Brisbane & Beaches

Brassall, QLD – 11 April 2011 at 3:40pm
Kansas City, USA – April 10, 2011 at 11:40pm

I’ve just returned from a wonderful weekend visiting Elizabeth in Brisbane.

I was scheduled to leave early Thursday morning on the train to Brisbane and spend the day in the city before meeting Elizabeth for dinner but instead I helped Kenny lay the new sod for Grams and Ken’s backyard. When I arrived several months ago their yard was lush and green but due to the flooding, their lawn was destroyed….but as of Thursday it looks good as new. This is the first and probably only time I will every lay turf…AND....I’ve finally done something to help around the house besides the dishes…I’ll never be able to repay them for all their kindness and hospitality but hopefully they will think of me when they mow the lawn...oh wait, maybe they would have rather had concrete.

I ended up taking a later train but still had some time to walk around the city and do a little bit of shopping before I take off on the next leg of my trip to SE Asia. Elizabeth and I met at our usual meeting spot….Louis Vuitton….it is located at a major intersection and one of the only places I know how to find without a map. It was great to see her again. We’ve emailed a few times but I haven’t seen her since December so I was excited and thankful that she invited me up for the weekend. 

We ate dinner at this amazing little Indian restaurant near her house. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten Indian food (that I can remember) until now but I have a feeling I’ll be eating more of it from now on…I loved all the spices!

On Friday, Elizabeth had to work so I spent the afternoon in the city. It was pouring rain all day…I walked to the train station near her house and took the 30-45 min train ride into the city. She said a great way to get a quick overview of the city is to ride the ferry up and down the river…and since it was raining and I'm limited on time this was perfect…although I was soaked by the time I finally made it onto the ferry. 

The city has a beautiful skyline. It is so energetic...I love it!

 

That night we rented some movies and got take out…if was fun to just have a girl’s night in. Elizabeth is a pretty dynamic character. She has traveled the world and has lived all around Australia so she is full of great stories…plus, she is an adventurer at heart so we get along very well. She is actually going to be in Vietnam at the same time I am so I’m hoping to meet up with her for lunch or dinner as we pass through Ho Chi Minh.

On Saturday, we got up early to drive up the coast to go beach hopping so I could see the Sunshine Coast before I leave Australia…it is one of the places on my “must see" list.

We first stopped in Eumundi to check out the local markets…I hear Eumundi is a ghost town during the week but it was crazy busy while we were there. I loved it. I was full of wonderful people, delightful food and the overall atmosphere was really fun, upbeat and flavorable…if I could go back I would. I bought a handmade bowl from a local artist, Maria – pictured here…isn't she adorable?

We sampled lots of different types of food… there was a booth that had Dutch pancakes for sale, aka: Poffertes…they were little miniature pancakes that you eat with a toothpick. I captured a couple of photos… And in case you didn't know, the (world...well locally) famous Chris Cakes is from my hometown… I think they still hold the Guinness world record for flipping flapjacks…so I was very intrigued by this little set up these people have created. The owners husband specifically designed this griddle to make these mini-cakes….and probably in this region of the world they are probably just as famous as our Chris Cakes operation in Louisburg...she said they are at all the local events (marathons, triathlons, school events, craft shows, etc). Truly, there is a market for everything…you just have to figure out what your niche is....and this woman has found her...the pancakes were scrumptious!

 

AND...the French crepes were to die for...there is just something about French food that draws me like moth to a flame…these little heavenly pastries were handmade right there in front of you as well…with fresh fruit…delicious! We decided on the passion fruit...a local favorite.

 

After our over indulgence of sampling everything in sight was finished and I loosened my belt a few notches, we continued our journey North to Noosa. I was really excited to see Noosa. I had heard about it from the French couple I met in Melbourne….they raved about it….and after visiting there, I can see why. It is a fantastic little beach town full of lively tourist and high-end retail shops. I’m not much of a shopper but this place was so trendy and fun it just made you want to spend money. I bought a vintage lawn bowl/ball. Again, another bizarre purchase by E. Rand… first an antique brick from the 1956 Olympics and now a lawn bowl or ball (everyone makes fun of my accent when I say it). Ever since I went to Sydney I’ve been fascinated with this game. They have private clubs all over the city (country) and it is full of old people wearing big sun hats, a customized team shirt and white shorts and shoes…it just screams fun to me. So, I bought a very heavy lawn bowl/ball and I’m sending it home in the mail.

After we spent time in Noosa checking out the shops and the beach we started our descent back towards Brisbane with a plan to go beach hopping along the way. We had a blast! I really love a good road trip. At dusk we stopped to have fish and chips on the beach and enjoy the sunset. It couldn’t have been a more perfect evening.

On Sunday, we got up early to hit up the Manly markets, Elizabeth needed some fruits and veggies…and I ended up with a steal of a deal. I bought an oil painting of the Arc de Triomphe in France (it has the best view of Paris in my opinion) at a steep discount from a Kiwi who was moving back to New Zealand but an art student from the Gold Coast painted it…how is that for globalization…one painting touches people from four different countries!

After we shopped I went for one last run along the beach before I made my last return trip to Brassall. Kenny and Leanne were hosting a small get together as a going away dinner for me since I’m leaving in a couple of days.  I’m really going to miss the beach at Manly…it has become one of my favorite spots…I could probably live there.

 

Additional Photos: Brisbane and Beaches