Travels Winger

Amazing Australia – South East Queensland

Amazing Australia – South East Queensland

When visiting Australia, be sure to include in your itinerary visits to The Sydney Opera House, one of its many golden beaches, national parks and of course, ‘the outback. You are sure to see a Koala Bear or two along the way, as well as its most famous icon, the Kangaroo.

Any travel to this land will surprise you. There are many great sites to see and many great adventures to have. Australia’s greatest assets include its friendly people, its amazing animals, its National Parks with their spectacular rainforests and its historical gold mining cities. Be sure to taste its homegrown seafood and beef and its wide selection of international foods, as well as the local produce of fruits and vegetables.

Australia has a diversity of culture, with people of all origins from around the world. Every visitor will feel at home in Australia. Australia is made up of 7 States and 2 Territories.

Initially we want to share a little information about South East Queensland.

Queensland is commonly known amongst Australians as “The Sunshine State”. ‘Queenslanders’ enjoy year round sunshine with the occasional summer storm producing spectacular lightning shows.

It has many beautiful well manicured parks along its coastline and it’s not hard to miss the contrast of where the blue ocean meets the green land. Be sure to keep your camera handy at all times.

Brisbane

Its capital, Brisbane, is often seen as a sleepy town, with a mixture of modern city life and country life blending together. We recommend wearing a hat and sunscreen in the summer months to prevent getting sunburn.

The Brisbane River, which snakes it way through the city, is regularly visited by the locals for pleasurable activities such as ‘get-togethers’ in a local park with family and/or friends for a bar-be-que, watching a film in an open air cinema at South Bank, attending a concert at River Stage in the City Botanical Gardens, as well as other aquatic activities.

Brisbane City itself is safe to explore and has many beautiful old style buildings set amongst some interesting modern day architecture. Be sure to keep an eye out for the many different artistic structures in the streets of Brisbane City. For example, there are two kangaroos in George Street, across from the Brisbane City Council offices. Both are made of metal and one kangaroo is sitting on the footpath and the other in a nearby seat.

Be sure to visit Lone Pine Animal Sanctuary, which is located conveniently just west of the city. It houses native animals, including Koalas and Kangaroo and Australia’s unique birdlife.

Other sites of interest include The Queensland Art Gallery, Fisherman’s Wharf and Brisbane Powerhouse. All are located close to the city centre, as well as recently remodeled suburbs such as New Farm or West End.

Getting around

On offer is a ‘free loop’ city bus service that operates in the Central Business District.

Alternatively, you may wish to travel by the city’s very reliable train system.

Or you can have a ride on the Brisbane River in a Ferry or City Cat.

For all transportation timetable information and fare information, please refer to www.translink.com.au or ring locally 13 12 30.

Shopping: -

If you are searching for gifts for loved ones, then the Southbank Markets may be just the place to buy your memorabilia. These markets operate every Saturday and Sundays from 8am to 4pm. This is just one of many markets on offer.

Across the Victoria Bridge from Southbank is the Queen Street Mall, which also has a variety of department and specialty stores for your shopping pleasure.

For more information on Brisbane City we recommend you visit www.ourbrisbane.com .

Gold Coast

Just 1 hour South of Brisbane is the Gold Coast. Brisbane is nicely located between both the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast and getting to either centre is easy. The “Greater South East of Queensland” is easily accessed by a network of train and bus systems. See www.translink.com.au .

If you want to hand feed some dolphins, we recommend Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island. See www.tangalooma.com .

Alternatively, there are many water activities, such as or surfing or sailing or you can just enjoy walking on the soft sandy beaches. Don’t miss other beautiful Islands, such as Stradbroke Island and Fraser Island

If hiking is your thing, there are an estimated 260 walking tracks to choose from.

Theme Parks

There are theme parks located between the Gold Coast and Brisbane which will keep the kids busy for hours. They are Dreamworld, Water World and Sea World.

Shopping

If you need some retail therapy, there are an estimated 3500 shops open for only 10 hrs a day for 7 days a week.

If you like the open markets, there are about 20 markets in all on the Gold Coast.

Surfers Paradise stores open until 9pm 7 days a week.

For more information on the Gold Coast you may wish to visit www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Sunshine Coast

One hour North of Brisbane is ‘The Sunshine Coast’. It does not have as many high rise buildings as the Gold Coast, but offers the same amount of adventure and sightseeing opportunities as the Gold Coast. If you just love oceans views, we recommend driving along the coast road, rather than on the freeway. By doing this you will be treated to some beautiful ocean views.

Family Activities

Be sure to visit world renowned ‘Australia Zoo’ at Beerwah, ‘Underwater World and The Big Pineapple.

Shopping

For your shopping pleasure, there are about 20 plus markets to enjoy on the Sunshine Coast, including the most famous, Eumundi Market.

For more information on the Sunshine Coast you may wish to visit www.tourismsunshinecoast.com.au

Posted by admin on September 7th, 2008 filed in Culture, Tourism, Travel