Bitti and I stayed in the Riverside Hotel SouthBank for two nights before flying home. The hotel was definitely in a handy location, but the experience of staying there was … noisy. It was heavenly to sleep on a mattress again, my neck is dicky at the best of times so after 3 weeks on various camping mats it needed some recovery support. And that first shower after camping without facilities for 4 days felt divine!
We had just one full day together in town so we started with a walk around the corner to the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. I am not much for modern art, but Bitti can amuse herself with anything so I just followed her around and said, ‘I don’t know, what do you think?’ a lot when she asked what different artworks were all about. They had some kids art activities going so she made herself a paper puppet. We had cake in the state library cafe and took a Bitti Walk back to the hotel (a ‘Bitti Walk’ is one in which she slowly proceeds from object of interest to object of interest and I follow, occasionally urging her back on track so we don’t end up circumnavigating Australia).
After a restorative rest we went back to Streets Beach, which was why I’d booked a hotel in South Bank. Although it was overcast and bordering on chilly in the wind off the river, we played ‘dogs’ in there for a couple of hours. The last swim of our trip 😦 Then it was home to pack the bags up for an early start the next day.
We took the train to the airport, which was made easy by having South Brisbane station only 600m from the hotel. I say ‘easy’, but it was a bit of a struggle getting 3 suitcases and 2 bags up the slight incline, even at 7 am I was sweating. Bitti was dragging her feet but we made it before she could activate full defiance mode. A helpful station worker showed me how to buy a ticket for the airport and helped us through the gate. On the platform, yet another worker helped us get our cases onto the train, most solicitous! Perhaps we were lucky that it was so quiet due to COVID times, but it’s going to be a 10 out of 10 for QueenslandRail.
We got to the airport in plenty of time so Bitti made a beeline for the Lego shop. She had some Christmas money from her great-grandma and grandparents and ended up selecting a tiger set she’d seen in the Brick Works place. Then we settled at the gate to wait, and wait, and wait! Our flight was delayed by about 90 minute in the end due to some ‘engineering troubles’. We eventually made it back to Adelaide, where a wintery chill greeted us. This reminded me what I enjoy about Queensland so much; the consistency in temperature! All our luggage was waiting for us when we descended into the arrivals hall, even the car seat.
That reminds me! On the way up to Brisbane, when I went to collect Bitti’s car seat from oversize luggage I saw a man walking off with it. I stopped him and said, ‘Would you mind checking that you have the right seat?’. He glanced down and said, ‘Nah, this is definitely mine’, and made to walk off again. I insisted, ‘Can you please just check the ticket as it looks the same as mine’. He impatiently grabbed the luggage ticket, and sure enough is said Bitti’s name on it! He handed the seat over without a word and turned back to the oversize luggage. Out of curiosity, I watched him find his actual car seat and, lo, it was not remotely like Bitti’s, different shape, size and colour! Must be nice to move through the world so oblivious yet so confident.
That last leg in the taxi is always the worst part of return travel for me. I am back in my ‘at home’ mindset, thinking about unpacking and all the admin I need to do. The house was just as we left it, and I was abundantly pleased with myself for tidying up before we went. We had just one more task to do; collect Milky Joe from Nanna’s. After unpacking the cases and starting up the washing machine on the first of seven loads, we went to retrieve him. The little bastard saw us and turned in fright as if we were perfect strangers! Thirteen years of care undone in just three weeks’ absence.
MJ gradually warmed up to us and decided he did know us after all. He even sat calmly in his cage on the way home. Due to COVID I am WFH full-time again and Bitti is spending her time in vacation care, with her grandparents, and on the iPad so I can work. We have another camping trip coming up in late January, down at Second Valley, SA. I am going to try some advanced level Tetris to get Bitti’s bike in the car as I still don’t have a roof rack. I am first committed to purchasing us some thick self-inflating mattresses, so saving up towards that.
Reflecting on our Queensland adventure, we had some excellent times and some woeful times. I think Bitti needs a little more of her own space than she was afforded by living in shared spaces. Travelling with another family is definitely a cure for our loneliness, but her personality is such that she just needs downtime (although she cannot see this yet). So in future we will get our own room at least, and schedule days when it’s just me and her. Despite some of the difficulties, I am already thinking about how we can do a driving holiday up to Queensland when she’s old enough to sit up the front with me. She’s 5 cm away from being tall enough for that. My nephew will always need visiting, and when she’s a bit older she can help me navigate and plan the route.
Bitti is keen to move to Queensland and it is a tempting proposition. But the reality is our support system is in Adelaide, I could never afford the lifestyle I have here in a more expensive real estate context, and the holiday vibe is unlikely to translate into everyday life. Now that Bitti can snorkel we can plan a Great Barrier Reef trip (before it’s bleached to buggery) and content ourselves with that.
Two Little Travellers 