Brisbane (“Brizzy”) — subtropical, river-coiled, low-key. Australia’s third city, now hosting 2032 Olympics. The real value here is as the base for the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, K’gari, and the rainforest hinterland.
Best time: April–October. Mild, dry. Summer is sticky.
Don’t miss: Noosa National Park coastal walk (koalas + dolphins), surf at Burleigh Heads, dingoes + perched lakes on K’gari (4WD), Lamington rainforest, GoMA (free).
In Brisbane
- South Bank — Streets Beach (free public lagoon), GoMA, QPAC, Peace Pagoda
- GoMA — best contemporary gallery in Australia outside MONA. Free
- Mount Coot-tha — sunset lookout
- Story Bridge — climb it
- Howard Smith Wharves — riverside food/drink, Felons Brewing
- Fortitude Valley — bars, music, James St upmarket
- CityCat ferries — fast catamarans, best way to see the city
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — cuddle a koala (legal in QLD only)
Eat
- Agnes — wood-fire, modern Aussie. Probably the best in town
- sk steak & oyster — fancy steakhouse, CBD
- Honto — modern Japanese
- Greca — Greek, Howard Smith Wharves
- Naïm — Middle Eastern, West End
- Eat Street Northshore — shipping-container street food, Fri–Sun nights
Gold Coast
Gold Coast — 1hr south. Beaches, surf, high-rises, theme parks. Polarising.
- Surfers Paradise — the strip
- Burleigh Heads — the favourite. Point break, good food. Hellenika, Rick Shores
- Coolangatta / Snapper Rocks — world-class surf
- Theme parks: Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World
Hinterland
- Lamington NP — UNESCO Gondwana Rainforest. O’Reilly’s, Binna Burra
- Springbrook NP — Natural Bridge glow-worm cave at night
Noosa & Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast — 1.5hr north. Prettier and quieter than Gold Coast.
- Noosa Heads — Hastings St, Noosa National Park coastal walk (koalas, dolphins)
- Glass House Mountains — volcanic plugs
- Eumundi Markets — Wed & Sat
- Australia Zoo — Steve Irwin’s zoo
- Eat: Wasabi, Sum Yung Guys, Locale
K’gari (Fraser Island)
K’gari — UNESCO. The world’s largest sand island (123 km). Rainforest growing on sand, perched lakes, dingoes, 75 Mile Beach (planes land on it). 4WD only — sand driving. Ferry from Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay. 3–4 days. Whales off Hervey Bay Jul–Nov.
Day & weekend trips
- Gold Coast (1hr south), Noosa (1.5hr north), Lamington (1.5hr south), Stradbroke Island (ferry from Cleveland), Moreton Island (sandboarding, shipwreck snorkel)
In a bigger trip
The natural stop on a Sydney → Cairns drive:
- Sydney → Brisbane: 11hr / 925 km. Break at Byron Bay
- Brisbane → Cairns: ~22hr / 1,700 km. 2–3 weeks for the whole east coast
Where next
- Sydney south, Cairns north (fly or 2 weeks driving)
- Itineraries