Hafeezur Rahman Malik
Mr. Hafeezur Rahman is a retired Development Banking Specialist now whiling away his time teaching and travelling. His email contact is: hafeez@khi.comsats.net.pk
Day 4 (July 3, 2003)
As I had a long way to go, I left Sydney at 1:00 pm only after two days of sightseeing. I boarded a Greyhound bus bound for Brisbane. The bus was air-conditioned with recliners, overhead racks and had many facilities including a video, drinking water and a toilet. The driver introduced himself as the captain as if handling an Airbus. All passengers were advised to wear safety belts to avoid penalties in case the bus was stopped for a random check by the police. Initially, the bus moved slowly on congested streets but gained speed once it hit the freeway. Australians drive on the left-hand side and the speed limit on the highway is 100 km/h. The police have radar guns and hidden cameras. It's illegal to have your own personal radar detector. However, oncoming drivers would flash their headlights to warn of a speed camera ahead.
Passing towns named Hornsby and Belmont, the bus changed to the Pacific Highway near Newcastle. Incidentally, it was the first stop and gave me the chance to have a bit of a leg-stretch and to have a quick view of the surroundings.![]()
src="ttimages/didgmich.jpg" align=left hspace=10 vspace=10 border=1> Newcastle had wide leafy streets and many colonial buildings. Moving a little away from the noisy coach terminal, I could hear a howl, a roar and a thunder alternating in rhythmic patterns. An aboriginal band was playing nearby. Their instruments have fascinating names like didgeridoo, llpirra, boomerang clapsticks and bull-roarers. I returned to the bus after a while and resumed the journey. This area belonged to Hunter Valley, known for two diverse products: coal and wine. Moreover, it was well populated with suburban houses and high rise buildings. The next stop was Coffs Harbour with street and avenue names like Rainforest Mall, Rose Avenue and Big Banana. It was the stop for going to Mutton Bird Island home to thousands of pairs of wedge-tailed shearwaters - an oceanic bird with a short, hooked bill with tube-shaped nostrils and long, slender wings that appear to shear the water as the bird flies along the surface. This being month of July, visitors to the island might also see humpback whales on their north bound migration.
It was around midnight. I was half sleepy on the comfortable ride. I saw a spectacular pure white temple among green fields. A shimmering mirage!!! No, it was Sikh Temple called "Guru Nanak Gurdwara". On the next stop, there must be some Sikhs to explain the situation. A Sikh ![]()
height=32 src="ttimages/sikh_photo.jpg" align=right hspace=10
vspace=10 border=1>can be spotted from miles away because of their typical turban and virgin-beard wrapped in a cotton-net to contain its spread. I tried to look for one but there was none. However, I learned from the bus driver that the nearby town, Woolgoolga, has a large Sikh community who originally worked in the Queensland sugar plantations and later moved down to the south to grow bananas.
On the way, the bus stopped at Grafton. It had fine street trees - spectacular jacarandas. Come October, the whole of downtown Grafton would be carpeted with their massive flowers. Grafton lay on the bank of a ![]()
src="ttimages/gold_coast.jpg" align=right hspace=10 vspace=10
border=1>mighty waterway, the Clarence River. Its wide delta had a patchwork of sugar plantations. In general, the area was flat agricultural land, cut by countless dry river beds. The area bore a great resemblance to our agricultural areas. I was comparing the two countries when I was distracted by a sharp laser beam. The bus was nearing the end of New South Wales Province. Soon it passed by a towering Capitan Cook Memorial straddling the state border with Queensland. The memorial was topped by a laser-beam lighthouse. Pretty soon, there was a change in topography: green fields gave way to neon-lit roads and high rise constructions. The area, known as the Gold Coast, had strips of beaches, theme parks, shopping plazas and condominiums. It was almost 4 am. I was losing concentration and fell into a deep sleep only to wake up when the bus had stopped at Roma Street, Brisbane.
Day 5 ( July 4, 2003)
I had a reservation for a single room at the YHA. The hostel was a bit away from the coach terminal. I dragged my carry-on gleefully as I would have a long rest once I reached the place. However, I was in for a shock. On reaching the hostel, I was told to wait until 12:00 for check in. I handed over the carry-on for safe-keeping and thought of whiling away six hours in a strange town. It was quite perplexing. Fortunately, I had tea bags of Twinings' Earl Grey Tea and some munchies. I went to the kitchen, made tea and sat outside on a veranda with tea & crackers. My mind became clear and sharp as hot fluid trickled in sip by sip. The solution: I should resort to the old game - a long walk lasting for hours.
Brisbane, at that early hour, looked calm and quiet. After crossing a street or two, I found myself by the river. A broad pedestrian path ran along the river. It was like a dream come true. I walked on the path passing by grassy parks, small play grounds and swimming holes. Fresh air had a soothing effect on me. The serenity was occasionally disturbed by a speed boat towing water skiers in their colourful uniforms. I returned after three hours and spent the remaining time either dozing on sofa or browsing the books in the common room. A "check-in" announcement was music to my ears. I got a good room and went in for much-needed rest and sleep.
In the evening, I strolled around the city. Downtown, centered along bends in the Brisbane River, was a vibrant mix of modern skyscrapers and old buildings. Laid out in rectangles, its streets were named after British kings and queens, princes and princesses. There was a circular Greek temple known as "Shrine of Remembrance", a City Hall with a tall tower in Florentine style, colonnaded façade and portico. Also there was a metal sculpture depicting Petrie, one of the earliest free settlers. While moving about, I heard someone saying "Assa Lama Ailakum", a Muslim greeting when translated into English meaning: "May peace be upon you." I turned around and saw a security guard in a blue uniform. He introduced himself as Mohammad Ishaq from Chennai, India. It was good to meet a Muslim brother. He suggested that I go to Queen Street Mall. I moved as per his directions and ended up in an interesting place. It was a pedestrian zone with boutiques, department stores, shopping arcades, sidewalk café and cinemas. I also had an opportunity to go through Treasury Casino, built in the style of an Italian palazzo.
Day 6 ( July 5, 2003)
I had been in touch with my friends in Australia through email. I got a message that Mr. Jeff, founder and CEO of a travel website would be coming to meet me at about 1:00 pm. (Many of my travel tales have been published by him and I am grateful to him for his support and encouragement.) I shelved all my plans and waited for his arrival. Right on the dot, he came in a dark colored car with a young girl sitting next to him. I envied his lifestyle. Indeed he had all the three pleasures in life, a martini before and a nap after.
We went to South Bank, a riverfront full of parks, shops and restaurants. It had a sandy beach which was popular with families. Afterwards, we went up to Mt. Coottha, about eight km away and reached a lookout point giving a great view of the city. We remained with them till evening and found Brisbane a thriving metropolis with many galleries, museums, theatres, concert hall, cultural and sport events. He dropped me at YHA and another eventful day was over.
HRM
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