Holding the Koala

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, about 20 minutes west of downtown Brisbane, has been a popular stop for many years for visiting dignitaries.

The gift shop walls were lined with photos of folks holding koalas, everyone from Eric Clapton and Claudia Schiffer to the Queen Mother and President Lyndon Johnson and his wife.

In the Johnson photo, Ladybird and an unidentified official are holding the critters, but LBJ is not. Perhaps that was a good thing.

Brisbane, New Farm Park treehouse

Brisbane Buildings

Brisbane's main library is in the base of the futuristic skyscraper with the multi-colored panels.

Queen Street Mall is a successful pedestrian shopping strip in the middle of downtown. I was there on a Friday just after work, and the place was swarming with students dressed in their school uniforms.

The greenish building with the vertical stripes on the upper stories is the State Library of Queensland. It's on the popular South Bank, a tourist attraction with restaurants, parks, a man-made beach, museums and performance places.