Immersive Memories: Queensland 2025

1

山上睡了一夜，醒來聞到濕木頭味。帳篷外的火堆冷了，昨晚下雨，灰都濕透。

森林裡有淋浴間，不必用了。大自然已經免費洗了一遍，比什麼五星級酒店都周到。

走出去找早餐，腳踩濕地，樹葉發亮。很安靜，只有滴水聲。這種靜，都市人受不了，一定要開社交媒體。

太陽破雲而出，照得屋頂冒蒸氣。山色從灰轉綠轉金，變臉似的。

昨夜雨，今晨霧，吃早餐時已是晴天。這就是Tamborine山的脾氣，從不重複自己。

現代人愛控制一切，蓋溫室，裝空調，要把環境調節得剛剛好。其實順其自然也不錯，該下雨就下雨，該出太陽就出太陽。

住帳篷的好處就在這裡，冷熱濕乾都真實感受，不必隔著玻璃窗看世界。

都市生活太規律，每天同一時間起床，同一班車，同一間辦公室。偶爾需要這種變化來提醒自己，生活本來就充滿驚喜。

天氣預報從來不百分百準確，山區氣候更是難測。但這種不確定性，反而讓人覺得有趣。

人生如此，計劃趕不上變化，不如學會欣賞每個當下。

Tamborine Mountain, Queensland.

Woke up to the smell of damp wood. The fire pit outside the tent sat cold, ash from last night clinging to the bottom. Rain had hammered down through the night, steady and loud. Everything was dripping.

A rainforest shower, unused. Nature offered the deluxe version for free.

The drizzle kept on as I stepped out. Walked toward breakfast through wet ground and shining leaves. Quiet, only the sound of drops falling from trees.

Then the sun pushed through. Light hit the roofs and wet decks, steam rising. The mountain shifted from grey to green to gold.

A night of rain, a morning of drizzle, and a breakfast walk ending in sunshine. That’s Tamborine: no two hours alike.

2

山上住的是glamping，圓圓的帳篷，比較像蒙古包。

說不方便，其實也還好。廁所就在旁邊，走兩步就到，只是畢竟要離開帳篷。半夜想上廁所，還是得穿鞋出門，天氣冷的時候就有點麻煩。不像在家裡，浴室就在隔壁。

Glamping已經算是野外生活的豪華版本，有床有電，熱水也有。但就是這一點點不便，讓你感受到與日常生活的差別。

城市人太習慣什麼都觸手可及，按個開關就有燈，轉個把手就有水。

說到野外生存技能，平時真該多練習。生火是基本功，就算有現成的設備，也要學會用最原始的方法。看天氣變化，辨認方向，找水源。最重要的是心理準備，習慣沒有WiFi，習慣不那麼舒服的環境。

帳篷外生火最有意思。一堆篝火，五行俱全。木柴是木，鐵火盆是金，燃燒的是火，旁邊水壺是水，坐的土地是土。古人的五行理論，在這裡一次看完。

火燒木，木化灰回歸土，金器裝水，水滅火。看著這個循環，忽然明白古人為什麼要創造這套學說。不是玄學，是對自然最直接的觀察。

現代人失去了這種體驗。微波爐一按，食物就熱了，哪會想到火和金和水的關係？

Glamping的好處就在這裡，既舒服又能讓你重新接觸自然的基本元素。​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The accommodation on Tamborine Mountain wasn’t exactly a tent - more like a yurt, round and spacious. Glamping, they call it.

Not exactly roughing it, but not quite home comfort either. The bathroom was right there, maybe two steps from the tent entrance. Still, when nature calls at 3am on a cold night, those two steps feel like a marathon. You’ve got to put on shoes, unzip the flap, and make the dash. At home, the ensuite is right through the bedroom door.

This is glamping’s sweet spot - comfortable enough to enjoy, inconvenient enough to notice the difference. City folk get spoiled by instant everything. Flip a switch, there’s light. Turn a tap, hot water flows. Here, even the small things require a bit of effort.

For proper wilderness survival, people should practice these skills while they still have backup plans. Fire-making without matches or lighters. Reading weather patterns. Finding north without GPS. Most importantly, building mental resilience - getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, surviving without WiFi, accepting that things won’t always go to plan.

