Travels and Tours Australia – Day 13: Brisbane Queensland

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I wake up and head for the showers. I am determined to make an early start in Brisbane to ensure that I can make it to the Gold Coast before sunset. I eat my breakfast on the highway and park up in a suburb just north of the centre. After a 10 minute stroll, I am on the edge of the CBD and decide that I will head across to Southbank first.

While crossing the bridge to Southbank, I stop to take a photograph and am suddenly transported back to London. I have to do a double take due to the familiar terrain in a city I have never explored. To say that Southbank Brisbane is identical to Southbank London would be a lie, but they have a very similar feel and I can imagine romantic strolls along the arts heavy Southbank Brisbane being similar to so many I had taken on the equally arty Southbank London. I reach the other end of the bridge and try to banish any thoughts of home as I select the museum which most takes my fancy.

I settle for the inevitable Gallery of Modern Art (there is little point pretending the others had much a chance) and head straight past the alternatives. The GOMA is an impressive institution, with very diverse collections. However, of equal note are the sensational city views from all levels. With the gallery visited, I cross back into the CBD via a different bridge and make my way to the markets I had skipped on the way to Southbank.

I resist all the tasty treats, knowing that lunchtime is just around the corner, and decide to stroll through the centre and get a taste of Brisbane as a city. I soon stumble across a vegetarian Tea Room and decide that it will be my lunchtime pitstop. Over a rather yummy three course treat, I take a look at the map of Brisbane and decide that after another stroll through the centre, I will start making my way to the Gold Coast. Though Brisbane is clearly full of treats, many of the excursions would take more time than I had available and I didn’t want to risk falling behind schedule. I make a mental mark to ensure a revisit and head to the car.

I whack Operator Please in the CD player and hit the road. Screaming my heart out to ‘Just A Song About Ping Pong’, I am excited to discover where one of my favourite Australian bands comes from. Having heard that the band are often found just hanging out in Surfer’s Paradise, I make a little wish, as I enter the centre. Deciding that it would be better to dump the campervan first, I head to Aquarius and check-in.

The staff are super friendly and make me feel extremely welcome. They invite me to head out on some Backpacker’s Big Night Out and I accept the invitation before walking down to Surfer’s Paradise, where I am just in time to see the most colourful sunset I have ever witnessed. I spend the entire duration with my mouth agape as I wander along the beach, before reaching the heart of the tourist centre and treating myself to some dinner treats.

I walk back to the hostel, cook my dinner, have a shower and head down to the departure point before boarding a bus and venturing out on my big night out. I head to the first bar where the music takes hold and I lose the group as they head out the door as I am in the toilets. Knowing that the rules state that entry to venues is only within the group, I decided to take a slow stroll back to the hostel and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

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