Sunset on River Walk

As I have just today decided that it is Queensland I will return to when I go back to Australia, I thought it appropriate, if a little sad, to post a late dusk shot of the quite marvellous River Walk in Brisbane, in response to this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban.

In my opinion, the construction of River Walk – over, on, beside – the Brisbane River from New Farm, down beside the city and through the Botanic Gardens and the mangroves, and across the river to Southbank – was the single thing that changed Brisbane from a large sleepy country town to a modern city  – it represented a vision for the city as a modern, vibrant, outgoing and active place, showcasing the city’s beauty.  I’m hoping like mad the iconic floating walkways have been repaired after the floods last year because to walk the River Walk, on a trip to town, was always something to look forward to, and something I’m looking forward to doing again as soon as I’m settled.

It all started yesterday when I wrote to my landlady giving her the required three months notice of my intention to terminate the lease.  By the time I was happy with the wording (delicate things like money owing to me, etc.),  the power had come back on.  Instead of responding to all those marvellous comments that have been languishing in my “Notifications” box,  I headed over to Australia’s domain dot-com and began seriously looking at properties for rent in some of the towns on my “possibles list” of places I might like to live.  Nowhere in Queensland was on the list, but I don’t count the time as wasted because looking at properties, at town maps, regional maps, reading about these places and the lifestyles there, all helped make the move and how I might live more real.

I didn’t realise it was such a relief to have posted that letter – making my departure from Sri Lanka official – until I returned home .  I felt drained, as though I’d run a marathon, so I just lay down on the sofa and had a ziz, quite a long ziz. This morning I found myself looking at rentals on the Sunshine Coast, and realised that the area is the closest place I have to a home.  It’s beautiful, offers varied lifestyle choices, has some employment opportunities, and because of internal immigration and the university, has a growing cultural scene.  Yes.  I think that’s where I’ll make my new life.

Funny how we make decisions.  For me they seem to come organically, from the sub-conscious.  I can’t seem to arrive at conclusions through the list method, which to me seems an endless exercise in finding more points to add to the lists.  For the first time since I came to the decision to go back to Australia I’m feeling a little frisson of anticipation.  And that’s a great relief too.  Now the hard work starts, and the planning, and seriously finding new homes for The Girls.

Despite some lovely Camelot-like showers the past few weeks, the dams remain low and power cuts must continue, which means at least three, sometimes six – hours a day I can’t use the internet.    For an antidote to making lists and crossing things off I’ll blog a couple of times a week, but please forgive me if my reading of your blogs is patchy, and my correspondence desultory – until I find somewhere to live and organise this move – a logistical nightmare with too many unknowns to make good decisions at this point – that’s how it has to be.  You understand, I know 🙂