The evening campfire outside the tent was a perfect demonstration of the five elements. Wood for fuel, metal fire pit, flames dancing upward, water kettle beside it, all sitting on earth. Ancient Chinese philosophy made visible in one small scene.

Watch the cycle: fire consumes wood, wood becomes ash returning to earth, metal holds water, water extinguishes fire. The relationships our ancestors observed and codified into theories weren’t mystical nonsense - they were practical wisdom born from direct experience.

Modern life shields us from these basic interactions. Microwave a meal, and you miss the interplay of elements that creates heat and transforms food.

That’s glamping’s genius - comfortable enough to enjoy, primitive enough to reconnect with fundamentals.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

3

黃金海岸這趟，前後兩截，像是兩個世界。

前半段，天公作美。

船出Southport，鯨魚在眼前翻身。

沙灘曬一曬腳，白得刺眼。

夜裡換個山上的小屋過一晚，先聽鳥叫，後聽雨聲。

後半段，雲壓下來，雨不肯停。

轉去餐廳聊天，也在Southport。

三十多年前認識的，聊一下午還嫌不夠。

黃昏回到房間，推開窗看洶湧海浪，捲起又拍下。

天氣有好有壞，行程也有快有慢。合起來，卻正好。

The Gold Coast felt like two trips in one.

The first half, perfect skies.

A boat out of Southport, whales rolling just a few meters away.

Standing by the sand, white and sharp in the sun.

A night in a tent up in Tambourine Mountain, hearing first the birds, later rain on the roof.

The second half, the clouds took over. Drizzling.

We slipped into a restaurant instead.

Old friends of thirty years across the table, hours gone in a blink.

Back at the hotel that evening, the window opened to restless waves, rising and breaking again and again.

Weather shifted, pace shifted. Together, it balanced out.

4

八點的Surfers Paradise，海浪不疾不徐，卻不曾停歇。它不是表演，也不是姿態，只是憑本能湧上沙灘。這種單純，正是力量所在。

沙灘留滿腳印，深淺不同。有人急步，有人漫行，像各自的步調被沙子記錄下來。晨跑的身影，與其說浪漫，不如說真實。他們大口呼吸，專注流汗，反倒更符合清晨的節奏。

此刻的黃金海岸，少了觀光的喧鬧，多了生活的氣息。

幾隻海鷗低飛，步伐凌亂，好像還沒完全清醒。空氣裡的鹹味直接滲入鼻腔，混著一點海藻氣息，帶著粗糙的誠懇。

浪聲重複，卻耐聽。久了，你發現它像背景，又像提醒。沒有情緒，沒有目的，只是存在。正因如此，聽的人反而靜下來。

陽光照在海面，碎裂成細小的光點，不耀眼卻奢侈。遠方的高樓在光裡不顯突兀，反而像是場景的一部分，註明人類也屬於這片風景。

沙子涼，貝殼多。隨手撿起一片，紋路細緻得像精工設計，卻散落滿地。自然的寬裕，不需宣傳。

這樣的清晨，不必多言。你只需呼吸，聽浪，感受風。存在本身，就是答案。

Eight in the morning at Surfers Paradise. The waves keep their rhythm, steady and unpretentious. No show, no disguise. Just the sea doing what it does.

The sand is a notebook of footprints. Some heavy, some faint. Runners pass, locked in their breathing. They don’t know they look poetic against the gold light, and that makes them even more so.

The coast at this hour feels stripped down. No tourist noise, no crowds. A few gulls drift by, half-awake, like neighbors in slippers. The air is sharp with salt, mixed with a hint of seaweed. Honest. Raw.

The sound of waves repeats, but it never bores. Stay long enough and it becomes both background and pulse. It carries no agenda, which is why it calms.

Sunlight scatters on the surface, a million shards of gold. It looks expensive without trying. Towers in the distance lose their harshness in this light; they stand as a reminder that people live here too.

The sand underfoot is cool. Shells lie everywhere, patterned with more detail than most jewelers would bother with. Nature doesn’t ration beauty.

A morning like this needs no coffee, no soundtrack. You stand there, salt on your lips, wind in your hair. You do nothing. You think nothing. And that is enough.

