Brisbane

By the location on the maps, the first impression we have is that Brisbane is by the sea. Wrong! The area near the sea is full of mangroves, muddy and not possible to swim in.. The city was established about 15 km up the Brisbane river and the area near the mangroves was earth filled to accommodate industry and the International Airport. Brisbane today has almost 2 million inhabitants spread out in vast suburbs. Downtown is modern, with futuristic buildings sharing space with some old Victorian constructions. The Brisbane river in front of the center, shapes itself as an immense "S" connecting both sides of Brisbane via bridges. The river is accessed by cruise and cargo ships up to a certain point and after that by smaller vessels. Brisbane is the third biggest city in Australia and it is only one hour away from the Gold Coast (South) and Sunshine Coast (North). These two places have the nearest surf beaches for Brisbanians.

Despite not being by the sea, the local council built an artificial beach across the river right in front of downtown. This area is called Southbank and it is very popular for both Brisbane locals and tourists. It supports a large number of weekend activities such as craft markets, performers, restaurants, bike rides, and picnics. There is no charge to swim in its beautiful and clean waters which are patrolled by life guards. There are 3 different pools with different sizes and depths.

 The Citycat is a passenger catamaran boat, that operates public transport on the Brisbane River. It is fast and cheap, going up and down the river every half hour or so. It zigzags up and down the river, connecting with buses to any Brisbane suburb. Despite being a good size city, Brisbane doesn't have the traffic congestion associated with most large cities. The city is very well planned with express ways to direct traffic around and out of town. Also there is an excellent suburban train system that connects many other neighbouring towns and cities including a regular train service to the Gold Coast. Brisbane has many different community groups from all over the world; the Chinese community being one of the biggest. It is a very pleasant and beautiful city.

Brisbane is safe both day and night. Night life is intense with hundreds of options, things to do, lots of entertainment, and great places to eat. Historic constructions such as the Conrad Casino (photo) highlight spectacular Brisbane sights. The Casino contains many excellent restaurants, gambling machines, and all regular Casino games. It is worth walking in even if you are not a gambler just to appreciate the architecture and decoration of the building. The Shopping Center located in Queen Street, (almost in front of the casino) is another beautiful Victorian construction to be seen. The Center has hundreds of shops, cinemas, eateries and you can find almost anything you need there.

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The suburbs of Brisbane are houses and constructions with one or two floors. The streets are well planted with a huge variety of trees which each season spread good smells around. Most of the homes have backyards with a good area for a Barbie (barbecue), one of the biggest Australian passions. The city also has many parks and leisure areas with a suburb called New Farm having some of the best. The New Farm Park borders the river and during certain seasons the bloom of flowers and colors are spectacular. On certain weekends there is a Farmers' Market held there that attracts thousands of people for the fresh and exclusive foods produces displayed, most of them, never found in a supermarket.

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Getting a little bit out of the city, Moreton Island is another spectacular attraction for nature lovers. Located in from of Brisbane, this island is accessible by Ferry boat, which can take passengers as well as 4 wheel drive vehicles. Moreton Island works as a natural barrier from the open sea and provides a sheltered side for a great week end camping, fishing trip or just to observe wild life. On the semi-deserted beaches you can find sea turtles, laying eggs in the sand, or spot Whales during their annual migration to the warmer northern waters. Literally you will be surrounded by thousands of Australian Pelicans (the biggest in the world) and by noisy seagulls. Snakes, wallabies (small kangaroos) and many other marsupials also inhabit Moreton Island. Houses can be rented right in front of the sea for week ends of for a longer period. Outside school holidays, if you are traveling in groups, it is a very good idea to get one house and share one of the 8 beds. It cost about AU$ 800 per week which means Au$ 14 per person per day. Also you can camp in certain areas or choose one of the excellent camping grounds available. Surfers will find Cape Moreton has one of the best surfing waves in Australia, but beware! because the place is famous for fish with big teeth. Don't worry! If the waves are good, there will be many surfers to provide a banquet.

By night on the sheltered side of the island, one of the greatest entertainments is feeding the dolphins. (photo). They appreciate human contact and eat food out of your hand. They can stay for hours or as long as they find what they like in your hands. Some Ecologists have tried to ban this practice with allegations that they will lose the natural hunting instinct. True or false, it is very fun to do. Another excellent activity is to catch the giant mud crabs that inhabit these waters. They are huge and very tasty on the plate. It is illegal to catch mud crabs less that 15 centimeters from side to side on the top body shell. Females any size must be put back into the ocean. A few kilometers to the South, there is another island called North Stradbroke Island, which seems like a copy of Moreton Island. Australians refer to this island as just Straddie. It is 20 km long and most of the island is a natural reserve. It is closer to the mainland and attracts more crowds. Straddie has very white, sandy beaches and excellent fishing and surfing as well. It is a great day tour from Brisbane.

Back to the City, Brisbane has a great night life specially on Friday and Saturday nights with many night clubs and thousands of restaurants offering any kind of food you can imagine. Cafes are everywhere and are becoming very popular because many are getting council license to place tables on the side-walk or pavement. They call it Al fresco dining. Food is not expensive but some selected wines are. Anyway, you can dine from as little as AU$ 6 (spaghetti Bolognese) to one hundred dollars per head. Mt.Coot-tha (photo), is a hill nearby that has an excellent view of Brisbane. This place is part of the city's tourist attraction and worth a visit, especially during a full moon.

Without doubt we would need many more pages to explain how great Brisbane is. The most important aspects of Brisbane have already been described and we will leave other interesting things to be discovered by you!

More...

• Courses in Brisbane

• Backpacker Hostels in Brisbane

• Attractions of Brisbane

The Motorway 1 connects Brisbane to the Gold Coast taking about 1 hour by car. Other Motorway connects Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast, taking about the same travel time.