8.

Brisbane at last! We stayed out a bit late the night before, so the plane ride to Brisbane proved to be a bit wearying. Following an hour plane ride/hibernation, we arrived in the Queensland town around noon.  After settling into our new housing (which, by the way, has AC!!), we headed down to the river. We are staying in an area called Woolloongabba. I did not make this name up. Luckily, we are right across from the cricket stadium so there are lots of restaurants and shops nearby. Down the road a bit is the river where there are stunning walkways and public parks, pools, playgrounds, and lovely green spaces. Immediately, you can tell that Brisbane is a much less touristy area and has a much more family friendly environment. We rode on the Brisbane Ferris wheel where we were able to look out over the entire city. This city is considerably different than Sydney, much more residential. After the ferris wheel ride and a bit of exploring, we decided to grill out for dinner. We bought fish and veggies at the supermarket and went up to the rooftop of our hotel, where we grilled out and had a great meal together. We then all headed to bed around 9:30, probably our earliest night in yet. It was glorious.