Things You Should Know About Brisbane
Even though it is the Queensland capital city, Brisbane used to be considered more of a hub city for travelers venturing up to the tropical regions of the country. Nowadays, Brisbane is starting to shine (more than literally) as it is becoming quite the trendy little (big) city with a population increasing daily as more Australians make the move.
As a traveler thinking of venturing to the Brisbane, here are some of the things will be helpful or interesting to know:
Brisbane is the capital city of the sunshine state.
According to the Brisbane Marketing fact sheet, “Brisbane has more sunny days than Florida and warmer winter days than the Bahamas.” Queensland is the state of endless summer, and while Brisbane is in the south, the winter is not bad at all, coming in with average temperatures of 10 / 21 degrees Celsius (50 / 70 degrees Fahrenheit). That’s not even coat weather! The summer season can bring a bit of steam from all that tropical humidity and average temperatures of 20 / 28 degrees Celsius (68 / 83 degrees Fahrenheit). Sunscreen is a must anywhere in Queensland, so wear it with pride.
Brisbane may be in Queensland, but it’s still a long way from the north.
Brisbane may be in the same state, but the drive from Brisbane to Cairns is nearly twice as long as the drive from Sydney to Brisbane. Do not underestimate the distance of Brisbane from other major tourist stops, especially if you are on limited travel time. In those situations, I usually recommend hopping on cheap flights. You can read more about getting from Sydney to Brisbane and getting from Brisbane to Cairns.
A river runs through Brisbane.
The Brisbane river flows through the city (and occasionally over the city), but you definitely wouldn’t want to swim in it (you can go kayaking if you desire). That’s why the city put together a lovely little lagoon (croc free) called Streets Beach, complete with sand and all. Besides the swimming hole, there are a couple of proper swimming pools around the corner. It’s a great place to hang out in the hot summer in Brisbane. Read more on things to do in Brisbane.
Brisbane is nestled in a good location for interesting day trips.
Less than an hour to the south, you can find yourself partying it up in the Gold Coast – having drinks in the top of SkyPoint, catching a wave in Coolangatta or testing yourself on the high ropes course at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Moreton Bay is located to the east, Tamborine Mountain to the west and let’s not forget about the Australia Zoo. Read more about day trips from Brisbane.