Day 302-308: Brisbane
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2004
1
50
57
Trip End
Jan 05, 2006
Brisbane,
Australia
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Other hostels, cross River...Pauls factory, southbank,
Had a lay in after last night, pretty much buggering up the morning. Had a whinge to reception coz the shower is never hot, it ranges from lukewarm to cool, they claimed they'd get the maintenance guy to take a look. Walked over to Roma St to do some net stuff at the cheap place, then wandered around a couple of hostels just to see what they were like as my prepaid week at Bunk finished tomorrow night. Wasn't particularly taken with any of them, plus location wise it would be best to stay in the Valley for the weekend. Crossed the river over to Southbank to head to the Museums and Galleries there. Noticed on the way that there's a big milk factory near the river so popped in to see if they had any casual stuff. Unfortunately they go through an agency so gave them a call and got an email address.
Started off at the Queensland Museum which was frankly rubbish and took all of half an hour...I guess it's good for kids as the number of school trips would indicate. There's also a science museum in the same building called ScienceWorks but they charge and it's probably aimed at kids too. So went to the Queensland Art Gallery next which was much more interesting, cool building too so took some piccies of the inside. Had some bizarre video art, eg a film of people trashing a supermarket, slowly ripping up loo roll and trashing food - and the general rule is if you don't understand it it must be art. Last stop in the complex was the State Library but it was far too complicated to try and find just today's paper to read so left.
Nipped into a net cafe to try and email my CV to the factory agency and the stupid bint must have got it wrong coz it kept getting returned. Went to their website and there was no email addresses or way to send in CVs....and just couldn't be arsed with it all so didn't bother trying to get in touch. Ended up meeting a bloke called Jimmy for a drink after chatting for a bit. He's near South Bank so we went to the trendy street along there for a couple of drinks. First time I'd ventured that far so at least I got to see a different part of Brisbane. Bloody miles from where I'm staying tho so got the train back in the end, just couldn't face the walk home.
Tuesday 12/07/05:
Today was a day for doing bugger all and spending as little money as possible. Started off with a jog in the morning tho didn't get up until half ten. Got a kinda minor cold/cough thing which is giving me crappy sleep. Jogged back via the supermarche to get some brekkie stuff, tho it was just before lunch by the time I ate it. Tonight is the last night of my pre-paid week at the hostel and I wanna try and avoid paying for anymore accommodation whilst in Brisbane. So checked with reception to see if they had any work for accom and they said to go back at 2pm as there might be something. Killed a couple of hours showering and reading another Dan Brown book that a roommate gave me. I'd finished Angels and Demons and he'd just finished Digital Fortress so he gave me that. Didn't think I'd be able to read it before I left Brissy but started it anyway. Put up a couple of For Sale notices for the book I've finished too, might as well get me money back.
2pm came and there was a couple of hours work to be done. Had to help clean one of the apartments on the top floor which is being let out from tomorrow, had one other guy helping and the cleaners had already started so there wasn't a whole lot to do but eeked it out a bit. Then there was some boxes to break up and that was pretty much it, not a particularly difficult 2 hours work and that's tomorrow night for free. Read some more of the book afterwards, only leaving the room to go over to the supermarket and get some stuff for dinner. Trying to cook in that bloody shite kitchen is a nightmare, I had to do a pasta meal in a frying pan....tho it worked out okish in the end. More reading after dinner, but just had to get out of the room to headed out for an evening stroll into the city. Spent a couple of hours on the net before heading home. Tony from Friday night was online so we chatted briefly, arranged to meet up tomorrow night and go get something to eat.
Wednesday 13/07/05:
Didn't wanna waste another morning so was up about 9am, tho had nothing in particular to do today. Enquired about work for accom (WFA) and they said there was nothing so far but to try again later. Read more, read lots actually, almost finished the book from Monday, went to a park and sat reading the book there for a bit before heading off for cup of tea and a read of the paper at Gloria Jeans. Had a late lunch and checked again for work for accom and nothing today, luckily yesterday's work with pay for tonight....tho I had a note on the door saying that they noticed I hadn't paid for tonight or checked out....idiots!
