I try Brisbane, I do try!

Our Story Bridge

Their Harbour Bridge

After finally handing in evil mini-masters thesis on Thursday last week N and I descended south to Sydney-town for a weekend of revelry with our expanding network of friends and family down there.

We stayed just off Oxford street, right near Hyde Park, on the cusp of the city, in Darlinghurst. Great location, mediocre hotel, sky-high prices........but that's Sydney, it's a big city, we expected this. So, Thursday eve, after we checked in, we ventured out for a vino or 7 to celebrate the end of 6 months+ of pure stress and anxiousness over study, and life generally.

Being Sydney, and near Darlinghurst, we of course found the cutest, chic-est little bar just around the corner and there we sat and sipped on lovely pinot gris, ate delicious prawn risotto balls and loved our lives for a few moments. When N went to the bar I flipped through a nearby street press (checking out the Sydney SP stakes as I write for a fabulous SP here in Brisvegas), and discovered that our favourite band Fat Freddy's were playing in Sydney the next two nights. Of course the gigs were sold out. But, as I looked through the street press I thought 'bless this city' that has a billion and one great things on all at once, rather than a city that has one great thing on and a billion and one people coming to it!

Anyway, the next day N and I got energetic and caught the bus to Bondi to do the coastal walk along all the gorgeous Eastern beaches. Kitted out in our walking boots, hats and long sleeved shirts we overlooked glorious spots such as Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and the beautifully tanned half-naked bodies spending their fridays lazing in the sunshine. We walked past a magnificent graveyard just past Bronte ,with all those resting there having prime ocean views for eternity.

We then raced home and dressed for our evening, as we were going to see our Cate (Blanchett) light up the stage as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. We decided to walk to the theatre from our hotel - possibly not the best move as we ran hell late for dinner, but just walking through this lively city on a Friday night is a treat. And walking out of the city we were once again bowled over by the harbour views and those iconic structures which amaze even after 10, 20, 30, 100 sightings.

The play itself was magnificent, with Cate the most accomplished performer I have ever seen live, and the rest of the cast clearly stronger for her ability. The theatre was packed out, literally not a seat was spare, and famous people - minor and major - caught our eyes with each head turn.

On the following day we went over to Cremorne Point to catch up with our family, and see our beautiful little nephew who's grows more and more like a little boy than a baby each time we see him. We sat in the sunshine on the harbour, eating chicken, coleslaw and fresh bread and watching boats race each other. N and I were in absolute shock at how stunning it was, just down the road from where our family live, there is all of this.......unbelievable.

Each time we go south, N and I always, without fail, say to each other 'I couldn't live here', and this is very much the case. The traffic (I don't care what the Sydney people say, traffic in Brisbane is NOT like that), the expense, the very poor public transport, the fact that there just seems to be hundreds of people without homes on the streets each night - it's not the city for me. But, by goodness, it is so lovely to visit.

Brisbane I try, I do try. I try to create fabulousness within you, staging exhibitions and events; I try to attend as much as I can to support your growth; I try to inhabit your beautiful spaces by the river; I try to enjoy your simple beauty. But, sometimes I do get struck down by what a battle it is up here. For example, we would never even have the option of having Cate Blanchett co-directing our theatre company, so we will never have the packed houses and the famous faces attending the events, we will certainly never have Pink! performing at our fundraising events for the theatre company. We will never have the multitude of great cultural events on every night of the week, meaning, sadly for me, we will never have the multitude of great cultural jobs. We don't have beaches right in the city (and I'm sorry Southbank does not count, not one bit), we don't have the range of gorgeous bars, cafes, cute shops, beautiful galleries etc. etc. that sit on the corner of each street down there.

And, I try Brisbane, I try not to be jealous. Because I am here because I want to be, I want to add to the cultural life of this place; N and many of our friends can start small entrepreneurial businesses here and give them time to grow and not be washed down the sinkhole by huge rents and vast competition; I want to build this city with all the other marvellous creative minds that stay and fight for your cultural development (and I know I sound very majestic, and very full of it, but it's true). Sometimes though, the thought creeps in, it would be nice just to go South, walk into a pretty great job with one of the plethora of cultural organisations there, and just enjoy the beach 10 minutes down the road, have 500 choices for what to do on Saturday night, and where to eat and where to drink.

You know, if you're reading this, that sometimes you feel this too, and my goodness it feels fabulous to breathe out and admit this occassionally. But, it makes me all the more determined to keep living in, appreciating and adding to our own gorgeous city and to bring to Brisbane a different kind of magnificence, but one that is cheaper, has better public transport and less homeless folk.