IN AND ABOUT BRISBANE
The Brisbane River, flowing gently between
its green banks, is a favourite resort of
picnic parties, one of the most popular forms of
entertainment in Australia, where dry wood is
abundant and the weather can be depended
upon; and the party pride themselves on their
skill in producing "billy" tea in the shortest
possible space of time. One sunny afternoon we
started up the river in a motor launch. On either
shore were pretty suburban houses, each with
its shady verandah, and palm trees in the gardens.
The river does not, however, always flow softly
and invite pleasure-seekers to embark upon it.
Brisbane people often allude in awestruck tones
to "the Flood," when the river rose and swept
away the peaceful bungalows on its banks and
wrought much havoc. After a pleasant little
voyage we landed with some difficulty on a
rickety wooden pier, on the banks of an immense
meadow of coarse rough grass stretching away
for many acres, with other scattered picnic
