Today was a cool-ish morning by Brisbane standards. Â “Showers” had been forecast, but they get forecast (and happen) pretty much every day. The low temperature had an advantage: it’s much nicer to cycle in 21C than in 35C, and a little rain has never done anyone any harm. I thought. So I took my bike and set off for an exploration of the cycle path beyond South Bank.
After just 2km, one of the promised showers. To avoid getting soaked quite so early on in my ride I decided to hide in a convenient shelter. It must be noted that a considerable number of other cyclists and runners went past me during this time. Either they had somewhere they needed to be in a hurry, or I’m simply too wussy for this climate.
The rain stopped after a few minutes, and I continued on, undaunted. For those of us who never go anywhere without a camera, the rain had provided some lovely scope for photographs with reflections.
I deliberately pushed on beyond South Bank this time because, frankly, South Bank is only just over 4km away and I wanted a longer ride and to go somewhere I hadn’t been to before. From time to time one discovers a surprise, such as this mural under a bridge.
With reconstruction work after the floods continuing all along the river bank, well beyond South Bank itself, parts of the cycle path were temporarily closed, and signage usually referred to the “normal”, pre-flood state of affairs. At one point I found a “no cycle access” sign across the path, coupled with another one saying “detour” and pointing somewhere randomly across a bridge I didn’t want to go across. Ah, Australian signage… roads, cycleways… it must be said that a lot of the time they are useful only if you already know where you’re going.
I turned back when the cycle path seemed to end. Approaching South Bank again from the west, the Brisbane Wheel stood out moodily against darkening skies.
On the way back I paused to take a photograph of the Nepalese Pagoda, which I had somehow missed last time I rode along South Bank. The pagoda itself is currently closed for flood repairs but it is still a beautiful building.
And to round off this post, a picture of a new palm leaf in the making.
