other think Brisbane is ugly because of all the skyscrapaers. We then walked to JC Slaughter
Steves Memorial
It was touching to read all the messages for Steve Iwin, this memorial is under the crocosium but there are vidios playing of him all over the zoo and the staff talk of him fondly and oftenFalls and around the aboriginal Art Trail, firstly we got lost then when we did find the way we didn't realise we were at the falls as they were so small, they were more of a streem over rocks. I found Aboriginal Art very childish but Sanne was facinated by it. I think this is because I don't know much about the Aboriginals (except they are normally drunk) and I expected them to be promient in Australia as the Moari's are in New Zealand. In the evening Linda, Saskia, Kiera (an Irish girl) and my self went to see Shrek 3, it was funny but I think Srek 2 is funnier.

Thursday I decided it was time I really explored Brisbane so I set off to walk along the river with Linda, we walked all day stopping at the city beach for milkshakes and to watch some rock climbers on the broadwalk rocks, we walked all the way to Kangeroo Point only to find out there is only houses there. Eventually we crossed the river and found ourselves in Chinatown where I decided to get my hair cut, it felt so nice to have my hair down for once,
My First Roo
This is the first Kangaroo I met in Australia, I did stoke him but then he looked angrey so I didn't pose for a pircture just in case.I only had a trim but they blowdried it straight for me. We decided to get the bus back as we were both tired and our legs hurt so I still needed to walk along the other side of the river and the Botanic Gardens at somepoint. To have a rest from cooking we decided to go to TinBilly for $5.95 dinner, just as we sat down Arnold turned up too, we ate fish and chips yum yum! Then headed for the Down Under bar as Arnold said it was a good place to dance as we walked in I spotted Lucy and Sue (the two English girls from Byron Bay and the surf trip). Tin Billy was better music but we couldn't be bothered to walk back so we stayed in Down Under most of the night, when we walked home we went back in to Tin Billy for last orders and another dance to some pop music rather than the motown played in Down Under.

Friday I woke up feeling a little rough which was unfair as Saskia and Linda both drank exactly the same as me and they were both fine. I made bacon sandiwches to
Rarrr
Tigers and Keepers were in the enclosure together, the keepers have been in close contact with the tigers sice birth to develop a relationship with them. Dad not sure you would like to get this close ... [more]try and make myself feel better then headed to the internet. I had agreed with Saskia and Linda I would cook something English for them tonight and they could cook something Dutch for me tomorrow, so I decided to cook a Stew followed by apple struddle and custard, they loved it so did Sanne and to be honest so did I. I also have to admit this is he first time I have cooked stew as I alway make caserole but it is alot nice so I will make stew from now on, Jay will be really happy as it's his favourite food.

Saturday Sanne left and headed for the Everglades, we should meet up again up the coast at somepoint as we are doing the same route. After she left Saskia and I went to the botanic gardens for the day, it was finally sunny and warm and Linda went to work, her first day as a door to door knocker filling in surveys. After a while in the gardens I went shopping and left Saskia to read in the sun, I was having a bit of a down day and just wanted to be alone for a
Mount Coot-Tha Look out
Veiw of Brisbane from the look out at the top of Mount-Thawhile.

Saturday night we finally got to go dancing woo hoo, what a night, I got dressed up and managed to borrow some hair straightners feeling really good Linda, Arnold and myself hit the town, we sated in Tin Billy's as local backpackers bar and were waiting for Saskia to meet us once she had made her phone calls when I got a text from Sue and Lucy to tell me it was free drinks in Down Under bar (another backpackers) we we downed our drinks and moved on. Around 12 midnight we decided to go to 'The Valley' a big long street with hundreds of bars and clubs, unfortunatly Arnorld took us to the worst club there Birdie Num Nums so after a quick drink we went to find another club, however the ques were soo long that we jumped back in a cab and went to the Caxton Hotel a big bar next to our hostel where we danced the night away to 4.30am, Saskia eventually got of the phone at 1.30am and joined us. Arnold who is the last person in the world you would expect to fight managed to get in to a fight, someone
JC Slaughter Fall's
they were so small we didn't realise this was the fall until we had finished the walk and there were no other fall's. Can you see the aboriginal art in the background? Sanne (in the middle) loved it I... [more]pushed our table so he chucked his beer at them then the bouncers came and chucked the other people out probably as Arnold looks like he wouldn't harm a fly.

Sunday was a chill out day, I sat in the sun and finished my book. Saskia and Linda cooked me a goodbye dinner of Fish in batter vegtables and potatos followed by pancakes and ice cream, not excatly dutch but they said they eat it alon and it's easy. It was really nice.

Monday I said goodbye to all my friends and went to Rainbow Beach

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