Brissie

Brisbane, Australia

Wow!  Right off the bat, the rooms were absolutely amazing!  I felt like I was actually living in a home or well apartment.  There was space, we could spread out, we could open the windows, we could even wash our clothes in our own apartment space!  I know some of those things seem minuet to most, but to us they are a blessing. 

We were right in the heart of things; a Winter Foods Festival where there was an outdoor ice rink, close range of shopping of all sorts, and even trails and Botanical Gardens.  And if that wasn’t enough, we even had a space to BBQ at the hotel!  It was almost so good that you didn’t want to get out and see the city, but we did.

The Botanical Gardens made for a nice place to start a run.  The towering palms trees and medium bushes offered shade and a place to escape city traffic.  If you were daring enough you could run along the edge of the water, but be careful; there isn’t a rail to keep you out of the water if you happen to lose your footing. 

Winding my way across a pedestrian bridge I found myself gazing down into a dry dock and the Brisbane wheel and a short distance away I was shaded from the warmth of the sun under vines of beautiful purple flowers.  

As the sun flickered into the spaces that leaves did not cover completely, I made my way to Southbank where swimming holes were still open!   There were small rainforest adventures, watering holes, and views of the city that were lined with tiled mosaics built into the sidewalks. 

I can’t believe that this is their winter here in Australia! 

And even though we had quite the hike to get to the arena this week, a 45-minute bus ride, it was still in a great area.  Surrounded by other sports facilities and parks, the arena was in prime location.  There may not have been much around, but it was peaceful and we had a chance to get outside and soak up some rays. 

I’m pretty sure that with the accommodations we had for the week and the sunshine that we all would have been content staying here instead of moving south to colder temperatures.