"Brisbane - a surprisingly nice city" Brisbane by backpackerbaby

Updated 31.03.2012

Brisbane is a relatively laid-back place compared with other major cities on the east coast. People definitely love their thongs here. It's not uncommon to see well-dressed ladies in business suits wearing rubber thongs walking in the CBD during the week. Probably because of the sunshine effect, being the capital of the Sunshine State Queensland, Brisbane gives me a relaxing and friendly impression.

The city is not big and walking is an excellent way to explore the city. A river meandering in Brisbane separates the south from the north. With the CBD situated on the north, the south maybe actually more attractive to tourists with the South Bank Parkland including the popular street beach and the museum precinct right across the river. A visit to the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) is highly recommended, don't forget to check out the program of its cinematique which shows quality movies for free. For people looking for free wifi, the State Library next door is the best place to go. If you're not that into main stream tourist attractions, wandering further along Melbourne Street will take you into the trendy West End, where funky cafes, clubs and good valued restaurants scatter, of cos you'll come across lots of interesting people (no guarantee if all are sober though).

Wanna explore the northside of the river? Why not take a ride on the CityCat which is one of the most popular public transport options which truly operate according to the timetable? A trip up and down the river on the CityCat is truly enjoyable. Or if it's not too hot, walking across the river on one of the few footbridges while admiring the various structural forms in display is even better. The historical Story Bridge is many people's favourite, while the young Kurilpa Bridge outside GOMA offers a really nice shared-space for both cyclists and pedestrians.

The CBD is... a CBD. You'll have no trouble finding shops and people. One handy bonus in the CBD is the beautiful botanic garden. The air is really fresher here. Bring a picnic and have a nice afternoon nap on the lawn along the river, you'd love it!

Keep on walking to the north, you'll come across Fortitude Valley (the Valley), where the China Town is located. However, to many locals, the Valley is famous not for the China Town but the club scenes. Come on a weekend night and check it out yourself.

The main street in the Valley Brunswick Street connects to beautiful New Farm, which is the ideal living suburb for many young city-workers. The icon New Farm Park is popular with people from anywhere though, you gotta get there early enough on a weekend in order to secure a good spot for your picnic! Every year in around October, New Farm Park turns into purple as the jacuranda trees are in full-bloom. Don't forget your camera as the park is really gorgeous in the purple shade. Next to New Farm Park is Brisbane Powerhouse, which is a venue for art exhibition, music, theatre, comedy and general hanging out. Check out its website for the current programme, there are always good stuffs (Gotye played there earlier!).

By now you should be pretty tired... (actually I'm a bit so need to stop here).

I'll list out some useful tips next time and hopefully you'll enjoy your trip to Brisbane.

Cheers~!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Original texts:
...so after staying in Noosa and visiting Fraser Island, I took a coach back to Brisbane to see my best friend Shindy and her boy Kim.

Some people asked me, "Brisbane is boring and nothing special at all. Why you bother going there?" I had no idea about Brisbane, just knew that it's a city with a well-developed CBD; just knew that many HK tour operators bring tourists there. As a city-girl, I try to avoid staying in cities whenever it's possible during travelling. If not becos of seeing my friends, I'd probably drop Brisbane out of my plan. After staying there for 2 separate weekends, I was glad that I did go there.

Brisbane is a special city, well-developed and busy but still gives you chances to breathe.

Depending on how you look at it, Brisbane is not merely a commercial centre. Indeed, it has lots more to offer. Just Brisbane River alone is lovely enough. 50% of my last day in Brisbane was spent on the ferries. Travelling along the River to and fro, enjoying the mild breeze on the open deck, observing the colour changes of the sky, admiring the characteristics of the bridges, all these turned my unplanned river cruise into a real treat.

Perhaps it's time to change your pair of glasses.

• Pros:Laid-back atmosphere
• Cons:Public transportation can be frustrating...
• In a nutshell:I wanna live there.