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    Australia | Brisbane Qld – eScooter heaven during Covid

    Dare I say it? We had a ball yesterday…during Covid!!!

    In the morning Monty and I decided we needed to take a walk…a long walk. Living 24-7 with your partner in crime can be tricky when one day rolls into the next and the next… Don’t deny it…I know you feel the same way.

    Guys, don’t get me wrong. Life is good. But we love to travel and CoVid has certainly put the chains on that shared passion for the time being. So, when you’re stuck at home, the normal happy times can become strained. What to do? Go outside. Breathe in the fresh air. Stretch your legs. Go for a long walk and embrace new surroundings. We did and ended up doing something we probably wouldn’t have done so close to home…we went for an electric scooter ride and it was brilliant.

    Monty zooming along the boardwalk – Southbank, Brisbane

    We picked the perfect day. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just perfect. The sky was Monet-blue. The sun Gauguin-yellow. The river was its usual murky colour but it still sparkled under the sun’s rays, shimmering like a sequin blanket.

    Careful not to bite off more than we could chew (or, more importantly, our legs could handle) Monty and I jumped in the car and drove to the Power House at Newstead, about 7 kilometres from our home. Sunscreen liberally applied head to toe, we took off at a leisurely pace on foot. The walk from the Powerhouse, along the waterfront, via Eagle Street Pier, across the Goodwill Bridge and back onto land at Southbank was pretty spectacular.

    Needless to say, a couple of superb Nodo take-away coffees and two delicious home-baked muffins were devoured with gusto. Bellies full the thought of walking back to our car was overwhelming. 10 kilometres overwhelming!

    A random traveller scooting along the river walk

    Neuron escooters were parked nearby. We had passed plenty of escooter travellers on our walk to Southbank; it looked pretty safe to us and it would certainly cut down on travelling time for our return trip to the car. What’s a couple to do? Jump onto a Neuron escooter of course!

    The Neuron escooter app is really easy to download on your mobile phone. I have an iPhone, Monty has a Samsung. No problems encountered by either of us. We connected with PayPal which is connected to our pre-selected credit cards.

    Tentative at first, courage took the lead. Off we scootered. Along Southbank’s riverside walk. Across the Goodwill Bridge. Zipping past QUT (university), Eagle Street Pier, Howard Smith Wharves, under the Story Bridge, whizzing unceremoniously past numerous beautiful multi-storey residences, a detour onto suburban streets, then back to the glittering riverside track once more before our Neuron parking destination near the Powerhouse precinct.

    What a ride! Had a ball. Speedy little scooters they are too, so don’t get too cocky or you could do a nasty tumble. Our adventure was without incident, our scooters perfectly intact.

    So, first timers, there are a few things which would have been handy to know before our experience and I’m sharing with them you now.

    Before I sign off with my list, our recommendation: do take a Neuron escooter ride now before CoVid-19 ends. No crowds of people on the walkways. Safe as ever. Seriously good fun!

    First timer tips:

    1. Make sure your mobile phone has plenty of juice. The app sucks about 20% battery life as while its tracking your route (and keeping you safe) during your ride time.
    2. If you decide to take the Brisbane riverside route then take care when you are scooting around the Eagle Street Pier precinct. You will need to duck your head more than once.
    3. The cobblestone pavement, especially around the Eagle Street Pier precinct, can be pretty rugged on your bones. It reminded me of being on a Pilates vibration machines Your body jiggles outrageously from head to toe.
    4. Don’t grip too hard on the handle bar. The right handle has the lever that enables you to increase speed, or slow down. You can, unintentionally, grip too hard on the handle while your increasing and decreasing speed, which can in turn make your hand cramp. Just rest your hand on the bar and let your thumb do the ‘speed control’ work.
    5. Our ride cost us just under $18 per scooter. If you have a few days free at your disposal the three-day pass for around $8 per day is a great option.
    6. Have you ever water-skied before? At times the scooter ride was akin to water skiing. When traversing speed bumps, making your way across the street from one footpath to another, go with the flow. Limber up guys and enjoy the highs and lows of our urban landscape.
    7. Do ensure you have your credit card with you. You will have plenty of opportunities to pick up a takeaway latte or hearty muffin during your excursion…we relied Monty’s mobile phone which has his credit card app. This was a bonus…until we decided to pop into the local supermarket to pick up supplies for dinner. At the checkout we realised Monty’s phone had run out of ‘juice’. Very tricky indeed.

    Want to know more about Brisbane’s Riverwalk. Click on this link: https://www.queensland.com/en-au/attraction/the-brisbane-riverwalk

    1 Comment

    • I liked my scooter experience and think it’s a good way to get around the city

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