Brisbane dinner

While hiking the Routeburn Track in New Zealand we met a group of Australians that were hiking together as part of a high school parents outdoor program. One member of the group, Geoff, was kind enough to offer a lot of advice about Australia over the few days that we spent with them on the track.  He invited us over to dinner whenever we ended up in Brisbane.  We emailed with him a couple times to set up a good time for dinner, and met him at the train station around 5:30.

Geoff is a principal at a private school and his wife Jackie is a teacher at a public school, but to make extra money, they flip houses.  In Australia if you buy a house and live in it and then sell it for a profit, there are no taxes on the profit you make from the house.  They currently live in a large Queenslander house, which is similar to a colonial house, but no grand staircase in the front and the outdoor porch only covers two sides, not three. It was gorgeous!

We had brie and quince with olives and crackers for hors d'oeuvre with champagne (that's what they called it, who am I to argue) from South Australia. We talked about politics and the difference between Australia and America.  We talked about the differences in immigration and philanthropists and we discussed the immense amount of flooding Brisbane and Australia received earlier this year.  It was incredible to hear about how the flooding affected everyone around them (they luckily lived on high land so weren't as affected). We opened up a pinot gris from New Zealand once we finished the champagne.

For dinner had Australian barbecue - rump steak (the name of the cut from the cow) and chicken, eggplant and zucchini, and Jacky made smashed potatoes. When Andy asked Geoff what the difference between Australian and American barbecue was there seemed to be a general agreement of "not much". However, it does seem like butchers cut meat differently in Australia than they do in the U.S. The meat was then drizzled in a yummy mushroom gravy.  With dinner we opened a bottle of pinot noir from another area in Australia but I just don't remember where from.  The food was excellent as well as the company.  It was so nice to feel like we were more than just tourists in a country.

After dinner we had some tea and then dessert.  Jacky had made rum soaked plums topped with whipped cream she whipped after dinner and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  I asked if they actually skinned the plums themselves, but Jacky said they bought them in a can pre-peeled.

We hooked up our laptop to their tv and showed them our pictures from New Zealand and Australia.  Jacky didn't go on the hike with Geoff and the others but she met up with him afterwards and they traveled through NZ together.  It was a nice way of talking about each others trips and a pleasant way to end the night.

Geoff graciously gave us a ride back to the city (only about 15 minutes) so we didn't have to catch the train. Thank you Geoff and Jacky!