Papua New Guinea – Day One (Aug 9)

Admittedly, the title of this post isn’t accurate. Yesterday wasn’t about PNG, it was, instead. a day spent in Brisbane after 24 hours or so of travel, from DC to Charlotte to LAX to Brisbane (that last leg was 17 1/2 hours gate-to-gate).

I did grab about six hours of sleep on the last long leg and that made all the difference. The jet lag didn’t really hit me until bout 5:30 pm, a day spent mostly outdoors.

Brisbane is on the east coast of Australia (you’ll see it on the map from my first post of this trip), is the capital of Queensland, was established in 1825, has a population of about 2.6m people, and will be hosting the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. It’s also where some of the FIFA Women’s World Cup games are being held though, unfortunately, I’m missing the last two matches being played here – the quarterfinals (Australia vs. France) this coming Saturday and the consolation game on August 19th. It’s the third time I’ve been to Brisbane (the first was in 1996 – the late 20th century!, during the Atlanta Olympics – though that’s a story for another day) and – as best memory serves – I’ve done different things each time I’ve been here.

Yesterday was about trying to take it easy. Brisbane seems to be designed to take advantage of the Brisbane River, which twists through the city (an Uber driver said it’s known as the Brown Snake River, both for its silt-tinged color and its pathway). So, after settling in at my hotel, I took a walk – down to and across the river, from the north bank to the south, then into two museums that sit on the river bank – the Queensland Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery. After that, it was a walk along a river-side bike and pedestrian promenade, leading to the site of the FIFA Fan Festival (closed today, as there were no matches), restaurants, and parks.

The highlight of the day, though, was a twilight climb to the top of the Story Bridge. This bridge, completed in 1940, spans the Brisbane River and is the longest cantilevered bridge in Australia. It stands about 245 feet high, and the climb (really a hike up steps high – like waaaayyyyy high – above the roadway) is made in small groups, everyone in matching jumpsuits, with harnesses wrapped around our waists and attached to cables lining the path. The only company that manages the climbs requires each customer to take a breathalyzer test before going and to empty their pockets and person of everything – wallets, phones, cameras, bracelets – pretty much everything except eyeglasses (which are then attached to the jumpsuits) and wedding bands. Other interesting facts: the climb itself is comprised of over 1,000 steps, and the bridge was built with about 1.25m rivets (yes, million). My climb went at twilight, which mean we got to see the sunlight and lights changing spectacularly over the city while taking in the amazing 360-degree views over the course of the two hours it took to complete it.

It was a good first day to adjust to the time change – fresh air and temps in the high 60’s to low 70’s with mostly clear skies.

(Clicking on an image below will enlarge it in a new window).