Grabbed the big camera and went for a walk around the city and a late afternoon/dusk photo shoot. Started at the Story Bridge, walking down along the river to South Bank, then back over the footbridge and into the city. Took a good couple of hours, sunset was pretty cool but just wasn't in the right place dammit - why can't the sun set where I want it to set??? Walked back to the hostel early evening, had a call from a bloke who was interested in the book and he might be around to collect this evening, and expecting Tony to phone later too to sort dinner.
Laid on the bed and finished the last few chapters of Digital Fortress, first time I think I've ever read a book in 3 days, pretty good actually. Got Micheal Moore's Stupid White Men the other day so will start that tomorrow. Finished the book about 8pm...by that time no call from Tony, so much for dinner! And book boy couldn't collect tonight so probably tomorrow. Obviously I hadn't had dinner yet so walked into town to get something, on the way Tony calls...all a bit weird really, he seemed to think the dinner conversation was a joke and was surprised that I thought we were gonna go out tonight, long story about the whys and possible misunderstandings....anyway, was a little pissed off and as he wasn't expecting that he didn't have much else to say and the conversation ended. All a bit surreal, I mean I don't wanna be a couple but jesus a little bit of consideration wouldn't go amiss....men!
So instead of a nice meal out with company had a subway on me own...joy! Killing the rest of the evening on the net, god what would I do without the net....???
Thursday 14/07/05:
Went for another jog in the morning, a new route this time along the river to New Farm and back along Brunswick St to Fortitude Valley. For some reason I seem to be waking up around 9-9.30, which is too late coz it takes me ages to get to sleep, must try and get my arse out of bed earlier. No WFA today so had to pay for a night :O( In the afternoon I got the bus to Mount Coot-Tha Lookout which is only a $5 15 min journey from the city, managed to miss the first bus I was trying to get coz I couldn't find the bloody bus stop. SO that gave me an hour to wander around the Roma St Parklands which is a really chilled park to just wander around, lots of watery stuff and plantage as you may expect.
Finally got the bus at half 1, which slowly wound it's way up the hill dropping off right at the top. All very organised with a cafe, restaurant and obligatory gift shop. View is really cool, it's 7km west of the city so it overlooks the suburbs, the CBD and you can also see out to Moreton Bay and Island so you can see quite a long way. Good weather too tho bloody freezing when the sun went behind the odd cloud. Had to hang around for an hour for the next bus so had a cup of cha and a Kit Kat - simple pleasures. Got the bus down but jumped off at the Planetarium which is in the 2nd of Brisbane's Botanic Gardens....what's the obsession with Botanic Gardens??? was too late to see a show plus it was too expensive so paid $1.50 to wander around the tiny exhibition which consisted of a doco about space missions and some models and photos, tho some of it was pretty interesting in a space geek kinda way.
Killed another hour there and got the last bus back down the mountain into the city. Evening was pretty quiet, swallowed my pride or whatever and called Tony to see if he wanted to still do a drink and dinner sometime, arranged to go out tomorrow night. All I did in the evening was go for a wander down Brunswick St stopping off at Gloria Jeans for a cworfee, had an earlier than usual night.
Friday 15/07/05:
Woke up around 8, couldn't be arsed to drag myself out of bed so gave it another half hour. Checked WFA and there was something going at 11am so killed a bit of time. Got a message from Tony saying that he's got to do a double shift tomorrow starting at 5am so he won't be able to do tonight as he needs to get to sleep early....hmmmmm, was I stupid calling him again, ah well, don't matter, I'll be buggering off Monday anyway. As you'd expect the WFA was pretty crappy, the stuff no one else wanted to do. Had to clean out a cage which housed part of the fire system, this was outside on the street so you can imagine plenty of crap had been chucked in there, tho most of it was just dirt and leaves. Didn't take long to do that, then another lovely job of tidying up the bin cage, only took 50 mins to do the two jobs and then they said there was nothing else....so I'm guessing I'll get the free night for that, not gonna ask and not gonna give em any money so that's the way it'll have to be. And they finally got a plumber in to look at our shoddy shower....so I can have a hot shower on the last 3 days here.
