Monthly Archives: June 2019

Vibrant Setting on the Brisbane River.

30 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Eagle Street Pier/Riverside, Brisbane.

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After arriving and exploring Southbank Parklands we then took the city catamaran across the Brisbane River to Eagle Street Pier/Riverside which is only a few minutes ride.

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Eagle Street Pier is an iconic waterfront precinct with world-class dining venues and unrivaled views of the Brisbane River and the Story Bridge. It is firmly established as one of Brisbane’s favourite food and entertainment destinations with a marvelous variety of eateries. Eagle Street Pier also is the perfect place to meet for drinks or cocktails and is also an ideal place to head for lunch or dinner, thanks to the many cafes and espresso bars

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I have been going to Riverside/Eagle Street Pier for many years and although there are dozens of wonderful places to dine I have chosen George’s Seafood the most. It is a lovely restaurant with fabulous views of the River and the Story bridge, that I am always proud to take my international visitors to

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On the edge of the city center, Eagle Street Pier is a great place to be day or night. During the day you can sit and enjoy the river and people watching and by night the lights from the buildings and the Story Bridge are dazzling.

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One of the best Information Centres is at Eagle Street Pier, where the staff are more than helpful and you can get free brochures, timetables and other information. From here you can choose your direction of travel either upstream or downstream from here, with City Cats arriving/departing every 15 minutes carrying commuters and tourists from around the world by day and night. Riverside centre is also the place to see the famous ‘Kookaburra Queen’ paddle steamers which offer morning tea, lunch and dinner cruises. This is another wonderful experience that I have shared many times with my overseas visitors.

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This vibrant exciting precinct is a fantastic place to visit at any time of the day or night.

 

 

Beach Paradise in the City – Southbank Parklands.

19 Wednesday Jun 2019

Posted by in Southbank Parklands, Brisbane, Qld

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On this beautiful sunny winters day I took the bus from my home in to Southbank Parklands. It is easy enough for me to drive and only takes about 20 minutes but arriving by bus is so stress free for me. I can enjoy a glass of wine with my lunch and not worry about driving. Southbank is easy to get to regardless of your mode of transport. There is always lots of parking if you choose to drive or if you take public transport there is the choice of arriving by train, bus, and ferry or city cat.

South Bank Parklands is Brisbane’s premier lifestyle and cultural destination. Located on the southern banks of the Brisbane River, its 17 hectares of lush parklands, offers world-class eateries, stunning river views and hundreds of delightful events all year

Southbank Parklands is one of my favourite places to take my visitors to explore, swim, dine, and stroll along the river front with Brisbane cityscape backdrops. We go on the Wheel of Brisbane to get an overview of the River, Parklands and Brisbane City

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South Bank is a wonderful public space that was developed after World Expo 88, a place well loved by locals and visitors alike which symbolises the Queensland life style. This relaxing oasis in the middle of the city offers a wonderful man-made beach with crystal clean water and shady park lands that meander through entertainment hubs, restaurants and pubs. Here you will find plenty of picnic and bbq areas, eateries and toilets. South Bank is accessible by two bridges.

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You can walk across the pedestrian bridge from the Botanical Gardens to South Bank or you can walk across the Victoria Bridge. There is also a free city ferry, the city hopper, that will take you from Queen Street or Eagle Street Pier to South Bank. Also, from Southbank, QPAC, is easily accessed. QPAC, Queensland Performing Arts Centre is one of Australia’s leading centres for live performance, including ballet, musicals, stage shows, and opera. We often enjoy dinner or lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area before attending a show at QPAC.

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City Hopper – free ferry

Apart from the stunning views of the city and the river this venue offers something for everyone, swimming at the beach, bike and scooter riding, many restaurants, a gorgeous bougainvillea covered archway, market gardens that are tended by volunteers or just strolling around taking it all in. It is a wonderful place to just sit and people watch.

There are many fabulous ways to spend a day out in Brisbane; Southbank is on the top of my fabulous list. It is a fun, easy and inexpensive way to spend a day in Brisbane.

Natural Botanical Gardens off the Beaten track

09 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Tamborine Botanical Gardens, Mt Tamborine, Queensland.

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Just a short drive through the hinterland heading west from the Gold Coast or about an hour south of Brisbane, you will find the area of Mt Tamborine. Here in this very pretty location is the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens.  The gardens are 11 hectares in size encompassing a wide variety of roses, magnolias, bromeliads, orchids, camellias, many varieties of Aussie natives and so much more. The gardens include a glorious lake as the centrepiece, a tranquil Japanese garden and a tropical rain forest.

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There are many easy walks which along with the vast gardens are maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers. Volunteers have been working on these gardens for over 30 years and have done a fantastic job.  It seems, wherever I go now days, in Australia or internationally I run into volunteers who are always committed to their chosen areas.

Just walking around these charming gardens is so peaceful. There are picnic tables and bbq areas with shelter if it rains and seats that over look the central lake. There are clean toilets close by to the picnic areas.  The gardens, which offer free entry, are well signaged plus there are maps available to aid in getting around. The atmosphere is amazing and the natural plants combined with Rain Forests areas are unique

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They are not big botanic gardens but they have a very nice feel with enough short themed tracks to give a good sample of the beautiful greenery in the area. We loved venturing though the Sooty Owl walk. The rain-forest board walks and rocky bridge are something different and unique to any other botanic gardens I have been to.

They are beautifully laid out gardens with many plants indigenous to the area. We found it to be easy walking around the lake which has a sculpture of a big dragonfly in the middle.

These delightful botanical gardens are a must-see for anyone who is in the area. We were happy to put a little donation in one of several donation boxes.  It was an enjoyable morning exploring the gardens which are maintained by volunteers.