Brisbane

Brisbane is a lush city with flourishing cultural and social scenes.

It boasts stunning views over the Brisbane river and offers an ideal gateway to the surround areas.

Getting there

Brisbane has both an international and domestic airport making it easily reachable by air.

It is also well serviced by the greyhound bus service. I took the bus from Byron to Brisbane and it was a pleasant 4 hour journey.

Accommodation

Breeze lodge

This hostel was situated slightly further out from the CBD, near Kangaroo Point but was still nether the less easily reachable.

From the greyhound bus station I took an uber for $8 as I didn’t fancy a ferry or walk with my bag.

The staff were really accommodating and allowed me to check in early despite housekeeping having not yet finished their tasks. The receptionist then proceeded to tell me all about Brisbane and offered me help in planning my day in the city.

The rooms were spacious, clean and with good-sized lockers. The bed price also came with breakfast which was a great extra. Not many hostels in Australia offer a complimentary breakfast.

Exploring Brisbane

I had a limited amount of time in Brisbane, but even from this short time I grew to really like the city.

Kangaroo point

In the morning I explored kangaroo point and it’s various viewing stations. It’s a really pretty area overlooking the river with stunning views of the city.

I stopped by at the cliff cafe, situated at the top of Kangaroo point for breakfast. It had uninterrupted views over the city and it made for a pretty epic place to have breakfast.

Ferry ride

In central Brisbane there are various ferry services (red boats called city hopper) that are free. This makes exploring the city super cheap.

I took a ferry from Thornton station to south bank. It enabled views of the river from a different angle and was really quick.

South bank

This is a beautiful area of Brisbane, it’s situated along the river, has gardens and various relaxation areas.

Brisbane is not a coastal city, but instead they have built a man-made beach and pool on South Bank.

Many families bought their children here to play whilst others relaxed around the water reading a book or eating an ice cream.

The Brisbane wheel

This is essentially a viewing wheel over the south bank that gives panoramic views of the skyline during its 12 minute rotation.

Tickets are priced at $20 and the bubbles are fully air-conditioned.

Central business district (CBD)

This area is full of shops, cafes and eateries. I was able to pick up a new camera bag here and enjoyed browsing around the shops.

Botanical gardens

Located close by to the shopping centres is the botanical gardens. It’s a pretty garden area with fountains, ponds and lots of plants arranged in sectioned format.

I laid out a blanket and spent a couple of hours relaxing in the sun with a book.

Sunset over kangaroo point

On my way back to the hostel I stopped again at Kangaroo point having heard it was an ideal place to watch sunset.

I enjoyed a caramel slice whilst watching the sun go down over the river. It was also really pleasant to see families using the free BBQs together and joggers stopping to get a glimpse of the sky.

Other things that I didn’t get a chance to do:

Lone Pine koala sanctuary

Visit the sanctuary to get up close and Personal with the cute Koalas, for an extra fee you are able to get a snap of you cuddling a koala.

Mount Coot-tha look out

Go to the look out to get stunning panoramic view over the city.

Gallery of modern art

If art is your thing the head to the gallery of modern art to enjoy the large collection of modern master pieces.

Abbie’s View

Unfortunately I had a limited amount of time in Brisbane but from what I did see i thought it a great place.

I loved the fact it was so easy to explore the city (for free!) and that each area felt like a different city.

The south bank was a stunning area that had a really cool vibe and friendly atmosphere.

Whilst the gardens offered a tranquil place to relax, above all everyone I met in Brisbane was so friendly and helpful.