After hosting the international events in
the 80s, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games and Expo 88, Brisbane has
developed into a lively, cosmopolitan city with several captivating
districts, a decent street cafe scene, a fantastic riverside park, a busy
cultural calendar and a great nightlife.
The enigmatic city is built along and between the looping meanders of the
river, making it easy to explore on foot. The city owns interesting museums
and historical buildings as well as an amazing cultural centre for the
visitors to the city.
The South Bank Parklands is the area south of the river and is popular
amongst both the residents and the visitors to the city. This area has been
modified into a tropical paradise with lagoons, gardens, little shops and a
beach.
Last but not the least the people of Brisbane are known for their
hospitality and the weather here is great making it a perfect destination
for a cherishable vacations.
Fact File
Country : Australia
Population : 1.6 million
Area : 1,360 sq km
Languages : English
Climate : Just 768 kilometres south of the Tropic of Capricorn,
Brisbane has a hot, humid climate which dictates the lifestyles of its
residents. While the summer maximum average temperate is only 30oC, the
summer months have some extremely hot days. The winter is mild and very
pleasant. Most winter days are sunny with average temperatures of around
15oC.
Official
Currency : Australian dollar (AUD); 1 AUD = 33.641 Indian Rupee = 0.7729
$( USD ), = 0.6421 Euro (subject to change).
Location : It is located in the southeastern corner of Queensland,
just north of the Gold Coast and south of the Sunshine Coast. Brisbane is a
river city, situated 25km (15mi) upstream from the mouth of the Brisbane
River.
Getting There
By Air : Brisbane's Eagle Farm airport is the international airport
with frequent flights to Asia, Europe, the Pacific islands, North America,
New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
A shuttle bus runs between the airport and the Transit Centre about every
half-hour till mid-evening. There are also shuttle buses to the Gold and
Sunshine Coasts. Taxis are always available to take passengers into the city
centre.
The easiest way to get to or from the airport is to take the Airtrain from
either Roma St or Central train stations. The main bus terminal is the
Transit Centre on Roma St, and all the main bus companies arrive and leave
from here. Buses run to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Cairns, as well as
towns up and down the coast.
Getting Around
In addition to normal city buses, there are Cityxpress services which run
between the city centre and the suburbs and Rockets (fast peak-hour commuter
buses). The fast City train network has seven lines, and there is an
efficient ferry service along and across the Brisbane River. There is a
riverside bicycle track from the City Botanic Gardens out to the University
of Queensland.
Accommodation
The city of has very good hotels to ensure a comfortable stay for the
tourists. Mentioned below is a list of some of the hotels in the city:
5 star hotels in the city
Hotel Stamford Plaza
Hotel Quay West Suites
Hotel Hilton
Hotel Carindale
4 star hotels in the city
Hotel
Sofitel
Hotel Marriot Brisbane
Hotel comfort Inn Robertson Gardens
Hotel Pacific International Apartments
3 star hotels in the city
Hotel Conrad Treasury
Major Tourist attractions
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary : The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is home to
a wide variety of Australian wildlife, including kangaroos, possums,
wombats, emus and lyrebirds. The star attractions are the 130 or so koalas.
The sanctuary is set in attractive parklands beside the river where talks
are given on the animals at set times throughout the day.
Markets : The popular South Bank markets, which presents craft and
clothing stalls, are open every Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. Every
Sunday, the carnival-style Eagle St Pier markets have 150 stalls featuring
glass-blowing, weaving and other crafts. The small Fortitude Valley market,
held on Saturdays in Brunswick St Mall, has a diverse array of junk, crafts
and clothes.
Mt Coot-tha : The best place to get a view of the city is from the
lookout on Mt Coot-tha, 8km (5mi) from the city centre. On a clear day, you
can see the distant line of Moreton and Stradbroke Islands, the Glass House
Mountains to the north, the mountains behind the Gold Coast to the south and
Brisbane at your feet.
