Population: about 1.7 million residents

Founded: 1842

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, a popular Australian tourist spot offering lovely beaches and islands. Like many other Australian cities, Brisbane started out as a convicts’ colony in the middle of the 19th century, but immigrant waves swelled its population until it became the country’s third largest city. Brisbane’s climate is pleasantly tropical and warm all year round. Although in the 70’s it was considered a “mousy” city, today Brisbane is one of the most popular tourist and living areas, hosting a plethora of international cultural events.

An indication of the town’s centrality in Australian life is the fact that Brisbane was chosen to host festivities marking 200 years of Australian settlement in 1988.

What’s there to do?

Besides impressive skyscrapers, there are several historical buildings gracing city center, among them the telegraph building and the post office from the 19th century, located close to Queen Street. The Botanical Gardens display more than 5000 species from all over the world, exotic trees and vegetation from the early settlement period. There are also a number of interesting museums, such as the Abby Museum, showing art objects and antiquities, and the Science Museum with audiovisual exhibits. The City Cat ferry offers tours along the river in catamaran speedboats as well as regular transportation. XXXX beer is the most popular in Queensland. A few minutes out from downtown, in Milton, you can take a tour of the brewery and, of course, taste the beer.

Night Life

The warm weather at night lends a tourist ambiance to the city, and, not undeservedly, Brisbane is famous for its live shows. The center for nightlife, bars, restaurants, and clubs is Riverside on Caxton Street and Fortitude Valley. The casino is open 24 hours a day and built on the ruins of the Ministry of Treasure from the 19th century, doubtlessly a fitting location since it continues to rake in money.

More information on Brisbane’s night life can be found at the town’s CitySearch.

Where to stay

With the town’s population growth rate being Australia’s highest, it is no wonder that real estate prices have skyrocketed in recent years. North of the city center, close to Victoria Park, is the Hill Spring neighborhood, where you can find a selection of hotels and hostels suitable for every pocket. To the west, there is Paddington, which offers cheaper quarters. Fortitude Valley, in the northeast, offers rich nightlife and entertainment, while New Farm, to the east, is considered exclusive and fashionable.

Near-by tourist sites

Along Brisbane’s beaches, there are more than 300 islands, with Morton Island being the most famous among them. It is entirely covered with sand and has several vacation spots with great swimming beaches. In South of Brisbane there are several mind-blowing stretches of beach called the Gold Coast. Right in its center, you will find the village of Surfer’s Paradise, which has hustle bustle of commercial activities.

Besides the expensive vacation villages, there are Disneyland-like parks along the beach, with Movie World and the Wet & Wild water park, Sea World and World Dream being the largest. Sunshine Beach is located north of Brisbane and less commercialized than its southern counterpart, but it, too, is a very popular tourist attraction, which with the village of Nossa in its center, which attracts many surfers.

Public transportation

The airport is 16 km from the center of town and can be accessed by train and other means of transportation. The CityTrain will take you on a tour of Brisbane as well as other popular spots such as Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. You may also use buses and a ferry system called City Cat.