Sydney Harbour Bridge

Doesn't the Sydney Harbour Bridge look kinda nice in this mosaic? Click on pic to see the details. I've made used of all my brisbane/sydney photos in the mosaic.

Day 10: Brisbane to Singapore

10 DEC 2008, WEDNESDAY

Initially we were considering to extend our trip for another few days but we were both feeling kinda exhausted so we decided to return to Singapore.

Our flight was in the early afternoon and we headed for the airport after checking out from our hotel.

As the hotel was in South Brisbane, we had to find our way onto the South East Fwy so as to head towards the city. All we had with us was some scanty driving instructions to the airport and no maps or whatsoever. We figured there should be sufficient signs pointing us towards the airport.

Unfortunately we failed to exit in time from the Hwy to connect to the road leading to the Inner City Bypass and we ended up going back to South Brisbane and then having to go back up north again.

Finally, we managed to find the right exit and got onto the Inner City Bypass and onwards to Kingsford Smith Dr. We realised that there weren't sufficient directional signs for the airport. Most big cities that we had driven in have many prominent signs leading to the airport. So we spent a great amount of time wondering if we were headed in the right direction. It wasn't so bad 'cos we weren't in a rush to catch our flight out.

Eventually we arrived at the airport and luckily, we didn't have much difficulties finding the carpark where we were to return the rental car as there were clear directional signs. We were prepared to be slapped with a hefty charge for denting the car when we were returning the car key. The rental personnel told us that they'd send someone to check on the car to assess the damage and it was likely that they might have to charge us the entire excess amount of A$3,300 if the car had to be sent for repairs! Anyway, she told us to go check in first before returning to the rental desk for the final verdict on the outcome after their checks on the car.

With heavy hearts, we returned to the rental desk after checking in our luggages. The lady then told us that the car was already dented by the previous driver who had bought excess insurance and they were already planning to make a claim for the repairs from the previous driver's insurance. And as the dent that we made was at the same spot (back bumper), we need not pay for the damage at all. We simply couldn't believe our luck!! We were so happy that we would have given the lady a big hug if not for the fact that she was seated behind the tall counter.

We then ate and shop a little at the Brisbane Airport before boarding our flight back home to Singapore.

Well, this concludes our East Coast Australia trip!

Day 9: Byron Bay to Brisbane

9 DEC 2008, TUESDAY

We dragged our tired bodies up at 4.30am so as to catch the sunrise. It was pitch black outside and there were hardly any street lighting. We got lost trying to find out way to Cape Byron Lighthouse....luckily, we met a helpful jogger (still can't believe she was jogging before 5am in the morning) who pointed us in the right direction.

The lighthouse was perched on top of the Cape Byron Headland...and with an elevation of more than 100m, the roads leading up the lighthouse were pretty steep. Hence instead of walking, we decided to drive. And because we knew that free parking was very limited, we wanted to get there as early as we could. What do you know - we were the earliest birds and we got our worm - the best parking lot! We had to walk up the last steep stretch to reach the lighthouse but we were too engrossed in the stunning views of the ocean, beaches and plunging cliffs to whine.

It was very cold 'cos the winds were really strong....some of my fellow early-birds came with fleece blankets tightly wrapped around their bodies. And all I had on was my thin holey cardigan which didn't serve much of a function. Thank goodness it wasn't too long before we saw the sun peeking through the clouds...sending streaks of golden rays everywhere and casting an orangey glow on everything that the ray touched. A crowd had gathered at this most easterly point of the mainland to witness this magical moment. It was silence all round as everyone seemed to be holding their breath. We just stood rooted and watched.

And as the sun rose higher into the sky, the lighthouse was like a chameleon..changing colors. It was interesting to see how it looked under different lighting conditions. RG and I are huge lighthouse fans. It's hard to verbalise why I'm so intrigue by lighthouses but a few words do come to mind - strength, guidance, romantic, loneliness, contemplation and connectedness. Looking at the lighthouses, you can just imagine the loneliness of a lighthouse keeper, yearning human contacts. He'd spend most of his time in self-contemplation. He'd watch the changing ocean and sky all day from the lighthouse and as such, grow to become deeply connected with nature. It's a difficult and lonely job but he chooses to do it because he knows that ships need that guiding light to steer clear of danger and to continue on the right path of their voyage.

Besides the beautiful lighthouse and sunrise, the views from above the Cape Byron Headland were just as breathtaking. Looking north, we could see right up to Gold Coast and looking south, we could see Broken Head and beyond. See how this fella was risking his life of falling down 100m of the rocky cliff just to capture a great shot! Perhaps being up there made us feel almost invincible.