5

黃金海岸有間小麵店，叫Paddock Bakery，遊客未必知道，在本地人中倒是頗有名氣。Uber司機跟我說，這家店是他太太的最愛，每週必來。門面樸素，木質調子，澳式鄉村風格。

進得門來，先要找桌子。店員說：「請先找桌子。」我問還有其他座位嗎？她說後面有，樓上也有。我走了一圈，發覺要看人，還是坐在大廳好。找了78號桌，才去下單。

香氣撲鼻。麥香、奶香、酵母發酵的天然芬芳，混合得恰到好處。看那貝果，表皮金黃，罌粟籽密密麻麻，手工揉製的質感十足。澳洲人做貝果，有自己的一套章法，厚實飽滿。

店內陳設簡約，幾張木桌，藤椅，窗外綠意盎然，陽光斜射進來，在桌面上投下斑駁光影。

這般氛圍，典型的澳洲悠閒調子。

坐在大廳，正好觀察來往食客，本地人居多，三三兩兩，悠然自得。

那雞蛋配搭，擺盤用心。兩隻水煮蛋，蛋白凝脂如玉，蛋黃金燦燦的，旁邊配著手工麵包片，還有深褐色的特製醬汁。這樣的早餐組合，在澳洲是經典配搭，但做得確實用心，食材新鮮。

最妙的是那咖啡。foam art做得精緻，心形圖案工整，barista手藝不俗。那一杯flat white，奶泡綿密，咖啡香濃，入口順滑，確實是好咖啡。

還有那muffin，外皮鬆軟，內餡豐腴，配著咖啡吃，甜度適中，不會搶奪咖啡的風頭。

在這樣的地方坐下來，看看來往食客，品嚐手工製作的食物，倒也是黃金海岸生活的另一種寫照。

本地人懂得享受這樣的慢節奏，Uber司機的太太每週必來，自有道理。​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

There’s a little bakery on the Gold Coast called Paddock Bakery that tourists might not stumble upon, but it’s quite the favourite among locals. My Uber driver mentioned it’s his wife’s go-to spot - she comes here every week without fail.

The place has that unpretentious wooden charm, very much in the Australian country style.

Walk in and you’re hit with the most wonderful aromas - fresh bread, butter, and that distinctive smell of proper yeast fermentation working its magic.

“Find a table first,” the staff member told me when I approached the counter. I asked if there were other seats available.

“There’s more out back, and upstairs too,” she replied. I had a wander around, but figured the front room was best for people-watching.

Settled at table 78 - then went to place my order.

That bagel was something else entirely. Golden-brown with poppy seeds scattered across the surface, clearly hand-rolled with that satisfying dense texture that only comes from proper technique.

The Australians have their own way with bagels - hearty and substantial.

The fit-out is refreshingly simple: wooden tables, wicker chairs, and plenty of natural light streaming through the windows onto the weathered timber surfaces.

Very much that relaxed Australian vibe.

Sitting in the main room, you get to observe the steady stream of regulars - mostly locals chatting quietly over their morning coffee.

The egg dish was beautifully presented. Two perfectly poached eggs with whites like silk and yolks that golden amber colour, accompanied by thick slices of house-made bread and what appeared to be some sort of rich, dark relish. It’s a classic Australian breakfast combination, but executed with genuine care and quality ingredients.

The coffee was the real standout though. Barista clearly knew their craft - the foam art was precise, that heart pattern perfectly formed.

The flat white itself was exemplary: velvety microfoam, robust coffee flavour, smooth finish. This is what good Australian coffee should taste like.

Then there was the muffin - tender crumb, generous filling, just the right sweetness to complement rather than compete with the coffee.

It’s the sort of place where you can settle in, watch the locals go about their morning routines, and savour food made with actual attention to detail.

