Tag Archives: brisbane

Brisbane: A Meeting Point

Brisbane Airbnb

On Friday night, my mom’s flight got in at around midnight, and she met me at our Airbnb in Brisbane. If you aren’t familiar with Airbnb, it’s basically a website with profiles of places to stay, essentially rooms available for rent in someone’s home. Like an a hotel version of uber, we have heard and had great experiences with Airbnb so far. My mom and I will be staying at them all throughout our travels here, and our first in Brisbane was quite lovely!

Exploring Hamilton

While our stay in Brisbane was essentially a meeting point for my mom and I between Gold Coast and our next stop in Cairns, I thought it would be great to show her around the city! The next day we had a full day to explore Brisbane, before leaving on our flight to Cairns the following afternoon. The area we were staying in, Hamilton, is the wealthiest part of Brisbane, which is quite apparent from the beautiful homes in the area. We spent the morning walking around a little, and enjoyed breakfast at a lovely local and organic sourced café. After returning to our Airbnb around lunch to finalize all packing details, our Airbnb hosts kindly dropped us off at a nearby ferry wharf. We took the ferry through the Brisbane river, where a friendly local pretty much gave us a tour while on board.

Exploring Southbank

We walked around the Southbank area (see “B-R-I-S-B-A-N-E” post for more detail), and it was fantastic to see my mom so excited about everything being new and amazing here in Australia. We walked to the big Brisbane letters, through the beautiful landscaping and markets, and ended up at the pool. Although it was cooling off a bit, we swam and laid by the water for a little, then shared an acai bowl at Kiss The Berry. From there we walked through the botanic gardens, which is a beautiful area and amazing how much they pack into the relatively small area. We had dinner at a fantastic French restaurant, then made our way home. Between my mom’s jet lag of a 32-hour flight, and my exhaustion from finals week and moving out, we were ready for an early night.

Acai bowl afternoon snack

Bunyan tree in Southbank Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens of Southbank

Brisbane Markets

The next morning our Airbnb hosts invited us to join them for a trip to a market, and we happily joined! It was a great way to spend the morning, looking at crafts, produce, and as many food options as you can imagine. We enjoyed breakfast while at the markets, and soon headed out to finish packing. Soon after that we traveled to the airport, next stop, Cairns!

Brisbane market

Moreton Island

This weekend my friends and I made our second trip trip Brisbane, staying overnight and successfully making it to the aforementioned Moreton Island!

Life in The Valley

In the afternoon we took the train to Brisbane, and made our way to Bunk Backpackers hostel. As compared to the hostel I stayed in when in Sydney, this one was far better. The entrance looked just like a hotel, the rooms were clean, and the facilities (pool/hot tub, bar, lobby etc) were lovely. We checked in, then went to dinner at Full Moon, a nearby Thai restaurant. The food was fantastic and it looked like a lovely place to spend an evening relaxing listening to live music. Friday evening we explored nightlife in “the Valley,” a downtown area of Brisbane that locals often suggest visiting. The area looks like an artsy city at night, with lights and graffiti art all around. We enjoyed our time exploring, and headed back to the hostel early to get some rest before our morning ferry to Moreton Island!

Paradise?

In the morning we caught the 8:30am ferry ride to Moreton Island, which took about 75 minutes to reach. Moreton Island is located on the eastern side of Moreton Bay on the coast of south East Queensland, just north of Stradbroke Island. The island is 37 kilometers long, and 13 wide at it’s widest point. Many visitors also stay for more than a day, since 95% of the island is contained within Moreton Isand National Park, camping or glamping is very popular. The Coral Sea lies on the east coast of the island, offering plenty of water activities including sports, snorkeling, and even scuba diving. Nicknamed “the Gem of South East Queensland,” this bay is one of the few untouched areas of natural wilderness along Australia’s east coast. In fact, it is the third largest sand island in the world.

Tangalooma is the main access point for the island, although we docked at a nearby smaller port. Tangalooma Resort is an exclusive property where guests are able to stay for periods of time, and they offer many different packages and activities to do around the island. Fun fact, this resort was used in the filming of several commercials and movies, including Totally Wild, Getaway, Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Scooby-Doo’s Spooky Island.

Tangalooma Resort

Spooky Island movie set on Moreton Island

Visit Brisbane promotes white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters surrounding Moreton Island, and upon arrival we saw that this is 100% accurate! The water was legitimately the clearest water I have ever seen, and there were even a few starfish and tropical fish right near the water’s edge. The entire island literally looks like a postcard, the perfect image of paradise. We spent our day mostly just enjoying the beach, however since it is a national park, visitors can also enjoy walks and hikes, exploring historical sites, and many sport activities. There is also a mock shipwreck area called “The Wrecks” where a sunken ship is dispersed near the water’s edge. We stayed the day and caught an evening ferry home, returning to Brisbane for dinner on the water. We were all exhausted on the train home, but it was a weekend well spent!

Beaches of Moreton Island

The Wrecks at Moreton Island

Brisbane at night

B-R-I-S-B-A-N-E

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

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