Caloundra Air Museum

Some more sneaky local tourism time today.  Caloundra Air Museum was today's discovery.  

https://qam.com.au/

I had booked the F-111 experience for my husband and teenage son.  This was a three hour experience for a maximum of two people with a former pilot and navigator. They began with a "briefing" before being individually given a thorough external tour of the plane having features explained to them by the pilot and having a turn in the pilot's seat while the navigator took them through take off, a bombing run and landing (about 45 minutes in the hot seat).  

https://qam.com.au/news/the-ultimate-f-111-experience/

While they were doing this I took a look around the museum - we will need to return another day as I did not get a chance to look at everything.  There is an incredible variety of aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary in various states of restoration.  I cannot speak highly enough of the staff and volunteers happiness to help and educate people on their passion.

Story Bridge Climb and China Town

Story Bridge Climb this morning.  

https://storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au/

After getting kitted up in the required gear we headed over to climb the Story Bridge.  This involved a lot of stairs.  We were secured to the apparatus via a safety harness throughout. It felt remarkably safe/tame, much like walking up a flight of stairs as there were railings on both sides of us.  The view from the top was great.

After our climb we walked under the bridge and had a look at the information on the ongoing maintenance that happens to the bridge to protect it from rust and corrosion.  We then walked across the bridge to see it from yet another angle.

We took a short walk through China town, where there was a lot of construction currently.  We had a delicious lunch in a Chinese restaurant where the food was delivered to the table by a robot - a first for me.

https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/brisbane/things-to-do/shopping/chinatown-mall?sc_lang=en-au

Brisbane Adventuring Again - ANZAC Square, Ferry, MacArthur Museum, Old Government House, Commissariat Museum and Lego Shopping!

 

ANZAC Square was peaceful, even in morning rush hour.  This is a spot that I always find gives a moment of peace and quiet reflection.

https://www.anzacsquare.qld.gov.au/

While walking through ANZAC Square we spotted some exterior wall pressure cleaning, high rise style!

We walked down to North Quay to see if the Citycat ferries were running, but unfortunately no.  Looking at how high the mud and debri on the railings were, there is a lot of cleaning up to be done after the recent floods.

So a quick change of plans and we headed to the MacArthur Museum Brisbane. This is housed in the exact rooms that General Douglas MacArthur had is Headquarters SouthWest Pacific Area in.  His office has been beautifully restored and there are displays on the impact of WW2 on Brisbane and Queensland in all areas of life. New things I learnt included that schools were closed for several months until slit trenches could be built, where the bunkers in the centre of Brisbane were built and the concerns of fire if the mainly wooden city of Brisbane was bombed.

https://mmb.org.au/

After a picnic lunch in the City Botanic Gardens we visited Old Government House.  This is set in the ground of QUT Gardens Point and is beautifully maintained and filled with art.

https://www.ogh.qut.edu.au/

Servants staircase

Love this gazebo!

The Commissariat Store Museum is housed in Brisbane's oldest occupied building and was convict built in 1829.  It houses displays on the early years of Brisbane white settlement and models of some of the early buildings.

https://commissariatstore.org.au/

Last, and for some the most important, stop of the day was the Lego section in Myer's in the Queen Street Mall.  The difficult part here, is which one of the awesome sets to buy.  

https://www.myer.com.au/c/all-toys/toys-all/brand-lego

Brisbane Adventures - Roma Street Parkland, City Hall Tour, Parliament House , City Botanic Gardens and Queensland Police Museum

 To begin our Brisbane adventure we took the train to Roma Street Station and headed directly to Roma Street Parklands.  Here we explored the gardens and walked around the lake.  This is a great inner city space for all ages, with cosy corners, playgrounds and large open grass spaces.

https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/roma-street-parkland-and-spring-hill

We left the gardens via Wickham Terrace to look at the Brisbane Coat of Arms on the corner of Wickham Terrace and Albert Street. 

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/new-life-for-piece-of-brisbane-s-history-20190712-p526kz.html

Next was the Old Windmill, Brisbane's oldest existing building.

https://www.mustdobrisbane.com/visitor-info-arts-culture-history/old-windmill-brisbane

Brisbane City Hall was a short walk including going down the many many steps of Jacobs Ladder.  Here we had a short look around the Museum of Brisbane's current exhibition regarding the marketing of Queensland as the Sunshine State. Then down to the lobby to meet our tour guides for a tour of City Hall.

https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/

https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/whats-on/brisbane-city-hall-tour/

This was conducted by a gentleman who had been doing these tours for many many years and a lady who is relatively new to Brisbane and Australia.  They were both amazing with their passion for what they were showing and the history behind it. We toured many different parts of the building and leant about its restoration.  I would love to hear the pipe organ performed!

After a picnic lunch, we headed to Parliament House for a tour.  Unfortunately photography was not allowed in the majority of the spaces we went through.  The area you enter to go on the tour is a section of the building that I had not even realised was part of Parliament House, despite having studied at the adjacent Gardens Point QUT campus.  This building, the Parliamentary Annexe Building is newer and a completely different style to the main Parliament House.

https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/explore/education/factsheets/Factsheet_10.2_VisitingParliamentHouse.pdf

Brisbane City Botanic Gardens was as pretty as ever, with lovely big shady grassy spaces and fountains to keep things cool.  Walking along the Brisbane River bank it was apparent the water level had been quite high in the recent flooding.  

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/botanic-gardens-in-brisbane/city-botanic-gardens

Last stop for today was the Queensland Police Museum. This was a small museum, but packed with a great deal of interesting information on all topic policing related. This is a free facility, open to the public, in the main Roma Street police station and a nice surprise.

https://www.police.qld.gov.au/museum