BB and the City…
I love the city.
Startling news, I know…
How can someone who deliberately chose to leave it all behind and live in the bush, who ran away from suburbia (or even urbia?) still adore this kind of busy man-made skyline?
Mr Incredible and I were among that two million up until two and a half years ago.
I grew up visiting her (and my maternal grandmother) regularly as a child. She has welcomed me warmly through the years …. from my wide-eyed visits riding escalators with my ‘zany Grandma’ as a little one; through my tertiary education years as I dithered over my studies and earned an ‘B+’ in Life 101 ‘working my way through uni’ as a waitress, as a young adult with a penchant for nightclubs and Irish pubs (and a certain ex-footy player now known as Mr Incredible), as a bureaucrat and almost-married Cue-suited woman striding through the subway and mall; as a new wife attempting to make the transition from career chick to stay-at-home mum to a newborn; and then as a new mum with an ill child, desperately leaning on the healthcare resources this city offered.…
Brisbane was pretty much always good to me.
She too has grown and matured and learned to make the most of her assets.
Her old and her new blend with a kind of Aussie-flavoured pizazz.
She is no longer big country town, she is CITY with a big ‘C’.
Laid-back but with spark, warm with a little flash….
We chose accommodation built right on the site of Festival Hall. The exact place where I took Jeanie (as a whipper-snapper fresh out of boarding school) to see Paul Young in concert (she swooned big-time), where I was first wowed by John Stevens in Noiseworks. Images in the foyer of the sparkling new apartment tower show some other Festival Hall performers – The Jackson Five, Diana Ross, the Beatles.
…
After riding the lifts with two very over-excited children (‘my turn to push the button…no, MY turn!) we hurled our bags onto white bedspreads and took in the views.
Right out the eastern window of our apartment I spied…
Hello Heritage Hotel! 
Yes indeed.
The very place where I gave my daylight hours to the Department of Innovation and Information Economy as a communications officer at the start of this decade (seriously – I had to market ‘DIIE’ to the world!).
My life as a city slicker was coming back to me hard and fast… there were memories at every turn. And most of them were fond recollections. But in an echoing kind of way, as if from a long time ago – somehow the seven-and-a-bit years since I worked in that building has stretched into a veritable lifetime.
…
Of course while I was reminiscing my stiletto years, Mr Incredible was freaking out at the image of our youngsters pressing their faces against the glass…
I did my best to reassure him (and myself) that all safety requirements would have been thoroughly met in such a new building, and that the glass would not give way to their enthusiastic embrace, and allow them to plunge to their deaths….
I am a cruel woman and I do not suffer vertigo…
Our offspring are wired like me and enjoy the giddiness that looking down from great heights induce in our bellies. Mr I? Not so much…We ended up compromising with Dash and Violet being allowed to gaze upon the lights of BrisVegas while lying on their tummies.
…
But back to our mini city tour…
This is the freeway on which I travelled as a uni student, and upon which a nice but slightly frazzled young man (running late for his plane) ploughed into the back of my darling Mazda 626 wagon as we waited in stationary peak-hour traffic and gave me whiplash.You can see the Old Treasury building to the left – it was transformed into a casino and was a favourite very-late-night haunt of my hubby and his mates … before he was my hubby.
Heh.
Hello again Treasury Casino …
Nice contrast in styles.
Is the ball a play on ‘high roller’ d’ya think?
Art confuses me sometimes.
You know, I decided this visit that I even love the buses. Not that I rode them much when I lived here. I like my personal space. I was more your ‘give a workmate a ride to work in the car’ kinda gal, with some rail commuting thrown in.
What can I say? I have a keen sense of smell and like to choose my travel partners or at least be able to move away when their hygiene is questionable!
…
13 Comments
traceelements
Wonderful photos – and descriptions! As always!
Ah, Expo 88. The Other Half and I (before we got officially hitched) drove up from Sydney for that!
And the pool at Southbank (when on a family holiday a few years ago now) marked the turning point for #3 (when she was about 3) in regard to her love of swimming. Love the name 'Fairy Wheel' – I think they should all be called that henceforth!
Brissy is certainly a pretty cool city.
Leslie
Great post!!
Anonymous
Although I'm living back in the country, I too have a great love for BrisVegas. Thank you so much for the wonderful photo's & memories you have shared.
PS I can't believe how much Dash & Violet are growing up – mind you I can't talk with Abbey turning 7 on Thursday!
Love Leonie xo
Karen
Thanks for sharing Brisbane with us, you would make a great tour guide.
Mom L
Yes! Thank you so much for the wonderful tour of BrisVegas! My city? I'm not going to miss Hotlanta, although I've lived in various suburbs here for 36 years (minus the 4.5 yrs in Gaithersburg, MD). I am truly looking forward to small townsville and countryside in Iowa! Just a little over 3 weeks to go….
Nancy in (so far) Atlanta
Kelly
Great post and tour of the city!!
I'm with Mr. I on the vertigo thing. Safety standards met or not…I wouldn't be pressing against the glass to look down!
Cities are well and good for visits, but I've been a country girl for the past 22 years and I'll stay there I think….
Leenie
Thanks for the tour!! Places look best through the eyes of those that love them. The Down Under part of the world is on the top of my top five locations to visit….someday.
I wouldn't mind seeing more of your trip.
Have much fun and shop more.
Jayne
Great photos but you can keep the high rise pics, vertigo got my tummy fluttering lol.
Bush Babe
Trace – ah yes, Expo 88. A wonderous time… I went twice and nearly died from claustrophobia (far too many people!) but apparently Mr I moved into the site for the duration (or at least as much as his boarding school allowed!). Heh.
Leslie and Karen – thanks!!! Your turn now…
Mom L – surely there will be SOMETHING you will miss… absence does make the heart grow fonder. I'll ask again in 12 months!!
Kelly – I don't want to move back but I love visiting!! And I did cater to Mr I's vertigo… only tummy gazing for the kiddos! (I snuck out for photos after they were tucked in bed!)
Leenie – thanks! Just keep in mind when you visit Oz that it's a looooong way between towns here. Maps can be deceiving… Queensland is 2 1/2 times the size of Texas. Just so you know.
And finally… WELCOME to a 'real life' friend and longtime lurker Anonymous/Leonie!!! Yay. See, not so scary is it?? Massive hugs to your lovely Abby on her birthday!!!!
🙂
BB
Jayne – sorry love. You might want to miss tomorrow's post… heh.
Karen
BB, In the past 9 months I've posted about my travels to Niagria Falls in Canada, Riveria Maya in Mexico and the Florida Keys. Next up I'll be posting about my "working" trip to Mackinac Island in Upper Michigan.
Pony Girl
What a fun city! 🙂 Thanks for the tour. I love cities, but ultimately I want to end up in the country. Just kinda close to a major city. I like the best of both worlds! I have always loved my trips to NYC though, it is just HUGE and amazing and energetic. Could never live there, though!
Woman in a Window
Those city shots are amazing. And yes, it's strange that you can love city and urban so intensely, but perhaps not really. It's the looking through into the essence of things that shows their beauty.
But yikes! I'm with your husband. Step back from the ledge!
Hippomanic Jen
Hmmm. I've suspected it for a while, but I'm now very nearly convinced that you don't live that far away from me.
Don't worry, I'm not a stalker, just really get a sense of some country a bit to the south/west of here in your photos – but had presumed that you were from south of the border. (For which I apologise)
Are you coming to the rodeo here in October?