A VISIT TO BRISBANE

A VISIT TO BRISBANE
June 29, 2001

Beth, terry and I come early in the afternoon for a flight to Brisbane at 3:05 p.m. (Baby) Vicky Salvador Hubner, a friend of Terry who married an Australian a few years back, invited us. The domestic air port was immaculately clean. I could see so many people, majority in black winter coat quietly checking in. Compared to the Manila Domestic Air port back home, I felt like hanging my head in shame.

From the air port, Baby and her husband’s cousin, Lex Drennan fetched us. We passed over the 2 kilometer (?) ‘Gateway Bridge’ over Brisbane River. Ipswich, the suburb where Baby and Allan lived was around 60m kilometers away from the air port, passing through a highway not much different from our own South Superhighway.

Mr. and Mrs. Hubner’s house was a beautiful country home with three bed rooms , a “silong “ or “underfloor” portion serving as g ar age, sitting on a 600 sq. mt. lot. We were offered a stake dinner and accommodated so well in one room. This was a very good place to recharge under temperature of 16 degrees C.

AROUND BRISBANE
Friday, June 29, 2001

Today we went to Ipswich Mall, looked around then proceeded to Ipswich train station, bought tickets for a long trip to Brisbane City. I enjoyed the train ride as I took note of every station and its peculiarity. East Ipswich station was the nearest, followed by Booval with beautiful brick houses similarly built on both sides of the railroad track. Budamba was not much different but Ebbw Vale seemed a bit forested with houses built farther from each other.

At Dinmore station I saw teenage lovers kissing and embracing in wild abandon as if alone together in t he dark. Rivevilla was more heavily forested with fewer houses. This scenery became more evident at Redbank.

Goodna looked more populated and with modern pedestrian bridges and so was Gailes. Wacol was where the National Penitentiary was located amidst big healthy trees. Darra was a commercial area where I also saw the big Brick factory.
At Oxley there were many commuters and I saw some dirty writings on the walls. We then passed by Corinda, followed by Sherwood where I saw beautiful big houses until we reached Graceville.

At Chelmer I saw clean big river and a nice bridge over it. Inooroopilly was definitely a commercial district. The station was very busy too as well as the place. This scenery was seen up to Taringa where there were also big modern buildings. Toowang showed a very modern station followed by Auchenflower which was teeming with big beautiful houses and more tall and modern buildings. Milton was unmistakably a commercial city.

Finally we reached the 22nd station, Roma, the transit center. There I saw many young boys and girls as well as some adults walking with heavy backpacks. They look so carefree and happy, must be going to some kind of camping.

We visited and enjoyed the Brisbane Museum after which we went back to the train station from the South Bank Road to Buranda then to Cooporo where I saw many painted walls then to Canon Hills where the houses looked simpler. We passed by Murarrie, Hermant, Lindium, Wynnum North, Wynnum and finally Wynnum Central.

WE passed by the pedestrian stair s with 36 steps then proceeded to the house of Bob and Dhel McLean at 11/77 Tingal Road, Wynnum Central, Brisbane Old 4178. The couple brought us to an exclusive restaurant, the RSC Club where we also met Edna Dybal, who married the Italian, John, and Liza Ceresa , wife of an Englishman.

After lunch, Dhel brought us to Pandanus Beach, walking distance from where they live. From there we went straight to a Mall before we were offered coffee and cake at their residence. They gifted me with a clown and mating pigs. Terry was offered two crystal pieces and Beth with a doll and a pair of toy boots.

Then time to say goodbye and back to Baby’s house. Allan picked us at Ipswich station and we were home by 6:00 p.m.