Brisbane & Lone Pine Kohala Sanctuary

Brisbane ("Brisben"), the capital of the state of Queensland, is another modern Australian city filled with amazing buildings, construction everywhere, and all kinds of old and modern neighborhoods. People love the city, which is divided by a salt and fresh water river; high-rise apartments jam downtown. The Summer Olympics are coming in 2032, so the city is awash in construction.

The major highlight of the day was our three-hour visit to the Lone Pine Kohala Sanctuary, home to some 125 koholas and a generous variety of purely Australian animals: kangaroos, crocs, dingos, birds & parrots, indigenous reptiles, etc. We spent about two hours walking the dusty trails and had lunch at the Sleepy Koalas Cafe, chaperoned by chickens and big, lengthy lizards.

We returned to the ship by way of a city route and ended up in the gym for a little more exercise.Read more