Day 59: Brisbane, Australia

Monday, 6 March 2017
At Sea — Coral Sea

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:45p (AEST) … UTC 10:45a (6 March)
Temp: 80.1F (26.7C)
Position: 27.26.49S / 153.04.16E

Of all possible subjects, travel is the most difficult for an artist,
as it is the easiest for a journalist.
~ WH Auden ~

Fantastic day in Brisbane — which hailed the second Australian state of our voyage … Queensland.  I should just say that and end this post about our visit, but of course I have a story to tell … one that charmed us all day long.  Though part of that charm was from beautiful downtown Brisbane — which was founded as a penal colony for second offenders — much of it was from our outing to the city’s number one attraction.

We planned to be off with Sonia and Boris as soon as the ship was cleared, so we ordered room service breakfast delivered at 6:15a.  The advantage of this was that we got to eat and get ready for the day at leisure while watching the scenery behind the ship as Insignia sailed up the Brisbane River.  By 7:30a, we were docking at the Portside Wharf … about a 5-mile (8 km) shuttle ride to the Brisbane CBD.  A long drive, but better than the five times as long drive it would have been from the multi-use terminal on Fisherman’s Island at the mouth of the river had we docked there.

Glimpse of the Brisbane CBD skyline as Insignia sails up the river.

We were first off the ship when the authorities gave the all clear shortly before 8:00a.  Walking through the deserted terminal to cheery ‘good day’ calls from the immigration agents, we found the taxi stand outside and were soon off to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  I had checked out alternative transportation, including a car rental, the local busses, and the Mirimar boat … and even looked into the ship’s tour to get there.  In the end, deciding to split a cab with Sonia and Boris worked out best.  It cost each couple only about AUD $25 (~ USD $19) — not bad for a 30-minute or so drive — and we arrived at the sanctuary well ahead of the crowds and had it practically to ourselves for about the first hour we were there.

Lone Pine bills itself as the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary.  Note, I am not saying koala bear, which is how these cute critters are often erroneously referred to.  They are not bears … they are marsupials … meaning they give birth to underdeveloped young, which complete their development in the pouch.  They live for 8-10 years in the wild; and up to 12-14 years in captivity.  This low life expectancy makes it all the more important that their reproductive system allows them to have a young in the pouch, an embryo in “the oven,” and a fertilized egg ready for delayed implantation — all at the same time.  Koalas are perfectly suited for living in trees … they have strong arms and legs, rough pads on their feet, and sharp claws with two opposable thumbs … all things that we would experience for ourselves later.  Their diet consists of eucalypt (gum) leaves, which don’t provide them with much energy.  Thus, they are active for only about four hours each day, sleeping and resting in trees the rest of the time.  In fact, most of the koalas we saw were doing just that, so it was a particular thrill when we came across one that had its eyes open.

In addition to the koalas for which the sanctuary is named, the place also exhibits a wide variety of other animals — kangaroos and wallabies; wombats; cassowaries and emus; Tasmanian devils; dingoes; platypus; reptiles … such as snakes, Eastern water dragons, and fresh water crocodiles; birds and raptors … just to name some.  And we saw them all.

Postcard with Cuddles.

General admission to the park is AUD $36/person (~ USD $27) and includes all the animal exhibits, as well as a bunch of activities and shows — such as wild lorikeet feeding, barn animal encounter, free-flight raptors, sheep dog herding — and talks by snake, koala, platypus, and Tasmanian devil keepers.  We arrived with the intention of just getting the general admission ticket, but later that changed and we shelled out an additional AUD $18/person (~ USD $13.50) for the “hold a koala” photo … cheaper than most similar encounters, with the money going towards the keep and care of these cuddly creatures.

As soon as the gate opened at 9:00a, we were in.  Although various animal exhibits invited us to dally, we headed directly to the kangaroo feeding area, stopping just long enough at the general store to buy a couple of bags of feed.  The beauty of our plan was that we had the ‘roos almost entirely to ourselves for the ½ hour or so we spent feeding them.  Plus, unlike when we returned in the afternoon, at that early hour they were interested in being fed.

Feeding mama kangaroo while joey comes out of the pouch for fresh air.

What a great experience it was to interact with the ‘roos.  They were quite gentle, waiting to be fed instead of charging us at the first glimpse of the bags of feed in our hands.  Not unlike deer elsewhere in the world, kangaroos may be considered pests here in Aussie Land, but we were charmed by them.  When we glimpsed our first joey peeking out of its mother’s pouch — well, we were done for.  Our day was made … and it would go nowhere but up from there.

