We are on the traditional territory of the Yuggera People
It was a relaxed final day, with no highway cycling, the end of our 1155 km bike trip in Australia, nearly 800 kms for Wayne.
The ride began with a stop at Shorties Espresso, just down the road from the hotel. To avoid the highway, we followed the CycleWayz route from there, which took us up to the Daisy Hill Conservation Area, with a view of the Logan Valley, eventually winding our way down on to Miles Platting Road and back on the V1 Cycleway. On the path, we met David, whose bike was set up to carry three of his grandchildren, with modifications planned to accommodate two more! He showed us a photo of when he transported a washing machine on his bike…..
The V1 into the city was dedicated cycle path, large sections of which are a three metre-wide path adjacent to the Pacific motorway, a little noisy perhaps, but a joy to cycle on. Arriving at South Bank, we cycled across the uniquely-designed pedestrian/cyclist Goodwill Bridge, stopping to take some celebratory photos, and on to our hotel on the Queen Street mall.
The V1
David
Brisbane River
Our time in Brisbane was too short, but fun. We took in some live jazz at the Do-Bop Jazz Bar; had coffee and a mini-tour of South Bank, the bridges and the Botanical Gardens with our friend Sharon’s sister, Allison, and her husband, Tony; visited the Museum of Modern Art; and went out for a Japanese meal and interesting evening with Di and John, friends of Isabel.
With our bikes packed up once again, we left Brisbane for Auckland yesterday. We have so appreciated this brief introduction to Australia, its extremely friendly and welcoming people, excellent food and wines, endless beaches, towering eucalyptus trees, multitude of national parks, the allure of the outback, perfect cycling weather and an inexhaustible supply of good espresso. Paul’s list of Australian birds reached 73.
We are taking some time off in New Zealand to vacation with our Victoria family, who are meeting us here tomorrow. We expect to be back blogging about the final weeks of our trip after August 24.
Coffee notes: Black Lab Coffee – good 8.75/ 10 espresso from Locale. Their No 143 is a blend from Tanzania, Colombia and India.