No wonder the Uber driver’s wife makes this her weekly ritual.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

6

海鷗與鸛鳥的饗宴

Marine Parade這條海濱大道上，Charis Seafood算是一處奇景。店內海鮮琳瑯滿目，從澳洲龍蝦到巴拉曼迪魚，應有盡有。據說老闆是個希臘裔澳洲人，眼神精明，手腳俐落，炸魚薯條的功夫倒也地道。

真正的戲碼在店外。

一踏出門檻，便見群鷗盤旋。這些海鷗早已摸透了人類的用餐規律，無論何時都準時報到，從不缺席。牠們蹲踞在長椅上，站立在餐桌邊，那副理所當然的模樣，彷彿這裡本就是牠們的地盤。

最有趣的是那些朱鷺。黑白相間的羽毛，彎曲的長喙，走起路來一搖一擺，頗有江湖老手的架勢。牠們專挑散落的薯條下手，動作迅捷，得手後便昂首闊步，好不威風。

人性的弱點，在此暴露無遺。遊客見到單腿的海鷗，心生憐憫，悄悄投下幾根薯條。豈料消息走漏，其他鳥兒蜂擁而上，場面瞬間失控。那些自視老大的海鷗張開雙翼，對著同伴嘶聲咆哮，儼然黑幫分贓的架勢。弱小的只能在邊緣徘徊，等候施捨。

這些鳥類早已看透了現代都市人的軟弱：捨不得浪費食物，又不忍心驅趕動物。於是便養成了這般無賴習性，在餐桌周圍巡遊，等候人類的「施捨」。說是施捨，其實更像是勒索。那些鳥兒的眼神，分明在說：「不給？我們就不走。」

坐在海邊啃著炸魚，看著這群不速之客爭食，倒也別有一番滋味。文明與野性的界線，在此刻變得模糊。到底是人馴化了鳥，還是鳥馴化了人？答案或許就在那一片飛舞的羽毛中，隨風飄散。​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Seagull Parliament

Charis Seafood sits along Marine Parade like some kind of avian United Nations. Inside, the usual suspects sprawl across crushed ice—prawns, barramundi, mud crab, the lot. The owner, supposedly Greek-Australian, works the fryer with the efficiency of a man who’s seen every tourist trick in the book.

The real theatre happens outside.

Step through that door with your fish and chips, and you’ve entered their domain. Seagulls materialise from nowhere, perched on benches, strutting across tables with the brazen confidence of seasoned grifters. These birds have worked out human psychology better than most therapists. They know exactly when to strike, and more importantly, they know we’re pushovers.

Then there are the ibis—those black and white scavengers with their curved beaks and swaggering gait. Proper little thugs, really. They’ve got this whole routine down pat.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Some soft-hearted tourist spots a one-legged seagull hobbling about and thinks, “Poor thing.” Out comes a chip or two, tossed with the best intentions. Fatal mistake. Word spreads faster than gossip in a small town. Within seconds, the entire feathered mafia descends.

The hierarchy reveals itself instantly. Alpha gulls spread their wings wide, squawking territorial threats at anyone who dares approach their bounty. They’ll actually attack their own kind, wings flapping, beaks jabbing, establishing pecking order in the most literal sense. The smaller birds hover at the periphery, waiting for scraps like supplicants at court.

What fascinates is how quickly the dynamic shifts. Feed one, and suddenly you’re running a soup kitchen. These birds have turned begging into performance art, working every angle of human guilt and sentimentality.

Sit there long enough, watching this choreographed chaos unfold over leftover chips, and you start wondering who’s really domesticated whom. The birds have trained us beautifully—we show up with food, they show up to collect. Simple as that.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

7

昆士蘭大學樹下食光

昆士蘭大學的 Duhig Building，建於一九三○年代，淺色石材砌成，歲月在牆上留下斑駁痕跡。這座圖書館大樓有種說不出的韻味，像是老紳士的背心，雖然舊了，卻更有味道。

大樹參天，枝葉茂密得像把巨傘。我在樹蔭下找了張長椅坐下，從 Merlo Coffee Roasters 買來的食物攤在膝上。這家咖啡店在當地頗有名氣，品質尚可。

點了個 Sausage Roll，香腸卷得緊實，酥皮烤得金黃，一口咬下去，稍微鹹了些，或許是調味重了手。

還有個 Falafel Wrap，中東風味的鷹嘴豆丸子裹在薄餅裡，配上生菜番茄，清爽得很。鷹嘴豆這東西，蛋白質豐富，比肉類好消化，中東人的智慧。還點了個水果杯，芒果草莓藍莓，維他命 C 充足，平衡一下油膩。

