This is the Great Court at Pegah's University of Queensland, the oldest, most selective and largest Queensland university in Australia. It is colloquially known as a "sandstone university" because of the 6.2 acre open area surrounded by sandstone buildings. There are grotesques of great academics and historic scenes, floral and faunal motifs and crests of universities and colleges from around the world. This central semi-circular quadrangle features a connected arcade originally built so students could reach any section under cover. Inspired by the Trinity College Great Court Run of the University of Cambridge, the University of Queensland organises an annual 636 meter sprint around the Great Court.
	The sun was setting when Pegah took me on a river tour of Brisbane on the CityCat catamaran ferry. This boat was fast, smooth and incredibly quiet. Brisbane has an integrated transportation system. One Translink card is used for bus, rail and ferry transportation. The CityCat provides services between the University of Queensland St Lucia campus and Hamilton on the Brisbane River. Patronage has grown by 88% in the last six years. The boats are named for Aboriginal place names for various parts of the Brisbane River and adjacent areas. The entire CityCat fleet is fitted with WiFi, allowing access to UQConnect and EduRoam, TransLink timetable information and the Brisbane City Council's website.
	Some friends of Pegah's, Niloufar and Behnam, took us to dinner at the Skyline Restaurant at Mount Coot-tha, 941 feet above sea level, the highest peak in Brisbane. From here one has a magnificent view of the city business district, especially at night. The mountain is a recognizable landmark west of the Brisbane central business district. It marks the eastern end of the Taylor Range. It is home to the the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and has a mountain drive, bicycle trails, and parks, including a waterfall. During dinner we had an interesting and thought-provoking discussion regarding the relative merits of Iranian, Australian and United States foreign and military policies.
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