Thursday, March 29, began with the arrival of a couple of welcome but uninvited guests. A pair of Rainbow Lorikeets landed on our balcony and posed for pictures. This was actually the second time I had seen them but I guess the first pair were camera shy and left before I could record their presence. Today’s pair posed repeatedly before flying off to the west.
Around 10 AM we set out on a TRANSLink bus bound for a transfer point called Varsity Lakes Station. The bus trip took about 15 minutes and we found the Airport Train waiting for us to board. The trip northbound to Altandi Station took another 40 minutes. When we left the train we found Noel waiting for us on the platform. After a 15 minute drive we arrived at Noel’s home where Sarah was waiting for our arrival.
We met Sarah and Noel on the Queen Elizabeth sailing from San Francisco to Sydney, in fact, they were two of our table companions. At least once a day for 22 days we shared a meal and conversation. When we were to disembark the ship in Sydney we exchanged email addresses. They remained on the ship for two more ports, disembarking in Brisbane which is their home. Once we were settled in Sydney and we knew they would be home I sent them the promised email advising them of the timing of our planned visit to Burleigh Heads and the Gold Coast and my Australian phone number.
On Wednesday, March 21, we were sitting in the apartment when my cell phone rang unexpectedly. It was Noel inviting us to visit them in Brisbane. After a couple more phone calls and email exchanges the date for our visit was confirmed as March 29 with an overnight visit.
Sarah had tea and cakes ready for our arrival, a snack far greater than we really needed but a wonderful, tasty surprise. After a bit of conversation, we went to a nearby pub for a lunch special. We are just starting to get accustomed to the Aussie pub system. Table service as we know it in Canada is rare. More commonly orders are placed and paid for at the bar or other kiosk. Orders are subsequently delivered to the table. Some places use numbered tables, some provide a numbered flag to take to a table and others figure it out without table numbers. The amount of food delivered for a $10 lunch was once again more than adequate.
Later in the afternoon Sarah and Noel took us for a drive to see some of the district and we found ourselves surrounded by kangaroos in the wild. It was an area of bushland near two of Queensland’s prisons. The fields outside the prison walls were fenced but were no challenge for the kangaroos. They really didn’t seem bothered by our presence or passing cars and bounded across the roadways pretty much as they pleased.
We were able to see some of the country side which was very lush and green. We had experienced frequent rain while in Australia which is apparently unusual for the early autumn. We returned to their home as the sun was setting.
Noel and Sarah are from Ireland and immigrated to Australia some years ago and have children and grandchildren nearby. They have traveled extensively and particularly in North America where they spent a year touring by motor home. For hours, until bed time, we enjoyed hearing of their travels and talked about places we knew and that they too had visited.
After breakfast Friday morning the four of us took public transportation into Brisbane. It was merely a three block walk to the bus stop. The 22 kilometre ride into Brisbane took about 45 minutes at a cost of $3.17. The bus circulated through the residential area then took and express route on a roadway that paralleled a major highway but was for the exclusive use of TRANSLink busses.
We emerged from this road near the Brisbane River at a bus terminal, our destination. We walked through a lovely park area known as Southbank. We expected it to be packed with people since it was the Good Friday holiday but were surprised to find it just the opposite.
The park extends along the Brisbane River and hosts several facilities. There is a large ferris wheel and an extensive network of wading and swimming pools one of which includes a stretch of sandy beach. Of course there are a bunch of fast food services and souvenir shops throughout. 
It’s Me, with Sarah, Gail and Noel over my right shoulder
The park is sandwiched between the river and commercial buildings which include part of a university campus. We continued our walk across the Victoria Bridge into Brisbane’s Central Business District which was nearly deserted.
Gail did find a couple of items of interest in a souvenir shop along along Brisbane’s Queen Street pedestrian mall then we went below ground to the bus terminal. After a return bus trip Sarah prepared another lovely lunch and Noel returned us to the Altandi train station. An hour and a half later we were back at the apartment having completed the 80 kilometre trip at a cost of $8.37.
We had a truly enjoyable couple of days with a couple of very special friends we didn’t even know two months ago. It just points out that strangers are just friends you haven’t yet met.
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A very pleasant read Ted. I was in Brisbane decades ago and I remember it as “The Brown Place”. Of course, I was on a business trip so did not see much of the city but that overall impression of everything being brown persists so you surprised me a little when you wrote about the green places. For all that, I still love the Aussies and their wonderful sense of humour.
Really enjoyed this issue, Ted. It’s like being there with you. You have a unique ability to make the “reader” feel very involved. So glad you were able to meet and make new friends on the trip.
How lucky you are to be getting a personal tour while in Australia adding an unexpected dimension to your trip. Love your pictures! The kangaroo with joey in the pouch is amazing!