An Exotic Brisbane, Winters Odyssey - (Brissie you've Changed)

For those of you who may not be aware, and there is no reason you should be.. I grew up in Brisbane, and spent the formative years of my life there including three and a half very-important-years at the Queensland College of Art where I was a major in photography. Although residing down south in Sydney for many years now; one of the things that has stuck with me most, about Brisbane, then-and-now is that Brisbane is exotic! Don't ask the locals about that they won't know what you mean, or worse, may think you are having a go at them. But Brisbane is Exotic, and it's hot, hot and humid, because it's subtropical, which is a big part of why it is exotic. It still has a good collection of colonial era, tropical style architecture (that survived the Joe years), and famous 'Old Queenslander' houses too, and it has these little patches of remnant bush land, close to the city and dotted all about. And because during WW2 as Pacific headquarters of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur 1,000,000 American servicemen passed through the city; (and the legendary Battle of Brisbane as Aussie servicemen fought the Yanks!) Some things a city never forgets. Because Robin Gibson and successors did such a great job on the South Bank arts precinct, arguably Australia's finest. Then there's the river, there's Morton Bay, Stradbroke island AKA Straddie, and now, while not exactly exotic, there is life right in the city now too; something we would dream of but could hardly imagine back in our day.. as seen from the 26th floor apartment I stayed in, one of the many tall apartment buildings now dotting the Brisbane skyline. Oh yes Brissie, a lot of you has stayed the same, but Brissie you have changed! Mouse over pictures for details.