If you are looking for a young, growing city that comes with energy and a get-up-and-go attitude, you will be at home in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital.
Trendy cafes, heritage trails, seafront restaurants and beaches make Brisbane a relaxed holiday destination.
The almost year-round blue skies and tropical climate means life is generally spent outside, whether dining al fresco on Little Stanley Street, shopping for local artisan products at the twilight market at Raby Bay Harbour Park or feeding a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins at the Tangalooma Island Resort on nearby Moreton Island.
River walk
A ride on the Brisbane River is a stunning way to see the city, especially at sunset.
Along the river as the skyscrapers’ lights begin to twinkle in the dusk, you will see the sky transforming from blue to red to orange. Take a camera with you.
Passing under the illuminated Story Bridge will give you a wonderful appreciation of this city.
Explore the centre
Stop in the city centre and explore it on foot. The streets are laid out in a grid and are named after British royalty: queens and princesses run north to south, kings and princes run east to west.
Queen Street, now a pedestrian mall, is the hub of the city. Explore the City Hall and enjoy the Italian Renaissance-style Treasury Building before heading south to the City Botanic Gardens.
Going south
South Bank, just over the Victoria Bridge, is the cultural centre with world-class galleries and entertainment.
The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art are worth a visit with their programme of Australian and international exhibitions all the year round.
Additionally, the South Bank area is filled with restaurants, cafes, weekend market stalls and outdoor spaces.
Great heights
Go on the hop-on-hop-off City Sights Bus Tour to discover the bush trails and botanic garden of Mt Coot-tha. This is a must-see for visitors.
Mt Coot-tha Lookout has sweeping views of the city, Moreton Bay, Stradbroke Island and the southern ranges. It provides a spectacular view of the city in the day or a fairyland of lights at night.
Dining and nightlife
Brisbane’s fresh air and clear blue skies make the perfect backdrop to any dining experience. The locals take their food and drink seriously.
A series of gourmet grocers have opened up in different localities, offering a great variety of fresh local produce and specialist food brands and they double as cafes with healthy menus that change frequently to match the latest in-season produce.
Nightlife in Brisbane varies from trendy areas such as New Farm, to the vibrant Fortitude Valley.
As well as Brisbane’s Chinatown, the Valley features eclectic bars and restaurants.
The Gold Coast and Great Barrier Reef
Brisbane is also a great springboard from which to explore Queensland, and indeed the rest of Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne to the south.
You will also find Australia’s most famous attractions, the Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Experience Aussie surf culture, family fun adventures and natural beauty at the Gold Coast.
Visit the famous Surfers Paradise beach and try your hand at surfing classes.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of those places in the world that takes your breath away. Stretching more than 2,300km, it offers scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing, bare boating, cruise shipping and expedition cruising.
This is one of the great holiday destinations of the world, partly because of its expanse and natural splendour, and partly because it hugs the coast of one of the world’s friendliest places: sunny, tropical Queensland.