Brisbane has a bit of a reputation for being a boring city. But in my opinion, it’s not THAT bad! Sure, Brisbane isn’t anything like Melbourne or Sydney… It’s more like a giant country town. But there’s still plenty to do, especially if you like the great outdoors! Honestly, not many tourists come here, but if you find yourself in the area, here are all my recommendations for spending 48 hours in Brisbane.
Getting around
Yet again, I think the easiest way to get around Brisbane is by public transport. I also like to drive but only within the suburbs or to other places outside of Brisbane itself. I would never drive into the city because it’s almost impossible to get a park and there’s all these stupid one-way streets. In Brisbane, you should get a GoCard to use the public transport. You can still buy a paper ticket but it’ll cost you a few extra dollars. Predominantly, people use trains and buses to get around, but we also have the CityCat! This is a ferry that travels along the river stopping at various places like Southbank, the Universities and Northshore (where you can find the Eat Street markets!). Catching a CityCat is a must do, but you can read about that below.
To get to and from the airport, I recommend taking the train. However, in this case, I recommend buying your ticket online in advance because it’s cheaper than using a GoCard, depending where you’re getting on. If you’re travelling from the city to the airport, buy a paper ticket. If you’re coming from one of the suburbs, I recommend using your GoCard until you get to the city, then swapping to an Airtrain paper ticket.
Where to stay
I don’t think I’ve actually mentioned this yet but I live in Brisbane. So I’ve never stayed anywhere in the city. However, I do know that there are lots of backpacker hostels near Roma Street Station. This is quite a good location because it’s right near the main train station – so easy to get around! It’s not in the middle of the CBD but it’s not far from it so it would be very easy to walk or catch public transport somewhere. Over the last few years, I’ve met quite a few backpackers who have stayed at these hostels and they’ve never complained and have had a good time. Alternatively, Southbank is a really nice area of Brisbane and it might be possible to stay somewhere near there.
Top things to do
Catch a CityCat along the Brisbane River
As I mentioned above, this is an absolute must-do! I love the CityCats because they’re super relaxing. Whilst they aren’t the fastest mode of transport, it’s nice to see the river views go by. Recently, they released a double-decker CityCat and while I haven’t been on it yet, I imagine the views would be even better! Regardless of which CityCat you get, you should definitely sit on either the front or back deck. It’s here that you’ll get the best views plus a breath of nice, fresh air as you travel!
Walk (drive, or bus) up Mt Coot-tha (Brisbane ‘s mountain)
This is another must-do in Brisbane, at least in my opinion, because it’s my favourite place in the city! Anyone that visits me here gets dragged up Mt Coot-tha. I’ve always been sceptical that Mt Coot-tha is an actual mountain but during the lockdown I’ve been doing an online mountain course and I’ve found out it actually IS! At 250 m we’re doing better than the 100 m Iron Mountain in Florida, anyway.
Definitions aside, the top of Mt Coot-tha provides a great view over the city! On a clear day, you can even see as far as Morton Bay. I’d highly recommend taking the time to enjoy the view as well as getting something from the cafe! They do really good ice cream.
If you’re planning on driving to the top, you should go early because finding a park is easier said than done. I personally prefer to walk up. The walk isn’t THAT hard (despite being all uphill) and it’s quite nice wandering through the bush. It’s a very popular walk so if you’re worried about getting lost, just follow everyone else! I don’t think you can get a bus to the base of the mountain so if you’re taking public transport, just go straight to the top! Make sure you check the last bus time, though, because I’ve had friends go up, spend 2 seconds looking at the view then rush back to catch the last bus down.
Explore Southbank
I know I said Southbank in Melbourne was nice, but Southbank in Brisbane is even better. Can you think of anything more Australian than having a beach in the middle of the city? Well that’s what they’ve done at Southbank. Chuck some sand next to a big pool and you have Southbank Beach! If you have or know kids, Southbank is great for them with the pool and a really awesome-looking playground. Southbank is also home to loads of nice restaurants, a weekend market and lots of plants/gardens. I love walking along the river or through the Grand Arbour. This pathway was made for Expo 88 (according to my mum) and in spring is covered in beautiful pink flowers as well as the usual greenery.
