brisbane v1.1

australia zoo day - also known as steve "the crocodile hunter" irwin's zoo. the zoo was a good 1.5hr train ride from brizzy into the glass mountains. these mountains, however, are a sight to see. all of a sudden they rise out of the ground like sculpted cylinders. it reminded me of the opening in jurassic park with the chopper flying into the costa rica island.

the zoo itself was expensive to enter, but worth it if you like crocodiles. it is very specialized with several different croc paddocks, and a great tiger viewing area called the tiger temple. most of the land around the zoo is national park, and before his death steve irwin purchased the land. this means that when the animals are not on display they are let loose in huge tracks of natural land. lydia and i immediately noticed a difference in the animals. the zoo, which was started by steve's father, has now grown to 75 acres. they are currently expanding to 1000 acres. also in true crocodile hunter fashion they have made it a focus to try and get you as close to the animals as possible. during the shows the handlers hold raw meat to leaping and snapping crocs, and all day in the tiger temple the handlers are in with the tigers playing with them. lyds even got the chance in one of the open areas to lay next to a resting roo for a picture. it didn't even mind her presence. there is a great memorial to steve at the zoo as well. hundreds of signatures, letters, etc. people have sent in from all over the world telling how much he meant to them. they also had a copy of his dad's eulogy where he stated not to be sad for his son, but for animals in general as they, and he, had lost their best friend. crikey. emotional.

the next day lyds and i walked around southbank which lies across the river. it was beautiful with a man made beach off the brisbane river, including tons of fountains and toys for kids to play with. for the adults there were bars, the cultural center, and walkways with a lattice-work above you woven with flowers.

our last day in brisbane was also an adventure. lyds went off to do her own thing and i was set in finding boggo road prison - brisbane's maximum security facility for years and the home for seven years of nathan jones. on my way there i asked directions from a passing lady (erica), and she was curious why anyone would want to go and see the site. when i explained she opened up to me and told me that many years ago she had just broken up with her boyfriend, and was invited to hang out with a guy she just met at his house and listen to some tunes. her friends urged her not to go with him as she wasn't very keen, and to instead go clubbing with them and find a new guy. she refused. that night the club her friends were in, and she was supposed to be at, was firebombed. the guy who did the act was incarcerated in boggo road and became known as the whiskey-a-go-go murderer. one of her friends was murdered. she married the man she listened to music with that night, and is still to this day. by the time i reached the prison it was closed due to repairs (which is typical) - but erica gave me a first hand history lesson. i left the prison site and went to the nearby police station and talked to the officers on duty complaining. they agreed with me and said i could see one of their cells if i chose. i declined.

then we were off to noosa. it is crazy that the more we move north the warmer it gets, and the more palm trees we see. it takes some getting used to.

mom - if you have divorced dad can you give me his new number? everytime i call he is never around anymore. is he pokeroo or what?