mooching around brisbane

I was not excited about visiting Brisbane. From travelers and residents alike, I repeatedly heard that there is not much to do in Brisbane and that the best use of my time would be to leave the city and stay in one of the adjacent towns like Gold Coast or Byron Bay. Brisbane may not be a destination for sightseeing, but it’s one of those cities that draws you in and makes you forget that you’re a tourist. Although our stay in Brisbane was brief, we had just enough time to become enamored with Brisbane's spectacular riverscape, meet some really lovely locals, and experience the city's spirited and non-pretentious nightlife scene.

One of the best locations for people-watching in Brisbane is the Queen Street Mall, an area of pedestrian walkways located in Brisbane's CBD. The promenade is lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants.



We also spent a good amount of time tooling around South Bank, an area located on the banks of the Brisbane River with pedestrian walkways, bike paths, cafes, restaurants, bars, and even a man-made beach.


Just upriver from South Bank, you can rock climb at certain designated areas along the river.


And, of course, no day in Australia would feel complete without the requisite gorgeous sunset.