By Liz Lewis
All my friends want to move to Brisbane. Situated on Australia’s East Coast, it has hundreds of restaurants, cafes, and shops. And the ideal climate for outdoor life. Just the place to be when you’re looking to explore, express, and exorcise your options.
Exile if you must. But stay at the Rendezvous Hotel (255 Ann Street, Ph 61 7 3001 9888 right in the heart of the city. From here, you can lose yourself in the streets of Brisbane, wandering through the multitude of stores, stopping for coffee at any number of al fresco cafes, and watch the world go by. Or you could stay put at the hotel, immersing yourself in the guest library, reading newspapers, magazines, and surfing the internet. It’s up to you.
When you’re ready to exhale, catch the daily Mirimar cruise, phone 1300 729 742 for reservations) over to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where you can get up close and personal with snakes, birds, and koalas. You can even hug a crocodile!
There are many ways of exploring Brisbane - foot, bus, boat, or train. Walk over to the Queen Street Mall (just minutes from the hotel) and devote yourself to some serious shopping. Considered Brisbane’s shopping and entertainment mecca, there enough shops and cafes here to please even the most discerning shopper. When you finished the shopping, walk over to the Shingle Inn Bakery and Café (cnr Queen and Edwards Sts) for tea and cake. This Brisbane institution (since 1934) may look out of place in ultra modern Edwards Street, but walk through the doors of this old English style café and be prepared to be charmed. (P.S. the lemon meringue pie is to die for.)
Head over to the Central Train Station (just opposite the hotel) and hop a train to the suburbs. Go out to Fortitude Valley for fashion shopping, Chinatown and the weekend Brunswick Street market. If you’re ready to look to the future, then visit one of the many clairvoyants and card readers at the market.
Catch an inner city ferry or City Cat to cross the river to South Bank Parklands Brisbane’s most popular outdoor arena. Once a derelict warehouse and industrial area, South Bank was transformed for Expo 88 and has since evolved into a fabulous recreational area for locals and tourists alike. Hire a bike (Valet Cycle Hire will deliver to your hotel, ph 0408 003 198) or in-line skates (Blade Sensation , ph 3844 0606) and explore the 17 hectares of gardens, shops, cafes, and galleries. When you get tired, stop at Streets Beach, the manmade crystal clear swimming lagoon overlooking the Brisbane River.
