Chocolate...taken to a whole new level!

An ingenious idea - one I'd never come across before. A novel and more than noteworthy experience...September = 31 days of Chocolate in the hotel restaurant: Bistro Allure in Brisbane's CBD. Chocolate displays and an entire buffet of chocolate desserts and dishes - 'indulgence' doesn't even begin to describe it! You can go for lunch or dinner and feast your heart out (literally). Words of advice - drink water throughout, maybe even get some bread for any craving for something savoury, pace yourself, cut slices/pieces smaller so that you can try more and remember there's a really good ice cream freezer there too!

SE QLD...

On Sunday, we went on a drive to see if we could find some of the treasures of South East Queensland (SE QLD). Going out of the Brisbane's back door - there is a variety of river, rainforest and mountain to greet you.
We went first to a market in Fernvale, with stalls selling anything from strawberries to puppies to used carpentry tools! From Fernvale, we went for a stroll around Lake Wivenhoe and then up to the small town of Esk for some lunch. We found a lovely cafe in a colonial house called the Lars Anderson House (a Danish Sawmiller who lived in Esk in the late 1800's) It is a heritage listed building with an atmospheric verandah cafe, a Victorian style gift shop and a mini- exhibition about the first pioneering days and the development of the townships and industries of the Brisbane Valley region. Note. they served possibly the best pecan pie ever...
After a rather indulgent lunch, we went bushwalking in Ravensbourne National Park, well-known for its eucalypt forest and birdwatching. Definitely a good idea after the pecan pie...

September starts with a bang!

The beginning of September is marked by in Brisbane by Riverfire - which starts the week-long Riverfestival. The Riverfire is essentially a fireworks show which this year, attracted 600,000 people out to the river...with 3000 tonnes of fireworks awaiting! It is one of the most popular events in Queensland. The start and finale of the show was marked by the amazing sight of an RAAF F-1111 'dump and burn.' The atmosphere was vibrant, with groups of friends and families having set up their bbqs/picnics and outdoor furniture etc. all along the length of the river. Quite typical of the aussie culture...nice...