“Brisbane Australia travel guide” bustling, booming, fun, and a nighttime wonderland
- Cookie & Keller
- Mar 23, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 24
BUSTLING BRISBANE MIXES CITY ATTRACTIONS WITH OLD-WORLD CHARM, TREES & GAMBLING
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
"The Carpe Diem Kids"
There’s something refreshingly easy about Brisbane. Maybe it’s the subtropical sunshine, the winding river that flows through the heart of the city, or the laid-back energy that makes visitors instantly slow down and stay awhile. Often overshadowed by Australia’s larger cities, Brisbane quietly surprises travelers with its thriving food scene, modern cultural spaces, lush parklands, and welcoming neighborhoods. Whether you’re sipping coffee in West End, exploring the galleries of South Bank, or cruising the river at sunset, Brisbane feels less like a stopover and more like a city you’ll want to return to again and again.
BRISBANE HAS the feel of elegance and casual fun, city life and country charm. Visitors immediately feel its importance because of a vibrant mix of the stately, old, new and energetic.
Along with that dignified façade, it's a city that likes gambling. "Welcome to Bris-Vegas," our captain said as he landed the plane. "Have fun, folks."
I love casinos and gambling, so I cajoled Keller into accompanying me to aptly named Treasury Casino. What fun! It has all the games Vegas does -- minus video poker, my favorite. But Cleopatra was good to me on a fun game, "Queen of the Nile." $264.50 Aussie which paid a couple hours' fun and a nice dinner, about $175 U.S. Many Aussies love gambling, and spend millions each year in Brisbane.
Around the Treasury, tall, modern buildings provide a striking look to the downtown. Beautiful old banyan trees have been carefully preserved to frame contemporary architecture. There's an Asian influence of feng shui, with many skyscrapers built with "cut out" indentations for light, space, fresh air and plants.
PEOPLE HERE love the water and use it as a major way of getting around, which sensibly cuts down on traffic and pollution. The river is also a major tourist attraction. A daily free ferry makes its way along the river. We hopped on and off a dozen times during our week-long stay. We also used Brisbane's River City Cruises which offers fun options for enjoying spectacular views, particularly at sunset when the city takes on a rainbow-hued glow.
The city's famed Story Bridge is world known as a heritage-listed landmark. It's a steel cantilever structure spanning the Brisbane River and carrying vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the town's northern and the southern suburbs.
Bustling capital of Queensland, Brisbane is located on the often flooded Brisbane River.
Brisbane Australia travel guide options:
It's home to gorgeous gardens, busy markets and the progressive South Bank cultural precinct with the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre. One could spend a week dabbling in the acclaimed interactive exhibitions.
We spent a couple hours -- not nearly enough -- at one of the gems in the city's cultural institutions. Queensland Gallery of Modern Art has an impressive range of major contemporary art pieces. Then we were off to Mt. Coot-tha, site of Brisbane Botanic Gardens, high above the city.
Like many Australian places, the mountain is an Aboriginal name, meaning "place of honey." It is known for its delicious black honey and the beautiful wild, stingless bees who produce it.
MOST VISITORS to Brisbane spend as much time on the water as they do on land. We were no exception. Brisbane Australia travel guide options: Again, we used the city's delightful Cross River ferry system which connects all the major streets and destinations: Holman Street, Kangaroo Point, Riverside and Howard Smith Wharves, and Bulimba to Teneriffe.
There are both the "City Cats" for a reasonable $5.60 Aussie fare (about $3.75 U.S.) and the free "Kitty Cats" -- part of Brisbane City Council's CityHopper service, a useful, complementary inner-city ferry service on the river. We hopped on and off CityHopper at seven stops between North Quay and Sydney Street, New Farm, which spans most of what we wanted to see. The ferries are fun and efficient.
AT THE HEART of the city is South Bank, a multi-million dollars attraction. It's Brisbane’s premier lifestyle and cultural destination. Located on the banks of the Brisbane River, its 17 hectares boast world-class eateries, stunning river views and hundreds of delightful events. Artful fountains, steps and sculpture with running water encourage relaxation. The city will spend $48.7 million over the next three years to upgrade its ferry terminals including Dockside and Mowbray Park. We were impressed with the ferry network and accessible, well used public transportation. Millions are also spent on flood resilience.
BRISBANE IS a lively, exciting place. What struck us about the city is the amount of green space within the city. Its suburbs are full of trees and gardens. Dutton Park, Spring Hill and Kangaroo Point are all inviting -- spacious, green and a 15-20 minute drive to city center for plays, concerts, schools, parks, shops and restaurants. Neighborhoods are varied and lively -- including Sunnybank, a one-time semi-rural suburb with market gardens. It's surpassed Brisbane's Chinatown to claim itself the city's largest Asian community. We found it a great place for authentic Asian eats. It's beautiful day or night, when the city comes alive.
Brisbane is an enticing melting pot of Southeast Asian cultures, shops and cuisines. Chinese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, Japanese, Korean, Singaporean and Vietnamese eateries abound. Supermarkets sell produce from multiple countries. We heard a dozen different languages in less than a day. What's not to like about this global gem? Information:
UP SOON Lamb's Players Theatre
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UP NEXT: Honolulu calls us -- and we answer. It's one of our favorite cities in the planet because it has has everything: fabulous hotels, exotic shopping with bargains aplenty, gorgeous climate and beautiful flowers, birds galore and a gastronomic array of eateries with food from many Pacific Island cultures and the Far East. Museums, surfing, aquarium, zoo, parks, historic buildings, the Pearl Harbor memorial, helicopter tours. And the beach, with all its wonders. We explore it all from several color-coded Waikiki trolleys, and take you along the fun routes.
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