Girls Love Dirt

Actually, I’m in Cairns (pronounced Caaannes. And no, I don’t know why it’s pronounced like that.). I’ve come to Cairns for sun, heat and relaxation. Relaxation I have, sun and heat… well, earlier I had a bit of that. Sadly it didn’t last long. I’ve heard it’s colder in than it has been in years, meaning that in the evening I had to change into jeans a carry around a light sweater. Since I can’t do the thing I came to do (tan), I thought I’d finish sharing my Brisbane experiences.

With a population on one and a half million, Brisbane is the 3rd largest city in Australia. It's was built to be a penal colony for Sydney’s more uncooperative convicts. Thankfully, today’s residents seem to have a much more relaxed attitude than their forefathers.

My second favourite activity in Brisbane was exploring the South Bank Parklands.

This photo of the downtown Brisbane was taken from the Southbank.

Brisbane is set in from the ocean due to a lack of fresh water and problems with unwelcoming aborigines (Hmmm… I wonder why they didn’t want the white folk around???). The Brisbane River is then the focal point of this city, and not only is it pretty it is also very functional becoming an important part of the public transportation system. Which brings me to my favourite Brissie activity, taking the CityCat Ferry.

There seems to be no shortage of sculptures living in the streets of Brisbane. My favourite is called simply "City Roos". Christopher Trotter made these cratures out of scrap metal.

Another not to be missed activity in Brisbane is the Roma Street Parklands. My guidebook claims that it is the biggest urban subtropical garden in the world. It certainly is pretty.

And so here I am in Cairns, contemplating learning to dive and wondering what treats this city will have in store. Here’s a taste for you: