Brisbane Travel"Welcome to laid back Queensland!" This could be the most laid back of the Australian cities so Brisbane travel should be on your list! The locals here take things very slowly and the pace of life here is very different to any other city, particularly compared to Sydney or Melbourne. It’s the third largest city in Australia with a population of nearly 2 million and is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane travel for the visitor is fast becoming a destination for its arts and particularly its theatre scene. Over the last few years Brisbane has won the rights to host some fantastic art exhibitions, dance companies and orchestras making it a desirable place to spend a few days. The city itself is dominated by the Brisbane river and the Story Bridge and its main business hub is on the north bank with its main shopping centre right in the middle of the city. With interesting day trips from here too, you’ll be glad you stopped off for a few days to enjoy Brisbane travel.
Getting HereGetting here is straight forward. You can fly from most of the Australian cities and it is also an international airport so you can fly directly here from overseas should you so wish. You can also drive from Sydney if you fancy taking an East Coast Road Trip. It’s 100km so you’d need at least 2 days of solid driving to get here but it would be better to take your time and stop off at a few places on the way which are worth incorporating into your Brisbane travel. If you are travelling from the north, it’s 1700km from Cairns To Brisbane travel so you’d need at least 4 days to get here but again, I”d recommend taking at least 10 days to enjoy the route, stop off and relax a while.
When to ComeBrisbane’s weather can be very humid in the summer months making temperatures feel much hotter. Find out more about Brisbane Weather Getting AroundThe airport is 9km from Brisbane and the city itself is fairly small so you can easily explore by foot. There is a bus service that loops around making Brisbane travel fairly easy. There is a tour bus that will take in all the major sites. Buses run on a zone system so the further out you go, the more you pay. The ferries are another convenient way of getting around, particularly if you want to Brisbane travel from one side of the city to the other. Inner City and Sea Cat are the most useful routes. You can pick these up from Southbank Parklands, Eagle Street Pier and North Quay. There are also some good train services that are quicker than the buses if you intend to go further a field and visit some of the suburbs or Fortitude Valley. Another good idea for Brisbane travel. What To See And DoClick her for a full list of what to do and all of the best Brisbane attractions Day Trips And Onward Brisbane TravelThe most popular onward destinations from Brisbane are the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast. For more details of these and other great areas visit, Queensland Holidays. Mount Coot-tha Look out This is not strictly a day out but it is out of the city and worth the trip. It’s 7km out of the city and offers a fabulous view over Brisbane. The summit restaurant here is good for lunch as the view is stunning. Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, Mt Coot-tha 07 3369 9922 Take a drink or have lunch in one of Brisbane’s oldest pubs There are two pubs that are 30 minutes from Brisbane travel time and are well worth the detour. The Grand View is on North Street at Cleveland Point. It offers views over Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay. The Full Moon is on Eagle Terrace at Sandgate and offers views over Bramble Bay. A great place for lunch. Moreton Bay Island This island boasts beautiful beaches along its 38km length and ia a great place to go fishing, surfing, sand tabogganning or even camping. It’s perfect for a day trip. You can also go whale watching or dolphin watching depending on the time of year. Whale watching is between mid June to late October. You can catch a boat over to Moreton Bay island and you’ll need to get to Pinkenba which is 8km out of the city. It departs at 10am and returns at 3pm. There are tours which will pick you up from the centre of Brisbane if you prefer. You can take your own car over but it needs to be a 4WD as the tracks on the island are sand based. It’s quite expensive too – at least $180 return. Contact Combie Trader Vehicle Barge. There’s basic accommodation on the island if you want to stay a little longer. Avoid Christmas and Easter when the place gets VERY busy. I'd probably stick to camping. If you really want to stay try the Tangalooma Island Resort. It's nice but over priced in my opinion at $300 per night. Tangalooma is the main hub where you can sand taboggan.There is also a large collection of sunken shipwrecks (pictured below.) The East side of the island is beautiful and less visited. Here you can enjoy the beaches which are good for surfing or explore the Blue Lagoon, the largest of the islands freshwater lakes. Bulwer and Kooringal are at opposite ends of the island and each have a small store but generally bring your own provisions as its pretty pricey. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary This is one of the only places in Australia where you can actually hold a Koala. If you want to get up close and personal to a Koala then this is a great one to incorporate into your
Brisbane travel
plans. You can catch a boat here and enjoy a 90 minute cruise along the river with commentary. You then get 2 hours in the sanctuary before the boat takes you back. You can catch the Ferry from the Pier at the Cultural Centre. Tickets are $50 return including entrance to the sanctuary. The Australia Zoo This is probably the most well known zoo in Australia thanks to Steve Irwin. It's about 70km north of Brisbane on the way to the Sunshine Coast. This is worth a day trip to as it's a great place to see lots of Australian Animals. Click here for more information on Australia Zoo.
Where To StayEmporium Hotel - very nice rooms. In Fortitude Valley so a bit of time but near all the action for restaurants, bars and clubs $220 Quay West Suites. Near the Botanical Gardens on Mary Street. Most rooms have a great view of the river and gardens. Kitchen facilities and large rooms. $300 Hilton HotelWinner of Value for Money Hotel in Brisbane 2008 this hotel is in the shopping mall right in the centre. Some of the bathrooms are getting a bit tired now. $190 Sebel King GeorgeCentrally located and recently renovated $220 Mercure HotelClean and Central $200 Chiefley at Lennons Hotel Very Central $200 Budget Bunk Apartment. Good if you want to party as this is good for the young Banana Benders - Backpacker hostel. Good sized rooms, clean and some nice views. A bit of a trek up a steep hill if you have lots of luggage. From $15 Kookaburra Inn - A bit quieter than the average hostel and gets great reviews Spring Hill Terraces A bit more expensive than a hostel but still value for money under $100 AUD Where To EatThe Brisbaners will tell you that the restaurants in Brisbane are fantastic and much cheaper than Melbourne or Sydney (and some would say less pretentious) So this could be the place to push the boat out and have a really nice meal. For my recommendations click here on
Brisbane Restaurants
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