Around The World In 80 Waves

Neil and I are staying in the Newmarket Gardens Caravan Park, which is the closest caravan park to the centre of Brisbane.

That is handy because it is already very late when we return from our night out in the city, and then suspect wake up half the camp site getting in and out of our ‘Whizz-banger’.

(I have discovered this is the nickname given to the sliding door on our type of campervan due to the noise people make when answering the call of nature in the middle of the night!) 

To say neither of us is feeling too clever the following morning is an understatement of epic proportions and I am only just feeling sober enough to drive by the time it is necessary to take Neil to the airport.

We get there with plenty of time before his flight north to Cairns to catch up with family there, and do so without getting lost. Doing so is most unlike me, but after saying goodbye and wishing each other well until we catch up again back in the UK, I quickly return to form. I get lost so many times that I keep having to go through the toll road under the airport annoyingly incurring toll charges each time I do so. I then have issues trying to pay because I cant tell them how many charges are due when I ring up to do so. 

By the time I get back to the camp site (where I have extended my stay for a few days to catch up on the blog because their technology and mine work without issue) I am shattered and do nothing more than get a take away from around the corner.

The following day I get the van rigged for solo running, and am very happy that I will not need to be sleeping in the coffin any more, or indeed having to go through the bikram yoga process that was entailed in me getting in or out of bed! Whilst relaxing there and writing a few posts I manage to get in touch with an old flat mate of mine called Susan who left London to return to Brisbane, who you see here.

Sadly Susan is too busy with temporary parental responsibilities to catch up with me whilst I am in town, but gives me some great recommendations for what else I should see whilst in the city.

I take one of the free ferry boats on a trip right up and down the length of the river to take in the sights. As well as admiring the impressive skyline I visit the south bank where there are loads of museums and other things going on.

Brisbane is actually some way inland, but being the beach loving nation that Australia is they don’t let that stop them having fun.

Halfway along the South Bank I discover this man made beach which has been installed so that you can still get sand in between your toes even in the middle of the city.

I have a lovely day wandering about in the sunshine and get out of town just before it starts to chuck it down with rain. Once more I am heading north in the direction of the Sunshine Coast.