Karinya's Web Diary

Date: 28 Nov 2011 01:51:21

Title: Brisbane

[<< Prev Post] | [Next Post >>]
[Back to Index/Map]

27.29s 153.02e

Hi all

We are currently in Brisbane, it was great sailing up the river and seeing
skyscrapers for the 1st time in 8 months Cal and Jess think more than 3
stories are high.

We tied to some Pilon moorings right in the city centre (this is two piles
in the river that you suspend the boat in-between) and when moored up we
realized that we have entered the local boat "squatter" camp. Lots of
derelict and semi derelict boats are moored there with people living on
board.
Anyway weve seen worse, Julie's friend Sven lives in Brisbane so he came
down to meet us. This is when our first major misdemeanor happened. I got in
the dingy to fetch him and sped off down to the dingy dock. On returning 1
of the local residents came to the boat and said I was breaking the speed
limit. Now our dingy is fast but I doubt we are faster than the high spped
comuter ferries that drive past. Apparently they were 4 meters further away
from the moored boats than I was and that is acceptable!
Sven took us round the some of the sights that evening and we went out for a
pizza. Australia is really expensive especially with the £-$ rate, so we
won't be eating out too much.
On returning to the dingy dock I found we had made our 2nd major offence as
we tied our dingy line 20cm shorter than the squatter residents like and
this has caused some real emotional upset in the local community. Hmmm this
1st world stuff is already wearing us down.

Alex one of Vicki's old nursing friends lives in Brisbane so we were invited
round for dinner, it was great catching up with them and Alex has has a 6 year old girl which Jess has loved playing with.

We also went looking for cars and now
are the proud owners of a 6 seater wagon. This is where we finding that
living 2 separate lives is becoming tough. Firstly we discovered the minivan
does not fit on the boat.....now there is a suprise....secondly parking in
cities is expensive...you must remember this is our first 1st world city
since Lisbon 18 months ago, so how did we know you pay for parking in a CBD?

The boat being on the piles was uncomfortable with to and from motion (Thats
piles not Haemrroids) so we moved to a swinging bouy. After going into town,
we had our 3rd strike you out.....this time I had tied the dingy in the big
boat area, the local boat bum proudly announced.....now I looked at his semi
floating piece of wood and asked what the cut off for "big boat" was as our
dingy is 2.4m and his stick was 2.5m. He could not quite answer that one so
with lots of profanity said I had once again tied the dingy to close to the
dock and maybe one day I would learn and become a real
sailor.....unfortunately at this point I lost a little self control and
asked him had his decrepid boat or decrepid self actually ever seen the sea.
This and the mooring issues eventually became too much so we headed down
river to the sanctuary of the sea. We are in a marina which is breaking the
bank $80 per night and will be moving back to Scarborough later today where
things are more affordable. We intend leaving the boat there while we pick
Meg up from the airport and then will take a leasurley cruise down the gold
coast to Sydney.
Somehow we have to get the car down there, but boating friends may be able
to help us with that.

Lessons learnt trying to re-establish ourselves in first world
We were un-popular in the cheap side...... don't park your Rolls Royce in
Soweto
We were very popular with car sales men.....having Callum saying the car we
buying is cheap just before I try negociate the price does not help secure a
bargain
Owining a car......this is good if you not sailing 1000 miles away and still
hope to use it.

We are driving to Sydney to collect Meg who arrives on the 6th for 6 weeks. then we shall sail to Sydney for a new years festival.