Hiiiiii! I'm finally back in Brisbane after a 19-hour train ride from Townsville.
It was a surprisingly pleasant ride for two reasons: one is that I actually was able to sleep for around six hours (not six hours in a row; six hours total, but still!) and the other is that I made some friends while waiting at the Townsville train station, Jono and Leanne.
They live in Townsville and were also headed to Brisbane, and they ended up being in my same rail car, right across the aisle. I got to take the "Cairns Tilt Train" this time which is business class only and it's 4 hours faster than the Sunlander, which is the one I took on the way up (the one that took 23 hours). All I had to do to upgrade for free on my Austrail pass was walk down to the train station and book my trip in person. So easy! I'm definitely doing that next time I travel north, which will probably be in a few weeks. Anyways, Brisbane is awesome!!
My host, Ronnie, is super nice. He picked me up from the train station and took me back to his place where he printed out three maps of Brisbane and spent about half an hour showing me every bus/ferry route and point of interest in the city. I walked a few blocks from his apartment building, down to the river, and caught a ferry across the river, then another ferry that goes all up and down the river and you can get on/off anywhere you want. A day pass for ferry, bus, and train use is only $7. I'm probably going to get one of those every day I'm here. Tomorrow I get to see my cousin Deb! I'm staying with her next week but tomorrow night she's picking me up here in the city and we're going to her friend's Christmas concert. I don't have much else planned for Brisbane but I plan on doing a lot of walking and exploring. So far today I've been to the Queensland Art Gallery:
... and a sweet three-story skate shop with a mini ramp on the top level!!
I almost took a ferris wheel ride but it was $15 so I just took a picture of the ferris wheel instead:
Oh, quick Townsville update: I didn't make it to Maggie Island a second time and I also didn't make it to Billabong Sanctuary or Reef HQ (the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium), but I did go to the beach A LOT and I hiked Castle Hill again yesterday afternoon right before I had to leave town. I'll guess I'll just have to do those other things on my next trip up to Townsville. :)
It was a surprisingly pleasant ride for two reasons: one is that I actually was able to sleep for around six hours (not six hours in a row; six hours total, but still!) and the other is that I made some friends while waiting at the Townsville train station, Jono and Leanne.
They live in Townsville and were also headed to Brisbane, and they ended up being in my same rail car, right across the aisle. I got to take the "Cairns Tilt Train" this time which is business class only and it's 4 hours faster than the Sunlander, which is the one I took on the way up (the one that took 23 hours). All I had to do to upgrade for free on my Austrail pass was walk down to the train station and book my trip in person. So easy! I'm definitely doing that next time I travel north, which will probably be in a few weeks. Anyways, Brisbane is awesome!!
My host, Ronnie, is super nice. He picked me up from the train station and took me back to his place where he printed out three maps of Brisbane and spent about half an hour showing me every bus/ferry route and point of interest in the city. I walked a few blocks from his apartment building, down to the river, and caught a ferry across the river, then another ferry that goes all up and down the river and you can get on/off anywhere you want. A day pass for ferry, bus, and train use is only $7. I'm probably going to get one of those every day I'm here. Tomorrow I get to see my cousin Deb! I'm staying with her next week but tomorrow night she's picking me up here in the city and we're going to her friend's Christmas concert. I don't have much else planned for Brisbane but I plan on doing a lot of walking and exploring. So far today I've been to the Queensland Art Gallery:
... and a sweet three-story skate shop with a mini ramp on the top level!!
I almost took a ferris wheel ride but it was $15 so I just took a picture of the ferris wheel instead:
Oh, quick Townsville update: I didn't make it to Maggie Island a second time and I also didn't make it to Billabong Sanctuary or Reef HQ (the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium), but I did go to the beach A LOT and I hiked Castle Hill again yesterday afternoon right before I had to leave town. I'll guess I'll just have to do those other things on my next trip up to Townsville. :)
Yippee!! Marie met some more friends!! So glad you're going to stay with Deb for a couple days!! And I'm glad you got to be on a better train, in a better compartment!! Something tells me you aren't going to want to come home!!.... I played tennis today, and then had choir rehearsals for four hours!! I wish you were going to be at our Christmas Concert, but at least you get to go to a different one....
ReplyDelete:) Good to hear from you!! Love you!!
~Mommy Sue
Dear Marie. I am so glad that you are getting to meet so many friends and also hooking up with family members. How wonderful to have so many great experiences in such a short period of time. You've only been there one month. When you finally get back home .. you'll be able to write a novel. Keep having fun. We miss you and love you. Grandma Rita and Grandpa Jan
ReplyDeleteWhen she comes home, she will have us all over to look at a slide show of all her pictures...the ones she isn't posting yet! Aunt Connie
ReplyDeleteMarie P, it was great to hear your voice last night as you rode the ferry down some river to some guy named Ronny's house. I can hear in your voice how much fun you are having. Say hi to Deb for us. As Grandma Rita noted, it's only been one month!!!! 5 more to go!! Love you sweetheart. Daddy
ReplyDeleteSeester...sounds like you are having fun. When Andrea and I were in Australia we stayed in Kirra Beach, which is about an hour south of Brisbane. There were some awesome beaches there that you would probably enjoy. Don't know if you can make it down there, but if you do get a chance you won't regret it.
ReplyDelete--Bro
Thanks for the pics! Everything makes so much more sense now...Hooters Shmans! ` Aunt Connie
ReplyDelete