手裡端著杯抹茶咖啡，綠茶的苦澀與咖啡的醇香交融，可惜層次不如早上在 Coffee Anthology 喝的那杯，少了些回甘的餘韻。

正吃得起勁，忽然一片葉子飄然而下，不偏不倚，恰好落在我的香腸卷旁邊。我看了看，沒理會，繼續吃我的。又一片葉子落下，這回掉在地上，黃綠相間。

忽然聽到「啪」一聲，有液體從高處跌到地上，肯定是哪隻烏鴉做了些不禮貌的事情。好在避過了，沒有中頭獎，算是運氣。

誰知這還沒完。烏鴉的智商可不低，據說有七歲小孩的聰明程度，狡猾得很。果然，第二次攻擊來了，這回它加強火力，直接放到椅背和我的後背上。唉，這下躲不過了。

那隻黑色的傢伙得逞後，大搖大擺飛到垃圾桶上，歪著腦袋看著我，眼神裡透著得意。我心想，這是不是搞針對？試探性地遠遠揮動一下手臂，牠立刻振翅飛走。明擺著就是故意的！這傢伙用的是驅趕伎倆，想把我逼走，好獨佔這塊地盤。

烏鴉這東西，精明得很，懂得用各種手段達到目的。

樹下忽然有動靜，兩隻叢林火雞搖搖擺擺走過。

這種澳洲特有的鳥兒，比普通火雞小些，羽毛黑得發亮，頭頸部有鮮豔的紅黃色斑塊。牠們不怕人，大搖大擺的，頗有氣勢。牠們看了看我手中的食物，又看了看地上的葉子，似乎在考慮什麼。我撕了點麵包屑扔過去，牠們低頭啄食，吃完便揚長而去。

這便是 Duhig Building 樹下的午後時光。老圖書館、大樹、落葉、火雞，還有手中稍嫌鹹重的食物，構成一幅慵懶的畫面。生活本該如此，不急不躁，品味每一個當下的細節。抹茶咖啡雖然平淡了些，但在這樣的環境裡，配著水果杯的清香，竟也覺得合理起來。

人生如茶，濃淡總相宜。

Lunch Under the Trees at Duhig Building

The Duhig Building at the University of Queensland stands with quiet dignity, its pale stone walls weathered by decades since the 1930s. There’s something about these old university buildings—they wear their age like a well-tailored jacket, becoming more distinguished with time.

I found myself a bench beneath one of the grand old trees that tower over the campus, their canopy so thick it forms a natural umbrella. My lunch from Merlo Coffee Roasters was spread across my lap—a local chain with a decent reputation around Brisbane.

The sausage roll was properly golden, though when I bit into it, the saltiness hit me first. A touch heavy-handed with the seasoning, perhaps.

The falafel wrap was more to my liking—those Middle Eastern chickpea balls packed with protein and easier on the digestion than meat, wrapped up with fresh lettuce and tomato. Smart food, really. I’d also grabbed a fruit cup—mango, strawberry, blueberry—all that vitamin C to balance out the grease.

The matcha coffee in my hand was an odd choice, green tea bitterness meeting coffee’s richness, though it lacked the complexity of the cup I’d had at Coffee Anthology that morning. Less nuance, missing that lingering finish.

A leaf drifted down as I ate, landing squarely beside my sausage roll. I glanced at it but kept eating. Another followed, settling on the ground.

Then came the unmistakable sound—a wet splat from above. Some crow had clearly done the unthinkable. Lucky me, I’d dodged that particular lottery.

But crows, you see, are remarkably intelligent creatures. They’ve got the brains of a seven-year-old child, cunning little devils. This one wasn’t finished with me. Round two arrived with improved accuracy—right onto the bench back and down my shirt. Bloody hell.

The black menace perched triumphantly on a nearby bin, head cocked, studying me with what I swear was smugness. Was this personal? I raised my arm in a tentative wave from a safe distance. Off it flew immediately. Absolutely deliberate! The creature was employing tactical harassment, trying to claim the territory for itself.

Clever birds, crows—they know exactly how to get what they want.

A rustling caught my attention as two bush turkeys strutted into view.

