Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and the third biggest city in Australia. During the past Brisbane's larger town cousins felt the city could not struggle with them for culture, dining and nightlife but all that's changed.
Brisbane is now growing faster than any other leading city and with the city is constantly adding more for entertainment, fantastic dining and a great onstage music scene in the inner city area of Fortitude Valley. It has also got one of the best climate of any capital in Australia.
The sub-tropical climate means it is warm across the year with mild, dry winters. The city enjoys over 300 days of sunlight a year and as a consequence the town makes excellent use of the outside and the brook that wraps around the city.
Getting Around: Once you're in Brisbane it's best if you hire a campervan to go to everything. Otherwise another option is that it's easy to get round the central areas by foot or public transport. The public transport is operated using the nom-de-plume of TransLink and allows the use of a single ticket for bus, rail and ferry. Ensure you explore the stream using the fast and smooth Town Moggy catamaran ferries.
If you're staying in the CBD itself or close to the brook precinct of Southbank then you will be able to explore much of the centre easily by foot. The CBD area of the town is reasonably compact. Nonetheless if you want to get farther away from the centre then Brisbane sprawls out a good distance and you might find auto rental a good option.
There are numerous Brisbane car rental companies to choose from including all of the large names and a considerable number of local minimal cost operators. A note of warning. If you choose a low cost automobile rental firm then read the small print in extensive detail. 2 the firms charge admin and other costs in the event you cause damage to the auto and hide this in reams of small print on the contract.
What to do: Brisbane has lots to do but here are 1 or 2 proposals to get you moving.
- Explore the brook thru the Citycat ferries. Stand on the front or rear outside sections to get the finest views of the multi million dollar riverfront homes and flats along the brook.
- Visit Southbank on the opposite side of the stream to the town.
- Visit the eat street areas of the inner city suburbs of West End, Paddington and Oxford Street in Bulimba.
- Shop on the Queen Street Mall which features a big selection of stores including malls Myer and David Jones.
- Play a game of bare-foot bowls at Merthyr Bowls Club on Oxlade Drive in New Farm. Access is simple via the Citycat ferry using the New Farm Parklands stop.
- Head to Moreton Bay and take a ferry over to North Stradbroke Island, one of the largest sand islands in the world and home to some great beaches.
Use Brisbane as a base for close by destinations like the Gold Coast, the Sunlight Coast and Australia Zoo which is 1 hour north of Brisbane by road.
Brisbane is an increasingly popular destination for Australian and world travellers so take care you make it part of your trip.
By Peter Dazzer.
