Thanks to Her Majesty, we enjoyed a long weekend in the middle of June supposedly for her ‘birthday’. Since that was the last weekend of the year (12 to 14 June) and I haven’t been to the state of Queensland in the north of Australia at all, I decided to make a trip to the state capital Brisbane for a winter escape and visiting a friend.
六月中英女皇恩賜壽辰假期一天，趁是年內最後一個長週末（12至14日），而且一直沒有踏足過澳洲北面的昆士蘭州，我便北上至該州首府布里斯本（Brisbane）遊覽，順道探朋友和避寒。
The miserable weather and cold air of Melbourne gave way to the sunny skies and warmer weather as soon as the plane landed in Brisbane. But it took me by surprise that about half of the people in the streets, especially the youngsters, were wearing only shorts and T-shirts when the temperature was barely touching 20 degrees and I was still wearing a jacket. I wondered what those people could wear in the really hot summer days.
甫下機，墨爾本的迷濛煙雨和寒氣一掃而散，換來的是晴空一片和溫暖一點的天氣，不過令我不解的是，第一天下午，最高氣溫才剛好20度，我仍要穿夾克，但街上有一半人——尤其是年青人——祇是穿T恤短褲，究竟夏天更熱時他們還可以穿甚麼？
The Brisbane CBD looked rather spacious with its wide streets and squares. I headed straight to the city from the airport, and my first destination was the pedestrian zone cum shopping strip of Albert Street and Queen Street. I enjoyed a lunch right in the middle of the Queen Street, in one of those semi open-air restaurants. Then I took a stroll along those two streets for some window shopping and watching street busking. One end of Queen Street opens up to the Brisbane Square, while Albert Street connects to the King George Square. The most prominent feature of the King George Square is the city hall, with its tall citadel and the rather classical architecture. The statues scattered across the square added some artistic flair to the Square. The plentiful open space around the city centre reminded me of many European cities.
布里斯本市中心，寬闊的步行街與兩個大廣場相連，形成開揚的布局。我一下機便直出市中心，到Albert Street和Queen Street行人專用區逛逛，在Queen Street中央的半露天餐廳吃午飯，然後沿着大街兩旁逛商店、看街頭賣藝。Queen Street的一端是Reddacliff廣場（Reddacliff Place），Albert Street則連接英皇喬治廣場（King George Square），座落該廣場的市政廳大廈很是奪目，高高的鐘樓和外牆的一列圓柱凸顯其古典味，廣場四周都擺放了多座雕塑，令廣場生色不少。這些闊廣的街道和廣場，不禁給我一種歐洲的感覺。
六月中英女皇恩賜壽辰假期一天，趁是年內最後一個長週末（12至14日），而且一直沒有踏足過澳洲北面的昆士蘭州，我便北上至該州首府布里斯本（Brisbane）遊覽，順道探朋友和避寒。
The miserable weather and cold air of Melbourne gave way to the sunny skies and warmer weather as soon as the plane landed in Brisbane. But it took me by surprise that about half of the people in the streets, especially the youngsters, were wearing only shorts and T-shirts when the temperature was barely touching 20 degrees and I was still wearing a jacket. I wondered what those people could wear in the really hot summer days.
甫下機，墨爾本的迷濛煙雨和寒氣一掃而散，換來的是晴空一片和溫暖一點的天氣，不過令我不解的是，第一天下午，最高氣溫才剛好20度，我仍要穿夾克，但街上有一半人——尤其是年青人——祇是穿T恤短褲，究竟夏天更熱時他們還可以穿甚麼？
The Brisbane CBD looked rather spacious with its wide streets and squares. I headed straight to the city from the airport, and my first destination was the pedestrian zone cum shopping strip of Albert Street and Queen Street. I enjoyed a lunch right in the middle of the Queen Street, in one of those semi open-air restaurants. Then I took a stroll along those two streets for some window shopping and watching street busking. One end of Queen Street opens up to the Brisbane Square, while Albert Street connects to the King George Square. The most prominent feature of the King George Square is the city hall, with its tall citadel and the rather classical architecture. The statues scattered across the square added some artistic flair to the Square. The plentiful open space around the city centre reminded me of many European cities.
