We were lucky enough to have a visitor from home for a couple of weeks! We packed in so much in two and a half weeks that I don’t think it would all fit on one blog post, especially when you add pictures too. Therefore I have split it up into smaller chunks; this is post 5 of 5, so if you haven’t already read the first parts, then I recommend visiting those posts first: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 and Part 4
On Tuesday we accidentally had 3 breakfasts, the first at the apartment and the second at the airport. We got stuck in a bit of traffic getting to the airport but our taxi driver was a local and managed to avoid the worst of it. Then at the airport I must have looked shifty because my bag got checked and I got swabbed for explosives!
But then our luck changed, because as we sat eating second breakfast, we found out that our tickets had been upgraded to business class! This meant priority boarding, free wi-fi, and breakfast number three!! Even though it was a short flight it felt like such a treat, and I think we all appreciated being let off the plane first.
We took the Air Train into the city centre, and found a hostel where we could store our luggage. We were even able to store it free because he was in a good mood.
We wanted through the city centre to the city hall and the square, then towards the river. We saw former Prime Minister Julia Gillard doing a book signing outside Dymocks, and pass the Treasury building, a beautiful building that now houses a casino and hotel!
We crossed the river to the Cultural Quarter and the Brisbane Sign, and walked along the river bank where there was still quite a bit of flood damage. We walked back over Kulripa Bridge and stopped at the Linger Longer café. We then checked into our accommodation and all appreciated the fantastic views.
We went back to grab our luggage and then had a rest before planning our evening out in Brisbane.
We decided to start with a nice looking bar called Saccharomyces, and it was so good that we stayed there for the whole evening, enjoying both the beer and the food!
Wednesday was our only full day in Brisbane, so we wanted to make the most of it. We started with breakfast in Frankie and George, where I had food envy of Mark’s granola. My omelette was delicious too though.
Next stop was the City Hall (the only city hall in Australia) where we had tickets booked for a tour of the Clock Tower. It only lasted 15 minutes but was very informative and offered some nice views of the city, even though it isn’t the tallest building around! We also visited the museum there which was interesting.
Then we tried to get on a bus, but you need a specific travel card in Queensland, so we gave up and ordered an Uber. We went to the Gabba, although we weren’t able to actually get in for a tour or a look around (thanks Covid). However Mark spotted that the Queensland Cricketers’ club was open, so we daringly went in and asked if we could take some photos – thankfully they said yes!
We celebrated our success with a beer at the German Club opposite, before taking a long walk to catch the ferry. Unfortunately the terminal was closed, and there was no way to get across the water without walking a long way around, so it was Uber to the rescue again. They took us across Story Bridge and back to the City Hall, where we could orientate ourselves again.
We went to find the tourist information on the recommendation of our tour guide at the City Hall – it was once the Regent Picture House with an opulent foyer. It’s a real shame that that’s all that is left of it.
After all our walking, we stopped for a well deserved coffee and cake at the Babylon rooftop and garden bar, before heading back to our apartment via the farmers market in front of the library.
We all needed a rest after being on our feet all day but were ready to continue exploring in the evening. We decided to make the most of the free KittyCat CityHopper to see Brisbane by night. This took us from the South Bank Ferry Terminal to the Howard Smith Wharves and back again, and was a fantastic way to see the city lights.
Afterwards we accidentally stumbled upon the Charming Squire bar, where we had some beers and a sharing platter. We then found a small bar where I enjoyed a G&T, but there wasn’t much choice of beer, and nowhere else open, so we headed back to the apartment.
Our plans for Thursday were to try and squeeze in seeing the remaining parts of the city that we wanted to before our evening flight back to Sydney!
We stopped at Linger Longer for breakfast, as it was close to the apartment and we had luggage with us, and then walked to the hostel to store our luggage again. We walked to Anzac square and then to Post Office Square, and over the Cathedral and chapel.
We found the Westin where Mark was quarantined when he first arrived in Australia, and tried to suss out whether we could get to the top of the Sky Tower – the highest building in Brisbane currently. Unfortunately it’s only private access – they are definitely missing a trick there!
We walked to and through the botanic gardens, where we saw all sorts of wildlife including eels, water dragons and dusky moorhens! We found ourselves at the QUT and popped into the café there, Lady Harriet’s bar and kitchen, before heading to the Goodwill Bridge to take us to the South Bank. We wandered along the South Bank which was so nice. It was a warm day and there were lots of people on the artificial beach there, but unfortunately the Cold Rock Icecreamery there was closed!
We managed to find an Ice Cream van however, and then walked the rainforest walk to find a seat to eat it before starting the journey back. We hopped on the ferry to Riverside and walked to collect our luggage. From there we got the Air Train back to Brisbane Airport, and didn’t get an upgrade this time.
By the time we got back to Sydney, we thought it wise to get dinner BEFORE getting back to Manly, so went back to our new favourite bar, the Fortune of War. They have the First Fleet Bistro upstairs, and the food was delicious. I did slightly regret having such a full belly on the rough ferry crossing back to Manly though!
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