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Out of all the cities I’ve visited in Australia, Brisbane (pronounced "bris-bin") takes the cake. It might even be my favorite city ever--although my love of London and, of course, my nearby San Francisco certainly gives it a run for its money.
I could wax poetic about how vibrant it is, how thriving its art scene is... but honestly? The first thing I noticed was how clean it was. Seriously. I’ve visited cities where I’ve had asthma attacks immediately after stepping off the plane, where I couldn’t go outside unless I was wearing a mask, and as much as I love San Francisco, it’s not a place that I’d ever call clean. Brisbane doesn’t smell. Or at least, if it does, it doesn’t smell like that odd mix of grime-smog-urine-gasoline-ooh, food! That smells delicious! Nevermind it’s gone again that you so often find in other cities. What I’m trying to say is that I’m not a city dweller; as much as I like living near cities, I couldn’t ever live in one. Or, at least, that’s what I thought up until I visited Brisbane. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
This is the cutest animal sanctuary I’ve ever visited, and should absolutely be on your itinerary if you’re interested in adorable animals. The Sanctuary “opened in 1927 as a safe refuge for sick, injured, and orphaned koalas, at a time when the species was being culled for the fur trade,” and is now committed to not only protecting a variety of native Australian animals, but also inspiring visitors to help protect native animals and their environment.
Aside from many sweet koalas, the Sanctuary has a variety of other animals, including cassowaries, crocodiles, and kangaroos. In fact, I was allowed to hand-feed some very friendly kangaroos--when I ran out of food to give them, one of them stole the bag I had been holding to see if I was hiding any more!
Mt. Coot-tha Lookout
Close by the Koala Sanctuary is another stop I highly recommend. For a breathtaking view of the city, look no further than the Mt. Coot-tha Lookout.
You can stop by the delightful Botanic Gardens, or drive straight to the top of the mountain for the lookout, as well as a cafe and restaurant. You can see every part of Brisbane from up here, and at the end of a long day, there’s nothing better than coming up here to watch the sun set over the city.
Australia Zoo
When I was younger, I wanted to be Steve Irwin. He inspired me to get involved in environmental advocacy, so is it really so surprising I would drive an hour outside of Brisbane to visit his zoo? The Australia Zoo is heavily invested in conservation, education and animal research, and is the proud sponsor of the largest wildlife hospital in the world. I firmly believe in their mission to protect wildlife, and was so thrilled that I had the chance to actually visit!
Be warned: this place is massive, and can get incredibly busy. I spent an entire day here, and I still didn’t see everything. You need to pick and choose what is most important to you, but for me, my favorite animals were the crocodiles, tigers, elephants, and koalas--as well as the feeding of the crocs at the Crocoseum. I’d also highly recommend trying to time your visit during the off-season, or at least a slower weekday.
City Life
There are so many wonderful, non-touristy things to see in Brisbane; our first night there, we stumbled across a fabulous night market boasting all sorts of wonderful handmade art, and another, we found giant games set up in one of the city squares. With so many amazing museums to visit and countless mouth-watering restaurants to dine at, you couldn’t possibly be bored.
With so many wonderful things to do here, it was hard to narrow down my list. That being said, these are some of my favorite places in Brisbane, each of which led to a wonderful and unique experience. Good adventures with good friends, old and new: what more could anyone ask for? Like this post? Why not share it?
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Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
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