Brisbane Day Trip ft Yayoi Kusama

This year has been a year of spontaneous trips, from less than a month planning Europe, less than a week to plan 10+ people to road trip Tassie, spontaneous trip to Japan, Melbourne road trip, now Brisbane day trip. I used to plan stuff at least 6mths-1yr before, so anything less than a month for overseas and a week for interstate is spontaneous for me. 

I really wanted to see Yayoi Kusama's Infinity room since I saw it beginning of last year. She's exhibited pretty much all around the world: LA, NYC, Seattle, Toronto, Atlanta, Copenhagen, Singapore and various cities in Japan. I didn't even know she was here in 2009 in Sydney until Dandelion mentioned it, then again, Instagram didn't exist back then...So when I heard her stuff was coming to Aus, but in Brisbane, I knew I really wanted to go see it.

So here's how to do Brisbane CBD in a day and just some pics of the exhibition. Didn't bother taking a photo of everything.

Infinity room! I wanted this pic to be my thumbnail 

Queensland-east coast

Day trip means catching the earliest and latest flight. Even at 4:30am, there were already cars on the M2, and slight traffic into the city and airport already. Those morning people who go work early, but then also can leave work early. Felt so weird no bringing any checked baggage or carry on, just literally my handbag. If you only count flying time, it's faster for me to fly to Brisbane than catch the bus to uni.

I've actually transited in Brisbane Domestic Airport before, around this time 5 years ago...

Can see the skyline from the Air Train

The train from the Airport isn't really that frequent, once every 30mins, and around 20mins to the CBD, bit longer than Sydney. Also a bit cheaper, but in terms of living standards (well house prices), everything is cheaper in Brisbane.

Breakfast at Coffee Anthology in the city. Even during peak hour 7.30-9.30am, there weren't many cars or even traffic in the city. Hardly any cars, and traffic just flowed well from what I could see. Compare that to Sydney and traffic is already building up before 5am.

Botanic Gardens

Victoria Bridge to South Bank

Construction so couldn't take photos of the 'Brisbane' sign

GOMA

There were quite a lot of people, considering it's been opened for 1 month, weekday Tuesday morning, and a school day. Most people were older or parents with children. They use a stopwatch to time people for 30 secs, and the line generally takes around 30mins. Ended up going in 4 times...Go first thing in the morning so at least you don't really have to wait. They also force you to go in groups of 4, so if you're lucky and there's a family before and after you, then you can sort of go separately in a pair, but can't go by yourself. If you're unlucky, then you go with the pair before or after you. Also wear black if you want to UV ping pong balls to 'glow' more, rather than your shirt standing out in the photos. Apart from this, everything else had minimal lines.

'Soul Under the Moon' This is what I came for

yaaay lights

water on the floor to continue the mirror effect

I think in other cities, they had different coloured balls, this one was more fluro/sort of Xmas coloured themed, others are more blue or yellow/pink hues. Still so cool.

'Diseased Pumpkins'

love how it's interactive

Already after 1 month, can only imagine what it would like after another 2 months. The walls already feel quite thick. The furniture, cutlery etc are made out of this white cardboard/plaster/foam material, the stuff designers use but I can't describe...There are still white spots in the walls around.

Piano with my 'sheet music'

You actually get sick of staring at it for a while

Some artworks

mirror and lights in a box

looking down

More dots

foyer

Kurilpa Bridge, reminds me of Millennium Bridge in London, just not as fancy

Coffee Break at The Three Monkeys.

Skyline, Sydney and Melbourne and still nicer

A lot of their CBD buildings are wavy/curvy, and not very sharp edged. Also not many of them have names on them and have a lot of 'mirror' finishes on the windows.

South Bank, didn't bother walking to Streets Beach

Queen St-Main shopping strip

Pitt St Mall equivalent, just wider, more spacious and less crowded. Obviously they couldn't make Pitt St too wide for pedestrian access since they need to maximise their rental profits and increase shop floor space.

Just like Strand Arcade

Apple Store

Out of all the cities I've been to, Brisbane CBD Apple store is definitely the oldest. Most are fancy with massive floor to ceiling glass windows, and even fancier stairs. This one here is in a super old heritage building, with old feels inside and out. Outside the store on the side is a photo/newspaper thing of what it sued to be. Didn't bother reading it, but still cool how they put something so innovative and new into something old.

Story Bridge

Afternoon Tea/Dinner at Brew Cafe and Wine Bar and Mos Burger (don't know why Sydney doesn't have one...)

Brisbane City Hall

The river running through Brisbane makes the CBD seem bigger. It's definitely not as packed as Sydney, less towers and most buildings are shorter. There's still a lot of new apartments building up around the city (I'm guessing knock down and rebuild). Whereas Sydney they are renovating a lot of old offices into apartments.

Pretty much did the CBD in less than a day. Didn't bother going to the other museums. If I were to come back to Queensland again, it would probs be for Cairns/adrenaline stuff or the islands out from the coast, plus going snorkelling before the Great Barrier Reef dies, or the fish go extinct or something and they won't let you go snorkelling.

Separate Brisbane food post coming soon. Pretty much using this time to watch all my tv shows and haven't been blogging or studying...