DO take advantage of the free Streets Beach
Brisbane isn’t too close from the coast but it also has a great man made beach right in the middle of the city! Southbank boasts great restaurants, bars, markets on the weekend and a fab beach, swimming pool and lagoon.
DON’T forget the sunscreen
Once you’ve been sunburnt once in Australia you won’t make that mistake again, the ozone layer apparently has a hole in it above Australia meaning it is so much easier to get burnt.
DO go whale watching
Whale watching season is between June and November on the East Coast of Australia, we took a whale watching tour from Redcliffe which is about 40 minutes drive from the city and it was amazing.
DON’T forget your camera
Whale watching is a once in a lifetime opportunity and although you don’t want to live the moment through your phone, definitely make sure you take some snaps.
DO go to chinatown and get some great Asian food
Brisbane’s chinatown is located in Fortitude Valley and has some fab restaurants, my favourite being Wayaga, a great Japanese restaurant.
DON’T pay over the odds
There are some great cheap Asian eats in chinatown and the city, don’t pay over the odds when you could get something way more delicious for cheaper.
DO get out of the city
Brisbane is perfectly situated right in the middle of the Gold coast and Sunshine coast so make sure you do get out of the city once in awhile and explore the coasts and the hinterland.
DON’T get sucked into city life
You may be stuck for choice on what to do this weekend, visit the markets in southbank, go and see live music in the city or comedy at the Powerhouse it’s good to save some money and get back to nature in the hinterland.
DO visit some of the amazing bars
Brisbane has some great bars, let me tell you. Fortitude Valley is the party scene in Brisbane, it has everything from grungy bars to very sophisticated speakeasies.
DON’T forget your ID
Australia on a whole is very strict with ID, in Queensland every licensed premise has to check identifications and now every premise which is open after midnight has to install an ID scanner.
DO explore the suburbs
Brisbane CBD is great, so is southbank but some of the outer suburbs have lots to offer too, the West End is only a 15 minute walk from Southbank and has a great brewery, Brisbane Brewing Co. Hamilton has a fab food and drink event every weekend, friday 4pm – 10pm and Sunday 11am – 7pm, called Eat Street.
DON’T sleep in
Make the most of your days off by getting up early and exploring the suburbs, the New Farm farmer’s market is 6am – 12pm every saturday. A great sunrise can be caught from Mount Coot-tha lookout which is located in Toowong.