Brisbane continues to advance – gently
By Rama Gaind
TOURISM Australia has forecast that inbound travel will fall by four per cent this year together with the continued slow-down in domestic tourism of 0.9 per cent.
Queensland tourism hit a large slump over the September quarter last year and the Tourism Forecasting Committee Report predicts the state will be especially hard hit by shrinking numbers of Japanese and domestic tourists.
Nevertheless, when I visited Australia’s third-largest city with a population of 1,857,594, I was struck by Brisbane’s laid-back atmosphere. The maddening hustle-and-bustle, which you find in other major capital cities, was absent. Brisbane is quietly evolving, growing at a rate which is not only appreciated by the locals, but interstate visitors as well.
The city centre, which is constantly changing with new buildings sprouting everywhere, is thriving, surrounded by a tropical landscape and the undulating Brisbane River.
Cruise down the Brisbane River and catch a glimpse of million-dollar homes, travel under the Story Bridge, visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or walk down to South Bank which is Brisbane’s arts precinct – and home to the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum and State Library of Queensland. Neither are you far away from dining precincts, shopping, parklands and lifestyle markets.
The city’s oldest park – the City Botanic Gardens – runs the full length of Alice Street, bordered by Parliament House on the one side and the Brisbane River’s northern banks on the other. Originally planted by convicts in 1825 with food crops to feed the prison colony, these gardens include ancient trees, rainforest glades and exotic species.
Arguably the most famous watering hole in Queensland, Breakfast Creek Hotel is a popular destination. While it’s a pub steeped in folklore, this famous, sprawling hotel, dates from 1889 and is located on a photogenic bend of the Brisbane River just north-east of Fortitude Valley.
Take time out for a quick trip to Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast which are vibrant and alive with their healthy outdoor lifestyles, enticing beaches and ample opportunities for some retail therapy.
While it’s not surprising to learn that the Gold Coast is home to 300 days of sunshine a year, you will be astonished to learn that it has more man-made canals than Venice.
There are so many ways of unwinding here including basking in the lap of luxury at Palazzo Versace and partaking of indulgent afternoon high tea; visiting the Golden Door spa for a total pampering body massage; spend a relaxing afternoon at the Villa, the manor home which was formerly a private residence, complete with its own golf course; eating at Oskars on Burleigh and enjoying the sweeping water views; and eating out at Marriott’s Benihana restaurant in Surfers Paradise.
End your stay on a relaxing note at Benihana where highly skilled chefs will perform culinary acrobatics, right before your very eyes as they cook such favourites as steak, chicken, seafood and fresh vegetables in traditional Japanese style on a hibachi table. Enjoy!
