Brisbane

What's it really like?

Time Difference: GMT = 10 hours

Location:

Queensland is regarded as Australia's holiday 'centre' and its capital, Brisbane is as laid-back as a koala bear in the shade!.

Set astride the famously brown Brisbane River, the city has become merely a dormitory for visitors heading out to see the sights and not many have the time to explore its leafy avenues.

Street cafes and bars have inspired a new sophisticated attitude to drinking and eating-out beneath the glass skyscrapers - a far cry from the old stereo-type of boozy Aussie men in smoke-filled pubs.

Accommodation is available to suit every budget and one popular way to stay is in one of the many guest houses dotted around the outskirts if the city.

Tourists are advised to steer clear the Fortitude Valley area at night which becomes a rather unsafe red-light district by night.

Days out:

Queensland's jewel in the crown is the Great Barrier Reef. This breathtaking natural phenomenon stretches for more than twelve hundred miles and is home to the world's most dazzling sealife. Diving or snorkelling equipment is provided on organised excursions or you can view the marine life from a glass bottom boat.

For more underwater wildlife take a catamaran ride to the dolphin resort on Moreton Island just off the coast of Brisbane. The beautiful and gentle bottlenose creatures swim up to the shore to be fed every day and it's a unique opportunity to see them close-up.

Boat trips down the Brisbane river are popular with stop-offs along the way.

Whitewater rafting on Tully River is worth a day of anyone's holiday for the most exhilerating experience on the water.

Australia Zoo is home to crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin in addition to a collection of the country's most dangerous reptiles and animals.

Explore the famous treetop walk in Australia's largest rainforest which is home to hundreds of tropical birds.

On the outskirts of Brisbane are several theme parks including:

• Dreamworld with its 'Giant Drop' and 'Thunder River Rapids'

• Warner Brothers Movie World takes you behind the scenes with attractions based on popular films

• Seaworld is the place to see the performing dolphins and seals

• Wet 'n' Wild boasts the best 'wet knuckles rides in Australia

For shoppers there are several malls of a similar scale to those in most UK/USA cities.

Other Attractions;

• Ayers Rock (Ulura) is the world's most famous natural monolith and of great spiritual significance for Aboriginal people. As a consequence tourists are asked not to climb the rock although many still do!

  The sacred site is Australia's biggest attraction and provides glimpses of the native Australian's past through cave paintings.

  A small town has sprung up in the surrounding outback to provide accommodation for visitors and essential supplies for travellers.

• The longest stretch of straight railway track in the world crosses the Nullarbor Plain. From Nurina in Western Australia to near Watson in South Australia, the track is dead straight for 478 kilometres.

Beaches:

Note: Drownings are all too common on Australia's beaches and bathers are advised to stay close to lifeguard zones and only swim within the flagged areas

Brisbane has a man-made beach of its own but the further out the tropical shores of Queensland offer miles of unspoilt beauty for those wanting to escape the crowds of family-friendly beaches of the coastal resorts.

Note: Between November and April it is dangerous to swim in the sea off Queensland because the warm waters attract the stinging, box jellyfish. The bigger resorts offer protected areas which are patrolled and netted-off.

Nights out:

An unexciting variety of clubs and bars complimented by a good selection of restaurants with a leaning towards Indian and Thai food.

Children:

When the younger ones become tired of travelling they'll enjoy the theme parks on the outskirts of town.

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