What a superb night Saturday was here in Brisbane!

The annual Riverfire event took place along the banks of the Brisbane River with a massive fireworks display launched from locations all over the city. This is the event that marks the start of a busy month in the city as the Brisbane Festival takes over with its diverse program of dance, music, theatre, conversation and visual arts throughout the city and suburbs for three exciting weeks.

Having never witnessed Riverfire before I really didn’t know what to expect, I mean a fireworks display is a fireworks display – right!?! I was in Cape Town for the final of the World Fireworks Championships a few years back and thought I’d seen it all but this night turned out to be pretty special.

Crowds started to gather at all vantage points along the river from 1pm onwards so my housemate Tommy bagged us a spot at the top of Kangaroo Point from where we could see the loop of the river below and watch the military fly-bys throughout the afternoon…well at least I thought there would be lot to see. At 5pm a lone Black Hawk helicopter buzzed the crowd with a series of low level passes, the Channel 9 news chopper was constantly in the air filming the action below.

With the crowds building and every available square metre of grass now covered in blankets, rugs and people the atmosphere was reaching a boiling point of expectation and it was time to head to the base of the cliffs for the evening event – The Fireball

Riverlife activity centre was hosting the function which offered one of the best locations from which to view the explosion of fire and I wasn’t disappointed.

Firstly came the ‘Dump n Burn’ – an awesome F-111 strike jet screamed through the night sky to signal the start of the performance and just as it hit the city limits lit up its afterburners with raw aviation fuel sending an enormous flame out of its rear bright against the dark night sky. And then came the fireworks. – a display that was launched from all the major bridges and tall buildings within the city. Everywhere you looked there were fireworks going off and all perfectly timed with the radio station Triple M’s outside broadcast.

From where we stood it was simply a fantastic view with maybe a hundred boats on the water all watching the performance. My only wish? To have been in sight of the Story Bridge to see the massive finale!

The Brisbane Festival itself runs through to the end of the month and there’s a few events I really want to go and see; Into Africa means I can dig my Mozambican shirt out of the cupboard and go for some food and music from the dark continent. West End Live happens in my neighbourhood when Boundary Street is closed for the day, stages erected with street performers and bands let loose.

It’s going to be a very good month here in the city

P.S. Being springtime here in Australia I thought I’d continue the tradition my mother has back in the UK and plant some of my own vegetables so on Saturday morning I headed to the West End markets and bought some lovely little plants – here’s my new garden. Doing my little bit for the environment