I didn’t forget Brisbane! After a little edit, here is a bit about the east coast Aussie city. Here goes:

Brisbane was very reminiscent of Southern California, only with Kangaroos.  As the highest populated city in Queensland and the third most in Australia, the city straddles Brisbane River, which empties about 9 miles away at the Moreton Bay.  The windy river makes the town very scenic as there are several bridges connecting the two banks. The city is clean, safe and very friendly, as we experienced. The weather here is very warm (hence my SoCal reference) in addition to a tropical, slightly humid influence. Not unpleasant in the least, and that comment is coming from the dry Bay Area locals.

We woke in the guest room’s plush bed to the warmth of the sunlight and kookaburras singing outside the window.  While enjoying a coffee on the patio, where it was already a warm 75 degrees Fahrenheit, we tried to spot kangaroos on the golf course my uncle’s home overlooked.

We spent three days in the area.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have time (or, let’s be honest, Aussie dollars) to travel to the country’s most well known wine region, over 20 hours away.  This would have to be a separate trip.  We first headed to the beach for some R&R after our intense harvest. Driving along the Sunshine Coast and soaking up some sun was the perfect way to decompress. This beautiful area just north of Brisbane is known for it’s beach culture such as surfing and kayaking, arts, nature and wildlife, shopping and a whole lot of other activities.

One of the highlights of our trip there was the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo.  Maybe many of you say zoos are a kids’ activity, but this zoo is a whole other category of zoos.  With three different species of kangaroos, kookaburras, koala bears, dingos and who knows how many poisonous snakes, this zoo has got to be the most unique in the world.

We really captured the heartfelt care the Irwin family took for Australian wildlife when learning about Steve and his family’s touching story, A native Aussie, Steve grew up in an animal-loving home which fostered his passion to rescue crocodiles and life mission to care for animals.  After his tragic stingray accident, he is now survived by his wife, daughter and son, all involved in the family business.

After a short but luxurious stay in my aunt and uncle’s home, it was time to meet up with my cousin Ian to discover Thai and Techno in Bangkok.

Koalas!

Taken at the Australia Zoo

A little beach time

Didgeridoo: n. an Australian Aboriginal wind instrument in the form of a long wooden tube, traditionally made from a hollow branch, which is blown to produce a deep, resonant sound, varied by rhythmic accents of timbre and volume. (taken from Google dictionary)