Please dont feed the Ibis!
Written: Apr 12 '02 (Updated Jan 08 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful weather in the winter months.
Cons: 3 hour flight to New Zealand
The Bottom Line: This is a great place to come and thaw out during winter.
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| hollynz's Full Review: Brisbane |
~ This review has been reposted under Brisbane. I have deleted the old review
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I spent a weekend in Brisbane in June 2001. Not long enough to get to know the place but definitely long enough to get a feel for the place.
I found Brisbane to be a pleasant city. With a population close to 2 million it’s a big city but it has a more intimate, small town feel.
The weather was fantastic, mid winter and 22 Celsius.This was the reason we were here. Mid winter back home in New Zealand is pretty cold and Queensland is a favorite holiday spot for frozen kiwis. We were basking in the warmth but the locals were complaining about the cold snap!
Accommodation
We stayed at the Paramount Motel in Kangaroo Point. The double room costing $67 (Australian) was good value. The self-contained unit provided cooking facilities, fridge and microwave, the main room was spacious and along with a queen size bed there was a dining table and chairs, a sofa and TV.
The bathroom had the usual assortments of soap/shampoo. The rooms aren’t serviced everyday so you have to make your own bed, they do provide fresh towels if required.
It was within walking distance to the city and close to public transport.
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The city snakes it’s way around the Brisbane River, there is a great walking/cycling path along the riverbanks that was full with weekend joggers, roller skaters and pedestrians all out enjoying the sunshine. At one end of the walkway are the Kangaroo Cliffs where it was fun to watch abseillers and rock climbers. The walkway is well kept and was an easy walk into the city from our motel. With lots of shady rest stops and interesting sculptures along the way it made for a pleasant morning’s walk.
If you would prefer, you could catch one of the ferries that were constantly cruising the river. The City Ferries cross the river at various points all along the river and the Citycat Ferries do the longer runs with less stop offs. You could get a good sightseeing trip on the Citycats as they go from one end of Brisbane to the other. Riding the ferries is pretty cheap, it’s a couple of dollars to cross the river or you could get day passes and week passes which were reasonably priced.
We arrived at South Bank Park which was busy with Market stalls and shoppers. We had fun checking everything out. There is a good Information Centre here which is worth going to if you are new in town. We had lunch at the food court, you are sure to find something to suit your taste and budget here. There is a fantastic range of food on offer, just take your pick and enjoy.
Sitting at the outdoor dining area I was amazed to see huge stork like birds wandering between the tables picking at crumbs. I tossed one bird something to eat and before I knew it, about a dozen birds all competing for food surrounded us. I noticed people looking disapprovingly in my direction and it was then that I noticed the big signs everywhere ~PLEASE DON’T FEED THE IBIS!~ oops!
Walking further we came to the Museum and Art gallery, the Museum has some great exhibits but what caught my attention the most was the insect display. These things are huge, 12 inch Stick Insects and Praying Mantis’s that I would hate to run into in the daytime, let alone the dark! I had been finding the thought of living here quite appealing until I saw this display.
From here we crossed the Victoria Bridge which is a traffic bridge with a safe pedestrian walkway and bike path. Keep walking straight ahead and you will come to Queen Street Mall. Here you can shop till you drop, it was crowded with lots of buskers and street entertainers, food stalls, atmosphere and fun.
That evening we went to the local Sports Bar a block from the motel to watch the All Black rugby test that was on that night. The bar had the game on the big screen T.V. which was a surprise as there were only a handful of us watching. Most of the folks were watching an Aussie rules game in the next bar.
Halfway through the game a band started setting up in a corner and going through their sound check which was a bit annoying.
I was surprised to see the band at all considering this was a Sports Bar.
I guess they do things a bit different in Oz.
We had a ‘bar meal’ for dinner while we were there. Most aussie pubs have decent, plain meals every day for lunch and dinner. The menu is pretty standard (roast of the day, fish & chips, B.L.T etc) but the prices are reasonable.
On the way back to the motel we stopped off at the river lookout to watch the fireworks display. The night sky was lit up and we joined the crowds enjoying the spectacle. It was a great way to finish the day.
The following day we rode the ferries and explored the Eagle Street Markets. They are held every Sunday along the waterfront and are extremely popular. We drove up to the Mt Coot-tha lookout before leaving Brisbane. It is called a mountain but don’t be fooled, it is a hill. Australia is so flat that a bump in the road is a hill and a hump is a mountain. The view is pretty good from the top and there is a café, restaurant and gift shop if you want to have a bite to eat and admire the view.
As Brisbane is only a three hour flight from New Zealand I intend to visit this lovely city again one day.
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
hollynz
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Member: Christine
Location: New Zealand
Reviews written: 142
Trusted by: 190 members
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~ In memory of Barbara ~
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