Brisbane could probably take the tagline of ‘The Surprisingly Nice City’. We hadn’t expected much – but it surpassed, nicely. Lots of – yes, nice – things – free ferries taking you on the scenic loop up and down the riverside; an enviable boardwalk on the north side right atop the river which seemed to stretch the whole length of the meanders, with a variety of skyscrapers, ‘old’ buildings (well, late 1800s customs houses, etc), parks and sculpture areas. A giant lizard was worryingly unafraid of us, just meters from a stack of business buildings.
Even lovlier was the South Bank – kilometers of delightfully varied facilities – a tropical rainforest area; an edible garden where surplus herbs and vegetables are given free to all; a blissful white sandy beach and perfect swimming area – all sprinkled with random sculptures, art, and – of course – barbecue areas.
Someone, somewhere, wanted people to like Brisbane, and invested accordingly. And we did. Gay bars and all!
