Mister Brisbane: Bay day
Do I really want an island idyll? Also: Why not Christmas in June?
No man is an island. But could this man live on an island? I recently tried to find out. It’s no secret that real-estate prices on the Moreton Bay islands are, for the most part, significantly lower than in suburban greater Brisbane. In fact, land and basic houses are cheaper than anywhere in the south-east.
But what’s it like living on Karragarra, Macleay, Lamb or Russell island? Well, my brief visit was never going to provide a definitive answer, but I made a few observations. First up: I have lived on an island before (not counting the huge island that is Australia). When I worked in Hong Kong, itself an island, a lived on one of the outerlying islands, Lantau, at an planned community called Discovery Bay.
There are similarities between the two commutes in terms of the distance travelled and the comfort of the boats in calm weather. But the difference is that the Hong Kong ferry runs 24/7 and lands passengers in the middle of a bustling city. The boats from the Moreton Bay Islands don’t run between midnight and 4am, and they land you on the fringes of nowhere (even in terms of Redland City), about an hour by bus to the Brisbane CBD. So for a 9am-5pm city worker, it’s possible but not entirely practical to live there. For someone such as me who works unsociable hours — with starts as early as 4am — or for someone who enjoys the night life in the city, it would be impossible. Unless I had my own boat, of course.
On the positive side, Macleay and Russell seem to have all the amenities needed to lead a happy life, and the former is practical for somebody without a vehicle on the island — as long as you live within walking distance of the ferry terminal. Among those amenities is a nice pub with bay glimpses.
What about the island residents? Am I a good fit? Well, again based on observations on the day I travelled, there seems to be a lot of retirees, but I know there are also young families, as the Macleay Island primary school is said (by Google) to have about 170 pupils. Is it somewhere for me to consider for when I retire and don’t need to travel to the mainland on a daily basis? Perhaps it is. Or perhaps the idyllic island life would drive me around the bend.
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DATE TO CELEBRATE
I note that some venues are advertising “Christmas in July” events. Why do some of us celebrate on or about July 25 when the logical date would be June 25?
STICKING POINT
A handful of years ago, on a visit to Brisbane before I’d returned to live here full-time, I was driving a borrowed car and was pulled over by police on RBT duty. I passed the breath test, of course — I may not be the smartest person around, but I’m smart enough not to drink-drive. However, the police officer did reprimand me because there was a registration sticker on the windscreen. It wasn’t because it was out of date, which it was, but because it was there at all. Unbeknown to me, the rules had changed while I was overseas, and stickers were not only no longer necessary, it was, according to the officer, illegal to display one. I was told to take it off.
Most, if not all, Australian states have now done away with them. According to Google, Queensland did in October, 2014, and NSW did it even earlier, in January, 2013. Which makes this photo, taken by a friend in suburban Brisbane, intriguing. He wonders whether it’s the oldest extent rego sticker in the country. I wonder how the car’s owner got away with leaving it on.
STILL FLY
A follow up to my item last week about my loyalty points obsession … I went to the fruit shop and the butcher’s last week instead of doing my “big shop” at the supermarket. I even managed to resist the temptation of another 8,000 Fly Buys if I spent more than $200 at Coles. I’ve finally realised it’s a false economy to spend more money than I need to, and buy products that I don’t need at all, just to gain points. It’s a poor “investment” even though frequent-flyer points are something of a comfort brand at the moment because they remind me of better times. Mind you, it’s interesting to watch the pot get sweeter — i.e. the supermarket offering better and better incentives — the more I resist the offers.
SHOP DOPE
At the risk of seeming obsessed about shopping trolleys … how lazy do you have to be to leave a trolley so it blocks the parking bay right next to the trolley bay? Some people should have their shopping privileges revoked.
OPEN AND SHUT CASE
I was worried the other morning that I was going to see a fatality. A schoolboy dashed across the railway lines without looking, presumably assuming that if the coast wasn’t clear, the automatic gate would prevent him from doing so. I don’t know whether railway crossing signals have backup power, but I can’t imagine they are completely failsafe. The observation made me wonder whether we are just so reliant on technology these days that we don’t even bother to check for danger with our own eyes and other senses. If so, that could be the end of us.
OLD AND BOLD
What shall we do with Brisbane’s Old Museum? That was the question asked on Radio 4BC a few weeks ago, when it was revealed by Brisbane Times writer Tony Moore that the State Government has allocated funds to restore and maintain the beautiful building but still has no idea about its long-term function. Suggestions include a museum of rock memorabilia, a convention centre and a concert venue. Do you have a new idea for the Old Museum? Let me know.
P.S. Does anybody else remember that the Dean Brothers, who famously demolished the Belle Vue Hotel and Cloudland, parked their truck outside the place as an April Fools’ Day joke? Or did I make that up?
FEEDBACK
On the subject of loyalty cards, Matthew says he uses points to buy gift cards for Netflix, Binge, Uber, fuel and so on, “all stuff I actually use”.
Cathy says: “Flybuys tells me that if I spend $130 in one transaction, four weeks in a row, I will earn points worth $50. I have learnt to be casual about this; if I achieve it, fine, but I refuse to buy extra to make up the total. In any case, if I am successful, the next time I get an offer it will be upped to $150. So best to play hard to get for a while, and maybe the new offer will be $90. Regarding the Goldie and the Sunny Coast, it gets on my nerves. It’s not as if it’s an abbreviation. Still the same number of syllables.”
Sally says: “I don’t give them a thought any more. I have a couple that accrue points automatically for online purchases, but I don’t go out of my way to shop with those retailers.” Graeme adds: “I usually don’t bother as it just means more junk mail and hassle for very little reward.”
Regarding Aussie rules football, Matt notes: “GVAFC (Golden Valley Australian Football Club) lives on through the Everton Park Wolves” and “Australian football numbers in Brisbane are pretty good these days, mostly driven by girls’ participation. Numbers at my local club Kenmore have increased over 50% in the last 5-6 years with 90% of that growth in numbers of girls. Everton Park also has some girls’ teams.”
On abandoned CBDs, raised a couple of weeks ago, Joker notes: “I like the city but you know, it just takes 1 dodgy character or an aggressive sales spruiker/ charity shark that hassles you to put you off going back.”