These distinctive Australian birds, smaller than their farmyard cousins, their dark feathers gleaming and their heads adorned with bright patches of red and yellow. Fearless things, they wandered right up, eyeing my lunch with casual interest. I tossed them some bread crumbs, which they pecked at with satisfaction before wandering off to terrorize someone else’s picnic.

This is university life in Queensland—old stone buildings, ancient trees, falling leaves, opportunistic wildlife, and food that’s sometimes a bit too salty. But there’s something perfectly right about eating under these trees, even with dive-bombing crows and the occasional bush turkey inspection. The matcha coffee might not have had the depth I’d hoped for, but paired with the sweet fruit and this leafy sanctuary, it seemed to fit the moment just fine.

Life, like coffee, doesn’t always need to be complex to be satisfying.

8

布里斯本咖啡三味

人在外地，總愛找幾家像樣的咖啡店坐坐。布里斯本這座河城，倒是不乏好去處。三天下來，試了三家，各有風情，也各有高下。

第三名：Coffee Anthology（126 Margaret Street, Brisbane CBD）

這家店位於瑪格麗特街126號 ，藏在一幢1890年代的歷史建築背後 。店名取得文雅，「咖啡選集」，像是要把天下好咖啡都收羅其中。確實採用多家烘焙商輪換的做法，讓咖啡愛好者每次造訪都能嘗到新鮮貨色 。

點了杯White Coffee，不熱。這是硬傷。咖啡豆確有層次，前調清香，中段醇厚，尾韻悠長，技術層面無可挑剔。但溫度不夠就是不夠，再好的層次也被這溫吞水澆了一半興致。像讀一首工整卻無溫度的詩，技法純熟，情感欠奉。工業風格的裸磚牆面倒是很有格調 ，只可惜咖啡沒有配上這份雅致。

第二名：Mulga Bill’s（Landing Plaza, Kangaroo Point Bridge）

坐落在袋鼠角大橋與布里斯班城市植物園入口的Landing Plaza ，地理位置得天獨厚。店名取自Banjo Paterson的著名作品 ，頗見文化底蘊。這是Tassis集團今年二月剛開的新店 ，可容納60位客人，室內外座位兼備 。

河景第一，這點無庸置疑。來了杯Espresso，一口下去——真爽！濃烈、直接，沒有花巧，就是純粹的咖啡本味。坐在河邊，看著對岸的Story Bridge，喝著正宗義式濃縮，這就是旅途中的小確幸。只是店面太新，還缺少一點歲月沉澱的韻味，像個帥氣的新人，有顏值有實力，但還需要時間打磨。

第一名：The Hideout Specialty Coffee and Croissant（100 Edward Street）

藏在愛德華街100號，店名「藏身處」果然名符其實。這裡是CBD的心臟地帶，卻有種鬧中取靜的氣質。他們的Flat White，真正稱得上拿捏得恰到好處。奶泡綿密不厚重，咖啡香醇不搶鏡，溫度剛好——這點尤其重要，因為前兩天在Coffee Anthology吃過溫度的虧。

一口下去，先是奶香，繼而咖啡味層層遞進，最後是悠長的回甘。專心品嚐那一刻，什麼都可以暫時放下。這才是真正的咖啡時光。早上經過時空無一人，想著要趕去植物園，沒進去。十一點半回來，座無虛席，只好外帶。這就是好東西的宿命——你不要它時它靜靜等你，你想要它時已經被別人搶走了。

愛德華街上來來往往的上班族，大概很多人都知道這個「秘密基地」。咖啡配可頌，簡單的組合，卻做得用心。這種用心，比什麼花哨的咖啡藝術都來得實在。

人生如咖啡，咖啡如人生。有些店靠位置，有些店靠噱頭，但真正留得住人的，還是那一杯溫度剛好、用心調製的咖啡。在布里斯班這三天，The Hideout給了我最好的答案。

Brisbane Coffee Crawl: Three Cafés Worth Knowing

There’s something about being in a new city that makes you hunt for the perfect coffee. In Brisbane, a river city that takes its caffeine seriously, I spent three days sampling what the locals consider essential. Here’s how they ranked.

