Miami, Queensland, Australia - Day 5

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Now that we’ve taken a few days to settle into our new surroundings, it was time to incorporate school and work back into our lives. Andi called together a family meeting last night to review this week’s plan with Tory and Aden so there’d be no surprises or groans from the group. He told the kids he expected them to be up, dressed & ready for school by 9:30am this morning, and guess what? They were!

For Andi and I, our day began much earlier. We both woke up at 5:00am which is 1:00pm (the previous day) in Minnesota/Wisconsin. That’s the time Andi plans to work while we’re here. So far, he said, it’s nice because all the day’s tasks and emails are waiting for him when he wakes up in the morning and there aren’t many calls or emails that come in during Australia’s daytime because everyone in the Midwest has already left work for the day.

While Andi worked this morning, I blogged and did my workout. A personal goal of mine during this trip is to continue exercising everyday, and so far it’s been easy to do. The Gold Coast of Australia is filled with fit & active people. Any given time of day, there’s heaps of people walking, running, and surfing across the street from our condo building.

Impressively, Tory and Aden were dressed and ready for school by 9:30am. Communicating the plan ahead of time seemed to do the trick in getting us all on the same schedule. I wasn’t sure how participation would go given we took the week off for travel, but there were very few grumbles from Tory and only a bit of redirecting needed for Aden.

While Tory, Aden, and I worked on school work, Andi did his workout in the Mariner Shores fitness center. He’s also made a commitment to exercising on this trip which I think is great.

This afternoon, we planned to take the train to Brisbane. Brisbane is Australia’s 3rd largest city, and the capital of Queensland. Andi suggested we have lunch near our place before leaving as it’d take us about an hour of commuting to get into the city. I wasn’t very hungry as I’d eaten a big bowl of yogurt and an apple after my workout, but Andi and Aden said they wanted to eat. Andi suggested we go back to Paddock Bakery to try their restaurant menu.

Paddock Bakery is just so cute! We walked inside the wooden gate and found a table underneath the tree canopy. Then, Andi went to the front counter and placed our order — a curry meat pie for him, plain burger with chips (aka: french fries) for Aden, and a cookie milkshake for Aden and Tory to share.

We’ve yet to dine in a restaurant with table service in Australia; every establishment we’ve patronized so far has customers order & pay for food at the front counter, or by QR Code at the table. Andi and I don’t mind this system at all. It’s nice to eat and leave when we’re finished without waiting for a server.

Tory was not happy about being outside in the warm temperatures. She made a fuss at lunch about being too hot to eat, and said it was making her stomach hurt. I quietly asked Andi if we should take her back to our condo, but he said no; he thought she needed to go to Brisbane with us.

After lunch, Andi called an Uber to take us to Varsity Lakes train station. From there, we hopped on the express train to Brisbane for $2 AUD/per adult (kids rode free).

Andi and I vowed we’d never take public transportation again after so many trains in Europe last year, but so far our experience with Australia’s tram line has been painless. Signs are written in English, trains arrive on time, and they aren’t packed with sick people. I wouldn’t say it’s our favorite way of moving from Point A to Point B, but this afternoon’s experience wasn’t terrible.

By the time we arrived at Brisbane’s South Bank station, it was 2:00pm. Andi suggested we check out the city’s Parklands area — a 42-acre green space and man-made beach along the Brisbane River. The park was a short walk from the train station. Almost immediately, we were surrounded by lush, green trees and sculptures.

The section of the park we entered first was called Epicurious featuring edible plants, herbs, and trees. There’s a free produce cart here on weekday mornings for park-goers to enjoy.

Across the “Big Brown Snake,” as the Brisbane River is affectionately called, were views of the city’s skyline and Victoria Bridge. Free river ferries and cruise boats zipped along the waterway.

We thought Streets Beach was the coolest part of Parklands. This man-made beach is nestled right beside the river and features a swimming pool, sandy beach, and a wading pool (lifeguard patrols, too, because Australians take swim safety seriously).

Aden was bummed we didn’t bring our swimming suits along, but I reminded him we came to see the city — not go for a swim. Streets Beach was pretty cool though — it’s Australia’s only man-made inner city beach. Where else can you take a swim while looking at skyscrapers? No surprise this area was packed with families enjoying the water on a steamy summer afternoon.

