Brisbane
The capital of Queensland, Brisbane has about 250,000 souls and is second largest city on the east coast. For some reason cities of this size seem to be pleasant and Brisbane is no exception. Clean and with a nice blend of the modern with the historical, it has a feeling of welcome instead of overwhelming the visitor. Unfortunately, we didn't spend enough time here to explore some of the more historical aspects of the city.
At the heart of the city center is the Brisbane River. A murky tidal river which bends a large horseshoe around the heart of the city. The city center houses the capital buildings, financial district, and the botanical gardens. This was our base of operations for the two short days we would spend in Brisbane which most of the time we were setting aside for the notorious Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo.
The Australia Zoo
Ah yes how could we visit Brisbane without taking a quick jaunt up the Bruce Highway to see the "Croc Hunter's" famous zoo in Beerewah (love the name). A big brouhaha going on while we were here when ole' Steve-o dangled his baby during the croc feeding at the zoo, which, unfortunately was filmed by some tourists and succinctly handed over to the media. Did he know what he was doing? Sure. Was it questionable behavior? Sure. I was bummed I wasn't going to see his crocness in person to say what I heard no Aussie say the whole time we were here, "Crikey!"
Easily the hottest day of our entire trip. Pushing 34º C and 100% humidity. I basically wilt like a flower but Steph was psyched to see the roos and koalas. The roos were in an open sanctuary which you could stroll through and if so inclined buy some "roo feed" and feed the little buggers. Most of the kids were already well underway over feeding these guys by the time Steph got some roo feed.
Business didn't seem to be hurting even with the supposed baby dangling scandal. Steve Irwin is admired and hated in Australia for being successful but importing a kind of bogus Asutrialianism akin to Paul Hogan with the exaggerated slang typified by the goofy exclamation "crikey!" and dippy safari suit. Irwin though, like most Australians, has an awareness that the environment is fragile and must be protected. Most of the profit from the Zoo goes to conservation. The protection of the Australian environment some Americans would find extreme but the Aussies have already learned the hard way that conservation is the future - not a quick buck. The care and access to the wilderness here I believe is to be greatly admired.
The zoo has all the critters you equate with Oz. You got your roos, wallabees, dingoes, poisonous snakes, emus, crocodiles, and of course, your koalas. The koalas are trippy creatures. They only eat Eucalyptus and depending what part of Oz they are from only certain kinds of eucalypt. The chemicals in eucalypt are somewhat poisonous so in order for the Koala to digest their metabolism is slowed down to a crawl making them sleep constantly. Even though they look doped up and cuddly a Koala is not to be messed with. They have claws akin to a small bear. At the zoo you can give the Koalas a pet and even hold one and get you picture taken. Steph couldn't resist this opportunity and had her's taken with Bungles the Koala.
The real stars of the zoo, however, are the crocodiles. This is Irwin's specialty. If you haven't seen his Croc Hunter show before than let me explain that he looks like a complete loon screwing with these animals. In actuality the shtick he does with these crocs is pretty safe based on the knowledge which he claims was passed on down from his father from years of croc handling experience.
These reptiles are impressive. A couple of tons and swift as a dolphin these guys are serious aquatic hunting machines. Must be for surviving over 150 million years unchanged. On land though you can easily out run a croc. Most people who are killed by crocs are either stupid or unlucky with the former being favored. Most croc infested waters are clearly signed and one thing you don't want to do is hang out on the edge of one of the pools or rivers or go take a dip because you don't see ne.
These bad boys stalk their prey, which was illustrated nicely by the croc feeding in the "Crocaseum," the Zoo's newly built amphitheater to show them off. When they have slowly moved up on you they strike lightning fast. You would be lunch before you know what hit you. I really was hoping to see Irwin do this himself but unfortunately he was out doing spin control on the baby dangling incident.
After getting our fill of the zoo we headed out and decided to check out the Glass House Mountains on the way back to Brisbane, which you could clearly see from Highway 1. The Glass House Mountains are old volcanoes that have eroded down to the cones leaving spires and stacks towering over a relatively flat surrounding countryside. Pretty impressive looking, especially from afar. A good winding drive through some prime pineapple growing country leads you to the heart of the mountains where you have a 360 look out.
Finally arrive back in Brisbane around five and am parched. Luckily found a bar that served of all things Belgian beer! No offense to the Aussies but what a relief to drink something a notch above water. A good way to end a trip.
