Brisbane, Australia
Brisbane, Australia - Nov 25 - Dec 06, 2024
How to get from Brisbane Airport to Downtown
The easiest and most
economical way is to take the Airtrain. The trip takes 20 minutes and the
frequency of the trains is every 30 or 15 minutes depending of the time of the
day. We purchased return tickets online at half price for about AUD 21 per
ticket and they were valid for travel 2 days either side of our travel dates,
therefore we did not have to worry if our flight arrival or departure time
changed.
All public transport fares
on buses, trams, trains and ferries in Queensland have been reduced to a 50
cents flat rate on the Translink network across Queensland. What started as an
electoral promise by the government in August 2024, has been made permanent in
December. This made our public transportation cost the cheapest of all
destinations we travelled so far.
GO Card
The most convenient way of
paying for your transportation fares in Queensland is paying with a Go card.
When you buy the Go Card you will be charged a refundable deposit of AUD 10.
The card can be used on all Translink transportation modes and takes into
consideration transfers, so you might travel for hours changing buses, trains
or ferries and only pay 50 cents. Getting the remaining balance and the deposit
back was very easy, there are designated locations for this purpose.
Our Accomodation – Skytower by Clixx
Usually, we do not write
about our accommodation in our blog, but Skytower by Clixx Hotel is worth a
mention. The 90-storey building is the tallest skyscraper in Brisbane and the
largest residential building in the southern hemisphere. Our room was on 33rd
floor, with stunning views of the city and the river.
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Top attractions we visited or experienced in
Brisbane
City Botanic Gardens
City Botanic Gardens is
Queensland’s oldest heritage garden. Located by the Brisbane river, the gardens
have many species of rare plants, ornamental ponds and attractions such as
Bamboo Grove or Weeping Fig avenue.
Here you can learn about
the history of Queensland from prehistoric times to modern days. The museum has
very interesting exhibits in the Lost Creatures, Wild State, interactive
science Sparklab and Discovery Centre sections, in addition to temporary
exhibitions. The general admission to the museum is free.
South Bank Parklands and Brisbane Lagoon
Situated along the Brisbane
river, on the South Bank, the area was created for people’s enjoyment and
relaxation. Aside from the nice city skyline views, you can swim here at the
Streets Beach, a man made lagoon like pool, walk the Promenade and take a
picture at the Brisbane sign, or walk through the Arbour-bougainvillea flowers’
arches. There are also restaurants, playgrounds and picnic areas.
This heritage-listed cliffs
are a popular recreational spot especially for climbing and running.
Constructed in the 1930s,
during Australia’s Great Depression, Story Bridge is one of the Brisbane
landmarks. In the evening the bridge is illuminated by LED lighting displays
that can be seen along the Brisbane river making it a very popular attraction.
We were lucky to see a display of fireworks on one evening.
This beautiful cathedral
houses the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and the seat of its
archbishop. The cathedral’s stained glass windows are one of its most treasured
features, some dating back to 1880s.
A visit of this historic
building offers a glimpse into the colonial life in the early days of
Queensland. The House was Queensland’s first public building where eleven
governors and their families lived for almost 50 years and is now a museum
displaying art exhibitions, or housing concerts and other events.
Day trip to Gold Coast from Brisbane
Gold Coast is a beautiful
region with long, wild, stunning beaches. It is known as a surfing destination
(Surfer’s Paradise), ancient rainforests, theme parks and lively nightlife. We
travelled there by public transportation, first with the Airport Line Train
from downtown Brisbane to Hellensvalle and from there by tram to Main Beach.
The G: link tram goes all the way to Broadbeach South Station but we wanted to
explore the beaches by foot. We started with a walk through Macintosh Island Park, a nice park with
streams and a bird sanctuary, home to beautiful peacocks roaming through the
parkland. We continued on Surfers Paradise Beach, Gold Coast Beach and then
Broadbeach Beach, a distance of almost 8 km that took us about 2 hours.
