Moreton Island is a tropical haven just off Brisbane and a Tangalooma day trip is a must-do when vacationing in Queensland, Australia. Moreton Island is arguably the best day out you can take, whether as a citizen or a tourist. A Tangalooma day trip isn’t exactly a secret for locals, yet it’s far off the radar for most visitors who see Brisbane as little more than a...
Before Steve Irwin was anyone, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was the place to go to cuddle koalas and see a real saltwater crocodile. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the closest place to go to cuddle a koala from Brisbane. Its inner urban location, accessibility by bus and river cruise and proximity to the state capital makes it the go-to for all wildlife fondling...
Netherworld Brisbane Arcade bar has transformed the former Shamrock Hotel into a live music venue. For over one hundred years (and long before Netherworld Brisbane, an arcade bar, or computer gaming was a thing), The Shamrock Hotel was a Fortitude Valley icon frequented primarily by journalists and old alcoholic barflies. In the nineties and early noughties, Bernie’s...
A beer so good (or so bad) it’s very name is censored – that’s XXXX. Australian for beer There was a time where almost as much Fourex beer was sold in England as it was in its hometown, Brisbane. Between the four Xs, Fosters Lager and tourism ads for Australia featuring actor Paul Hogan (at his peak of Crocodile Dundee fame) inviting visitors over to throw a...
Every August, The Brisbane Ekka, the annual state fair comes to town, bringing with it great food, fresh produce, carnies, rides, and a hideously contagious flu. In the heart of the Queensland winter, the Brisbane Ekka brings a country carnival atmosphere to the big smoke, blown in on the cyclonic August winds. The Ekka means two things – fun and flu. The fun comes...
Mount Glorious offers a breath of fresh air and scenic rainforest walks close to Brisbane City. If you want to experience your first real taste of the Queensland rainforest, Mount Glorious on the outskirts of Brisbane is just within reach. The slow, chilled pace can get to you. Seriously. For all its lazy, Sunday afternoon vibes and notoriously inefficient public...
“The Breakfast Creek Hotel is up for sale”. You know a pub is iconic when legendary Australian band, Midnight Oil name checks it in a song. The Breakfast Creek Hotel, known by locals simply as the “Brekky Creek” is part of the very fabric of tropical Brisbane. It has lived through fires, floods and more than its share of bar fights over its 128 years. In that time...
Montville is a charming hilltop village in the Blackall Ranges nestled above the Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. When the stifling heat, humidity and near perfect beaches get too much for you (yeah right!) there is a place you can escape too. Imagine a tropical haven where the temperature drops cool enough to enjoy a hot chocolate or Devonshire tea – even in summer...
As a ginger, Buderim Ginger Factory is Jess’s spiritual home. It’s home to some great-tasting food and offers a chance to chill in its quiet rainforest grounds. Heading north towards the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane, you will pass through Buderim, a small, sleepy, hinterland town. Just off the highway, in a semi-industrial area is the Buderim Ginger Factory. As a...
Brisbane is a beautiful river city and one of the best ways to see it for cheap is to ride one of its CityCat catamarans. The CityCat ferry service is an iconic part of the city, transporting tens of thousands to work every day. They run upstream and down, servicing as far down as Hamilton (close to the Brisbane Airport) and as far up as the University of Queensland...
