Sat 08.Mar.2025
Brisbane, Australia
It's big city time again.
Brisbane, Australia, the state capital of Queensland, lies about an hour by train
north of the Gold Coast.
A flashy new landmark is a casino complex - the curved building across the
river, and the two connected towers. The curved facade doubles as a screen for
constantly-changing light displays.
On my first walkaround, I crossed a hypermodern footbridge that led straight into
what I later learned is the casino.
Another footbridge - of chaotic-looking design - leads back to my base side of the
river.
My base neighborhood is called either South Side or South Brisbane.
Confusingly, South Brisbane lies west of Central Brisbane, and north of West End.
Go figure!
I arrived an hour or more before my room was available, The hotel kept my baggage while
I found a charming little cafe nearby. Charming enough that I returned for brunch most days.
Budget-friendly dining seems all too rare, This hole in a wall had zilch ambience, but
pretty decent food, especially the hot & sour soup, and was less budget-hostile than most
Roma Street train Station.
Local color in South Side.
Old and new in Central Brisbane.
A pedestrianized zone in Central.
An abstract artistic facade over a flat, pre-fab building front.
Good aesthetic salvation for what could have been an eyesore.