Brisbane is Australia’s sub-tropical gem

With its languid subtropical air, bustling city centre, and riverside charm, Brisbane is one of the worlds most livable cities. Australia’s third largest city, with 1.5 million inhabitants, is the capital of the northern state of Queensland. The CBD has a collection of tall office towers and the CBD shopping precinct centres around the Queen Street Mall. Once Australia’s most monocultural city, today Asian residents and travellers are energising this increasingly important Pacific Rim city. Inner-city suburbs have many dining options for locals and visitors alike. A CityCat ferry ride is a good way to explore the city and riverside suburbs. Be sure to take a tour to Mt Coot-tha, just 20-minutes drive west of the CBD, to get a good perspective on the city and surrounds.

Brisbane’s main attractions, include the magnifident Botanic Gardens in the city centre, the Roma Street Parklands, Queensland Performing Arts Complex, South Bank, and the Queensland Art Gallery.The city’s inner-city suburbs, such as Paddington and Milton, with their distinctive timber buildings, offer fabulous specialty shopping, great old pubs, and excellent restaurants, while multicultural Fortitude Valley is great for dining and nightlife. You can board Brisbane Citysights Tours for a trip around the city and hop off at most of the city’s main attractions. Later you can relax on one of the River City Cruises or CityCat Ferries and learn about the city’s history and landmarks along the river. A daily ticket, which can be purchased at train stations or on buses and ferries will let you ride the ferries, buses and trains all day for a set price according to zone. The city’s bus system joins central Brisbane with the inner suburbs, while a limited rail system serves the outer suburbs.

Both the Sunshine Coast to the north and the Gold Coast to the south are served by a rail line.An hour’s drive south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast. Australia’s glitzy holiday paradise with miles of sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife and . The low-key Sunshine Coast, two hour’s drive north of the CBD is another beachside holiday district with laid-back Noosa Heads as the prime destination.Brisbane International Airport, 14km (9 miles) northeast of Brisbane, with rail, bus and taxi links to the city.