Bummed around in the arvo, spent a couple of hours reading in Borders and wandered the streets looking for cigarette butts in bins....well not quite. Thought that as I'm going to be looking for a Notes job when I get to Sydney I should kinda do some revision to remember what the hell it is I do. I haven't done any Notes programming since Aug 04 and can barely remember a thing, of course once I get back into the job it'll all come flooding back but if they give me a code test at an interview I'd be buggered. So searched for a Notes book in a couple of shops, nothing in the 2nd hand place unfortunately. Tried a shop which specialises in technical stuff but they only had 2 Notes books, spotted the sale stand on the way out and low and behold a revision book for Notes 6 Development - and half price too, excellent! Bunged out the $30 and will have to get cracking soon - can also use it to help get another professional qualification so that'd be handy.
Net stuff then food. Hung out in my room for most of the evening reading and listening to tunes on the Megapod going out about 11pm. Went straight to the Wickham which was pretty busy, the usual affair really. Got chatting to a bloke called Scott, originally from Brissy, has been living in Sydney for about 8 years and has only been back here for a few days. Used to be a professional tennis player and now is a kind of Insurance Manager of some description, really nice interesting bloke.
Saturday 16/07/05:
Lazy morning doing bugger all, Scott has a PS2 and the Singstar game, I'd never tried it before but sounded like a laugh so had a go.....managed to get to Superstar level which of course is highly appropriate - Scott was a little pissed off as I managed to beat him, he hasn't got a great voice but he gives it all he's got and ain't afraid to have a go which is cool. Turns out tho that we were playing on the easy setting, as soon as we ramped it up I don't think I got higher than 'Hopeful' which is outrageous and inaccurate!! Went for a drive and got some lunch before Scott dropped me off in the Valley around 2pm. Needed to pay for tonight at Bunk too, they'd disabled my room card so couldn't get in to the room anyway.
Went for a walk into the city, beautiful beautiful day, hardly a cloud in the sky. So got a paper and went to the Botanic Gardens to have a snooze in the sun. Got really chilly as soon as the sun sunk behind the buildings so read the paper at a cafe over a pot of tea.
In the evening Scott picked me up and we hung out at his place, he cooked some Chinese thing which I can't remember the name of but was very very nice. Played a bit more Singstar, this time in career mode so I was eventually playing a stadium and going on a world tour....how prophetic. Late in the evening we went out to the Sportsman hotel which had a Bears night on down in the Mineshaft....OH....MY....GOD!!! Quite possibly the scariest selection of freaks I've ever seen in my life, didn't last long down there. Stayed in the main bar for the rest of the evening. The night ended in some drama when Scott bumped into some ex of his who he always argues with even tho he's been away from Brisbane for 8 years. Long story short....we had to have a 'chat' outside, I ended up staying at Bunk and he went home - honestly, gay men and their dramas.
Sunday 17/07/05:
Bloody knackered in the morning, had a lay in after sticking the ear plugs in. Had a lazy breakfast and finally wandered into the city just before 12. Went to the net cafe as I've got 6 hours of prepaid time to use before I bugger off tomorrow morning. Scott got in touch, apologised for the night before, wanted to know if I wanted to go for a drive up the coast....well of course never turn down and offer from someone with a car, and of course I like his company too which is an added bonus. He picked me up in the city and we headed up to Maroochydore which was about an hour and a half away, easy drive and another blue sky day.
Arrived not long before 3, by which time we were starving, ended up going to a Pig and Whistle "Traditional English Pub"....hmmmm. Treated myself to a Steak and Guiness pie thing, way above my backpacker budget but after eating discounted food court food for the last couple of weeks I deemed it necessary. We potted around for a bit before heading back, traffic was a bit worse coz being late Sunday arvo everyone else was heading back to Brisbane after the weekend. Spent the evening at Scott's place which is a lovely apartment in New Farm, really cool coz it's designed to open out into a big entertaining space. He bought a couple of PS2 games whilst we were out - Tekken 4 and Athens 2004 - so we sat and played them for a couple of hours. Watched the Kylie episode of Kath and Kim which I really wanted to see....very funny. ....great way to spend an evening.
Heading off to Surfers Paradise tomorrow, think Scott and me will def keep in touch, pity he's just moved up here, but at least if I stay in Oz I'll have a friend to visit in Brissy.