The below is a photo of the Cape Byron Lighthouse seen from the main beach.

The beaches at Byron Bay are as pretty as those in Gold Coast (if not prettier). The fine-grained sand was white and gleaming in the sun and the water a clear turquoise-blue. If there's indeed paradise on earth....this could be it!

The walls of the public shower areas were covered in cheeky paintings. We knew that several of Byron's beaches were nude beaches....but unfortunately, we weren't lucky enough to see any nudist that morning! =P

From the main beach, we headed towards the town centre where we found many shops and eateries http://www.byron-bay.com/maps/byron_bay.PDF It seemed that Byron Bay attracts an interesting mix of people from all over the world with its friendly, relaxed and very laidback atmosphere. http://www.visitbyronbay.com/pages.asp?code=500 After our early morning walk, our stomachs started to growl. Breakfast was some fresh-out-of-oven sandwiches and rolls bought from a little hole-in-wall store along the road. On our way back to the car with our breakfast, we caught sight of the below poster advertising for "The Res-erection Tour" of Puppetry of the Penis http://www.puppetryofthepenis.com/ Remember I mentioned earlier in my Sydney post that we had watched the performance in year 2000? Well, after so many years of touring around the world and gaining much fame, these guys had finally returned to Australia where it all bagan. If not for the fact that we were leaving Australia the next day, I would have really liked to watch the show again....for old time sake.

After breakfast, we packed up and left for Brisbane which was only a 2hr drive away. We thought we could just drive all the way to Brisbane without stopping but we were wrong. Because we had woken up so early this morning, we were dozing off at the wheel. We realised it was too risky for just a split second of close-eye on the wheel might result in a serious accident. So we stopped at a rest area along the way to refresh ourselves before continuing on our journey.

As in the case of Sydney, we didn't want to have to drive into the Brisbane CBD....so we had booked an accommodation in South Brisbane just across the river. Our accommodation was at the Central Hillcrest http://www.centralhillcrest.com.au/ The cost was A$109 for a deluxe room which was very affordable. The room was spacious with a balcony, huge bathroom and coffee making facilities. From our balcony, we could see the Brisbane CBD. Although not within the CBD, the Central Hillcrest is just a short walk to South Bank and the CBD and there are several subway stations in the nearby vicinity. We were so sleepy that we decided to take a nap immediately after checking into our room.

So we woke up at about 2pm (QLD time) and got ready to explore Brisbane city. From Central Hillcrest, it was just a 5min walk to the southern end of the South Bank Parklands http://www.visitsouthbank.com/home where the Queensland Maritime Museum is located http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/

From there, we crossed the vehicle-free Goodwill Bridge which was just one of the links between South Bank and the city. The bridge was just less than 500m long but we were able to enjoy nice views of the South Bank, river and the city when we were on the bridge. And at the end of the bridge, we had reached Queensland University of Technology and the Botanic Gardens.

After a nice walk in the Botanic Gardens, we walked down Albert Street and found ourselves a nice little chinese eatery for some zi-char. Lunch was 2 rice sets with stir-fried chicken, claypot tofu and soup. For once, the chinese food actually tasted like chinese food!

Having satisfied our hunger for some Chinese food, we headed towards Queen Street Mall where the main action was. There were many major shopping malls on Elizabeth St one of which was the QLD's largest Myer department store - an eight storey tall shopping complex. We also took a leisure walk around Adelaide and Ann Street. At the southern end of the Queen Street Mall was a gigantic X'mas tree which brought much x'mas joy to this pleasant city. Below are some photos of the street scenes.

The girl in the middle has a wind-up key stuck to her back!

At the end of Queen Street, we crossed the Victoria Bridge to go back to South Bank. Below is a shot of the Riverside Expressway from the bridge.

Then we started walking from the northern end of the South Bank parklands towards the other end. Although I think it's kinda weird to have a beach (man-made) right in the middle of the city, the parkland development is nevertheless a nice thought by the government to provide a relaxing and beautiful public area for people to gather for a swim, walk, jog, play, BBQ, eat, watch a performance, ride the ferris wheel and exercise. It is no wonder that the parklands development has won numerous awards such as the best public sector development in the world by the International Real Estate Federation and the world’s best downtown public space by the International Downtown Association. If you are visiting Brisbane anytime soon, I'd definitely recommend a trip to South Bank for a romantic evening stroll and enjoy a sumptous dinner at one of the many riverside restaurants and cafes.

Street art in Brisbane city.