Introduction
Brisbane, the capital of Queensland is the third largest city in
Australia and the gateway to the Gold Coast. The population of 1.3 million
is spread from the shores of Moreton Bay in the east up to the Brisbane
River Valley to the foothills of the D'Aguilar Range. By far the largest
city in Queensland, BRISBANE is not quite what one can expect from a state
capital with almost one-and-a-half million residents. Although there is
urban sprawl, and high-rise buildings, slow-moving traffic, crowded streets
and the other trappings of a business and trade centre, there’s little
of the pushiness that usually accompanies them. To urbanites used to a more
aggressive approach, the atmosphere is slow, even backward, but to others
the languid pace is a welcome change and reflects relaxed rather than
regressive attitudes.
Brisbane’s character arises largely from this lack of formal planning.
The city has made the best of circumstances rather than anticipating them.
Seen from the river or the top of Mount Coot-tha, Brisbane is attractive
enough, with the typical features of any Australian city of a comparable age
and size: a historic precinct, museums and botanic gardens. There’s a
confused blur of old and new, crammed in side by side rather than split into
distinct districts, while new suburbs are blithely added to the shapeless
edges as the need arises. The residents, too, have a spontaneous manner,
partly because many are new to the area.
Key Attractions
Botanical Gardens
Bordered by Alice Street, George Street and the river, Brisbane’s
Botanic Gardens overlook the cliffs of Kangaroo Point and, while more of a
park than a botanic garden, provide a generous arrangement of flowers,
shrubs, bamboo thickets and greenery that offers an escape from the
claustrophobia of the city. Legend has it that the area was once a vegetable
patch cultivated by convicts.
Queensland Art Gallery
A collection of Australian, Aboriginal and European art. The gallery has a
reputation for housing important international exhibitions.Located in the
Cultural Centre, next to Victoria Bridge on the South Bank.
Queensland Museum
An impressive collection of Brisbane and Queensland's folk history together
with information on our natural world.Located in the Cultural Centre next to
Victoria Bridge on the South Bank.
Brisbane Forest Park
Brisbane Forest contains substantial tracts of virgin forest, and is well
stocked with wildlife, pretty lookouts and easy walking tracks. A day is
ample time to look around, or you could make the park the first stage of a
scenic circuit from Brisbane via Lake Wivenhoe and Toowoomba. There are a
dozen or more places to head for within the park’s approximately
280-square-kilometre boundaries. The pick of these include Bellbird Grove
containing another of the city’s Aboriginal trails with an outdoor
museum of bark huts housing more information on traditional plant uses.
The
other attractions include Maritime museum, South Bank , with
several excellent attractions like beach, gardens, playgrounds and
barbecue/picnic areas, Brisbane’s Science Centre and lot more.
Conossieur Paradise
Brisbane has no gastronomic tradition to exploit, but there’s a good
variety of bars and restaurants all over the city, with a trend towards “Modern
Australian” (creative use of local produce, influenced by Asia and the
Mediterranean), and a fashionable café society in Fortitude Valley
and the West End.
Counter meals and unlimited buffets at hotels are the cheapest route to a
full stomach – aim for lunch at around noon and dinner
Entertainment World
The city’s entertainment horizons consist of an ever-fluctuating range
of clubs, and a sound, if unadventurous, arts scene. The best cross-section
of attractions are north of the river in Petrie Terrace – upmarket yet
subdued – and in Fortitude Valley, which throbs with the nightclub
crowd. South Brisbane and the West End are more down-to-earth.