布里斯本市中心，寬闊的步行街與兩個大廣場相連，形成開揚的布局。我一下機便直出市中心，到Albert Street和Queen Street行人專用區逛逛，在Queen Street中央的半露天餐廳吃午飯，然後沿着大街兩旁逛商店、看街頭賣藝。Queen Street的一端是Reddacliff廣場（Reddacliff Place），Albert Street則連接英皇喬治廣場（King George Square），座落該廣場的市政廳大廈很是奪目，高高的鐘樓和外牆的一列圓柱凸顯其古典味，廣場四周都擺放了多座雕塑，令廣場生色不少。這些闊廣的街道和廣場，不禁給我一種歐洲的感覺。
The leafy Adelaide Street
綠樹成蔭的Adelaide Street
Left: Albert Street pedestrian zone; right: a surf/skateboard shop spreading over 3 levels on Queen Street 左：Albert Street行人區、右：Queen Street一家佔了三層樓的衝浪滑版商店
A juggler on Queen Street
Queen Street看到的雜技表演
The Conrad Treasury Casino (left) and Brisbane Square building (right) on Reddacliff Place Conrad國庫賭場（左）和Reddacliff廣場的布里斯本廣場大廈（右）
King George Square 英皇喬治廣場
The City Hall (left) and the lions at its entrance (right) 市政廳大廈（左）和正門前的獅子像（右）
Since the City Hall has been closed for an extended period for renovations, it has now slowly gathered dust, cobwebs (left) and unclaimed laundry items (right)!
市政廳大廈由於長期修葺，關門已久，所以現在鋪滿了塵，結滿了蜘蛛網（左），也被人用來曬衣服（右）！
The Petrie Tableau, created in honour of the early settlers and pioneers in Brisbane 紀念布里斯本最早的白人移民和拓荒者的Petrie Tableau銅像
But there is a modern and subtropical twist to this European city lay-out. Brisbane seems to have a liking for canopies and they were commonplace in the pedestrian zone and other parts of the city centre. Apart from the practical reasons of providing a shade, these canopies also provide areas for public gatherings and performances. Another streetscape unique to Brisbane is the Busways, which are thoroughfares dedicated for buses only and are completely separated from other traffic. The Busway that leads to where my friend lives is covered with a canopy of another kind along the way, formed by chicken wire supported on struts. From the outside it looked like a tubular animal cage.
這種歐洲風情中，滲入了現代感和亞熱帶元素。布里斯本看來對天幕情有獨鐘，行人專用區和市區其他地方都蓋了天幕，除了可以擋太陽隔熱外，也提供了表演場地。布里斯本市內有數條與其他馬路完全分隔的公交車專用線（Busway），通往我朋友住的地方的那一條，沿途也蓋了拱形天幕，從外面望過去就有點像個管狀鐵絲籠。
The canopy over one part of King George Square, providing cover for two levels of outdoor lounges
英皇喬治廣場天幕下分成兩層的休憩地方
The canopies in the pedestrian zone 行人專用區的天幕
The canopy outside the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, providing the venue for a children's show
昆士蘭表演藝術中心外的天幕，舉行兒童表演節目
蓋了拱形天幕的公交車專用線
A trip up the hill and down in the river is indispensable for appreciating the full view of Brisbane. The 250-metre high Mount Coot-Tha provides a superb viewing point not too far from the city centre. My friend drove me there on the first day after work, to the viewing platform at the peak of Mount Coot-Tha. The winding road uphill did remind me of Mount Dandenong back in Melbourne, and up at the peak one could enjoy an unobstructed view of the city, including the Brisbane River that snakes through a good part of the city.
