Aloha Bar & Dining

On Friday night, my friends and I checked out a pop-up bar in Broadbeach, temporarily creating a fun business secretly (sort-of) tucked away in an unassuming alleyway. This restaurant is inspired by Hawaiian, Caribbean, and Asian cultures, which is represented in the atmosphere and menu. The restaurant itself is located in a garage-like building, with graffiti painted on the outside. It has an almost hidden jungle-inspired entrance, with pineapple and pin-up girl wallpapers, cane and bamboo furniture, and a faux palm tree in the middle of the main room.

Aloha Bar & Dining venue

As you can imagine, most people come once for the picture-taking experience, but it was definitely a worthwhile evening! There were a few minor mishaps, like most of my friends were not too crazy about the food or drinks, service was a bit slow, and orders were messed up three times, so it was more boutique dining than an actual meal. Overall, I would still recommend dropping in for the experience (just make sure you have time)! If you’re interested, check out their Facebook page!

Dinner at the Aloha Bar

South Bank, Brisbane

On Saturday, we took a day trip to Brisbane, an hour and a half train ride north of Gold Coast. Our intention was to take a ferry to Moreton Island, but unfortunately we were not prepared for the limited options, and all ferries were booked full, so we resorted to plan B.

We found a café to enjoy a light brunch and coffee while we tried to figure out what our game plan was. A few locals had suggested visiting South Bank, so we decided to head there. This area is located on the southern banks of the Brisbane River, and is inclusive of 17 hectares of parks, restaurants and cafes, a beach-inspired pool, and many public events. With beautiful waterfront views, it’s a perfect place to spend a relaxing day! We walked through the area to see what was around, then spent an hour at the pool, a lagoon-like water area with real sand to mimic a beach, right up against the river. It was pretty crowded since it was a hot day, and with it being exactly 99 degrees, we only stayed for a short while! With the strong sun (and the fabulous ozone hole over Australia), we chose to head out to the next adventure!

Beach/pool area in South Bank

After walking through some street markets and stopping at an acai bowl restaurant, we visited the colorful BRISBANE letters and took a few fun pictures. We walked along the river to the ferry stop, and took the ferry along the river for a little while, ending up on the other side at a restaurant for dinner. After a little bit of refreshing, we walked to the train station, and headed back home. Although it was a day without a plan, we enjoyed what we stumbled upon exploring the area, and had a lovely day becoming familiar with South Bank. However, stay tuned in the next couple weeks to hear about our visit to Moreton Island, as we are planning on making it happen a different day!

Brisbane letters