Day 1*. April 20. The Big Brown Snake

I am what Steven Sondheim would call a lady who lunches. Most days that's a Vegemite sandwich bit when the occasion allows  it will involve a female friend, a beverage and a lot of gossiping. Today marked such an opportunity and in the CBD the best vantage point is by the river. It wasn't always this way. For much of my time in the region we did out very best to turn our back on the river like a gatecrasher at a party. But any gatecrasher ignored is prone to wreaking havoc. And so it was with the big brown snake that winds its way through the heart of Brisbane,

Ask anyone who lived through the floods of 1974 or 2011 or 2022. So have learned to embrace it rather than fight against it The latest evidence of that is the new pedestrian bridge, The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge. It's a striking piece of architecture and home to a rather lovely restaurant Stilts. It was there my friend Bernadette and I found ourselves at lunchtime today indulging in a bit of eating, a lot of gossiping and our fair share of people watching. 

From my vantage point I could see my old alma mater. There the most notable thing about the river, was the icy blast of wind that would whip off the river and up your skirt on a winter's morning. That and the smell of hops from the Carlton & United brewery are among the enduring memories of the high school years.

There were no tunnels and no City Cats. The river was our city's equivalent of the Berlin Wall, an almost impenetrable barrier that practically requires a passport to cross. Residents and either northsiders or southsiders and while it is, in theory, possible to change your allegiance few do. So for two women from opposite sides of the tracks a venue perched above the  river proved a perfect choice.

 

* Day 1 of what? you may ask. Day one of my wonderful friend and radio broadcaster Kelly Higgins-Devine's 100 Day challenge. KHD says "The idea of this project is for you is to decide on one creative, enjoyable or healthy task you will commit to doing for 100 days." I decided to write... It's been too long. There will be images too, many of them may will be dogs