Winter has arrived, earlier than normal, in Brisbane. We've recently been treated to the coldest June day (maximum of 12.6 degrees celsius) since 1916 (depending on which media reports you believe). If that wasn't unusual enough, we've also got an open air ice skating rink in King George Square, right in the centre of Brisbane. It's all part of a winter festival, so there's plenty of European food and drink on offer too. Thanks to our proactive Aunty Anne, we had tickets to go skating on the ice a couple of weekends ago.
It was Eli's first time on ice (mine too, as it just so happens), but we fared pretty well. In fact we all got onto the ice at one point or another during the session - Grandma Susan too! - and we managed to stay on our feet - the same wasn't true for some Brisbanites - there were some pretty heavy falls around us! Alora and Eli enjoyed some time on the seal 'skating aide', but Eli actually preferred to be standing up, skating along and pushing it.
It was a really lovely winter's day in Brisbane (maximum temperature around 22 degrees celsius) so not only was I in shorts and shirt (which attracted quite a few comments from some of the people on the ice that had worn there most wintery clothes), but there were also plenty of puddles on the rink by the end of the session - another incentive to stay upright for Eli and I.
We skated for about 40 minutes, by which point Eli and I were both hot and bothered, probably a combination of physical exertion and nervous energy (neither of us wanted to get cold and wet), but it was great fun. Here we are, Eli and I, hot and bothered and not at all wintery.
To finish off the adventure, Eli and Alora also had a tube ride down the big ice-slide, which was also a big hit with the locals.
It was a great day of skating in front of City Hall - I think the location they chose was great - and it made me want to go to a genuinely cold place with an outdoor ice skating area sometime.
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