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March 24th 2009

Published: March 24th 2009

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Kangaroo Point

Looking out from the top of the cliff

Finally, I had the chance to capture the ambience of Brisbane by night. It is strange how it is easy to overlook the beauty of the city you live in. Your environs seem ordinary when you see it everyday. But somehow, standing at Kangaroo Park, a moment came when I suddenly had a great appreciation of the true beauty of the place we call home.

It was an ordinary but another beautiful day. The sky is a stunning shade of blue with few scattered clouds. We went out for a BBQ at Kangaroo Park along the river overlooking downtown Brisbane city. We’ve been doing a lot of cookout lately….mostly in the park along the beach. Brisbane is only about 1.5 hours away from the Sunshine coast (North of Brisbane ) and an hour away from Gold Coast (South of Brisbane).

There had been an oil spill disaster which spoiled the pristine beaches of the sunshine coast two weeks ago. The Swire Shipping “Pacific Adventurer” carrying crude oil and chemicals was damaged by a category 5 cyclone Hamish on 11 March 2009 just off the coast of Moreton bay and spilled its cargo causing environmental disaster.

The beaches south of

Captain Cook Bridge

Brisbane are also constantly being visited by sharks and stingers. So we thought we all just have a sedate dayout at Kangaroo Park by the riverside. Kangaroo Park is a popular picnic site. Its volcanic rock cliffs attract amateur rock-climbers and abseiling enthusiasts. My brother Jon, Jamie and his friends once scaled these cliffs. Jamie got a renewed interest in going rock-climbing again with Liam. I am not particularly happy about it ‘cos the survival instinct in me is kicking in. Any activities that scream "Danger" make me anxious.

Looking out from downtown Brisbane across the river, I always admire the ambience that radiates at Kangaroo Point. Soft lighting which highlights the beauty of the cliffs at night is captivating. Last weekend is my first visit to Kangaroo Point. It had given me the vantage point to see and appreciate the city where we live in a completely different angle.

Back in 1990 when we first came to Brisbane, the very first thought that went across our mind was: "Where on earth are the people ? " . Brisbane was a ghost town. There's hardly any cars on the road or people walking on the streets. Although it

Downtown Brisbane

is the 3rd largest city in Australia behind Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane is a small city and definitely not what you'll call a tourist spot. Young adults craving for night life and entertainment would probably find Brisbane "boring" and way too laidback. Some tourists/backpackers who managed to find their way into the city seem to congregate in Irish pubs around the area. Apart from few buskers, live shows in the Queen Street mall and social Latin dance at Brisbane square every Friday night and on the weekends, this is as lively as it gets. The other place where we occasionally bump into tourists is at Mt. Cootha where panoramic view of Brisbane city and its surrounds is enjoyed.

But the relaxed pace of life, safety, cleanliness, down-to-earth friendly people, beautiful weather almost all year round and close proximity to the pristine beaches and national parks are what I love about Brisbane the most.

If there's one thing I'm sure of, Brisbane will always be the place where I feel home..... Cheers ! 😊

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