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Brisbane Riverfire this weekend!
August 27, 2008 | 451 views | Trackback | |
It's with a heavy heart that I write this entry as this weekend back home in Brisbane features one of my home town's greatest annual events - "Riverfire". By now, my readers would have caught onto the fact that I have somewhat of a love affair with fireworks - with those glittery explosive balls of colour that capture the imagination of young and old alike.
While I enjoy immensely the show that Vancouver puts on each Summer with the annual "Festival of Light", 4 x half hour flurry of pyrotechnic wonder across four nights (in two weeks) in front of an audience of tens of thousands, it really doesn't compare with the one night only show put on by my folk back home. We're talking fireworks, set to a pumping TripleM simulcast soundtrack, being launched all over the city heart from bridges, barges, buildings and more in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered to celebrate the mighty Brisbane River that snakes itself through the city.
I'm sad just thinking about it? Why? Because for something like the 4th year running now, I'm not going to be at home to see it. Boooo hooooo. And it's not only the fireworks I miss, but also the incomparable "dump and burn" finale provided by the RAAF's squad of F-111's.
For those not in the know, the "dump and burn" is where two F-111 fighter planes swoop in low over the city, screaming down the river before they intentionally dump fuel in such a way that it is ignited by the plane's afterburner. It really is an amazing thing to witness. The entire sky lights up like the day, the heat hits you in the face and your breath is simply ripped from your being.
In an attempt to give non-Brisbane readers an idea of what the night is like, here's a three-part Channel Nine TV broadcast from the festival back in 2006. If the telecast from this coming Saturday night is posted, I'll swap that in for the videos below.
Happy Riverfire everyone back home!!
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As you know Robbie, Riverfire is one of my fave parts of the year!! Not even Beijing's fireworks display could compare with the annual Riverfire spectacular. It's all about the vibe hey.
For the first time in years I'm not working at Southbank for the 'practice' fly over of the F1-11's tomorrow... although I'm sure I'll hear/see them shoot over at nearby Buranda (at Midday I believe). I get soooo excited I'm like a kiddie in a candy store!
Moo's last blog post: The Beyjongue Ollompucs (that's Kiwi for 'The Beijing Olympics)
Do they do the actual dump and burn in the practice fly-by?
It's every bit as awesome during the day as you can see in the video I link to in the post above.
I am not going to get up there this year for the show either, a bit devo, I keep seeing the ads for it on the tv and thinking hmmm could I, but no we have prior arrangements, I even have a special pair of kiddie earmuffs for Lucas for events just like this ;-D
xx Em
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Nah, no dump & burn on the practice. They gotta save something for the big night I guess.
Moo's last blog post: The Beyjongue Ollompucs (that's Kiwi for 'The Beijing Olympics)