TBJ TRAVELS BRISBANE 1: Hello Brisbane + City and Southbank Tour

Hola! Long overdue post, but since vacation season is coming, I thought of blogging about the second and final leg of the husband I's honeymoon last 2018: BRISBANE! I'll take you around the 'Sunshine State' and also known as the third largest city in Australia!

The husband and I stayed with his sister so we were able to save on hotel expenses. There are a lot of Filipinos living in Brisbane because it is located in tropical Queensland, which reminds most of the Philippines' livable weather, although the city experiences winter as well (at least it's not as brutal as Melbourne!). Most Melbournians would travel all the way to Queensland during vacation season to warm up!

Some cool facts about Brisbane:

1. Brisbane is the third largest capital of Australia with a population of 1.6 million.

2. Brisbane is surrounded by hills, which makes it perfect for those who want an equal balance of city and nature living.

3. Brisbane is the gateway to two of Australia's popular beach destinations, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast

4. Compared to Melbourne and Sydney, Brisbane is a relatively cheap place to live in and visit.

Brisbane has a more chill vibe compared to Melbourne's eclectic vibe and Sydney's urban vibe; it's a city, but has a more country feel to it; it's the perfect city to visit after high energy Melbourne.

First, let's go around the city, to the Queen st. area and hip Southbank.

QUEEN STREET MALLS

Queen st. is located in Brisbane's city proper; this is the central business district and where you will find all the malls and lifestyle establishments.

Queen st. is also known for food markets; score cheap eats here and have a taste of delicious Lamington, a local delicacy; this is a bite- sized sponge cake serving with butter cream and wrapped in desiccated coconut.

Queen st. mall is an indoor-outdoor mall that is well- known among tourists. Shop here high end brands as well as local Australian brands. You will also find here souvenir shops and one of my favorite beauty stores in OZ for super affordable fragrances and Australian pharmacy goodies, Chemist Warehouse!

One of my favorite restaurant spots in Australia is Jimmy's by the Mall; this is a pretty expensive restaurant, but I love that it offers a great view of Queen st. Mall. If you find the meals too expensive, go for coffee and snacks!

SOUTHBANK 

Ride the Brisbane Eye at night!

Southbank is a parkland area located on the other side of Queen Street malls area. It is a cultural, educational, and recreational place sitting on the southern area of the great Brisbane River. If you're not much into shopping and more into sightseeing and lounging around, Southbank is for you!

There are ferries that go around the river called CityCat and Ferry Cat that can take you from Southbank to the neighboring avenues that are located beside the river. The ferry companies also offer tours.

Griffith University is also located at Southbank; I could imagine how conducive the location is for the students because there's an ample amount of land for recreation and study. Nature is always the best location! At Southbank, you will also see the tunnel gardens that run from the entrance to exit of Southbank Parkland.

One great thing about Australia is there are a lot of free things to do. At Southbank, they have a public swimming pool and manmade beach where tourists and locals can cool down without having to travel to Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast.

Southbank is also known as the destination for great restaurants. If you have the budget, have a meal at one of the restaurants here; just like in Melbourne, Brisbane can compete with their food offerings too!

If you are on a budget, head to the Epicurious Garden for cheap eats and food stalls.

One of my favorites at Epicurious Garden is Main St. Market; they sell delicious donuts and great coffee!

White Chocolate Cronut with raspberry and cream filling; so good! I've been dying to have a cronut!

For even cheaper eats, you can always purchase food in supermarkets and cook and have a picnic at the grilling stations around Southbank; free cooking stations are one of the government's provisions in the country in an effort to help citizens save money.

You can also sit by the riverbanks to chill, read a book, pass time, or just enjoy the view of the Brisbane river.

There are lots of things to explore in Southbank, plus the city offers cultural shows and exhibits every month as well so visit VISIT BRISBANE OFFICIAL WEBSITE for the latest updates on Southbank shows and exhibits.

HOW TO GET AROUND IN BRISBANE:

City uses and ferries are popular and affordable ways to get around the city while trains, long haul buses, and private coaches are top options for short trips outside the city and excursions to greater Queensland. My sister-in-law told me that the best and most efficient way to get around the city is the bus. You have to pre-purchase a fare card to ride the buses; the bus card we had was called Translink, from one of the bus operators in the city. You can buy fare cards in the airport and convenience stores.

Buses are pretty much on time in Brisbane and there are tons of stops everywhere, from top locations around the city to residential areas.

Before you go, visit Translink's website (click HERE) and take note of the pertinent bus stops. The website contains the bus numbers (111, 555, and 161 are the bus numbers) that will take you to your destination and time table for each bus.

Hope you enjoyed the first part of our Brisbane trip! Tomorrow, let's go to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and the famous Gold Coast!

Check out my Brisbane itinerary and cost:

Click to enlarge view

**Please be reminded that this itinerary reflects 80% of our trip in Brisbane; other mini trips have not been included

**Incidentals such as food, drinks, lodging, shopping, transportation, tips, and other miscellaneous expenses are not part of the costing.

**Total expense depends on the PHP-AUD conversion during my time of visit. It will vary from time to time.

Check out my other Brisbane travel diaries:

TBJ TRAVELS BRISBANE 2: Gold Coast + Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary + Movie World + Itinerary

TBJ TRAVELS BRISBANE 3: Sunshine Coast + Noosa Everglades + Itinerary

TBJ TRAVELS BRISBANE 4: Free Things to do in Brisbane + Itinerary