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From Broadbeach station we
took Bus 700 to Burleigh Heads National Park. This small, wild national park had easy walking tracks through the rainforest
and along the rocky shores with many whales sighting spots during the whale
season.
Brisbane Markets
Brisbane has many bustling markets
where you can buy farm-fresh produce, handmade gifts and delicious coffee and
treats. We visited a few of them: West End Markets, The Collective Markets and
the Brisbane City Markets.
Another free entry
attraction, Museum of Brisbane is an art and history museum, displaying a
unique collection of artworks and objects reflecting the people and stories of
Brisbane.
City Hall and the Clock Tower Tour
Located downtown, the
heritage-listed City Hall is the heart of Brisbane. Free to visit, the building
is also home to the Museum of Brisbane and offers free Clock Tower Tours with
advance reservation online. The tours start with a ride up in one of Brisbane’s
oldest working cage lifts and takes you to an observation platform with great views
of the city and of the Albert Street Uniting Church, a heritage-listed
Methodist church. We could also see the bells and the Australia’s largest
analogue faces. It was a very nice experience.
This stunning parkland has
nicely designed gardens, lawns, subtropical plants, a Rainforest Walk, all
creating a beautiful scenery. A great place to spend few hours wandering
around.
One of the most famous
destinations in Brisbane is the Queen Street Mall, a nice pedestrian shopping
area, home to six major shopping centres: QueensPlaza, Wintergarden, Uptown,
Brisbane Arcade, Tattersalls Arcade and MacArthur Central, but also to local
stores, boutiques, cafes and restaurants.
Day trip to Australia Zoo
To get to Australia Zoo we
woke up early to catch the 7 am Caboolture Line train from Roma Street Station
to Beerwah Station and there we waited for the Zoo’s complimentary bus, which
took us to the Zoo. We returned to the city the same way. The complimentary bus
matches the train timetable. We really wanted to visit Australia Zoo because of
the rare animal species found there but also because the Zoo is managed now by
the Steve Irvine’s family. In the past we were big fans of Steve Irvine’s The
Crocodile Hunter Show. Our visit day coincided with Robert Irvine’s birthday so
we got to see the family during the famous Croc Show Live. The Zoo created
diverse habitats where you could see the animals up close or interact with
them. We could see lots of koalas and even pet one and could also wander among
the kangaroos. It is a place where you could spend a whole day enjoying the
animals or see the conservation live shows held all day throughout the zoo. A
single adult ticket cost was AUD 71.95.
Day trip to North Stradbroke Island
One of the major
attractions when visiting Brisbane is travelling to North Stradbroke Island and
do the North Gorge Walk. Getting there was easy by public transportation. We
started our trip by taking the Shorncliffe Line train from Roma Street Station
to Cleveland Station. Once arrived here we walked half an hour to Sealink Ferry
Terminal where we boarded the Passenger Ferry to Dunwich Ferry Terminal. From
Dunwich we hoped on Bus 880 which took us to Point Lookout, where the North
Gorge Walk starts. The whole trip by public transport took about 2 hours and
half and we paid 50 cents on the train, 50 cents on the bus and AUD 10.50 on
the ferry, one way, per person. The trip was well worth it because the North Gorge Walk was spectacular. The walk is a loop around a rugged headland with
great views of the Coral Sea, the South Pacific Ocean and the beaches. The area
is home to lots of wildlife, we could spot kangaroos roaming freely, ospreys
and spotted dolphins and manta rays in the ocean.
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha
This is one of the best
free places to visit in Brisbane. To get here was easy, just a 30 minutes by
Bus 471 from downtown. The Gardens are like a museum of native and local plant
collections. The attractions include the Tropical Display Dome, Bonsai House,
Fern House, Rainforests, a Japanese Garden, a Lagoon and Bamboo Grove, Arid and
Australian Region plants and many more others.