Suckling joey.

Next we headed over to the koala encounter area for our photo op.  We had already seen plenty of koalas in various exhibits — sleeping or drowsily watching us … and, of course, had taken beaucoup photos.  So, by now there was no doubt in our minds that the decision to spend the money to cuddle the koalas was absolutely the right decision … even though I don’t usually approve of such activities that exploit animals.

I was given Perkins, a three-year old that lost no time in clutching my arms and snuggling into my chest … awww.  Mui had a similarly delightful experience with Bonnie.  Once the sanctuary photographer took the official photo — which we later picked up from the general store — she also took photos with our personal cameras.  They even accommodated us with a couples photo with our own cameras — this time with Utopia, a seven-year old male Koala.  It was definitely an experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

3-year old Perkins.	7-year old Utopia.

By this time, with the tours and other visitors arriving, the sanctuary had grown quite crowded.  We split from Sonia and Boris, agreeing to meet at the Mirimar boat dock if they were still at Lone Pine at 2:00p.  On our own now, we slowly meandered around the park, being careful not to step on the Eastern water dragons that were scampering underfoot.  Of course we took way too many photos and way too much video of all the critters we saw, but hey … I wasn’t going to take chances by limiting my shutter clicks.

Barking Owl	Southern Cassowary

Around 1:45p, we made our way back to the exit to see if we might be able to catch a boat ride back to Brisbane.  I had checked with Mirimar when I was researching transportation options and knew that a one-way ticket — AUD $12 (~ USD $9) — was an option, but it would, of course, depend on whether they had space.  The day-trippers that had come out to the sanctuary by boat earlier in the day were already lined up for the return trip, so we crossed our fingers and approached one of the deckhands about tickets.  He promptly directed us to the boat’s bar to pay the fare.  While Mui went to do so, I went up top to get us seats, but there were none left under the shade canopy.  Instead, we took two of the chairs on the open lower aft deck where we had protection from the sun for most of the way back to Brisbane.

If it were to be viewed from the air, the Brisbane River — the longest in southeast Queensland — would resemble a snake curling this way and that as it flows through the city to empty into Moreton Bay.  While early travelers along the waterway admired its natural beauty, abundant fish population, and rich vegetation along the banks, today the river is also a major component of the city’s transportation system.  Water taxis and ferries — some free — criss-cross from one bank to the other, zipping people to where they need to go.

As we traveled downriver — a relaxing 1¼-hour boat ride — we enjoyed the cool breeze generated by the Mirimar’s forward motion and watched the houses and condominiums along the river banks … some fairly simple, others grand estates … all, without fail, well maintained and most built with lush gardens that helped to blend them into the landscape.  When the high-rises and bridges of the city came into view, we braved the brutally hot sun to go out on the small forward deck for the magnificent scenery that was laid out before our eyes.  Modern and tasteful architecture — can’t always say that about big cities, but definitely true in the case of  Brisbane.

Disembarking at Victoria Bridge, we crossed the river for a stroll along the Queen Street Mall.  By this time, it was 4:00p and the streets were crowded not just with tourists, but also locals starting to head home after a day at work.  We picked up some more AUD from an ATM; bought some apples for shipboard consumption … still no whole fruits at the buffet, except when we are out in international waters; and treated ourselves to some yummy gelato … brought to Australia by the Italians who emigrated here.  Yes, it was very good.

Victoria Bridge is mostly hidden by the trees, but the CBD skyline towers above both.

Next, we walked several blocks over to the City Botanic Gardens … a lovely green oasis.  We strolled a couple of the paths, stopping to take photos of the flowers and the birds, but we didn’t do it justice as we ran out of time.  Fast-stepping it, we crossed the CBD to Anzac Square for the free shuttle back to the ship, making it with some time to spare before the last bus at 5:30p.  The ride back to the wharf took 30 minutes in stop-and-go traffic and we arrived minutes after 6:00p for the all aboard at 6:30p.  No worries, though … we were on an O-operated shuttle and had no concerns about missing the ship.

No Idea … Sorry!	Bush Thick-Knee

Dead tired, but totally satisfied with our day, we didn’t dally long in the cabin, joining friends at the Terrace Café for the nighttime sailaway and dinner.  Tomorrow we have a sea day … and another one after that … yay!

For more photos of our day in Brisbane, click here to check out my online gallery.

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