Brisbane the city of sunshine - mini guide and must-see stops

Brisbane, a mini guide to the city of sunshine. But Brissie is also the red city. This was the first colour I saw as soon as I landed, and red was the colour that accompanied me throughout my trip to this city.

Although I have lived in Australia for over three years, I had never seen Brisbane. I had been to Queensland before, but had only visited north Queensland with the incredible beauty of Cairns and the reef.

It is challenging to visit Australia, because the distances are enormous and it takes time, money and above all a great desire to discover. To get to Brisbane from Perth takes about 5 hours of flight time, like saying from Italy to Dubai. This is Australia.

Brisbane in my imagination was bustling, it was skyscrapers and busy coastlines. But what attracted me most of all was its logo 'Brisbane the City of Sunshine' and for me that alone was reason enough to visit.

Mini guide to Brisbane - red city

Red is Poinciana.

A wonderful, beautiful and incredible plant that is the emblem of Brisbane. You see it in the parks, along the streets and it is striking in its bright, brilliant, almost phosphorescent red colour. I was enchanted by this tree that is so elegant and mighty at the same time.

Its branches are strong and smooth. They create a perfect umbrella shape that seems to double in sunlight. The bright red flowers gradually replace the emerald green leaves until they adorn the tree completely, almost like a large Christmas tree. Then, as they bloom, the flowers take on a fluorescent orange hue, landing in the meadows, colouring them like confetti. And eventually they leave long brown pods on the tree.

Poinciana, or technically called Delonix Regia, is not an Australian native plant, but is native to Madagascar. It was introduced in the late 19th century to several tropical countries, and today is particularly widespread in the Canary Islands and Quennsland.

Apart from the 'botanical' parenthesis, wandering around Brisbane one encounters so many Poincianas and each one positioned to 'shade' the parked car!

Brisbane is not only the red of the Poinciana but also the red of the traffic lights.

We landed at five in the morning, picked up the rental car and drove to our studio they had rented through AirBnb and which was 12 kilometres from the airport. I thought, 'ten minutes and we're there'. We were going to encounter three hundred traffic lights. One every ten metres. One longer than the other. And one more crowded than the other. Unbelievable, when we arrived at the studio we were exhausted. We, who are used to travelling in Perth, where in three hundred kilometres we find neither cars nor crossroads, let alone 'traffic lights'.

Other than Brisbane the city of sunshine all year round, I would say traffic lights all day!

I'm not the only one to have noticed this, even the city itself has realised this, so much so that, to brighten up the view of the traffic lights (they haven't come up with any ideas yet), they have decided to colour the traffic lights. So as you walk down the streets you come across the coloured traffic lights, each with different images, stories and tales.

It's a nice idea, but after seeing them two or three times, and when you're late for work or an appointment, it's not so 'cheerful' anymore.

Brisbane the sunshine city: a constant 'up and down'

Another thing that struck me about Brisbane is that the city is not flat, but is a constant up and down, up and down through narrow streets, curves, crazy inclines, sudden turns. Driving in Brisbane is a lot of fun. Most of the roads are two-lane, but never stand in the one on the left, because it's also a parking zone!

We learnt this along the way: everyone in the second lane, the first was free. So we thought, why not, let's take it and pass everybody. I looked at the passengers in the cars we were passing smiling smugly, almost giggling until we found a little canary yellow 500 standing there in the middle of the lane and to pass it we had to wait the whole row of cars, looking at those same faces as before, but I wasn't smiling anymore!

The slopes in Brisbane are something absurd. Houses that have ramps for access that resemble those used to launch space rockets.

Along the Sunshine Coast we laughed to see a road going over the highway that was so steep that we expected a skier ready to take off at any moment, but instead a car passed by and slowly, almost clinging, drove across the bridge.

It is not only Brisbane city that is a constant up and down, but also the inland area. I really didn't imagine Brisbane to be so undulating. And it was a pleasant surprise.

Where to stay

Welcome to Queensland, the tropical paradise of Australia! Known for its golden beaches, lush rainforests, and vibrant cities, Queensland offers a myriad of experiences that cater to every traveler's taste. When planning your adventure in this breathtaking region, finding the perfect place to stay is essential. Here are some of the top accommodation options to make your Queensland journey unforgettable:

Experience the warm hospitality of Brisbane Guest Houses, where you can immerse yourself in the local culture and enjoy a cozy and comfortable stay. These guest houses are scattered throughout the city, making it easy to explore Brisbane's vibrant neighborhoods.

