Highlights of Brisbane | Australia

So, technically I’m going to cover Brisbane and Gold Coast in this post, but there’ll definitely be more about the former! Disclaimer: Gold Coast was not my vibe. Anyways, the next part of my Australia trip, after my New South Wales coastal journey, was to cross into Queensland. I had about a week to fill before my Red Centre trip, which I split to cover the highlights of Brisbane and Gold Coast. Plus a weekend in Noosa tacked on the end! I was definitely back in the bigger cities here, and it was interesting to see how different the two of them were.

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Gold Coast

I really didn’t know much about Gold Coast going into this. But I also didn’t know much about Brisbane either (at least not compared to Melbourne or Sydney) other than I would need to be there to catch a flight. So splitting my week between the two, when it only takes 1-2 hours to travel between them made sense to me! I only knew that Gold Coast was popular with surfers, and generally a big tourist destination. However, to me, it felt like the city was one big resort. Technically I was staying in Surfer’s Paradise, which is the hub of tourism here, so I suppose I can’t judge the entire city just on that!

The whole area is hotels, shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities. But while there’s an endless amount of things to do, they’re just not my kind of thing. When I looked up things to do, all the suggestions were jet boats, indoor skydiving, mini golf, paintball… My travel interests tend to be more cultural, historical and nature & wildlife focused! I can see why it’s popular with domestic Australian travellers looking for that kind of trip though, especially if you’ve got kids in tow.

I’d hoped to hang out on the beach a bit, but unfortunately a massive thunderstorm rolled through on my first day there. I managed a quick walk around regardless but quickly realised that there just wasn’t a whole lot here of interest to me. My plan was to stay longer after work on the second day and then catch a late train to Brisbane. But in the end, I hit the road pretty quickly after work instead. The great news is the entire South Queensland area charges 50 cents on all transport, so that was the cheapest 1-hour train ride I’ve ever taken!

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Brisbane

Brisbane, in comparison, ended up being a pleasant surprise! Going in not knowing much about it, I ended up really quite liking the city. It probably helped that the weather was so much better. I even got a few lunch break swims in at the rooftop pool in my hostel. I only had a couple of afternoons here but definitely got my step count in with some long walks to explore the city.

City Centre

On the first day, I headed towards Brisbane’s CBD, which sits in a bend of the Brisbane River. I swung by Roma Street Parkland first though, a stunning garden full of water features and colourful flowers in their full spring bloom. The walkways through it felt a little like a maze, with a new and beautiful sight around each corner. Definitely one of the highlights of Brisbane for me!

Then I headed down to King George Square, the gateway into the CBD and the location of Brisbane Town Hall. There is a small museum inside, but I think I was too late in the day for it. The outside of the building is certainly impressive though! And across the pedestrianised square sits Albert Street Church, with its bold red and white exterior. I wandered down Albert Street, passing by Queen Street Mall, the city’s busiest shopping district, followed by many other businesses stacked in skyscrapers.

I continued all the way south until I hit the Botanic Gardens. They sit alongside the riverbank, and I took a lazy meander around them in a large loop, around the pretty lagoon, under the shade of lush trees, and along the water’s edge. The route took me north again and I swung by St Stephen’s Cathedral, a Gothic revival church. It’s always so interesting to me to see these ancient-looking churches (though most are about 100-150 years old) tucked in amongst the modern skyscrapers!

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River Views

Then I headed for the Riverside Ferry Terminal, as the ferries are a popular way to get around Brisbane. And a cheap way to enjoy a river cruise and see the city from the water! I hopped aboard and sailed back around the same riverbend I’d just been walking alongside. The late afternoon sun was casting a golden glow across the CBD, so it was a great time to soak in the views. My destination was the Star, so I got off at the South Bank terminal and crossed the river again on the Neville Bonner Bridge. Which is a pretty cool site itself, its white beams arcing across the water.

The Star is a resort hotel and casino, so you may be wondering why I was going here. I’d found out about it by chance, noticing the building from afar the night before. The circular design of the building with trees along its roof caught my eye so I’d looked it up. Sure enough… there is a viewing deck up there. And it’s totally free! I’ve skipped viewing decks in many cities due to their price (the CN Tower in Toronto being a great example) so this one seemed too good to pass up. I whizzed up in the elevator and emerged on the deck in time for the sunset. There are a few bars, but I passed on these and just took in the views of the Brisbane River, ferries chugging along it, and the South Bank as the sun dipped low in the sky.

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South Bank

Speaking of the South Bank, this was my destination for day two. And it’s definitely one of the highlights of Brisbane, a stretch of parkland filled with cultural offerings. Starting at the north end, I wandered across the Kurilpa Bridge to get to the South Bank – Brisbane certainly has lots of interesting bridges! I first passed by the art gallery, the Queensland State Library and the performing arts centre – there wasn’t enough time to go into any/all of them!

Queensland Museum

So, my destination was the Queensland Museum before it closed for the evening. It’s free to enter and has various exhibits on the local culture and nature. There was a temporary exhibition about Australian South Sea Islanders I went through first, then headed into the permanent displays. Nature was certainly at the forefront, with prehistoric wildlife including the now-extinct Australian mega-fauna. The upper level has a lot of taxidermied species still around today – including a cassowary, a Queensland species only bucket list to see! While I would have liked a touch more cultural exhibits, it was pretty good for a free museum!

South Bank Parkland & Streets Beach

Back out in the South Bank Parkland, I stopped to see the Brisbane sign, giant letters situated along the riverbank. Then after passing the Wheel of Brisbane, I entered pathways shaded by massive arches of bright pink flowers. Surrounded by greenery and with stunning views of the Brisbane CBD across the water, it was such a scenic area for a walk. I loved seeing the Epicurious Garden, a community herb and vegetable garden that people can help themselves from! I carried on all the way down the promenade to the Kangaroo Point boardwalk which snakes around the river’s southern meander, opposite the Botanic Garden. There were some gorgeous purple wisteria trees here, and some rock climbers scaling the cliffs.

Eventually, I doubled back on myself, retracing my journey through the parkland. But on the way back, I also made a stop at Streets Beach. This is a man-made beach surrounding a swimming pool, perched on the river bank. So you can go for an outdoor dip and lounge on the sand, while admiring those city centre views. While I didn’t go for a swim myself, I sat on the beach for a little while and thought it was a great idea in general! There are some bars overlooking the pool, and various shops and market stalls one street back. So it was definitely a vibrant, interesting part of the city!

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Highlights of South Queensland

My time in South Queensland was quite short, so I really was packing in the highlights of Brisbane and the Gold Coast very quickly! As discussed, Gold Coast wasn’t for me, but Brisbane was a pleasant surprise. I loved how much green space the city has. From the Roma Street Parkland to the Botanic Gardens to the South Bank, there were so many pretty areas to explore. The good weather helped of course! And the abundance of cultural institutes, sat alongside the river that flows through the core of the city, all just came together wonderfully. I’d soon be leaving the city again though in favour of more small towns and natural scenery, as I headed north to Noosa for the weekend.