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Monday, February 28, 2011

Brisbane Dreaming Research trip day 2:


What I'm grateful for in Brisbane today:
1. MORNING WALKS: One thing I love most about Brisbane and what I am grateful for today specifically, is the opportunity to do morning walks along the riverfront as the day breaks and locals jog, ride or make their way to work. Frane (my valued and courageous research assistant) and I pounded the pavement from Kangaroo Point right around to the arts precinct and back. Along the way, we took in the innovative public artworks, chatted to local council workers about the floods, grabbed a coffee at South Bank, watched people rock climb (um, please explain), chatted to a few iguanas (rude little buggers didn’t respond) and considered the crazy schedules we have in the next six months.

2. FERRY: Aside from the incredibly convenient and quick ride from Kangaroo Point to Eagle Street on a stunning sunny Monday morning, I was grateful to the friendly and helpful ferry man who offered directions to get to Queen Street Mall so we could find some creative inspiration on the shopping strip. And, because we really didn’t want to walk anywhere, we got the ferry tonight also. Check out the pic above for the stunning city-scape by night from the river. Stunning!




3. BORDERS BRISBANE: I’m grateful that with all the uncertainty surrounding the Red Group right now, that Brisbane city Borders was trading as usual this morning, and welcomed both Frane and I in to sign our books (hers were Ned Kelly and Simpson and his donkey). It’s always exciting to see multiple copies of your titles in-store, especially when Avoiding Mr Right has been out for over two years. Now, don’t be tripping yourselves over running in to get that last signed copy, okay?


4. WEST END: To me, Boundary Street West End is like a much shorter version of King Street Newtown, only cleaner. And I always love to visit some of my favourite places, especially Avid Reader where I’ll be launching Paris Dreaming on April 29. It’s fair to say that after a 6km walk before breakfast, then walking from the ferry stop all the way to West End, I was very, very, very grateful to finally find a seat for lunch at Lock’n’Load. It was here that we learned of the Aussie Oscars glory for the brilliant Shaun Tan. Congratulations Shaun, I’m grateful I have an autographed copy of The Arrival. (pic below of Shaun and I at the Barbara Jeffris Awards 2009)



5. SAKI: Frane and I had our own Oscars-dinner at Saki, Eagle Street Pier. I loved the food and the saki, but I am most particularly grateful for the very sexy French waiter who was much less shy than the muse, whom, as you can see below, is spending too much time floating around the pool when he should’ve been inspiring me more!

10 comments:

Sheryl Gwyther said...

Glad to see you out and about in our lovely city, Anita and Frane. Hope you don't melt away in the humidity!
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday :)
xx
Sheryl
PS. Sorry to hear about some people being rude to you - very unusual, I guarantee, most people are very friendly up here in Brissie. :) Where they the ones up the Kangaroo Point Cliffs' rockface, lol?

Unknown said...

Sounds like my kind of research trip!

Dr Anita Heiss said...

Hi Sherly - we're researching our big hearts out. And keeping cool with tasty beverages :)

I realised I left a word out... we chatted to 'iguanas' who didn't chat back :)

See you Thursday! XX

Dr Anita Heiss said...

And hello MIA - I like this kind of research too :)

sara said...

Heya. I'm sure I saw somewhere that you were looking for cupcakes. Not really my thing I have made some young cupcake addicts rather happy by taking them into the cupcake shop on Vulture Street, it's almost on the corner of Thomas Street (I think) so an easy detour via avid.

If you're looking for more restaurants to try, can I suggest Ahmets? There's one down at South bank in Little Stanley street, but we usually eat at it's sister restaurant in Oxford Street Bulimba...where they do lovely cocktails.

I don't know if you're going out as far as Redcliffe but there's a lovely cafe at Woody Point called Feelgoodz cafe - great for breakfast, coffee and gelati. We often cruise out there for weekend breakfast, and there's Sunday markets by the Redcliffe jetty...just near the boat that goes to Tangalooma.
Surely your heroine will need a weekend at the beach swimming with the dolphins?

happy researching.
xox

sara said...

Oh, duh.
If your story is set at Kangaroo Point, you need to know about the Sushi Kotobuki place at Mowbray Park. Its just in the lane behind the subway on Lytton Road there.
Japanese to die for.

And a block or so further out there's a fish place that's awesome called the Fish Monger's wife.

Dr Anita Heiss said...

GREAT tips Sara, thanks a million. I'll save them all up for the next research trip! Much peace, Anita

Catherine Tramell said...
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