2009/07/14 UQ St. Lucia, Brisbane River, Customs House, Mount Coot-tha

As part of the ISSS Brisbane 2009 meeting, a field trip had been arranged.  We had to arrive early, parking at the edge of the campus to walk up Campbell Road in the University of Queensland St. Lucia campus.

We encountered our group walking down Union Road towards the ferry dock.

There’s regular City Cat ferry service from UQ to the city centre.

The structure of the dock suggests the riverbanks are shallow.

In the warm Brisbane winter, we stood on the back deck and watched the ferry’s wake.

The route took us under bridges in a variety of shapes.

The north bank of the river had construction cranes, underscoring Brisbane’s growth.

On the south bank, the Wheel of Brisbane is prominent.

The ferry docked at the Customs House, and we climbed up the steps.

The plaza facing the river is below the level of the street at the front door.

From the customs house, the view southeast of the Brisbane River has a majestic view of a bridge.

Looking southwest down the Brisbane River, towers line the shore.

After we had finished our meeting inside the Customs House, we stepped out onto Queen Street.

In the distance, at the top of the hill, we could see the Cathedral of St. Stephen.

We boarded the bus for a drive through the city.

Our next destination was the Botanic Garden atop Mount Coot-tha.  The sundial must cast a shadow beyond its platform.

Wandering around the gardens, we saw ducks in the pond.

The pond follow a Japanese style.

The arid zone has a cactus house.

While enjoyed the display, the cactus family is not indigenous to Australia, and was brought over from America.

From the lookout facing north, we could see the river.

The towers of the city centre are northeast from Mount Coot-tha.

Looking east, the river takes a bend to the south.

A map marker helped us sort out the directions.

Returning to the UQ St. Lucia campus via bus, the terminus let us on the side away from the ferries.  We walked past Mansfield Place.

The Forgan Smith building was named after a Queensland premier in the 1930s.

The Great Court on the St. Lucia campus is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

We found our way back to the Abel Smith building, where we finished the day with a few closing lectures.

It’s refreshing to be at a conference where sightseeing can be built into the program.  While it’s good to be focused on content for a few days, a group trip around the city presents the opportunity for people to get to know each other.

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