Brisbane and surrounds

Brisbane, Gold Coast, Lamington, Moreton Island, Sunshine Coast

Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and is located on either side of the Brisbane River about 10 miles inland from the coast.  It’s a very cosmopolitan city with gleaming skyscrapers and shopping and restaurants and the best known koala sanctuary in the world.  It is also the jumping off point for the Gold Coast, which is a very long stretch of white sand surfing beach backed by high rise condominium buildings and upscale hotels located just to the south of Brisbane.  Just north of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast which are dispersed beaches and small towns with 4 story building limits, and this is also where Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo is located.  To the southwest of Brisbane is Lamington National Park, great for birders and rainforest walks, and to the northwest you’ll find the Glasshouse Mountains which like Lamington are great for birding and nature walks.

There are also two notable islands in the region; Moreton and Fraser.  Moreton Island is known for the practically tame bottlenose dolphins that come right into the beach at Tangalooma Island Resort to feed at night, and guests of the resort are allowed to feed them once during their stay.  World Heritage listed Fraser Island, which can be accessed as a day trip from Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, is the world’s largest sand island and also home to around 200 or so dingos.  Getting there is half the fun as you drive most of the way on the sand of Rainbow Beach in a 4WD “Warrior” bus.