Brisbane

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Having taken the 1hr 20mins flight via Jet Star from Proserpine airport (Whitsundays, blog: Airlie Beach and the Wetsunday Islands), we arrived in Brisbane (affectionately known as "Brissie" to the locals) to see sun and blue sky at last!!! We were now 1,700kms south of where we started our Australian adventure in Cairns - yet we were still in Queensland! It still amazes me how vast this country is.

We caught the airtrain from Brisbane airport to Brunswick St. Station for AU$12 each then just had a short walk to the hostel. The first thing that struck me about Brissie was the buzz. It instantly felt a lively, happening place. Perhaps the fact the hostel we're staying in, Bunk, is in Chinatown (Fortitude Valley) where so many of the bars, restaurants and nightclubs are has something to do with it. Also, Bunk is easily the biggest hostel we've stayed at. We arrived on Sunday night, which appeared to be party night in this place. More expensive than we've been used to for a double ($85 instead of $60 - $70), but modern (boutiquey, even), clean and spacious. Besides, we had ensuite which gets an instant thumbs up from weak bladdered Sally everytime! Worth every penny - we'd highly recommend it.

Still feeling a little disappointed after getting flooded in at Airlie, having to miss out on Hervey Bay/Fraser Island and still wondering how we were going to get to Noosa, we treated ourselves to a nice meal out on our first night in Brisbane. Eventually found the elusive Garuva restaurant...what a spectacular find!! Hidden away not far from Chinatown, this little gem was like no place we'd ever eaten : you sit on the floor (with the lumber supports, so a bit like Japanese style diniing) in private, silk curtained off private dining areas for two or more. Could be seedy if done wrongly, but this was classy - too good for a couple of backpackers, although in true Aussie laid-back style we were never looked down on in this way! The food, a kind of Turkish blend, was superb, as was the service and very afffordable wine by the glass. Total bill came in at $50 (about GBP 23). If this place was in London, you could easily expect another zero on the end of the bill.

On our second day in Brisbane we loosely followed the walk suggested in the Lonely Planet guide book, taking in the City Hall/Museum/Clock tower, the Treasury, Botanical gardens and Southbank. Contrary to the common belief that there is no history here, we saw plenty of historical buildings on our walk. The beauty of Brisbane though is how these have been blended in against the modern skyscrappers. All of this was free by the way (i.e. museum/clock tower entry, Botanic Gardens). However, the City Botanic Gardens are no Kew Gardens!! For this you need to head out of town to the other Brisbane Botanic Gardens (also free) and Planetarium on the way to Mt. Coot-Tha (blog: Mt. Coot-tha).

Southbank itself is beautiful, with stunning views over the river to the modern CBD. You can't fail to pick-up on the fact that Expo 1988 was held here as you walk along Southbank and it owes a lot to this for the attention and money that has been spent on making Southbank look as great as it does. We spent a few days here sunning ourselves on Streets Beach and people watching.

Other great places to eat are The Vietnamese Restaurant (that's its name) in Chinatown and the Sushi Bar (Sushi on the Run). Also, Bunk do very healthy versions of pizzas at $4 each (not the largest in the world though...I needed several to feed my appetite)!!

We did manage to get back up the coast to Noosa afterall, arranging a Greyhound to/from Brisbane (blog: The Sunshine Coast - Noosa) before the long anticipated trip to Sydney (blog: Arrival in Sydney).

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Photos

Anzac Sq. with Brisbane
The shrine of rememberance. For me, this encapsulates Brisbane : mindful of where it's come from, but always looking to build to the future.

Southbank
Streets (artificial) Beach on the beautiful Southbank.

A Fig Tree
The Botanic Gardens, Brisbane

The Hostel we stayed at in Brisbane
Bunk. AU$85 a night for a double.

Lizard
Many of these were basking in the sun in the City Botanic Gardens

Comments

[Alix]

Impressed
Very impressed with the photography skills!

[Bunk Big Ben]

Thanks for the write up
Hi Guys We are glad you enjoyed your stay at BUNK. If you are coming back to Brisbane make sure to ask for me and I'll by you guys a beer or two. Have a great trip. Ben @ BUNK

[Knightsontour]

Bunk
No worries. Actually, having reread it, I've amended it to make our feelings clearer - we'd thoroughly recommend BUNK to anyone (and have been). Staying at the dreadful Maze Backerbackers in Sydney certainly put it in perspective! Cheers Ben, we'll take you up on the beers when we return! Jason