要全面欣賞布里斯本全貌，最好要上山下河。離市中心不遠、高250米的Coot-Tha山（Mount Coot-Tha）是俯瞰全市的最佳地點，我朋友第一天下班後開車帶我到該山山頂的觀景臺，上山的路途倒有幾份像墨爾本市郊的丹頂農山（Mount Dandenong），到了山頂，市區的高樓大廈和蜿蜒流經全市的布里斯本河（Brisbane River）就一覽無遺。
A cruise along the Brisbane River on the CityCat ferry is a must for tourists. It’s simply one of the best ways to pass time and see the sights along the river, particularly because the CityCat is part of Brisbane’s public transport system and its fares are thus very reasonable. I boarded a CityCat from the South Bank precinct all the way to the University of Queensland terminus and sat on the deck to soak in the views. Once at the University, I took a quick walk around the campus. What impressed me the most was the Great Court with its lawn surrounded by the very classical and classy Forgan Smith building. One corner of the campus felt particularly secluded with three little lakes forming a mini native reserve of sorts. It’s not just humans that appreciated it, many birds did too.
下河的話就一定要坐CityCat渡輪，由於渡輪是公共交通服務，所以收費廉宜，實在是消磨時間和觀光的好辦法。我在市中心南堤（Southbank）登船，坐在船頭的甲板上欣賞沿河兩岸景色，一直到終點昆士蘭大學（University of Queensland），下船在校園繞一圈，然後登船回市中心。昆士蘭大學雖不是甚麼有名的景點，但校園中央一片綠茵，四周為一幢宏偉的古典大樓環抱，為校園帶來一股歷史氣息。校園的一角有三個小湖，那裡自成一片天地，就像小小的郊野，吸引不少雀鳥棲息。
Several of the many multi-storey residential buildings along the river
沿河不少多層住宅大廈
The Forgan Smith Building in the University of Queensland campus, surrounding the lawn of Great Court (right)
昆士蘭大學的Forgan Smith大樓，環抱校園中央的大庭園（Great Court）
One of the many entrances in the Forgan Smith building
Forgan Smith大樓眾多入口之一
The cloisters of the Forgan Smith building
Forgan Smith大樓的迴廊
The University of Queensland Art Museum
昆士蘭大學美術館
The tranquil and natural side of the campus
校園恬靜和自然的一面
Many bridges cross the Brisbane River, especially in the city centre where a CityCat ferry can pass underneath several of them in a matter of a few minutes. Each bridge has its own architectural style and look quite grand from the middle of the river as the bridges rise quite high from the water surface. The bridges do make me think of Sydney and the many European cities that features a river and many bridges.
沿河橋樑不少，尤其在市中心，渡輪短短三數分鐘便一口氣穿過好幾道橋。每道橋各有自己的構造，而且因為橋身高，在河上離遠看就覺得份外壯觀，令我想起悉尼和歐洲不少有河流貫通的大城市。
The Eleanor Schonell Bridge leading to the University of Queensland
通往昆士蘭大學的Eleanor Schonell橋
Left: The Merivale Bridge and the William Jolly Bridge behind it
左：Merivale鐵路橋和後面的William Jolly橋
Right: The Kurilpa Bridge behind the William Jolly Bridge
右：William Jolly橋後面的Kurilpa橋
The Goodwill Bridge 友好橋
The Riverside Expressway and the city by the river
河畔公路和背後的市區
South Bank is a very lively area. One end of it can be described as an arts precinct where the State Library and many arts centres are located. I took the advice of my friend and paid a visit to the Ron Mueck exhibition in the Gallery of Modern Art. Mueck is a well-known sculpture artist who specialises in human sculptures. Not only does he pay attention to the finest details of the human body, but he also chooses materials that give an almost real depiction of the skin complexions and texture. All his sculpture characters thus appear very natural and realistic in their facial expressions and body languages.
