We arrive right on time to the port one hour outside of Brisbane. On our last trip, we stayed here for a couple of days, so we’ve covered a lot of territory. Today, we are just going to wander and take the new City Hopper ferry (free!) all up and down the river.
We make it to the first shuttle ($12 each way per person – but hey – it’s a $60 cab ride each way, so we’ll deal), and get into town before 9am. We decide to walk over to the Maritime Museum to see what that’s about. We wander through the Tech University Campus, past the Botanical Gardens and walk across the Goodwill pedestrian bridge. It’s hot and humid and the clouds are threatening, but we have our rain jackets and umbrellas –and all the electronics are in plastic bags. We’re sweating, but ready!
The Maritime Museum turns out to be a really cool little place. One of the docents takes a liking to us (personally, I think he was bored and we were his first customers!) and he talks to us about the museum, the dry dock (it was the first public pool in Brisbane before the dry dock), the museum, history of the boats, Australia – you name it. The guy was a font of information – and quite interesting! We talked for a while – then he let us wander free.
We walked all around Jessica Watson’s little sloop that took her around the world in her record setting journey. I can’t imagine staying on a pontoon anchored to the Reef, but I sure can’t even begin to imagine sailing around the world at the age of 16 all alone on a teeny tiny boat!
We move on to the main attraction – the HMAS Diamantina, the world’s last river class frigate. This is Australia’s largest “World War II Veteran” – it is the last survivor of more than 130 river frigates built in WW II. You can crawl all through this ship – and it’s an amazing walk through seamanship and history. First used in 1945 as an anti-sub frigate, it then became an oceanographic research vessel in from 1959 to 1980 when it was decommissioned and moved to the dry dock for the museum.
We spend a good bit of time, climbing up and down the Diamantina’s decks. Doesn’t hurt that it has started to pour rain, and we are nice and dry on the inside of this hulking ship! We see the seaman’s, captain’s and officer’s quarters and mess, the charge rooms, radio rooms and engine room.
We also explore the wheelhouse – which is on a level where you cannot see the open ocean. All orders were sent down from the deck above – the bridge – then steer the ship and set the speed according to orders from those who were watching where they were going. Totally weird!
After exploring the Diamantina, we wandered around the Carpenataria – a floating light house ship that was anchored at sea to guide ships around reefs and points. This thing was fascinating – it was just anchored at sea, not manned at all, and left to float and roll about in the sea – the lighthouse would shine its light while a bell on the front of the ship would toll as it rolled. I was captivated! Don’t ask why, I can’t explain it!
After finishing with the museum, we walked toward the ferry dock – passing a sign warning us to wear hats and don umbrellas during Mockingbird mating season. Seems these aggressive little birds will swoop down on you and peck at your head while mating – and the city wants you to take precautions. Lovely – more birds for me to worry about. Joy! We hustle down to the dock just in time to catch the new free City Hopper ferry.
It’s route takes you all the way from the CBD to New Farm on the outskirts of the city. We caught the first ferry downstream, figuring we’d take the “tour”, as it was, and get off at New Farm to explore that area. We sat upstairs, enjoying the breeze while we were sailing and the city views as we wend our way around the Brisbane river past the Riverside complex, Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley.
Once off the ferry at New Farm, we make our way down the beach promenade toward the Park. It’s a lovely walk among the trees and the lapping river. Once at the park, we decide to try our luck in town at a pub for a drink, and maybe a light snack, instead of wandering around the park. The sky has darkened, and it is sprinkling a bit, so we figure that shelter should take precedence over nature at this point.
Walking up into town, we find a few cafes and deli’s, but nothing that strikes our fancy, until we come upon The Smoke BBQ smokehouse bar and grill. Ok – yeah – we’re talking real live American smokehouse BBQ. It’s not Aussie food, but you know, sometimes you gotta go with what you know – and this place was as original as a North Carolina BBQ joint. The owner is American, came over in 2004 with his Australian born wife and started the restaurant to bring authentic American smoked BBQ to Australia. He’s done it right –right down to the smoker, imported from America, to give just the right taste to the meats. And he delivers! All the traditional BBQ items are on the menu, Eastern Carolina pulled-pork BBQ, wings, Brisket, Texas and Kansas City style ribs. They were running a lunch special for $12AU that appealed to us – Brisket sandwich. The real deal, it was awesome. And even more awesome was the décor and signage…
Yeah –love it! Vegetarian: an American Indian word for bad hunter.
Back on the City Hopper, we make our way to the CBD. We stumble upon a farmer’s market in town with incredibly cheap prices for fruit, particularly grapes. But, sadly, we can’t partake. If only this was Sydney, when we’ll need fruit to take with us on our drive down to Melbourne. Ah well, hopefully we’ll find something then.
We wander down the Queen Street mall, window shopping, looking for free wi-fi. None to be found and we end up at an outdoor Starbucks and Maccas, glamming off their wi-fi. Then back to the shuttle, and back to the ship for our final two nights aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas.
