 Brisbane Budget Travel Guide
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Author: Paddington62 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
Introducing Brisbane
Brisbane Budget Travel Guide is created to introduce the capital of Queensland to people who are planning a vacation there. In this guide, I want to provide you with the necessary travel information to plan your trip there. All the places of interest in and around Brisbane are listed and described.
About Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital of the Australian state of Queensland. With a population of around 2 million people, it is the third biggest city in Australia behind Sydney and Melbourne. The city is located on the Brisbane River, between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range.
Story Bridge, Brisbane
Author: Stuart Edwards (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
Brisbane was named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. Settlement in the Brisbane area began with a makeshift penal colony at Redcliffe, 28 km from present-day downtown Brisbane, in 1824. Brisbane was made the capital of the new state of Queensland upon the creation of the new, separate colony in 1859.
Today Brisbane is a major tourist destination, receiving both domestic as well as international travellers. Blessed with a year-round warm climate, it is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.
Brisbane Town Hall
Author: Lacrimosus (public domain)
Budget Travel to Brisbane
Brisbane Airport (BNE) is located in Eagle Farm, 28 km to the northeast of downtown. It receives scheduled flights from all major cities in Australia. Apart from Qantas and Virgin Blue, you can also take low cost carrier Jetstar to Brisbane.
The airport has two terminals, named the International and Domestic, although both international and domestic flights may arrive at either terminals. The Airtrain provides a connection between the two terminals. The fare is A$4.00 per person. There is one every 30 minutes, 15 minutes during peak hours. The journey takes only 1 minute.
The Airtrain also goes to downtown Brisbane. The fare is A$14.50 per adult and takes 23 minutes to reach Roma Street Station from the International Terminal.
In addition to the train, there are also shuttle buses managed by CoachTrans between the airport and the city as well as to Gold Coast. The fare to downtown is A$14.00 while to Gold Coast it is A$39.00.
Finally, you can of course take a taxi, but it will be quite expensive, at A$60 from airport to downtown.
Budget Travel within Brisbane
Brisbane is a relatively compact city, so it is actually possible to walk, supplemented by a bus ride or two. The city is quite flat, so you can also rent a bicycle to ride around. They are available at Brisbane Bicycle and at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.
The public transportation authority in Brisbane is TransLink. It runs the ferries, buses and trains. Fares can be paid using a smart card called the go card, which also offers a discount over printed tickets.
Parliament House of Queensland, Brisbane
Author: Robz0r (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
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Places of Interest in Brisbane
- General Post Office
Historic Neo-Classical building built in the late 19th century.
- Cathedral of St Stephen
Beautiful Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in Brisbane, completed in 1874.
- Commissariat Store Museum
Historical building erected in 1829 using convict labour.
- Parliament House of Queensland
French Renaissance style building designed in 1865 by Charles Tiffin, whose design won the architectural competition.
- Brisbane City Botanic Gardens
The second oldest botanic gardens in Australia.
- Old Government House
Former government house, also designed by Charles Tiffin, now housing the National Trust of Queensland.
- City Hall
Neo-Classical building with Italian Renaissance clocktower completed in 1930.
- Customs House
One of the oldest buildings in Brisbane, now used for civic functions.
- Anzac Square
Public park commemorating those who have given their lives for their country.
- Old Windmill
One of just two buildings from Brisbane's days as a convict colony.
- St John's Anglican Cathedral
One of the most splendid churches in the southern hemisphere.
- Fortitude Valley
Centre of Bohemian culture in Brisbane.
- Brisbane Chinatown
A lively area with Asian stores and restaurants.
- Queensland Cultural Centre
Complex that includes the Queensland Art Gallery, a museum, a performing arts centre and a library.
- South Bank Precinct
Site of Expo '88 held in Brisbane.
- Queensland Maritime Museum
Museum chronicling Queensland's maritime history with model ships, reconstructed cabins and relics from early shipwrecks.
- Story Bridge
Landmark bridge constructed during the Great Depression and opened in July, 1940.
- Newstead House
The oldest surviving residential house in Brisbane.
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
The oldest koala sanctuary in Australia, opened in 1927.
- Brisbane Botanic Gardens
Botanic Gardens located in the foothills of Mount Coottha Forest Park, with the largest planetarium in Australia.
- Brisbane Forest Park
Protected forest within D'Aguilar Mountain Range.
Get a GPS and never get lost again!
Avoid charges for overweight luggage! Get a luggage scale for your trip.
Prepare for your trip!
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