Third Place: Coffee Anthology (126 Margaret Street, Brisbane CBD)

Tucked behind a heritage building from the 1890s on Margaret Street, Coffee Anthology promises much with its literary name—as if curating the world’s finest beans like poems in a collection. They rotate through different roasters, which sounds promising in theory.

I ordered a white coffee. It wasn’t hot.

The beans had genuine complexity—bright top notes, full body, lingering finish. Technically sound. But temperature matters, and lukewarm coffee, no matter how carefully sourced, feels like a betrayal of the ritual. The industrial brick interior has character, but the coffee lacked the warmth to match the atmosphere. All craft, no soul.

Second Place: Mulga Bill’s (Landing Plaza, Kangaroo Point Bridge)

Prime real estate at the gateway to the City Botanic Gardens, named after Banjo Paterson’s bush ballad—points for literary gravitas. This is Tassis Group’s newest venture, opened in February, with sixty seats and river views that justify the hype.

The espresso hit exactly right. No fuss, no foam art, just proper Italian intensity that makes you remember why people queue for coffee in the first place. Sitting riverside, watching the Story Bridge span the brown water, nursing a shot that actually had backbone—this is what travel coffee moments should be. The venue’s too polished, though, lacking the worn-in comfort that comes with time. Excellent bones, needs seasoning.

First Place: The Hideout Specialty Coffee and Croissant (100 Edward Street)

The name suits the location—tucked into Edward Street’s CBD bustle but somehow apart from it. Their flat white is textbook perfect: silky microfoam that doesn’t overwhelm, coffee that doesn’t hide, temperature that actually registers as hot. After the lukewarm disappointment elsewhere, this felt like salvation.

The first sip delivers milk sweetness, then coffee complexity builds in waves, finishing with that lingering satisfaction that makes you pause mid-conversation. This is what flat white should be—balanced, confident, properly executed.

I walked past at 9 AM to an empty café, but had places to be. Returned at 11:30 to find every table taken, settling for takeaway. The mark of quality: when you don’t want it, it waits; when you do, everyone else has discovered it too.

The Edward Street office crowd clearly knows their secret. Coffee and croissants—simple combination, flawless execution. No gimmicks, no Instagram moments, just the fundamentals done with care.

Three days, three cafés, one clear winner. In a city where coffee culture runs deep, The Hideout reminded me that excellence often hides in plain sight, waiting for those who know what to look for.

9

布里斯本河畔悠遊記

清晨的布里斯本植物園門口，點了杯espresso。澳洲人的咖啡文化承襲意大利，這一口濃縮，苦中帶香，正是開啟一天的儀式。門外車水馬龍，園內鳥語花香，一牆之隔，兩個世界。喝畢，過橋去。

Kangaroo Point橋的設計，頗有匠心。每隔一段，便有半圓形的觀景台突出橋身，像是建築師特意留給行人的禮物。站在台上，布里斯本河景盡收眼底，拍照觀景皆一流。這種人性化設計，比起香港的青馬大橋多了份詩意——青馬大橋著重運輸功能，行人難以駐足，這裡卻專門為欣賞風景而設。

南岸攀岩場，各路運動愛好者齊聚。老的少的，男的女的，徒手在人工岩壁上挑戰自我。底下一對一有專人看守，確保安全。不靠繩索器械，純粹憑藉身體力量，這才是返璞歸真的運動。澳洲人向來重視戶外活動，這種全民健身的風氣值得讚賞。

頭頂客機劃過藍天，腳下除草機嗡嗡作響，抬頭一看，昨夜的月亮竟還掛在天邊。古人云「月落烏啼霜滿天」，這裡是「機過草鳴月未眠」。現代生活的節奏，就是這樣奇妙——人工與自然並存，匆忙與悠閒交織。

Stanley Street Plaza的跳蚤市場，是這座城市多元文化的縮影。香精油、算命、手工包、印花T恤，琳瑯滿目。各族裔商販和睦共處，展現了澳洲社會的包容性。Ivan站在大樹陰下，看陽光透過枝葉，在地面投下光影斑駁。烏鴉在頭頂啁啾，遠處三四層樓高的住宅錯落有致，典型的澳洲中產風情。小池塘邊單車客悠然而過，偶見行人消失於地下——原來是停車場入口。地面留給人，地底給車，各安其位。

