Bushy’s BLOG

Brisbane is definitely not what I expected.Everyday is hot. Hot includes the evenings. Sunrise is around 5am with sunset at 6 going 7pm. There is very little wind and no rain to soften the expected minimum maximum temperatures which Channel 9 reports every evening at 7pm. “Expect a mild 28 degrees with a maximum of 30 with the odd cloud or two”.

Just great, that’s the same as yesterday and I’m willing to bet tomorrow will be just the same. What happened to the variation in temperature? Soon I expect I to be adding “same as last week!”

Needless to say – everyday I’m reduced to a puddle of sweat. The heat here is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. A heat which whilst hot is neither humid nor dry. Strange since the city is but a stone’s throw away from the Pacific Ocean.

The locals have informed me that this is cool. In the summer months – December to January – the temperature hovers around the 35-degree mark. Comparatively cooler than some opal mining area up north where the average is 47 degrees. It is consistently so hot that for miles there is no vegetation, just dull grey sand. In these areas, the home air conditioner is the side of a garage! I asked if that was the desert and got a “yeah mate”.

On arrival, the taxi driver mentioned that Brisbane is very laid back – so much so that Sunday shopping only appeared in that last the two years. That kind of explained why I couldn’t find an open “Bureau De Change” or an ATM at 5:15pm at the domestic arrivals terminal. It seems that in Oz, the domestic and international terminals are physically separate buildings with no possibility of walking between them. Luckily, I found chap that gave me the AU$3 needed to catch a bus to the international terminal. Once again the “Bureau De Change” was closed but thankfully the “Travelex” ATM was open.

Now when you fly to Oz, why do you follow a curved path from Johannesburg down towards Antarctica then up towards Sydney instead of a straight line? Because it is shorter.

The Australians that I’ve encountered in my travels so far are very friendly and most understanding. Enunciation and terminology is going to be troublesome for quite sometime. Robots are called “traffic lights”; everybody is your “mate”; all sentences must contain at least one “yeah”; any form of assistance given must be terminated with a “you’re welcome mate”; you don’t have a “CV” but rather a resume; you didn’t attend a “varsity” but rather a “Uni”.

What is definitely refreshing is the absolute lack of burglar bars, razor wire, security gates, high walls, car alarms and marmite monsters. In the evenings, the number of single woman that run or cycle is unbelievable. It is somewhat strange to see someone pull into a parking bay, leave the door physically wide open, enter the shop then casually walkout later.

Jay walking does not happen. Initially I thought it was funny. To cross at a traffic light, you hit a big silver button. This button beeps continuously until you see the little green man. Simultaneously the beep turns into a loud buzz – probably to help the blind. Now everyone quickly walks across the street. If you happen to be blind, you can use the plastic strips embedded in the tarmac to guide you across the road. Soon the buzz is replaced with an intermittent buzz and a flashing little green man. If you haven’t already, this is your cue to stay on the pavement and not start your dash to the other side. If you are already walking – this is your cue to hurry up and cross. Moments later the buzz stops and the little man is red. Failure to comply with this can result in an AU$35 fine. What made this initially so funny was seeing it in action – made one think you were watching a scene from an old black and white Charlie Chaplin movie. But this works – and it works well.

Yes, vehicle prices are lower than back in SA. A brand new Ford Falcon (=V6) or Hyundai retails for around R100k. But what is most noticeable is that most cars including delivery vehicles appear to be automatic. Air conditioning also seems to be standard – not an optional accessory. In this heat, I’d expect nothing less. Most houses, apartments and flats that I’ve found whilst trying to find a place to stay all seem to have air-conditioning. High-speed Internet connections are also popular. On the subject of connectivity, the Internet serious flies – no waiting for stuff to happen or download. One hour at an Internet Café costs AU$3 whilst connecting through the hotel room will set you back no more than AU$20.

What is weird though is the lack of pets and birds. Many rentals adverts state, “no pets allowed”. So far I can honestly say that I’ve seen only one dog, two Hardi-da like birds and one seriously old pigeon. The way I figure it, that pigeon’s days are numbered. He was struggling to make it across the traffic lights in time. The river that snakes through Brisbane is desolate – no bird life, no reeds, no rubbish just ferry boats.

The parks, roads and city itself is so clean one could almost say hygienic. Everybody that buys takeout walks and if necessary queues by the bins afterwards. Cigarette butts are not squashed on the paving but dropped into the butt trays provided at traffic lights and park benches.

As for the vehicles on the roads, it is my understanding that once a car reaches a certain age here, it must be checked every year to retain its “pink” slip. This could explain why even in the city centre you don’t feel intoxicated. Buses, trucks or whatever just don’t smoke or leak.

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