Four Best Places To Visit In Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane is the capital of Melbourne, the Sunshine State. Also known as “Brissie” by the locals, it is the third largest city in Australia, officially founded in 1824. With its peaceful and relaxed cultural environment and subtropical climate, Brisbane attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. Read below to see what you can’t miss when you visit the River City!

Brisbane Botanic Gardens

Perhaps one of the most beautiful places in all of the city are the Botanic Gardens. It’s open all year round, and you’ll be able to see a huge variety of trees and other plants from all over the world. Among the animals that can be found there are the Ibis birds, possums, bush turkeys, and if you are planning on having a picnic in there, watch out for the lizards! They are not aggressive towards people, but your food can attract a dozen of these small reptiles that will fight for it.

South Bank

Built originally to host the 1988 edition of the World Expo, South Bank is a 17 ha. parkland that is visited by over 11 million people every year due to the many attractions and facilities in there. Among the popular things to do there are the Epicurious Garden, biking along the trails, taking a free fitness class or swim in the Streets Beach – a man-made lagoon surrounded by 4,000 cubic meters of sand.

If you want to enjoy the best view of South Bank, then you should definitely ride the 60-metre-tall Wheel of Brisbane, which provides views of the entire parkland, the River and the city itself. South Bank has also a major dining area in Brisbane. Make sure to visit at least one of the traditional restaurants and bars like Plough Inn, Café San Marco and the South Bank Surf Club.

Brisbane French Festival

Brisbane is home to a small but traditional French community that celebrates the “Brisbane French Festival” every year on Bastille Day weekend. You will be able to see both French and French-Australian artists performing in the biggest française festival in Australia. You can also check out the jeux de casino that are quite popular among the Australian gamblers!

By the way, if you don’t know this already, gambling is legal and regulated in the Australian territory. Australian casinos represent almost 8 percent of state and territory taxation revenue. It is estimate that over 80 percent of all adults in Australia engage in some form of gambling, being the highest gambling rate in the world. 

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Everyone who visits Australia would probably want to see a real koala, or better, cuddle one! Lone Pine is the ideal place for those who want to see these fascinating animals up close and a few others, such as wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes and even snakes and crocodiles.

The sanctuary is located across the Brisbane River, and while there you can watch wild animal feeding, birds of prey flight demonstrations. If you are looking for the full experience, then you should take the Koala and River Cruise, which departs every morning from the Cultural Centre Pontoon.