布里斯本河寬如海峽，渡輪在水面悠然巡弋。兩岸空間遼闊，不似新加坡河的精緻小巧。這裡的河道有種大陸氣派，看地圖蜿蜒如M字母，身在其中卻不覺彎曲，皆因水面寬廣之故。人生何嘗不是如此——遠觀是曲折，身處其中反而坦然。

渡輪環遊一圈兩小時，票價澳幣五角，便宜得令人驚喜。工作人員是個友善的小伙，告訴我河上總共十六艘船隻穿梭不息。從Southbank登船，回植物園只需到Gardens Point一站。若去Riverside區域，則是下個停靠點。這種水上交通，比起新加坡的河川遊船更加實用——既是通勤工具，又是觀光體驗。

這就是澳洲式的生活哲學——不疾不徐，該動則動，該靜則靜。攀岩時全神貫注，渡河時放鬆怡然，逛市集時東張西望，一切都恰到好處。香港人講求效率，新加坡人追求精準，澳洲人則偏愛從容。三種城市，三種節奏，各有其美。在這河光山色中，倒覺得慢一點也無妨。

Brisbane River Wanderings

Morning espresso at the Botanic Gardens gate – that proper Italian shot that kicks the day into gear. Brisbane does coffee the continental way, none of that watery American nonsense. The contrast is immediate: traffic humming outside the gates, birdsong within. Two worlds, separated by wrought iron and good sense.

The walk across Kangaroo Point Bridge reveals thoughtful design. Every so often, semicircular viewing platforms jut out from the walkway like architectural afterthoughts that weren’t afterthoughts at all. Someone actually planned for people to stop, to look, to photograph. Unlike Hong Kong’s Tsing Ma Bridge, built purely for getting cars from A to B, this one acknowledges that humans occasionally want to pause and admire the view.

South Bank’s climbing wall draws an eclectic crowd. Young office workers testing their grip strength, retirees proving age is just a number, teenagers showing off – all scaling the artificial rock face with nothing but chalk and determination. Safety spotters stand ready below, one-on-one vigilance. It’s refreshingly analog in a digital age, this business of hauling oneself upward using only what nature provided.

Aircraft drone overhead while lawn mowers buzz below, and there’s last night’s moon still hanging about like a party guest who’s forgotten to leave. The layering of sounds – mechanical, natural, celestial – creates an oddly harmonious urban symphony.

Stanley Street Plaza’s weekend market tells Brisbane’s demographic story in miniature. Essential oils, tarot readings, handcrafted bags, novelty t-shirts – the usual suspects. Vendors from various backgrounds work their stalls with easy camaraderie, the kind of multicultural ease that Australia has largely mastered. Ivan stands beneath mature trees where crows hold court, dappled sunlight playing through leaves. Beyond, modest three and four-story apartments stretch in orderly rows – middle Australia made manifest. Cyclists glide past a small pond, and occasionally someone disappears underground. Not Alice’s rabbit hole, just the car park entrance. Sensible urban planning: people above, vehicles below.

The Brisbane River sprawls with continental confidence, nothing like Singapore’s intimate waterway. Here’s space to breathe, room to maneuver. The ferry chugs along with all the urgency of a Sunday afternoon, and checking the map reveals the river’s M-shaped meanderings – though from water level, it feels surprisingly straight. Perhaps that’s what width does: it smooths out the curves, makes the journey seem more direct than it actually is.

A full circuit takes two hours for fifty cents Australian – practically free entertainment. The crew member, chatty and cheerful, explains they’ve got sixteen boats working the river system. Board at Southbank, one stop gets you to Gardens Point and the botanical gardens. Riverside precinct? That’s the following stop, delivered in that distinctly Australian cadence that makes even mundane information sound like an invitation to adventure.

This encapsulates the Australian approach: measured without being sluggish, efficient without being frantic. Rock climbing demands focus, river cruising encourages contemplation, market browsing permits wandering attention. Hong Kong operates at double-speed efficiency, Singapore runs with clockwork precision, but Brisbane ambles along at human pace. Three cities, three rhythms. Sitting here watching the river flow, there’s something to be said for taking the long way around.