Straddie

Wednesday was the citywide public holiday for the Ekka (think Brisbane’s version of the CNE). With no work for Chris, my classes cancelled and neither of us interested in battling the crowds at the show we decided it was time for another installment of Adventures in Southeast Queensland

We decided to head back to a place we had both been before, Stradbroke Island. But this time we would do it public transit style. And with perfectly connecting buses and ferries public transit was never so efficient. A twenty minute water taxi ride followed by a 25 minute bus ride around the island and we were at Point Lookout, the more touristy of the three little villages on the island. And rightfully so, with its dramatic cliffs, sheltered beaches and café after café it is an easy spot to waste an afternoon.


Stradbroke Island Scenery

We mainly wandered along the road that hugs the cliff edge stopping for a fish and chips lunch at a small takeaway and a drink at the local. After that it was time for a nap in the shady soft grass behind one of the beaches followed by ice cream.


Can you find a Chris in this picture???


There he is!

Rejuvenated we walked the board walk of the Blue Gorge which is essentially a narrow cove where the waves rush in at forceful strength and the cliff faces are adorned by multitudes of vegetation

I was mesmerized by the flora on the island. Tall grasses, leafy palms. Everything so rugged and hardy but tropical and lush at the same time.


Happily admiring the view

Then to top off our little stroll we happened upon a kangaroo munching on some grass.

Completely unfazed by our presence

Then we hurried back to catch the bus back to the ferry dock. The drive back afforded views of a tangerine and mauve sky as the sun set over the mainland. A little reversion of the typical view out over the ocean. What is it about sunsets? I saw dozens of spectacular shows on the pacific coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica during my time in Central America but they just never seem to lose their appeal. I suppose it is something to do with their daily occurrence yet somehow it is rare that I even notice them in the bustle of my everyday life. It is only in those rare moments that we step outside the routine that we get to truly enjoy those common wonders all around us.

That is just what I love about travel. For lack of a less clichéd way to write it, it is the way it makes you look at everyday things in a different light. And I had another thought while cruising along in that over crowded bus, memories of those congested chicken buses all too fresh in my mind. Travel by public transit, while sometimes inconvenient and uncomfortable, gives me a sense of connectedness with those around me. I watched as others I recognized from the journey over to the island boarded the bus, happy, tired and a little sunburnt just as we were, and it made the day feel just a little more special.

The Vitals:
Two Return Ferry Tickets: $27.00
Fish and Chips for Two: $20.00
Enjoying a chocolate ice cream while glimpsing a school of dolphins playing in the waves: Priceless