Brisbane Mini Guide - the city of sunshine and golden hills

The hills just a few kilometres inland from Brisbane are gentle, overhanging, almost embracing. It is summer and the colours are the colour of the sun, yellow, yellow ochre, now orange. These are colours that in Italy remind me of autumn, but here they are the colours of the heat of summer that is just around the corner.

The hills hide forests of eucalyptus, acacia and malaleuca. There are immense grasslands with horses running free and cows grazing freely. Images that stuck with me, giving me a sense of peace and tranquillity. A different Brisbane, far from the hustle and bustle, with quiet colours and small towns that looked more like Texas than the Australia I know.

In Brisbane'shinterland we discovered quaint little towns, with shops selling equine items and accessories. Small bakeries with freshly baked 'scoons'. And avenues with typical Queensland houses, those with terraces that look like they're made of lace and long wooden staircases leading up to the entrance.

The Inland is definitely one of my favourite parts of Brisbane. An Inland waiting to be discovered, wandering randomly through the streets, turning towards a small church made of wood or a boulevard shaded by tall dark green pines.

Brisbane Itinerary - A Mini Guide to the City of Sunshine

There are so many things to do and see in Brisbane, but above all, it's a city to be experienced at all hours of the day.

What impressed me most about Brisbane?

Apart from my favourite bright red plants and the thousands of traffic lights, I was struck by the cleanliness and the fact that so many services are free. Free parking in the city centre, after 5pm and on Saturdays and Sundays. Free buses running around the city. And free boat rides across the river. Free public swimming pools. Free the magnificent park that colours the heart of the city with green. One day is enough to visit it, you just need good trainers and plenty of cards to take pictures.

Don't forget to experience it at night too, amidst the lights and music, it is fun to wander around the streets of this red and sunny city.

My Brisbane walking and boating itinerary - mini city guide

The must-see stops - Brisbane mini city guide:

The Tourist Information Bureau

An essential stop, not only to collect lots of maps and guidebooks (which I love to do, half my suitcase is dedicated to them), but also because it's located in an old theatre, with wonderfully preserved interiors.

Queen street, the main street

This is Queen Street, partly pedestrianised. It is here that you can find shops for all tastes, a large shopping centre and one of the most beautiful walls I have ever seen. A wall created with metal butterflies, whose wings are small windows. Colourful and three-dimensional to look alive. Of course, there is no shortage of bars and restaurants, and for eating you are spoilt for choice.

Kurilpa Bridge

A few metres from the Victoria Bridge, used by both vehicles and pedestrians, there is a new, modern, pedestrian-only bridge, the Kurilpa Bridge. It is the world's largest 'tensegrity' hybrid bridge, i.e. a bridge that is self-supporting thanks to the tension created by the cables and posts. Architecturally, it is fantastic, beautiful. It looks like a large sailing ship hugging both sides of the river.

Just at the southern end of the bridge is another great piece of architecture, the Goma (Gallery of Modern Art).

South Bank

The beating heart of Brisbane. This is where you'll find anything and everything. From the half-moon shaped public swimming pool to ethnic restaurants and bars, rainforest trails and even a piece of Nepal, with a large wooden Pagoda. The walk along the South Bank is shrouded in the fuchsia pink of the flowers of the thousands of bounganvilles that adorn it, interrupted occasionally by emerald green parks.

Kangaroo Point

Don't expect kangaroos! Continuing east from the South Bank you arrive at Kangaroo Point. A long, shady walkway passes a rocky cliff where you can go rock-climbing (free of charge, of course) and where there are old white wooden jetties with irresistible charm.

This is one of the most beautiful spots to photograph Brisbane, especially with the lights of night.

Story Bridge

A fantastic steel bridge, it's over 700 metres long, but it's more than a kilometre and a half to walk it all. This World Heritage-listed bridge is one of only 3 bridges in the world that can be climbed.

I would have liked to climb it, to experience the thrill of seeing the city in 360 degrees, to see the tiny little cars pass under my feet, but apart from the price (about 159 aud per person), my legs went 'giacomino giacomino' at the mere sight of the staircase from below and I didn't feel like it. Frank didn't even think about it for a second.

However, just walking down it, believe me, is a unique experience. Your legs are shaking from the passing traffic, the steel pylons are singing, and the view is spectacular.