南堤是個熱鬧的地方，一端可以稱為藝術文化區，是圖書館和多家藝術館的集中地，我也聽朋友的特別推介，到現代藝術廊（Gallery of Modern Art）參觀Ron Mueck雕塑展。Mueck是有名的雕塑家，擅長人物雕塑，選用的物料更能把皮膚本來的色澤和質感栩栩如生的展現，令雕塑的表情更真實自然。這些雕塑，不知新任的沈校長有沒有興趣？
The arts precinct in South Bank 南堤的藝術文化區
The State Library of Queensland
昆士蘭州立圖書館
The courtyard of the Queensland Art Gallery
昆士蘭藝術廊的庭園
Other exhibitions in the Gallery of Modern Art, including Aboriginal (left) and New Zealand art (right)
現代藝術廊內的其他展覽，包括澳洲原住民（左）和新西蘭藝術（右）
Staring afar (left) and staring at the visitors (right) to the Mueck exhibition
凝望遠方（左）和盯著參觀者（右）的Mueck雕塑
(I’ve uploaded more photos of the Mueck exhibition, the Gallery and other pieces of artwork around the streets to this website, if you’re interested.)
（雕塑展覽和在藝術廊其他地方展品的相片數目不少，連同其他市中心街道拍攝到的藝術品照片，我已上載至另一網址。）
While on the topic of art, the Powerhouse in New Farm Park is definitely worth a mention. Its name gave its former identity away as an electricity generating plant, but the Powerhouse is transformed into a venue for exhibitions and performing arts. What haven't changed though are its old brick walls and the graffiti that were painted all over the place. The Powerhouse faces the Brisbane River on one side, and the restaurant inside made full use of it with a balcony that allows patrons to enjoy some river views along with their food and drinks.
談到藝術，不得不提位於New Farm Park的動力屋（Powerhouse），該處前身是發電廠，後來搖身一變成為表演及展覽場地，內部改建了，但外貌依舊，連牆上的塗鴉也保留下來，堪稱舊房子活化的成功例子。面向河的那一邊還有一個餐廳連陽台，可以一面吃喝一面欣賞河景。
The Optogemel (the panel of glass lenses hanging from the ceiling can be rotated by turning a handle at the entrance)
藝術擺設Optogemel（懸掛在半空佈滿玻璃鏡的幕可以用入口的手柄攪動而旋轉）
Views that reminded me of the residences along the harbour and Parramatta River in Sydney
此段河景有點像悉尼海港和Parramatta河沿岸的住宅區
The other end of South Bank is a good place for leisure and particularly attracted many families with young children because of a children’s festival. The embankment was decorated with many bright red and violet flowers which enlivened the whole surroundings. Brisbane people seemed to have a love for water. Apart from a series of fountains for playing, the South Bank has followed the footsteps of Berlin and Paris and laid a beach by the river. But Brisbane has gone one better and has included a pool beside the sand! It made this city beach look like a seaside resort of some kind.
南堤的另一端是消閒的好去處，適逢那裡舉辦兒童活動，特別吸引一家大小。河堤種了鮮紅和鮮紫的花，正好點綴河畔，也令四周生色不少。布里斯本人看來很愛嬉水，除了一個噴水嬉水區外，南堤也仿效巴黎和柏林，在河畔鋪了個小沙灘，但比那兩個歐洲都會更進一步，不忘在沙灘旁加個小泳池，製造一個海濱的縮影。
The flowered embankments of South Bank 南堤種滿了花的河堤
Brisbane city from South Bank 從南堤遠望布里斯本市區
The Ferris Wheel at South Bank
南堤的摩天輪
The Nepalese Pagoda 尼泊爾亭
The Suncorp Piazza
Suncorp廣場
The Arbour corridor weaving through South Bank
蜿蜒穿過南堤的樹徑
The Streets beach by the River 靠河的人工沙灘
A place to enjoy some water play
嬉水區
Confucius contemplating new philosophy by this fountain
孔子也來了布里斯本，在噴水池旁沈醉於其思考中
But why does Brisbane need an artificial beach in the heart of the city centre? I have always thought that Brisbane is a city by the sea, but once I was there I’ve started to realise that the city was actually rather far away from the sea, and the few beaches in Brisbane were nothing special. My friend told me that most Brisbane people would drive south to the Gold Coast or north to the Sunshine Coast if they wanted to go to the beach. He treated me to one of these trips to the beach on my last day in Brisbane, and took me to the Sunshine Coast. Our first stop was the town of Scarborough on Redcliffe Peninsula, where we had a seafood lunch by the sea. The seafood store where we bought our lunch was surprising full of Cantonese-speaking visitors and migrants. My friend quipped that the seafood must be very good there since Hong Kong people are known fussy eaters and know how to find good seafood! After lunch we continued farther north to Bribie Island, and we drove to the beach at Woorim on the sea-facing eastern coast. We could have almost claimed the whole beach to ourselves if not for the odd passers-by, and against the brisk sea breeze we enjoyed a walk and a chat. This reminds me of the beach walk at Scheveningen in The Hague three years ago, except the weather was so much more favourable this time!