The four of us continued walking through Parklands to the rainforest garden and Nepalese peace pagoda. This area was tranquil with lush greenery and a shaded boardwalk. Australia’s only peace pagoda is located here; a nod to Nepalese wood carved art.

The Wheel of Brisbane was another sight along the pathway. We chose not to pay for the ferris wheel, though it did advertise air-conditioning, and instead made our way to the Queensland Museum of Art. Never before have I seen two kids so excited about an art museum! They clamored their way inside the heavy front doors to bask in the cool relief of the indoors.

Tory said she was hungry, so Andi suggested we have a seat in the museum’s cafe to have a bite to eat. Tory ordered a kids pasta dish, I ordered the hummus plate, and Andi had an espresso. Everywhere we go in Australia, there’s self-serve water stations which is much appreciated.

Our food was surprisingly delicious, and the ambiance delightful. We took our time visiting with one another at a table surrounded by big, sunny windows.

After having a look around the Queensland Museum of Art, we wandered inside the State Library of Queensland to see the Neon exhibit. I found it interesting to learn that neon signage has been around since the early 1900’s.

Next, we ventured to the Gallery of Museum Art which touted a children’s exhibit inside. Here, there were several different hands-on displays for children and adults alike, including an interactive screen with moving art pieces, crayon rubbing designs, a create-your-own monster station, and an art with geometric patterns. Both Tory and Aden enjoyed this area.

Three museums were probably enough for one day, so we started to make our way back to the train station. Along the way, Andi suggested we stop for ice cream at Messina. Aden and Tory each ordered a scoop before we continued on our way.

We walked through the streets of South Brisbane versus taking the Parklands route again, and met lots of commuters on the streets heading home from the office. Suddenly, Aden expressed his need to find a bathroom — quick! Luckily, some street signage pointed in the direction of a public toilet.

It turns out, this wasn’t a public restroom after all, but a toilet for employees of the shopping complex only. We thought Aden might be out of luck until the gate to the men’s toilet pushed open. Phew! That was close.

Andi, Tory, and I waited outside the restroom for what seemed like forever. “You OK in there, Aden?” Andi gave a shout through the blue bars. Eventually, Aden re-emerged, but our fears were confirmed. The door did lock after all, from both the outside and the inside. Aden was trapped inside the men’s restroom.

Aden was in a panic. “What am I going to do now?” he asked with a worried tone in his voice. Andi left to find a key or an employee in one of the neighboring businesses. He returned a few minutes later and let Aden out of the bathroom.

“What did you say?” I asked Andi, as we walked away. “I’ve got a weird one for you, sir. My son is locked in the bathroom?”

“That’s exactly what I said,” And responded.

“That’s why I moved to that far table so it didn’t look like I was with you guys,” interjected Tory, embarrassed that her brother locked himself in the bathroom — again.

The four of us made it back to the South Bank train station just in time to catch the 6:00pm train. Our hour-long train ride back to the Burleigh Heads area was long & crowded. Ah, now we remembered the joys of public transportation.

By the time we reached Varsity Lakes, it was 7:00pm. Andi ordered us an Uber to take us back to our condo at Mariner Shores — another 20 minutes until home. It took a bit of logistics to get to Brisbane and back this afternoon, but Andi and I were still glad we took the opportunity to see one of Australia’s biggest cities. Life on the Gold Coast is full of surf, sand, and sunny vibes; it was to see Australia in another perspective.

Andi promised Aden we’d have dinner at Sushi Train sometime this week, and he suggested we go as soon as we got back to our condo. I didn’t really feel like going out again, but I didn’t feel like cooking either and Sushi Train was a short walk down the street from Mariner Shores. Tory opted to stay back at the condo since she’s not a big sushi fan.

None of us had ever eaten at a sushi train before, so we were excited to experience it. Andi, Aden, and I were seated in a booth next to the train of sushi going around the restaurant. We picked a few plates off the conveyor belt, then a few more. The sushi quality was sub-par at best, but it was a fun experience.

“How was it?” Tory asked when Andi, Aden, and I walked in the door.

“Eh, not the best,” Andi responded.

“Yeah, I figured as much,” said Tory.

Today was another great day on the Gold Coast of Australia. We are really enjoying our time here. Jet lag seems to have passed, and everyone is feeling healthy. Looking forward to another fun today tomorrow.