patriciawatt

Today my tour was “Leisurely Brisbane”.  A leisurely day, with a leisurely bus tour through a leisurely city that was quiet as all shops and businesses were closed because it is Labour Day here.

Brisbane is located on the Brisbane River, as is the port where our ship is docked.  It is the capital and most populous city in the state of Queensland, having grown to over two million residents in recent years.  It is a modern city with a wonderful mix of old and new.

The older homes here -pre 1950 – have a unique architectural style called Queenslander.  They are mostly built of wood because it was so plentiful in the area, and they are built on stumps or stilts.  This space underneath the home was a great way to cool/ventilate the house in the hot summer months and also to handle rainwater.   They also have iron corrugated roofs.  Today, many have enclosed this space and it is used as extra rooms or garages.  They all have a large veranda – again many enclosed.  Many of these lovely old homes have been lovingly restored.

Brisbane is hilly, and from the summit of Mount Coot-Tha, one has a beautiful view of the city and the river as it meanders through the town.  It has a subtropical climate with hot wet summers and dry warm winters.  Tourism plays a major role in its economy.

All of the stores were closed in town, but, there was a small shopping area at the port near where our ship was docked and, low and behold! it had a shoe store, and a lovely ladies wear shop selling “made in Australia”.  By this time, we are totally tired of the clothes we have brought with us, so that lady was very smart to be open while the ship was in town.  I think both shops did a great business that day.  I know I now have a couple of new outfits.