Wander around one of the city parks
One of the things I love about Brisbane is how many parks there are, even in the city. If you cross the river from Southbank (using the bridge in the picture above) and walk past the university campus, you’ll get to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. These are really nice gardens, home to many Ibis, Bush Turkeys and Water Dragons (if you’re into gross wildlife). In spring, there are lots of flowers and it’s a really nice place for a picnic. There is also another botanic garden at the base of Mt Coot-tha, which is bigger and nicer.
The Roma Street Gardens are also really nice. If you’re here around Christmas time, they do a big light display there which I totally recommend! The lights are stunning and there’s a bunch of food trucks on the green so you can grab something delicious for dinner before your wander (or get ice cream after!).
Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (Brisbane ‘s zoo)
Lone Pine is quite a cute little sanctuary with only Australian natives (plus some farm animals for the kids). It’s also the world’s oldest Koala Sanctuary. I used to volunteer here so can vouch for top quality animal care and that the animals are all happy and healthy. The dingoes are my personal favourites so if you go, make sure you say hello for me! The free-flight bird show is also excellent. Go to the 12:30 pm show to see the Eagles – they only fly them in the afternoon.
Queensland is one of the only states in Australia where you can still cuddle a Koala so I figure I might as well touch on this. To be honest with you, I think koala photos are overrated. Whilst I’ve had many in my time (always for free), I wouldn’t pay $25 for a photo. That said, I understand the appeal to international visitors who see a cute, fluffy, grey “bear” (they’re not bears.). They do look very cuddly. Plus, the money does go to caring for the animals so if you want to do it, go for it!
Worried about the welfare of the koalas? There are very strict regulations on koala holds, including limits to the length of time a koala can be handled per day, and participation by the koalas is completely voluntary (they can go home whenever they want to!). Koalas are also chosen based on their personalities – only the friendly koalas that enjoy the company of humans are used for photos.
Things you should know before you hold a koala:
There’s three things that always seem to surprise people when they get a koala photo so you should consider them before you go for it.
- Koalas do, in fact, have sharp claws! How do you think they hold onto the trees all day?
- Koalas, particularly males, stink. If you get a male koala to hold, you’re gonna smell like him for the rest of the day. So maybe don’t wear your favourite shirt.
- Koalas poop about 130 times a day so chances are you’ll get pooped on. Not to worry, though, because it just rolls right off and it’s the nicest smelling poop I’ve ever picked up! It just smells like Eucalyptus (which they eat).
Have dinner at Eat Street Markets
Last but certainly not least, one of the coolest places in Brisbane is the Eat Street Markets. Imagine hundreds of food trucks (but permanent) in an old warehouse area. Paint the shipping containers bright colours and add lights and you have Eat Street. There are SO many food options here! I swear you could go every day for 2 years or something and still not try everything! I always go for the tandoori chicken “naan-witch” because I love naan bread and Indian food. But I think next time I’ll mix it up and get something else. Maybe dumplings…
Anyway, Eat Street is also home to wacky desserts. I DO get a different desert each time! The first time I got one of those conuts and was totally disappointed. The cone part of the conut was gross. However, most recently I got that watermelon ice cream and it was delicious. They’re all cool desserts, though, and totally worth it for the ‘gram (haha)!
Long story short, you should go. You can get there by CityCat (there’s a terminal a short walk away) or by driving. Eat Street is open on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday from lunch time. It’s least busy on days that have been a bit wet or outside of school holiday periods. Also, make sure to bring a jacket because even in summer, the wind coming off the river can be quite cold!
Have more time?
The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are both beautiful if you’re into beaches and mountains! You can read about my favourite place to stay on the Gold Coast (Coolangatta) here, and about my favourite day trips here. I don’t have any posts about the Sunshine Coast (yet) but I’d highly recommend Noosa. It’s one of our favourite beaches here in Queensland and we used to go every year! The Glasshouse Mountains are also beautiful though I haven’t been there yet. You could also visit one of the Sand Islands in Moreton Bay. Fraser is meant to be really good, and both North Stradbroke (Straddie) and Moreton Island (Tangalooma) are great! You can read about Tangalooma here.
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