Grant and Rae's Oz Trip Feb/Mar 2014

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Breakfasted in our hotel, The Outrigger - nice place, even if it was hard to find. After we checked out we went for a walk up to Bob's Lookout and on to Laguna Lookout (2 pics, both from Laguna).

We then headed off on the drive to our hotel in Brisbane........we managed pretty well got there not long after 13.00. We decided that there was no point in hanging on to the car till tomorrow and, after taking the luggage up to our room, we found the Avis office and dropped off the car.

Guess what.......they're celebrating St. Patrick's Day (early!) in Brisbane. On our first venture into the city (our hotel is very central), we saw some long queues outside the various Irish pubs......might be noisy tonight. Went in to the Tourist Info Centre.......very helpful.

Visited St. Stephen's RC Cathedral........at first I thought that it was pretty drab but there are some lovely features such as the stain glass windows (pic 3), the marble baptismal font,the painted Stations of The Cross and the block of Jerusalem Stone in the Unity Chapel (pic 4).

Then we made for the Botanic Gardens......obviously a popular place for wedding photos.......we saw 2 wedding parties, one in kilts (just the men , though).......but the stars of the show were some classic cars........a Chevrolet, a Mustang, a couple of white Mercs. Some interesting trees in the Gardens (pic 5, an unusual palm with a spike of new growth on top and pic 6, a very inventive Banyan Fig, putting out new roots for stability and a "different" sculpture (pic 7).

Lovely day again here, 30 degrees and scattered cloud.

Tried to skype James but the link wasn't great and we reverted to the phone.......then managed to get through to Gillian, who didn't look too good after her early morning run (but no doubt better than I'd look!).

Ate in the hotel before heading out for a wander.......a lot going on (St. P's Day!) and Brisbane seemed a very lively place (despite what our guide said yesterday "Queensland is 1 hour.....and 30 years behind the rest of Australia!

Nothing major planned for tomorrow.........for a change!

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