究竟為甚麼布里斯本要在市中心堆一個沙灘？我一直以為布里斯本是海濱城市，但來到後才知道布里斯本市中心離海岸其實挺遠，市內的海灘也沒啥特別，朋友告訴我，當地居民想去海灘的話大都會驅車到南面的黃金海岸（Gold Coast）或北面的陽光海岸（Sunshine Coast），這個假期的最後一天他便特意開車帶我北上陽光海岸，先到Redcliffe半島一小鎮Scarborough，惠顧一家海鮮店坐在海岸邊吃午飯，沒想到那裡說廣東話的移民或旅客特別多，朋友也打趣說香港人最嘴尖，這麼多港人光顧，那些海鮮肯定不錯。飯後我們繼續北上，到Bribie Island東岸的Woorim，在海灘迎陣陣海風一邊散步一邊聊天。空曠的海灘，祇有我倆和偶爾三數人的足印，凜凜海風吹來，有點像三年前在荷蘭海牙Scheveningen海灘兜風的日子，不過這次舒服得多了！
Lunch (left) and a short walk (right) by the Scarborough seaside 在Scarborough的海濱吃午飯（左）和閒逛（右）
Life's a beach at Woorim ... 藍天碧海、人跡罕至的Woorim海灘
It was a relaxing way to spend a long weekend, and I can finally claim that I have been to all the mainland states of Australia. There is still one state that I haven’t been to, the island of Tasmania south of the mainland. Now I just need to find time for a visit there!
這三天假期便是如此輕鬆度過，而我也終於可以說踏足過澳洲本土各個州，如今祇剩下本士以南的島——塔斯馬尼亞州（Tasmania），且看何時有空到那裡闖蕩吧。
（雕塑展覽和在藝術廊其他地方展品的相片數目不少，連同其他市中心街道拍攝到的藝術品照片，我已上載至另一網址。）
While on the topic of art, the Powerhouse in New Farm Park is definitely worth a mention. Its name gave its former identity away as an electricity generating plant, but the Powerhouse is transformed into a venue for exhibitions and performing arts. What haven't changed though are its old brick walls and the graffiti that were painted all over the place. The Powerhouse faces the Brisbane River on one side, and the restaurant inside made full use of it with a balcony that allows patrons to enjoy some river views along with their food and drinks.
談到藝術，不得不提位於New Farm Park的動力屋（Powerhouse），該處前身是發電廠，後來搖身一變成為表演及展覽場地，內部改建了，但外貌依舊，連牆上的塗鴉也保留下來，堪稱舊房子活化的成功例子。面向河的那一邊還有一個餐廳連陽台，可以一面吃喝一面欣賞河景。
The Optogemel (the panel of glass lenses hanging from the ceiling can be rotated by turning a handle at the entrance)
藝術擺設Optogemel（懸掛在半空佈滿玻璃鏡的幕可以用入口的手柄攪動而旋轉）
Views that reminded me of the residences along the harbour and Parramatta River in Sydney
此段河景有點像悉尼海港和Parramatta河沿岸的住宅區
The other end of South Bank is a good place for leisure and particularly attracted many families with young children because of a children’s festival. The embankment was decorated with many bright red and violet flowers which enlivened the whole surroundings. Brisbane people seemed to have a love for water. Apart from a series of fountains for playing, the South Bank has followed the footsteps of Berlin and Paris and laid a beach by the river. But Brisbane has gone one better and has included a pool beside the sand! It made this city beach look like a seaside resort of some kind.
