28/02/2023 Brisbane
A not so fun travel day
Running on three hours of sleep is never easy. It gets even harder when it’s a travel day and you’ve had a few too many drinks with your host family last night. And due to the time change, it’s still only 7 a.m. when we’ve landed. Welcome to Australia!
What to expect
Brisbane
As soon as we stepped outside the airport, we could feel the humid air and the sun on our skin. I loved it though!
Where it all began
Besides being overly tired, we were both pretty excited to be back in Australia as this is where Blake and I first got to know each other in a dorm room in Cairns.
Expensive Australia
Australia is so expensive! It feels even more expensive after:
- having traveled to mostly cheaper places in Central America and South America,
- staying with Blake’s family in Canada,
- living with friends of Blake’s in Hawaii,
- and living in and traveling around in a campervan in New Zealand.
Therefore, we didn’t feel good to pay AUS $82 (over 52€) for a single bed in a dorm room in a hostel! This was not even a one-off in Brisbane, but it was the case all over Australia due to inflation and since lots of hostels had to shut down after c***.
Confession time
So here is the confession: we shared a dorm bed in Brisbane! And let me tell you that much: It was not comfortable! I know, who would have thought?
A 90 cm bed doesn’t magically become bigger either when you share it, nor does it become any softer on your back. Whenever one of us turned, the other person had to turn with them as there just wouldn’t be enough space otherwise.
Yup, 33 and 36 acting like 21-year-olds (even though we didn’t even see any 21-year-olds sharing dorm beds)!
Walk along Queen’s Street
After checking in (or rather sneaking in), we walked along Queen’s Street, Brisbane’s main shopping street. The street had a lot of open cafés and restaurants in the middle of the strip and looked very lively and well maintained.
Eat in a food court
We had lunch in one of the many food courts in Brisbane, where you can get cheap deals and a great variety of different cuisines.
It’s time for a haircut
Since we both hadn’t been to the hairdressers since Panama (Blake) and Peru (Jana), it was time to cut our hair again. It honestly looked like a sheep has been sheared (and I’m only talking about Blake’s hair here).
Buy (lots of) sushi rolls
I am literally in sushi-heaven here! There is a sushi shop at every corner, so I pretty much have no other choice but to buy sushi every single day (sometimes for lunch and dinner). Maybe there’s still a chance to turn Blake around and make him finally realize how amazing sushi tastes. A girl can dream…
01/03/2023 Brisbane
Do a free walking tour
In the morning we joined a free walking tour, which was held by a sweet old lady, but also turned out to be the most boring walking tour we had ever done.
Stroll around the Brisbane City Markets
…on a Wednesday or Thursday
After two hours of seeing different sights but not learning anything about them, we went to the Brisbane City Markets, that are held in the CBD every Wednesday and Thursday. Unfortunately, we got there during the busiest time at lunch. However, this didn’t prevent me from buying a (vegan) brownie, a smoothie and a new beach towel. Markets and I always magically find each other (or google finds them for me – one or the other).
Relax at Streets Beach
Later we walked to the Streets Beach that is located right by the river in Southbank.
Streets Beach is a South Bank icon and a must-visit while you’re exploring the 17-hectare South Bank Parklands. Australia’s only inner-city, man-made beach boasts a sparkling blue lagoon surrounded by white, sandy beaches and sub-tropical plants. Streets Beach is an oasis in the middle of Brisbane City. Streets Beach is free to use and is patrolled by qualified lifeguards all year round.”
visitbrisbane.com.au
We loved the lagoon and relaxed in the shade in between a lot of ibis birds.
Our day ended with sushi for me and Indian curry for Blake – exactly the same as last night and we don’t even feel bad about it 😉.
02/03/2023 Brisbane
Permission to be lazy
Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy and a bit rainy when we woke up. It’s weird that we often feel like bad weather gives us the permission to be lazy (whereas we’re always out exploring when the sun is out).
Relax in the Botanic Gardens
This is why we had a relaxing morning until I walked to the Botanic Gardens to relax while Blake was skyping with his sister.
Walk on the river promenade
Later that day we walked along the river promenade that is nicely laid out everywhere in town.
It was great exploring Brisbane fully and getting to know the town better. However, I am even more excited for the next place which has a very special meaning for me!
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