I am both astounded and horrified that Aussie males continue to wear stubbies even in the cold Canberra winter. Not something braved by the everyday man-on-the-street, but many of the über-masculine tradies who wear them as part of their uniform seem unphased by exposure of their bare legs to subzero temperatures. This commercial by L & P is one of my favourite, and features the stubby trend in New Zealand, much the same as it is here in OZ. Click to play, sit back, and enjoy 
Instead of writing a full-on story-style travelog for our trip up North to Brisbane, I’ve decided it will be more fun to make something that encourages a little more exploration … follow the links, explore and enjoy.
Brissie Top Ten
1. The Fox Hotel & Rooftop Bar
After dinner at Era on Saturday night for Alex’s birthday, we decided the mood was right to whirl things into a night out on the town. We started at the Fox Hotel’s rooftop Bar and ran into some delightful Brisbanites while
we took in the night view of the city. Through the course of the night we found ourselves at the infamous Conrad Treasury Casino (inside the city’s original treasury building), the Wickham Hotel, and The Beat Megaclub in trendy Fortitude Valley.
As a part of Alex’s birthday pampering, I treated him to a haircut and facial at Brisbane’s first-of-it’s-kind men’s day spa. His BHA Replenishing Facial and slick new haircut made enough of an impression to request a #2 ranking.
Currently in the final phases of their renovation, the Terraces on Wickham’s view over the Roma Street Parklands (see below) was just one of the features we enjoyed during our stay. The staff was friendly, the television was mounted on the wall and the bathroom products were Aveda … at the employee rate, it was a top notch choice for accomodation.
4. Prius
We drove over 2500 kilometers on our journey, and the Prius we picked up at Hertz performed flawlessly the entire way. It’s hybrid engine saved us hundreds of dollars on petrol and it performed better than expected when we took it four-wheel-driving into the sand at Rainbow Beach (see below). Thumbs up, Prius!
5. Moonrise @ Rainbow Beach
Since the sun sets quite early during winter, there are a couple of solid hours where no major celestial body hangs in the sky. This gives an opportunity to really take in the immense complication of a starry sky before the moon pokes it’s crown above the watery horizon. As the moon slides into position it starts out shining a brilliant orange before hanging overhead, bright enough to light up the entire beach.
6. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps All-One
During our detour on the way South from Brisbane, we stopped in Nimbin to see if all the hype surrounding the town would turn out to be true. A quaint strip of population in the Rainbow Region hinterlands of NSW, the main street hosts quaint cafés and shops, including the Nimbin Apothecary. There, Alex took an elixir concocted to “clear brain fog” and we encountered an old favourite, Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint soap. In the States, it’s found at any Trader Joe’s location, but not having that luxury on this side of the Pacific, these two American boys were ecstatic to pick up a bottle or two. The fresh feeling the peppermint oil leaves on your skin after a nice hot shower is unbeatable.
This travels’ camping location was a couple hours North of Brissie at secluded and picturesque Rainbow Beach. While the town is quite small, it affords all the essentials, and offers a variety of activities from beachside camel rides to fishing and sea kayaking. The campgrounds are just modern enough to offer clean and well-built toilets without going so far as to pave the roads. Not only are the colourful cliffsides set as a backdrop to the clear green waves, Fraser Island is set on the horizon — it’s no wonder we camped amongst caravaning families who appeared to be set up for a lengthy reprieve.
A brief stop on my way North, the Champagne House is set just outside Cessnock and came at a perfect time for lunch. It was quiet while I was there, but the bubbly women in the tasting room welcomed me in from the cloudy afternoon and let me sample several outstanding flavours from their repertoire. Recognizing this as the perfect place to snap up some celebratory libation, I took with me both a hearty sparkling Merlot Chambourcin and the House’s signature Blanc de Blanc that’s so full of bubbles it’s like drinking air.
We arrived quite late at the Grey Gum Lodge, as we left Rainbow Beach late morning and stopped to enjoy some of Montezuma’s Mexican Cuisine at Surfer’s Paradise before heading inland to Nimbin. Our hostess welcomed us in from the fog and showed us through the garden to one of largest rooms on the property. Weary and sand-logged from several days at the beach, the shower (despite its content arachnid voyeurs) provided much needed cleansing and respite from the chill night air. During a moonlit walk from the Lodge into town, we were serenaded by the mooing of cattle that roam through Nimbin’s hills.
Though the koalas proved to be as lazy as their reputation betrays them to be, the Sanctuary hosts a multitude of shows and events throughout the day including lorikeet feedings and a predatory bird show which readily entertained our Saturday afternoon. The site hosts a multitude of the fuzzy marsupials and offers the opportunity for visitors to pick up a souvenir photo of themselves holding one of the more sedate koalas (be sure to check out their website’s famous visitors page for a shot of Janet Jackson’s visit).
My mother insisted that it was time to upload some photos of our recent trip up North to Queensland. Going flat out since returning to Canberra, there’s no time for a narrative just yet, so just enjoy the scenery…
