The Final Act

On January 20th my brother and I did some more exploring of Brisbane. This time we walked to the east of the CBD and were pleasantly surprised to find another vibrant area. This was Chinatown and it being close to lunch time, the area was abuzz with activity. Although it looked very inviting, my brother and I only casually walked through it and we didn't stop to eat anywhere. After some more wandering, we made our way back to the CBD.

We found, in my opinion, a completely different district from the CBD I had come to know. Far from a quiet urban landscape, this part of the CBD, the riverfront, was teeming with people. There was interesting architecture and the general buzz of urban life. I guess that Brisbane is a city of contrasts within small spaces.

Later that evening, my brother and I walked back to the Pig & Whistle, a new British-themed pub in the CBD. We went there to celebrate my 26th birthday and, according to my brother, Barack Obama's swearing-in. I wish him all the best. I told my brother that it's weird being 26 and realizing that you're that much closer to 30. We walked back to the hostel that night along the riverfront full of good food and cheer.

The next day, we left Brisbane and had another adventure. I guess I'd say I was pleasantly surprised by Brisbane. At first it seemed kind of dull, but stumbling into a few choice areas instantly ameliorated my opinion of the city. If you go, you have to see, Southbank, Fortitude Valley (Chinatown) and the riverfront. The new adventure we had was an unexpected side trip to Melbourne. Virgin Blue had cancelled our flight to Canberra so we were rerouted at the check-in counter. It was only a 2-hour stop in Melbourne so we couldn't see the city; a little unfortunate.

We were placed in premium economy, the very first row of the aircraft. It wasn't much different to all the other rows and if there is a difference, I couldn't see it. The best part, though, was the extra leg room. I got into an argument with my brother over where they put babies on planes and he was adamant that it was at the front. I disagreed and as it turned out there were no crying babies on the flight.

We landed in Melbourne and waited until our Canberra flight. There, we were seated in the very last row, and again, no crying babies. I call these seats "survivor seats" since statistically if you're in a plane crash, these are seats in which most people who do survive are seated. A quick hop later and we were in Canberra. And so, in this one trip, we visited every eastern mainland Australian capital city, albeit unintentionally. Still, not bad for 2 weeks.

Here is where my narration stops. My brother spent a few days in Canberra doing his own thing but you'll have to read about his adventures on his blog. I had work commitments and so I was only able to point him in the direction of the local sites, without actually being able to visit them with him. I did manage to see him off to the bus station for his trip back to Sydney airport. I hope he enjoyed his time in Australia, but I guess he'll tell you himself.