While we were planning our Australian vacation, a lot of our friends questioned our choice of including Brisbane in our itinerary. We were often asked why we weren’t going to Gold Coast instead and if Brisbane really was worth a visit?

 

The thing is, we had anyways planned for beach outings at Byron Bay and Bondi and since we are also not that much into theme parks and clubbing, it was easier for us to stick to Brisbane as one of our destinations, but I won’t lie – the thought, “Is Brisbane worth it?” did linger in our minds for a bit.

 

So, did we regret our decision to visit Brisbane?

Do we recommend you consider including Brisbane in your Australia itinerary?

… Read on to find out if we loved Brisbane and the attractions we recommend 🙂

 

1. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Australia is Koalas and Kangaroos. So for us, the very first attraction was the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where in we not only got to see these furry, cuddly friends, but we also got the opportunity to hold them and get pictures clicked…I mean, just LOOK at that cutie!!!

If you’re an animal lover, this place is a MUST VISIT! We were blown away by how wonderfully these animals are taken care of and how happy they looked.

 

 

 

 

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2. Fancy a dip in the water on a hot summer day? Or a bird’s eye view of the city? Brisbane’s South Bank is a one stop shop for all this and much more. There are some wonderful cafes and restaurants in this area and there is also a man-made beach right in the middle of the city! You can spend an entire day here just relaxing… take a swim, grab a quick bite to eat, go cycling, read a book, sip on some delicious coffee…whatever floats your boat 🙂

 

 

 

3. We love walking tours and it’s one of our favourite things to do when visiting a new city. It’s the perfect way to get your bearings and we chose to take a walking tour with Brisbane Greeters to get to know this lovely city a lot better. You can marvel at the great architecture and listen to some enchanting tales about the early settlers.

 

 

4. If you have been following us for a while, then you will know that we love photography and one of our favourites is long exposure shots. One place where you can get some amazing pictures and catch glorious views of the story bridge is from the Wilson Outlook. You can even climb up the bridge if you feeling a tad bit extra adventurous.

 

 

 

5. One of the best things that we did in Brisbane and would highly recommend is to take a day trip to the North Stradbroke Island. It is out of the world…we did the north gorge walk and the views were absolutely stunning, we even encountered a Kangaroo with a Joey in the wild, a pod of dolphins and a Manta Ray swimming in the sea!

 

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6. Another highlight of Brisbane is the Brisbane River. There is a great Kayaking scene here, but if you are not into that, you could go on a dinner cruise…the views from the river are just brilliant. However, if you are a budget traveler or are in no mood to splurge, don’t worry Brisbane still has you covered – simply hop on a free water taxi and enjoy the views of the city from the river. Though the ride is a little slow and a bit bumpy, but hey, it’s free!

 

 

 

 

7. Another thing we almost always recommend is exploring smaller places nearby. We took a Day trip from Brisbane to Byron Bay and it was just amazing! Even though Byron Bay is in New south wales, it’s just two hours away from Brisbane and there is a great bus service which takes you directly from Brisbane to Byron Bay. We left quite early and had an entire day to enjoy the hike up to the lighthouse… the views were to die for and we also loved the casual beach scene here…people were relaxing, having a few beers and grilling food on the public grills at the beach 🙂 There is even a graffiti lane here, which quite honestly, we found to be much prettier than the ones in Melbourne.

 

 

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Well that’s not all, Brisbane has lot more to do and see, but that’s all we could cover and explore on our 4 day trip. We would love to be back to discover more of this lovely city… let us know if you’ve visited Brisbane and what are your favourite spots in the city 🙂