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Tale
Three - Brisbane, Australia - by Malik
Day 4- 3rd July, 2003.
As I had a long way to go, I left Sydney at 1:00 pm only after
two days of sight-seeing. I boarded a Greyhound bus bound
for Brisbane. The bus was air-conditioned with recliners,
overhead racks and had many facilities like video, potable-water
and toilet. The driver introduced himself as Captain as if
handling an Airbus. All passengers were advised to wear safety
belts to avoid penalty in case the bus was stopped in a random
check by the Police. Initially, the bus moved slowly on congested
streets but gained speed once it hit the freeway. Australians
drive on the left-hand side. Speed-limit on the highway is
100 km/h. The police have radar guns and hidden cameras. It
illegal to keep a radar-detector. However, on-coming drivers
would flash their headlights to warn of a speed-camera ahead.
Passing towns named Hornsby and Belmont, the bus changed to
Pacific Highway near Newcastle. Incidentally, it was the first
stop enabling me for a bit of a leg-stretch and to have a
quick view of the surroundings. Newcastle had wide leafy streets
and many colonial buildings. Moving a little away from the
noisy coach terminal, I could hear a howl, a roar and a thunder
alternating in rhythmic patterns. An aboriginal band was playing
nearby. Their instruments have fascinating names like didgeridoo,
llpirra, boomerang clapsticks and bull-roarers. I returned
after a while to the bus and resumed the journey. This area
belonged to Hunter Valley known for two diverse products:
coal and wine. Moreover, it was well populated with suburban
houses and hi-rise buildings.
The next stop was Coff Harbour with street and avenue names
like Rainforest Mall, Rose Avenue and Big Banana. It was a
stop for going to Mutton-bird Island having thousands of pairs
of wedge-tailed shearwaters. (An oceanic bird having a short,
hooked bill with tube-shaped nostrils and long, slender wings
that appear to shear the water as the bird flies along the
surface.). This being month of July, the visitors to the island
might see Humpback whales in their north-bound migration.
It was around mid-night. I was half-sleepy on the comfortable
ride. I saw a spectacular pure white temple among green fields.
A shimmering mirage !!! No, it was Sikh Temple called “Guru
Nanak Gurdwara”.
Guru Nanak Gurdwara (Temple of Sikh's).
On the next stop, there must be some Sikhs to explain the
situation. A Sikh can be spotted from miles away because of
its typical turban and virgin-beard wrapped in a cotton-net
to contain its spread. I tried to look for one but there was
none. However, I learned from the bus driver that the nearby
town, Woolgoolga, has a large Sikh community who originally
worked on Queensland sugar plantations and later moved down
to the south to grow bananas.
A Sikh.
On the way, the bus stopped at Grafton. It had fine street-trees
– spectacular jacarandas. Come October, the whole Grafton
downtown would be carpeted with their massive flowering. Grafton
lay on the bank of a mighty waterway, the Clarence River.
Its wide delta had a patchwork of sugar plantations. In general,
the area was flat agriculture land, cut by countless dry river
beds. The area had a great resemblance with our agricultural
areas. I was comparing the two countries when I was distracted
by a sharp laser beam. The bus was nearing the end of New
South Wales Province. Soon it passed by a towering Capitan
Cook Memorial straddling the state border with Queensland.
The memorial was topped by a laser-beam lighthouse. Pretty
soon, there was a change in topography:green fields gave way
to neon-lit roads and hi-rise constructions. The area, known
as Gold Coast, had strips of beaches, theme parks, shopping
plazas and condominiums. It was almost 4 am. I was losing
concentration and fell into deep sleep only to wake up when
bus had stopped at Roma Street, Brisbane.
Day 5 - 4th July, 2003
I had a reservation for a single room at YHA. The hostel was
a bit away from the coach terminal. I dragged my carryon gleefully
as I would have a long rest once I reach the place. However,
I was in for a shock. On reaching the hostel, I was told to
wait until 12:00 for a check in. I handed over the carryon
for safe-keeping and thought of whiling away six hours in
a strange town. It was quite perplexing. Fortunately, I had
teabags of Twinings’ Earl Grey Tea and some munchies.
I went to the kitchen, made tea and sat outside in a veranda
with tea & crackers. My mind became clear and sharp as
hot fluid trickled in sip by sip. The solution: I should resort
to the old game - a long walk lasting for hours.
Brisbane, at that early hour, looked calm and quiet. After
crossing a street or two, I found myself by the river. A broad
pedestrian path ran along the river. It was like a dream come
true. I walked on the path passing by grassy parks, small
play grounds and swimming holes. Fresh air had a soothing
effect on me. The serenity was occasionally disturbed by a
speed boat towing water skiers in their colourful uniforms.
I returned after three hours and spent the remaining time
either dozing on sofa or browsing the books in the common
room. A “check-in” announcement was music to my
ears. I got a good room and went in for much-needed rest and
sleep.
In the evening, I strolled in the city. Downtown, centered
along bends in the Brisbane River, was a vibrant mix of modern
skyscrapers and old buildings. Laid out in rectangle, its
streets were named after British Kings and Queens, Princes&
Princesses. There was a circular Greek Temple known as “Shrine
of Remembrance”, a City Hall with a tall tower in Florentine
style, colonnaded façade and portico. Also there was
a metal sculpture depicting Petrie, one of the earliest free
settlers. While moving about, I heard someone saying “Assa
Lama Ailakum”, Muslim's greeting when translated in English
be: "May peace be upon you." I turned around and
saw a security guard in blue uniform. He introduced himself
as Mohammad Ishaq from Chennai, India. It was good to meet
a Muslim brother. He suggested me to go to Queen Street Mall.
I moved as per his directions and ended up in an interesting
place. It was a pedestrian zone with boutiques, department
stores, shopping arcades, sidewalk café and cinemas.
I also had an opportunity to go through Treasury Casino, built
in the style of an Italian palazzo.
Day 6- 5th July, 2003.
I had been in touch with my friends in Australia through email.
I got a message that Mr. Jeff, founder and CEO of a website
www.meeturplanet.com, would be coming to meet me at about
1:00 pm. ( Many of my travel tales have been published by
him and I am grateful to him for his support and encouragement.)
I shelved all my plans and waited for his arrival. Right on
the dot, he came in a dark colored car with a young girl sitting
next to him. I envied his lifestyle.
We went to South Bank, a riverfront full of parks, shops and
restaurants. It had a sandy beach which was popular with families.
Afterwards, we went up to Mt. Coottha, about eight km away
and reached a look-out giving a great view of the city. I
remained with them till evening and found Brisbane, a thriving
metropolis with many galleries, museums, theatres, concert
hall, cultural and sport events. He dropped me at YHA and
another eventful day was over.
Hafeez
ur Rahman Malik, Karachi-Pakistan.
Submitted: 01 September 2003
Next: Coming Soon.
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