Farthest north on the East Coast is Cairns, a fantastic diving and snorkeling wonderland for the beach bound, underwater enthusiast.
In between Melbourne and Cairns lays the travel jewels of Brisbane and the Fraser Coast.
It’s late July in 2010 and moving into August, Southern California should be in the heat of summer. The summer heat was part of our motivation to visit Australia in August. Not that we were looking for heat, but rather to escape it in the temperate winter of Australia’s mid-east coast. Winter in this sub-tropic zone is mild, from the low 60’s to mid 70’s, perfect for comfort in the outdoors.
Brisbane is a fast growing city providing culinary, entertainment, and shopping delight. Word of warning - be prepared for the sticker shock as you imbibe. Australia in general is an expensive destination and everything costs a premium. From a $3 AUD candy bar (normally $1 USD) to basic meals costing $17-44 AUD, you will be delighted to find the rare $8 AUD glass of beer.
There are deals to be found and the savvy traveler will search around before selecting an accommodation or attraction to invest in. I recommend apartment hotels as opposed to traditional hotels. Apartment hotels are located throughout the city center and in each area we visited along the coast. Apartment hotels were generally more affordable: $139 AUD/night for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment with full kitchen living area, laundry, and regular hotel facilities such as pool, fitness room, reception/concierge, etc. Traditional hotels ranged from $89-$300+ AUD/night and only offer one queen bed or two twin beds (not great if you have a family of three or more). For my family, we just wanted a nice, safe, centrally located accommodation as we don’t spend much time dwelling in our room.
(This is the sunset view from our apartment hotel balcony, looking north over Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley.)
Free time on our first day was spent in one of the beautiful churches in Brisbane, St. John’s Anglican Cathedral. This is the newest completed gothic cathedral which took over 100 years to build. The first stone was laid in 1901 and the final bay was completed in 2007. Flash photography is allowed, but tends to wash out the sandstone. We finished our evening with dinner at Decks on the South Bank Parklands.
We tried not to over-plan activities as most U.S. Americans do, but we definitely had a few sights and sounds that were “must haves” on this trip. Our first stop was the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary just west of the city. Easily reachable by bus, Lone Pine provided photo ops with and of Koalas, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Emus, and Wombats to name a few of the native animals. The park is a comfortable size to take in for a half-day or a whole day of leisurely observing.
(Kangaroo resting at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.)
Next stop on day two was The Gabba (Brisbane Cricket Grounds) for a game of Australian Rules (AR) football. AR is a fast paced game of football/rugby/soccer moves on an over sized field with a stadium of excitable fans. Tickets are fairly priced and the game was easy to get to and from. Before the game, make sure to visit the German Club for a cold beer or drink. The German Club carries an excellent variety of beer and schnapps to sample and enjoy.
On day three of our Australian adventure we enjoyed lunch and drinks at the Hog’s Breath Café before taking in a game of Rugby League (RL) football. RL is closest to American “grid-iron” football. Sun-Corp Stadium is beautiful and easily accessible by public transportation, which is required as there is NO public parking at the stadium.
(SunCorp Stadium view from the upper level.)
After the game, from the hustle of the city we headed north to the farming Shire of Tiaro, and the town of Bauple. Very few people are aware that Bauple is the home of the Macadamia nut, originally known as the Bauple nut, then Queensland nut. Unexpected, just like Hawaii, macadamia nut products are everywhere. We stayed with family on a Sugarcane and Cattle Farm for two days, this was my favorite place for taking pictures.
(Sugarcane Field in Bauple, QLD)
(Cattle grazing at Woods Farm, Bauple, QLD. The Mother cow gave me the look of don’t get any closer, but her calf was curious.)
The next day was spent whale watching in Hervey (pronounced Harvey) Bay. A full day of chasing the elusive Humpback whale paid off when a younger humpback curiously circled our boat and another. One of the most beautiful sights for photography is Fraser Island. An island of sand and tropical forest, Fraser provides 100 miles of beautiful coastline and crystal blue lakes inland. Allow 2-3 days to properly take in the sights of Hervey Bay and Fraser Island.
(Humpback whale off of Fraser Island.)
(Sunrise at Urangan Beach, Hervey Bay, QLD.)
After our stay in Hervey Bay, we headed back to Brisbane for our final two days in Australia. Although the food is expensive, there are excellent restaurants, and plenty of drinks to be had. We were introduced to XXXX Gold beer (say it, “Four-X”) and enjoyed it so much we toured the brewery located just across from SunCorp Stadium. The tour was what we expected; a tour of a brewery, but the end of the tour was the highlight. Each drinking adult gets to sample the various beers and relax in the XXXX Ale House. The Brewery is full of history and kitsch and the gift shop is full of beer gear to buy.
(Spouts from old production area on display in the XXXX Ale House.)
Another short train trip back to the city center and we were off to enjoy the Eagle Street Pier. A river runs through and bends around Brisbane City Center (BCC). Spanning from Kangaroo Point to Petrie Bight is the Story Bridge, a class icon of Brisbane. Starting from the end of the Eagle Street Pier, there is a walking tour that runs all the way from the Customs House down and around to the Goodwill Bridge. The walking tour provides beautiful views of the skyline, river, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, the City Botanic Gardens, and around to Southbank.
(Eagle Street Pier and Story Bridge, Brisbane, QLD.)
Take your time to explore all the mid-East Coast of Australia has to offer. The terrain, wildlife, plant life, and people will not disappoint.
Oddly enough, summer has yet to arrive in Southern California, we returned back to the same weather we left behind in Brisbane, temperate mid 70’s. Where is summer?
For more information on the accommodations we selected and the places we visited, click the links below:
Oaks Lexicon Apartment Hotel in Brisbane
Fraser Coast – Bauple, Hervey Bay, and Fraser Island
Santalina Apartment Hotel in Hervey Bay
My Favorite Travel Guide Lonely Planet
All Photos By Britt Montemayor. Protected Copyright © 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment