burning koala

Spring is here in Sydney. It’s subtle to notice, since temperatures have been mild through the tail end of the winter– if you can properly call it winter in this temperate latitude (approximately equivalent to North Carolina)– and it’s just gradually warmer, with evening temperatures in the 60′s and daytime in the 70′s. Very comfortable. But there are little signs. The heavy scent of jasmine and wisteria hangs in the air as you pass someone’s front garden. We came across this pretty jacaranda on a walk through Paddington on Saturday, as well as some other flowering shrubs.

I have been spending a fair amount of time in Brisbane on business lately. I don’t get to spend much time looking around the city, but you notice little things, like that fact that it feels a lot more tropical than Sydney, and the architecture is a little different. You definitely feel the humidity the second you walk off the plane– and it clings to you even inside the office buildings. It’s a pretty city, set in the crook of the winding Brisbane river. It’s quite a bit smaller than Sydney, but it has a thriving downtown and impressive skyline. [Editor's note: While Angela has been to Brisbane 4 times, yours truly has been, oh say, none. But I'm not bitter, even though I can taste the bile in my gut...]

Here’s a picture of the Post Office:

Here is the Anzac Square with a big bulgy tree:

To provide a sense of scale, Sydney’s population is 4 million. Brisbane has 1.6 million. (Comparatively, Tampa FL has 2.6 million, and Pittsburgh has 2.3 million.) Brisbane is 1,000 km (621 miles) north of Sydney.