Brisbane (& Nearby) Highlights

In the three days leading up to my parents’ departure, we had some fantastic adventures in Brisbane and the surrounding areas. We travelled two hours south to Springbrook National Park, and two hours north to the Eumundi markets. On our last day, we headed up.

Springbrook National Park

About 1.5 hours drive from Brisbane city, is Springbrook National Park, a haven of greenery in the Gold Coast hinterland. Our first look of the area were the glimpses of sparkling water that shone through the trees. Growing out of the calm, bright waters, were tall, thin trees that were almost haunting in their strange beauty. As we gained elevation, the roads became thin and felt precarious with thin edges that fell away. The views were beautiful before we even made it to the lookout point, but when we did, we could enjoy them without anxiety and adrenaline rushing at the same time. In the distance, we could see the hazy skyline of the Gold Coast. In the other direction was the white smoke of a controlled burning. 

We continued driving until we reached the carpark at the start and finish point of the Purlingbrook Falls Circuit. From there, we had a 2km hike down to the bottom of the falls, complete with clear views across the trees, hazardous stones, and a vast amount of lush greenery. Very quickly, we were warm. August is Queensland's winter; I couldn't imagine doing the walk in any other season - especially when I considered we had to do a similar hike back up. We heard the water before we saw it, rushing over the cliff and splashing into the pool below. As we reached the rocks that surrounded the pool, a rainbow appeared near the foot of the falls, a smooth, vibrant blur of colours. We spent some time admiring the whole view, resting on the rocks (and climbing them, for me).

The climb back up (another 2km+) was hot. We'd snacked on bananas at the falls, which surely gave us a little boost of energy, but by the time we reached the top, we were ready for another sit down and refuel. We ate a picnic lunch with bush turkeys watching on, waiting for us to drop crumbs or something larger. Before leaving the area, we stopped at a cafe and sipped cool Bundaberg sodas. I remember laughing about something, on the veranda of the cafe, bubbles fizzing. Perhaps it was at the selfies mum took of us – I remember one being better than the other. Or it was something someone said. Regardless of what it was, I remember the warmth of the laughter.

Eumundi Markets

The following day was Dad's birthday, and we had decided to head to Eumundi Markets for the morning. We have fond memories of going when we lived in Brisbane over ten years ago, and as a self-proclaimed market lover, I was very excited to go back. We were guided into a carparking slot on a hilly grass verge, and then it was a very short walk into the thick of the markets. There were a variety of stalls. Some I recognised from markets around the city – a jeweler I once bought a necklace from, a falafel stand I always have to try a sample at. Others were new to me. Mum and I tried oat chai lattes from one and had a conversation about travel and 'home' with one of the stallholders. We browsed more jewellery and admired fancy chopping boards. There were stalls of shoes, bags, trinkets, and more. After some wandering, our chais gone down, we got hungry. Dad had a market classic: a potato on a stick. Mum and I decided to go for plant-based tacos. The vegan duck was stand-out. We finished with lemon sugar donuts and lemonades from two other stalls.

We did another loop of the markets post-lunch. Now we made our purchases. Some for gifts, that Mum and Dad would take home, others for ourselves. Dad got himself some new t-shirts, and I bought myself a bracelet. We left the market very satisfied – a morning well spent.

Helicopter flight over Brisbane city

On our final day together, Mum, Dad and I braved the skies in a doors-off helicopter experience over Brisbane City. At Christmas, we'd been gifted a Red Balloon voucher, which we put towards the flight, along with money Mum had received from friends to spend over here to celebrate her 50th birthday. This ride was a celebration of both my parents' birthdays, and the end of a fantastic trip together. We flew with V2 helicopters, from Archerfield airport. Dad drove us out there and I 'navigated' – which meant I informed him too late that he was supposed to "turn right back there." Luckily, we had set off in plenty of time. That morning, I'd received a text from the company postponing our flight by 45 minutes to allow clouds to pass. We'd seen this before we set off, but, luckily, we'd still left with plenty of time to get there.

In the waiting room, we laughed when another group returned from their flight and told us, with a smile, that it was very shaky and scary! As I sat reading a picture book about helicopters, I didn't feel nervous, just excited. Our pilot, Tim, met us and took us out to our little helicopter, which was adorably perched on a tiny landing pad. We had a safety briefing from Tim, and then we climbed in. We put on our headphones over our ears, microphones in front of our mouths. Tim conversed with people we couldn't hear in code we didn't understand, and shortly, we were off. We rose slowly, edging forward only slightly, and turned and gained more elevation.

Of course, I've flown before, having been on airplanes. But this was really flying. With the doors off, our view was so clear. I didn't feel so much that I was above everything, more that I was part of it in a different way. When we reached the city and flew past skyscrapers, it was as if I could reach out and touch them. Of course, when I did let my arm stray out of the huge gap that one could loosely call a doorway, the pressure and speed of our flight pushed my arm back so fast that I couldn't control it.

As we flew over Story Bridge, my eyes scrambled. It was the perfect landmark from which to trace a route to my rental house. There was something so exhilarating in my race to spot it, before we flew on. When I found it, I shouted into the wind.