New Farm River Walk

Just off the impressive Story Bridge there is an enchanting walk waiting for us, this time at the water's edge. The New Farm River Walk makes you feel like God, you walk on water but you don't get wet. On one side the river and the Kangaroo Point district, on the other the extraordinary villas covered in the red of the Poincianas and the blue of the Jacarandas of the New Farm district. Right in New Farm there is a huge garden park, with a thousand colours of roses, jacarandas and poincianas and where every Sunday there is some musical event, as well as

the inevitable bbq.

Eagle Street Pier and city walk

Another worldly stop in Brisbane. Day and night, music accompanies the walk. Restaurants, upmarket shops and skyscrapers that compete with the sky for the bluest. A pleasant walk, less for the pocket (restaurants here are really expensive), leads directly to the City Botanic Garden.

City Botanic Garden

As a friend of mine (Lorenzo of @guirritour) pointed out, you haven't been to Australia if you haven't seen a Botanic Garden. In every city in Australia, even in the middle of nowhere or the red bush, you can be sure there is a Botanic Garden. And this Garden is truly a green fairytale. Between avenues of Fig Trees (trees that look like ghosts) and huge Bamboos, bright green lawns and tall palms, here you can spend a quiet afternoon reading a good book (as most brissi do) or just lying in the carpet-like grass.

Mt Coot-tha

Mt Coot-tha is the highest vantage point from which to see the city skyline. You cannot reach it on foot from the centre, but you can take one of the free buses (there are three, No. 471, No. 480 and No. 599) that go to the top or use your own car. When you get to the top, you will find a restaurant with a small souvenir shop and a beautiful garden leading onto a large terrace from which you can see the city from above. It is ideal to get there after 6pm or after sunset to see the lights of the city.

City Hopper Tour

One of the best things to do in Brisbane. Hop on one of the City Hoppers (the red ones, to be clear), let the waters of the river lull you and catch your breath, cooled by the breeze, all without paying a penny.

To experience the river there are many solutions, from City Cat to Translik, via luxury ferries with music and a restaurant. But only the City Hopper is free and makes 8 stops along the river.

I enclose a map of the City Hopper stops:

Mini Guide to Getting Around Brisbane

There are three choices in Brisbane:

1) get around by ferry, see the paragraph above;

2) use 'electric scooters'. You can find them everywhere in the city. Often they're near bike share points, other times you see them stationary, alone and lonely in the middle of the pavement. All perfect, green or orange depending on the company, all with coloured helmets and ready to be used.

How do you do it? Simple, you download the Lime (green scooters) or Neuron (orange scooters) app and pay according to use: $1 to unlock it and $0.38 cents per minute of use.

3) bicycle, the City cicle. In this case you have to sign up for 2$ and you get to use the bicycle for free for the first half hour, then 2$ from half an hour to an hour, and 5$ for each additional half hour.

4) Buses. There are free buses to get around the city. The free bus that goes to Mt Coot-tha (a great place to see Brisbane from above) and the City centre free loops (i.e. the nr 30-40 and 50) with which you can get around the city for free (see official link)

Avoid the car, both for the crazy weekday traffic (Saturday and Sunday are perfect days to visit) and the millions of traffic lights!

Brisbane is a dynamic and vibrant city.

As soon as you land you feel life all over you: people coming and going, background music, kids with backpacks ready to rock the world. It's a city where you feel like 'doing', walking, exploring, going to the beach or cycling.

It's quite different from my Perth, much more peaceful and quiet. There you feel the peace, in Brisbane you feel the energy.

Which do I prefer between Perth and Brisbane?

I don't know, I'm thinking about it. I really love the peace of Perth, the sense of freedom that takes over me every time I look at its endless straight streets. I love the lack of traffic and crowds. But at the same time I sometimes miss 'not hearing' noises.

And in Brisbane I have heard a thousand noises. From the noise of cars piled up at traffic lights, to the noise of people sitting in bars and the music of a few New Farm clubs. Those noises that can sometimes bore you, but at other times make you feel alive.

But what I liked most about Brisbane is that it has all the colours of the rainbow: the blue of the sky, the purple of the lights at sunset, the yellow of the sun reflecting off the buildings, the green of the city parks. And indigo, the colour of its river when the rain falls.

This is the image I have of Brissie, an image I hope you will also see on your trip to Australia.

What to see near Brisbane?

Brisbane is not only the city of sunshine, but also a starting point for beautiful and amazing destinations, which can be reached in a day trip. If you arrive in Brisbane, when planning your mini city guide, broaden your scope to include Brissi Inland, because it has so much to offer, even more than the city centre.

From the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast, via Rainbow Beach. And there are natural wonders surrounded by greenery, such as D'Aguilar National Park or the GlassHhouse Mountains.