Winter in Brisbane. Bluebird days, dry crisp air and cradling your world-class flat white coffee.
Starting a walking tour business in August has been both inspiring and bittersweet. There has been the joy of practicing walks on stunning, sub-tropical, blue-sky days and travelling the river by ferry, yet all the while knowing that spring is just around the corner and, typically for Brisbane, things will warm up VERY fast.
But for now there is still a bounce in everyone’s step and you can see forever to the horizon. North Straddie (Minjerribah) and Moreton Islands (Mulgumpin) seem to float above the skyline, and the long arc of the Scenic Rim mountains solidifies against the blue sky in stark relief with their rocky faces and green lower slopes. The white and pink of the jasmine that decorates our beautiful, heritage, Queenslander-style houses is blooming like clockwork.
Brisbane’s many bakeries and coffee spots are doing a brisk trade and the people-watching is even better if the locals are wearing puffer jackets and covered shoes AND the café has its outdoor heater on – oh the excitement!
Visitors to Brisbane – what can you expect? Perfect days and cheerful locals. The whales start heading south to spend their summer in the Antarctic – putting on a show as they coast on by our beautiful bays and beaches – harder to spot through the winter glare of another perfect day.
But August in Brisbane is really defined by the “Ekka” – the annual Royal Queensland Exhibition – a nine day festival of rural and agricultural pursuits. It is an unashamedly beloved and gushing celebration of Queensland’s country and outback lifestyle, and also contributes enormously to the national and Asia-Pacific economy with world class beef, world class produce, prized innovation and skills honed over hundreds of years in a harsh climate and rugged terrain.
You can keep Yellowstone. These regional folk hit Brisbane every winter and I love to watch them soaking up the shopping, dining and community here, catching up with city friends and reminding me of the joys of being a tourist in my own town. I also see even more clearly that Brisbane IS the Australian city – grown from the grit and resilience of its convict and settler origins, and always retaining the warmth and friendliness of a country town.
Sure, every major Australian city and many country towns have an annual show but none is quite like the Ekka.
As a country girl from Victoria, I always feel a little bit sad every year when, on a day in late August, the air abruptly loses its slight bite and the sun again starts to heat the city after weeks of just making it dazzle.
So as the days lengthen and the sun bites that little bit more, let us take you on a walk and tell you a story. Welcome to Brisbane and the delight of how unexpected this city and its people are.
*This blog was written using only NI (natural intelligence)*