Easter Holidays: Cirque Alice

It’s Easter school holidays, Term 1 has wrapped up, and we’ve all been enjoying a break from the usual routine. The house is full at the moment – Dave and Bunny are visiting from England, which means we officially have all four grandparents staying with us! It’s been lovely (and slightly chaotic), but there’s a bit of sadness creeping in too, as my parents are heading back to Canada in a few days. They’ve been with us for nearly five months, so the house is definitely going to feel strange without them around.

Normally I’d save everything up and do one big "school holidays" post, but I’m trying to be a bit more consistent with posting (as always) so here’s the first of a few shorter updates about some of our holiday adventures.

First up: a day trip to Brisbane with my parents and Ella to see Cirque Alice, a circus performance with an Alice in Wonderland theme.

We decided to take the train to Brisbane instead of driving. Time-wise it's a big quicker to drive: an hour in the car vs a 10-15 minute drive to the train station plus 55 minutes on the train. That's if there is no traffic of course, so if there is an accident on the motorway or other heavy traffic it might less advantageous in the car. At the moment, all public transport in South East Queensland is just 50 cents per trip. Such a good deal, especially compared to the $40 it would’ve cost to park in the city. The only snag? Travelling with a child who has no sense of urgency… on the way there we missed our train by seconds and had to wait another half an hour for the next one. (Trains are more frequent during commuter hours, but midday they’re only every 30 minutes.) Still, we made it with time for a quick lunch and a glass of sparkling (lemonade for Ella!) before the matinee started.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Cirque Alice – I’ve somehow avoided taking the kids to any sort of circus up until now – but this wasn’t your usual circus-in-a-big-top experience. The show was held in the Concert Hall at QPAC and was making its world debut here in Brisbane over the Easter holidays.

From the moment the White Rabbit stepped out and started playing an incredible violin solo, we were completely hooked. “Alice” was a powerhouse opera singer, and the dance troupe wove between acts with beautifully choreographed transitions that really brought Wonderland to life. Each act was inspired by a character from the book – and I later read that the cast featured performers from all over the world: Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Tanzania, Russia, the UK, Ukraine, and the USA. It was seriously impressive. There was everything from acrobatics and contortionists to strong men, balancing acts, rollerskating dancers, and a wonderfully weird Mad Hatter who kept us laughing between acts with magic and comedy.

 

We all thought the show was brilliant – such a good choice and something completely different from anything we’d seen before. 

Afterwards, we took a stroll through the South Bank Parklands. South Bank is one of Brisbane’s best spots. It’s a leafy, riverside area with boardwalks, gardens, public art, and cafés, all nestled along the Brisbane River. There’s a relaxed, summery feel to it, even on cooler days, and always something new to explore. We checked out the beautiful Nepal Peace Pagoda (one of only 80 peace pagodas in the world), wandered through the lush Rainforest Walk, and then decided to hop on a CityCat ferry for a river cruise.

The ferries are part of the public transport in Brisbane, so again, this cost just 50 cents – such a win.

We stayed on the ferry for an hour, cruising out of the city and back again, just taking in the views. We timed it perfectly, setting off just after 5pm as the sky was fading from dusk to night. Watching the lights of the city flicker on from the river was pretty magical – a calm, peaceful way to end a very full day. (And also a great place for a photoshoot with your 9-year-old daughter, as you can see below...)

From there, it was an easy train ride home. Honestly, Brisbane’s public transport is so good – clean, reliable, and (at the moment, at least) unbelievably cheap.

It was one of those days where everything just worked – even with a missed train – and we all came home feeling that satisfied kind of tired that only a good day out can bring. More to come soon from our Easter break adventures!