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| Day 2 - Tuesday, October 2nd, 2001 Brisbane - Sunny 27°C | ||
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Our shuttle bus arrived and dropped us off at the Brisbane Transit Centre, a city central hub for trains, busses, and touring companies. We boarded a double-decker bus and taken on a quick half our tour of the city, terminating at the wharf where our tour boat was waiting. Heading down river, the banks are lined with industrial plants and dockyards, but once we were out to sea the view was awesome. We docked at the Tangalooma Island resort to drop off some passengers, then traveled parallel to the shore and saw the Tangalooma shipwrecks. Passing the tip of the island marked by a lighthouse high up on the hill, we noticed a mob of dolphins jumping in the distance. Once someone spotted the first whale however, everyone’s attention quickly shifted. The frenzy of people on the upper deck was amazing as people spotted one whale after another to port, then starboard, then port again. Overall, we sighted over a dozen whales, including a mother and her calf, and several breaches. Almost two hours later, we returned to Tangalooma to pick up more passengers and some outgoing mail, but this time we decided to disembark and walk along the beach. It was long and beautiful, so we took off our shoes and socks walked in the warm sand. Wadding knee deep into the warm Tasman Sea was a thrill, and started a trend that we would continue throughout our trip. We wished we could have stayed to swim, but the lack of time (and trunks) prevented it. Our ride was leaving, so he quickly boarded and headed back to port. A quick bus ride back to the hotel and our first tour was behind us. Changing into eveningwear, we called a cab and headed out to the Summit restaurant for dinner. The restaurant is at the top of Mount Coot-Tha, which has a wonderful view of Brisbane’s cityscape from the lookout. We decided to have a light dinner so we only ordered from the Entrée menu, from which Lyne selected some ravioli while I had Emu and Crocodile pâté with some bread. We took the opportunity afterwards to take in the nighttime view of the city, then a quick cab ride back to the hotel to end the day. |
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After a good night’s sleep, we decided to forgo the fruit and instead have breakfast in the restaurant, where a nice buffet was available. Returning to our room afterwards, we collected our gear and waited downstairs for the arrival of our first tour pickup to go whale watching. There was no guarantee that we would see any whales, but with the weather being so nice, the boat ride alone was sure to be enjoyable.
