This was our last day in Brisbane. We had to vacate our room by 11am, which we did after our free breakfast. But our flight did not leave until 1am so we had a full day to sightsee. We decided that the best option would be to hire a taxi for the day. That would allow all 4 of us to stay together and would keep our luggage with us. So we arranged to have Ish, the driver we met on our trip to the hotel when we arriivd in Brisbane, drive us around.

Brisbane is a beautiful city, but we saw what we wanted to see in the city on the first 2 days. The one attraction that was a “must see” for all of us was the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which was located nearly 20 miles from downtown. So that was our first destination.

Lone Pine offers up close and personal encounters with koala bears, kangaroos and raptors (hawks and falcons). There are also sheep dog demonstrations (sheep dogs being very important to the Australian economy) and some other native animals, such as crocodile and platypus.

Upon arrival we immediately headed to the “free flight raptor show”. This was a demonstration of the skills of three different birds – a barn owl, a hawk and a peregrine falcon. All were “free flight” which meant they were free to fly about the venue – no cage. And the flight paths were often very close to us in the audience – close enough to touch the bird as it flew by. Very cool.

The kangaroo encounter was special. They live in a large fenced area which we could enter. We were able to walk among the kangaroos and even pet them. Also very cool.

The koala encounter was not so intimate. It is possible to hold a koala, but that privilege costs $15 and has to be reserved in advance. But there are many koala bears (which are not actually bears) in open pens where we could get within a few feet. The platypus was elusive. I should have taken a video as they move too fast to get a good still shot. We also saw some HUGE bats – the size of kittens.

After Lone Star we jointly decided on a dinner venue, recommended by Ish – Charcoal & Co. It was basically a fast food place serving Arabian fare. Very good.

He then drove us to Mount Coot-tha which overlooks Brisbane. We got a nice nighttime view of this beautiful city. Dottie thought she lost her phone while there, but, fortunately, it was in the taxi. Ish then drove us to the airport so we could begin our long journey home.

Another beautiful day in Brisbane – high around 80 with bright, sunny skies.

We had a free breakfast at the hotel – nice but not spectacular – then the 4 of us went in search of a river ferry. It was a short walk to the river, but construction (which is EVERYWHERE in Brisbane – this is a city in the midst of a transformation) prevented us from going as Google directed us. We asked for directions and were pointed in the opposite direction. We eventually got to the dock but then learned that the CityCat – the larger, toll ferry – did not take cash. So that option was out. Marlene was convinced that there were 3 ferries – a CityCat, a KittyCat and the CityHopper, the last two being free. I thought there were just two – the CityCat (toll) and the CityHopper (free). I thought “KittyCat” came from Marlene not hearing “CityCat” correctly (those Ausie accents can be tough). That led to a new dispute and a new round of chilliness.

When the free ferry arrived it had a banner saying “CityHopper” on the front and a painted “KittyCat” label on the side. So I tried to reconcile with Marlene by admitting that I was wrong about there not being any ferry named “KittyCat” but also felt that she was wrong about there being 3 ferries, believing that the KittyCat and the CityHopper were one and the same. I later learned that “KittyCat” was the name of the smaller CityCat boats. And they were sometimes used to provide the free CityHopper service. All very confusing. But no reason to argue.

We got by all that confusion and had a nice 90-minute free river ferry ride up the river then back down again. When we got back to the starting point (North Quay), Maureen and Dottie got off but we continued on for two more stops, exiting on the South Bank. We walked to a church that Marlene had spotted from the ferry and found it closed. But it had a nice cafe (“Under the Clock” because the church has a clock tower) in the basement and we had a light lunch of almond croissant and iced tea.

We then walked along the South Bank which is a public park that runs for miles along the south bank of the Brisbane River. The area is dotted with restaurants, gift shops (yes, Marlene bought some magnets), museums and art venues. It is also where the Brisbane Wheel is located. We considered taking a ride but decided the cost ($20 US) was too high.

We walked back to the hotel and, having a couple of hours to kill, decided to visit the Treasury Casino. I lost a bit more (about $15 Australian, $10 US) but Marlene did spectacularly well, winning about $140 US.

Having worked up an appetite by walking and gambling, we invited Dottie and Maureen to come to dinner with us. We chose the Jackpot, a Chinese place near the hotel and had a fine dinner for relatively little – about $10 US each.

At the Jackpot you order up front and the meal is then delivered to you at your table – by a robot. I have never been served by a robot before. But at least I didn’t need to leave a tip.

Actually, tipping is rare in Australia. I left a tip on the bar that first day, for my Kilkenny Red Ale. But it was still there when I returned later to place a food order. I took it back.

After dinner Marlene and I strolled the streets of Brisbane, taking photos. We found one other robot of interest – a machine that serves up a variety of fresh milk tea products. We didn’t get any.