Road Trip. I've Been Everywhere, Man!

Kangaroos at Balancing Rock, near Glenn Innes

Driving from Brisbane to Sydney recently to pick up Daisie from Quarantine brought back some fond memories.  There's nothing like a drive through small Aussie East Coast towns to make you smile and think of singing.  Just saying the place names out loud is a hoot!

Guyra Railway Signal, New South Wales

Take a look at some of these "blink and you'll miss it" place names we've loved most on many a drive along the Pacific Highway:

Duranbah, Tyagarah, Newybar, Yelgun, Uralla, Uki, Bilinudgel, Bellimbopinni, Tabbimobile, Jackadgery, Liangothin, Tibuster, Coopernook, Coolongolook, Nabiac, Rainbow Flat

The 10 year drought has broken.  Mann River at Jackadgery.

Then there's some all time favorites from around the country: Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Cunnamulla, Cabramatta, Indooroopilly, Kirribilli, Woolloongabba, Oodnadatta, Nambucca, Clybucca, Buladelah, Bambaroo, Woolloomooloo.

You might remember Johnny Cash's 1996 version of the song, "I've Been Everywhere, Man".  Back in 1962 Lucky Starr recorded the Aussie version, written by Geoff Mack in 1959:

I've been everywhere man,
'cross the deserts bare, man,
I've breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I've had my share, man,
I've been ev'rywhere."

Been to...
Click here to see where intrepid traveller Peter Harris has been as he's followed the lyrics of the song.

Near Scone, NSW

Brisbane Street Art

Sandstone was a common building material for the historic buildings in Australia's cities and towns.  

There was nothing to tell the significance of these gorgeous, quite large carved sandstone blocks.  You just have to enjoy the beauty of the stone and the work of the artist.

Wall art, reminiscent of aboriginal cave paintings

Kangaroo Point, Brisbane

Boardwalk Dockside, Kangaroo Point

Dockside Marina, Story Bridge in the background

Poinciana tree roots

Classic old Queensland pub architecture, Story Bridge Hotel, Kangaroo Point

Woolworths store with Story Bridge art

Brisbane's iconic Story Bridge is represented in art and advertising all over the city.

Eating, Drinking Tea, Cycling with Hugh Jackman, Brisbane

Chinese restaurants in Australia serve great, super fresh seafood - Spanner Crab

Gary's new car!  Waiting for you Gary, when you get tired of NZ.

Standard fare

Ok, so Hugh was only with us in advertising, it's still great to see his face on the street!

We can pick up a bicycle, cruise the miles and miles of boardwalk,  and drop it off wherever there's a cycle station.  

October in Brisbane, Jacarandahs and roses in bloom

Miss Daisie, Out of the Slammer

Sprung from a month in Quarantine in Sydney, Daisie jumps into the getaway car

Freedom, fresh air, sunshine, green grass, lose the leash and let's have a run.

Feels good.

She does not seem to have suffered any culture shock and the locals have no problem with her American accent.  It's great to have Miss Daisie with us after all her adventures around the world.

Brisbane City 2010

Brisbane!  Who would bother visiting?  That's a sentiment from the not so distant past when Brisbane was described as a big country town.  It's been many years since we've spent any time in Brisbane.  Robert once worked at the CSR New Farm Sugar Refinery, now a waterfront apartment conversion.  Trish attended college at Kangaroo Point straight out of school. These days nothing looks familiar.

Heads Up!  Brisbane has grown up.

What a change!  Sailing up the Brisbane River we could hardly recognize the suburbs that used to be full of examples of the classic "Queenslander", a unique Queensland styled house designed to keep inhabitants cool in the summer heat, and dry during the frequent thunderstorms.  If we can still find one, we'll take a picture!

Ferries and CityCats run every 10 to 30 mintues from the remodeled old/new Ferry Wharves linking 24 stops along the river.  You can pick up a bicycle and cover a few miles of riverfront boardwalk, then drop it off at your destination.  

We went to a concert in the park.  Peter Frampton, America, Chicago and Brain Wilson!  Neil Diamond and Leonard Cohen are in town.  Just down the road in New South Wales at the Byron Bay BLUESFEST, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Costello and the Blind Boys of Alabama are playing. Hang on didn't we just leave the US?

We are struggling to get used to the cost of living in Australia.  Beer at $3.00, business shirts $100, meals $25 a plate, cell phones and internet costs $$- we are still in denial on this one, quaratine on arrival $330, meat from $26/kg.  Bargains may be found with some careful hunting around.  With the Aussie dollar around parity with the US dollar, we might have to make a trip back to top up the work wardrobe.

Sale! Not!

All in all, Brisbane is still a great place to live.  It's interesting to be back among "our tribe".

Anchorages... Coconut Point Fiji

Coconut Point,
south coast of Vanua Levu, Fiji

*Part of a series of images highlighting our favourite anchorages.

She's In The Jailhouse Now

Miss Daisie is a long way from her birthplace in the USA. She waits at the Eastern Creek Quarantine Facility for her release on November 20, 2010.  You can bet there will be some excitement.