After we visited the Botanic Gardens, we continued by hiking the Spotted Gum Trail, a nice walking track through eucalyptus forest.
The trail connects Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha to the Mount Coot-tha Summit Lookout, which is the highest point in Brisbane to have panoramic views of the city and of the Moreton Bay.
Next to the Botanic Gardens we visited Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
This is a state memorial to
the Australian and New Zeeland Army Corps that participated in overseas wars.
With a neo-gothic
architecture, this is the cathedral of Anglican Diocese of Brisbane.
Visiting Noosa National Park on Sunshine Coast
Being located 140 km
distance from Brisbane, the trip by public transport took us about 3 hours and
half. We traveled first by Caboolture Line train from Roma Station in Brisbane
to Nambour Station. The trip by train was 2 hours. From Nambour Station to
Noosa Heads Station we travelled by Bus 631. The whole trip one way cost us 50
cents thanks to the Australian government initiative to charge a flat fee of 50
cents on all modes of public transportation. Situated near Noosa Heads at the
northern side of Sunshine Coast, Noosa National Park is a wildlife sanctuary
with a spectacular coastal scenery. The Park is crisscrossed by walking trails,
some along the coastline such as the Coastal Walk and some through the
beautiful eucalyptus forest. We wanted to cover as much area as possible so our
itinerary started with the Coastal Walk which is a 5.4 km trail, one way,
passing by many stunning viewing points: Patty’s Pool, Boiling Pot Lookout, Tea
Tree Bay Beach, Dolphin Point Lookout, Granite Bay Beach, Winch Cove, Fairy
Pools and ended at Hell’s Gates. Being a loop circuit some people choose to
return back the same way, but we continued our walk to Alexandria Beach where
we took off our shoes and enjoyed dipping our feet in the ocean. Pushing ahead,
the trail took us to the Paradise Caves and from there we walked to the LagunaLookout by following the Tanglewood Walk Trail through the rainforest. At
Laguna Lookout we had wonderful views of the coast, the river mouth and the
waterways in the area. From here we just walked back to Noosa Heads Station, and
having some spare time on our hands while waiting for our bus back, we visited
some of the local stores for souvenirs.
RiverCity Ferries is the
operator of the CityCats, CityHopper and Cross River ferries in Brisbane. Travelling
by ferry is cheap, the same 50 cents flat fee applies, and takes you to
different attractions in the city on a shorter route than by taking the bus. Going
by ferry we had unique views of the city’s skyline and the beautiful bridges.
We travelled by CityCat ferry to see some attractions situated at short distances of the ferry piers.
Brisbane Powerhouse is a former tram power station situated near New
Farm Park, that was repurposed to a cultural and arts hub.
A must do while in Brisbane
is strolling on the New Farm Park River Walk, a suspended pathways above the
river, for both pedestrians and cyclists, that stretches between New Farm and
Howard St. Wharves.
Fortitude Valley is a
suburb of Brisbane with hip laneways and lots of shops and restaurants and an area
where heritage listed properties mingle with contemporary buildings. The area
is home to other attractions such as Chinatown Mall, Fortitude Music Hall and
McWirther’s Farmers Market.
Christmas in Brisbane
Even if we did not spend
the Christmas Day in Brisbane, the city lit up with Christmas lights and
decorations starting in November and there was an exciting program of free and
festive events we got to enjoy. We viewed the lighting of the Christmas tree
and enjoyed the free music show put on by the Brisbane Police.
An annual event organized
by the City, we had fun discovering the enchanting Christmas-themed tiny doors
hidden around the City.
This was a free immersive
sound and light experience held at Queen’s Wharf and The Landing along the
river’s edge.
The Enchanted Garden
We spent almost one hour
walking through Roma Street Parkland, the location of this totally amazing
light show. The cost of one ticket was AUD 9 and we had to book the tickets in
advance online.
Brisbane won a special place in our hearts where we will return for sure in the future.
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