Brisbane Specials

City Guide

BRISBANE

Glam it up in the Queensland capital - viva Bris Vegas!

Brisbane has shucked its reputation as a backwater and emerged as one of the country's most progressive centres. It has several interesting districts, a good street cafe scene, a great riverside park, a busy cultural calendar and a thriving nightlife

Known locally as Bris Vegas, the city is renowned for its sun and the brash, glitzy hordes that follow it, but it's also the arts capital of Queensland, with dozens of theatres, cinemas, concert halls, galleries and museums. A climate this good and culture too? It must be paradise.

'The city steamed and fretted in the stale glow of its gas-lighting. It was an eager, sweaty city. It was keen to try new things. It throbbed with the drive of strange urges in its secret places.' - Nigel Krauth

Timezones

Gmt +10 Eastern Standard Time

Environment

Latitude -27.454000473

Longitude 153.026000977

Area_sqkm 1360

Population 1600000

Orientation

Located in the southeastern corner of Queensland, Brisbane is a river city, situated 25km (15mi) upstream from the mouth of the Brisbane River. The compact city centre is built along and between the looping meanders of the river, making it easy to explore on foot. The transit centre, where you'll arrive if you're coming by bus, train or airport shuttle, is about 500m (550yd) northwest of the city centre. The airport is about 15km (9mi) northeast of the city centre.

Brisbane has plenty of backpackers' hostels and there are also quite a few well-priced hotels, motels and self-contained apartments within a few blocks of the city centre. Most of the action, however, happens in the inner suburbs. Brisbane's restaurant and cafe scene has blossomed in recent years and you'll find there's no shortage of good eateries, many of which have taken advantage of the balmy climate and provide outdoor eating areas.

Events

On Australia Day (26 January), Kangaroo Point hosts the cockroach races. Brisbane's major festival of the arts, the outdoor Brisbane Festival, is held over two weeks in mid-September. The Royal National Agricultural Show (the 'Ekka') is held at the Exhibition Grounds in mid-August. There's also a 12-day international film festival in August, the Livid alternative rock festival in October, an international comedy festival in April and a biennial music festival every second June (odd years).

Activities

Brisbane has the perfect climate for outdoor activities, and these are as much a lure as the city's sights. Being a relatively flat city and blessed with numerous parks and gardens, cycling, in-line skating and walking are among the most popular free-time activities for locals and visitors.

Getting there and away

Brisbane's Eagle Farm Airport is a busy international arrival and departure point with frequent flights to Asia, Europe, the Pacific islands, North America, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. A shuttle bus runs between the airport and the Transit Centre about every half-hour till mid-evening. There are also shuttle buses to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. There are always taxis available to take you into the city centre. The easiest way to get to or from the airport is to take the Airtrain from either Roma St or Central stations.

The main bus terminal is the Transit Centre on Roma St, and all the main bus companies arrive and leave from here. Buses run to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Cairns, as well as towns up and down the coast. Trains also arrive at the Transit Centre. There are direct trains to Sydney, but if you want to go any further south or west, you'll have to go via Sydney. Rail travel within Queensland is slower and more expensive than the bus, but it's often more comfortable, and you can get rail passes.

Getting around

In addition to normal city buses, there are Cityxpress services, which run between the city centre and the suburbs, and Rockets (fast peak-hour commuter buses). The fast Citytrain network has seven lines, and there is an efficient ferry service along and across the Brisbane River. There is a riverside bicycle track from the City Botanic Gardens out to the University of Queensland.