Boutique hotels
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Spicers Balfour Hotel
- Style
- Urban pied-à-terre
- Setting
- New Farm creative hub
Brisbane Overview
Queensland
- Cityscape
- Ritzy riverside metropolis
- City life
- Tropical fun in the sun
Australia’s third largest city has long lived in the shadow of Sydney and Melbourne, but in recent years Queensland’s capital has come into its own, shaking off its small town mentality.
The BrisVegas tag may sum up this city’s love of glitzy good times, but it’s also got great galleries, hot bars, restaurants and clubs, and a happening music scene. The hilly waterside location’s no slouch: flanking the winding Brisbane River, it is within easy reach of beaches, islands and national parks. If it’s major sights you’re after, make for the CBD and South Bank arts complex across the river, but base yourself in edgier inner north district Fortitude Valley for maximum buzz. Residents of rival cities may mock, but folk are moving here in droves, drawn by a winning combination of no-nonsense attitude with fast-paced fun.
Beautifully Brisbane
Queensland is known as the Sunshine State with over 300 days of golden rays a year. For Brissie, this mood-boosting mellow weather means constant access to the outdoors, with a seductive, subtropical climate begging you to come out and play, dine or dance alfresco.
Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- Plentiful in Brisbane’s city centre, with ranks in the CBD and at the train station. To call one, try Yellow Cab Co (131924) or Black & White Cabs (131 008).
- Tipping culture
- Tips for good service aren't mandatory, but 10 per cent will be appreciated.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Generally shops open Monday to Thursday 9am–5.30pm, with similar hours at weekends (although smaller places tend to close on Sundays); Friday is late-night shopping when most stores stay open until 9pm. Restaurants start to fill up around 7pm (dine early at alfresco venues to catch the sunset), bars are usually open until about 2am and most clubs kick off at 11pm.
- Packing tips
- A pair of designer thongs (flip-flops) and big shades to look the part; glam gear for BrisVegas by night.
- Recommended reads
- FoFor a creepy take on the ghosts beneath Brisbane’s sun-kissed surface, Stephen M Irwin’s horror novel The Dead Path tells the tale of a man’s return to the city after 20 years, a missing child and a friend’s murder. Brisbane writer Nick Earls’ latest novel, The True Story of Butterfish, will appeal to musos: it’s about a drummer from a once-successful band drawn into a neighbour’s family.
- Regional specialities
- Make the most of all that fresh coastal fish and seafood: try Moreton Bay bugs (a local species of lobster), prawns, mud crabs and barramundi. The Castlemaine-Perkins XXXX Brewery (www.xxxx.com.au) is based in Milton, west of Brisbane’s main train station, if you fancy a tour before sampling the world-famous beers.
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AU$).
- Time zone
- GMT+10.
- Dialling codes
- Country code for Australia: +61; Queensland: 07 (drop the zero if calling from overseas).
- Do go/don't go
- Brisbane basks in year-round sun, with temperatures rarely dipping below 20°C. The peak of summer can be super-hot and wetter, with many locals escaping the sweltering city, which can make it quiet; winter is sunny and mild with little rain.
Don't go home without...
trying a Moreton Bay bug, a tasty local type of lobster.
