Brisbane
“You’re basically killing each other to see who’s got the better imaginary friend.”
— Rich Jeni
Brisbane began as a British penal settlement in the 1820s and today is the capital of Queensland. I had heard people describe Brisbane as boring, but that certainly wasn’t my experience.
One day I was in the middle of downtown, talking to my wife on the phone and enjoying a Starbucks coffee. I was very happy about this cup of java, man.
Suddenly, a large group of people came marching towards me. They were protesting the U.S.-led military action in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, as well as Australia’s involvement. Coming from the opposite direction was a sizeable group of police in riot gear.
I abandoned my telephone booth and watched from a safer distance. Thankfully, the demonstration remained peaceful, and once I was reasonably sure nothing was going to happen, I took a few pictures.
It was strange being in Australia during the aftermath of September 11. Being so far from home gave me an opportunity to hear perspectives on the attacks and the events that followed from people from many different countries. Back at the hostel, I remember talking until the wee hours with a couple of Israelis who were also travelling through Australia.
All I can say is that I was, as always, very thankful to be Canadian.
The next day I took the CityCat along the Brisbane River and got some nice photographs of the city skyline from the water. It was a great way to see Brisbane from a completely different perspective.
I also loved Brisbane because it had a Pizza Hut and a super-fast ADSL Internet connection. Remember, this was 2001. I was in heaven.