南堤的另一端是消閒的好去處，適逢那裡舉辦兒童活動，特別吸引一家大小。河堤種了鮮紅和鮮紫的花，正好點綴河畔，也令四周生色不少。布里斯本人看來很愛嬉水，除了一個噴水嬉水區外，南堤也仿效巴黎和柏林，在河畔鋪了個小沙灘，但比那兩個歐洲都會更進一步，不忘在沙灘旁加個小泳池，製造一個海濱的縮影。
The flowered embankments of South Bank 南堤種滿了花的河堤
Brisbane city from South Bank 從南堤遠望布里斯本市區
The Ferris Wheel at South Bank
南堤的摩天輪
The Nepalese Pagoda 尼泊爾亭
The Suncorp Piazza
Suncorp廣場
The Arbour corridor weaving through South Bank
蜿蜒穿過南堤的樹徑
The Streets beach by the River 靠河的人工沙灘
A place to enjoy some water play
嬉水區
Confucius contemplating new philosophy by this fountain
孔子也來了布里斯本，在噴水池旁沈醉於其思考中
But why does Brisbane need an artificial beach in the heart of the city centre? I have always thought that Brisbane is a city by the sea, but once I was there I’ve started to realise that the city was actually rather far away from the sea, and the few beaches in Brisbane were nothing special. My friend told me that most Brisbane people would drive south to the Gold Coast or north to the Sunshine Coast if they wanted to go to the beach. He treated me to one of these trips to the beach on my last day in Brisbane, and took me to the Sunshine Coast. Our first stop was the town of Scarborough on Redcliffe Peninsula, where we had a seafood lunch by the sea. The seafood store where we bought our lunch was surprising full of Cantonese-speaking visitors and migrants. My friend quipped that the seafood must be very good there since Hong Kong people are known fussy eaters and know how to find good seafood! After lunch we continued farther north to Bribie Island, and we drove to the beach at Woorim on the sea-facing eastern coast. We could have almost claimed the whole beach to ourselves if not for the odd passers-by, and against the brisk sea breeze we enjoyed a walk and a chat. This reminds me of the beach walk at Scheveningen in The Hague three years ago, except the weather was so much more favourable this time!
究竟為甚麼布里斯本要在市中心堆一個沙灘？我一直以為布里斯本是海濱城市，但來到後才知道布里斯本市中心離海岸其實挺遠，市內的海灘也沒啥特別，朋友告訴我，當地居民想去海灘的話大都會驅車到南面的黃金海岸（Gold Coast）或北面的陽光海岸（Sunshine Coast），這個假期的最後一天他便特意開車帶我北上陽光海岸，先到Redcliffe半島一小鎮Scarborough，惠顧一家海鮮店坐在海岸邊吃午飯，沒想到那裡說廣東話的移民或旅客特別多，朋友也打趣說香港人最嘴尖，這麼多港人光顧，那些海鮮肯定不錯。飯後我們繼續北上，到Bribie Island東岸的Woorim，在海灘迎陣陣海風一邊散步一邊聊天。空曠的海灘，祇有我倆和偶爾三數人的足印，凜凜海風吹來，有點像三年前在荷蘭海牙Scheveningen海灘兜風的日子，不過這次舒服得多了！
Lunch (left) and a short walk (right) by the Scarborough seaside 在Scarborough的海濱吃午飯（左）和閒逛（右）
Life's a beach at Woorim ... 藍天碧海、人跡罕至的Woorim海灘
It was a relaxing way to spend a long weekend, and I can finally claim that I have been to all the mainland states of Australia. There is still one state that I haven’t been to, the island of Tasmania south of the mainland. Now I just need to find time for a visit there!
這三天假期便是如此輕鬆度過，而我也終於可以說踏足過澳洲本土各個州，如今祇剩下本士以南的島——塔斯馬尼亞州（Tasmania），且看何時有空到那裡闖蕩吧。
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