Brisbane is in the middle of the east coast and the third-largest city in Australia. It is locally known as Bris Vegas and is fast becoming one of the most desirable places to live. There is a cosmopolitan atmosphere, a great street café scene, beautiful riverside parks, a busy cultural calendar, an active nightlife and a fantastic climate. Brisbane has dozen of theatres, cinemas, concert halls, galleries and museums and it’s called as the arts capital of Queensland. Some of the state’s major tourist destinations like the Gold and Sunshine Coast and the islands of Moreton Bay are nearby the city. Over five million visitors are in Brisbane each year.

The most major sights are in the inner city or within a walking distance of it. There are the “City Botanic Gardens”, a pleasant respite from the busy city and a firm favourite of lunching office workers. An unusual artificial swimming beach designed to resemble a tropical lagoon is the “Pauls Breaka Beach” in Parklands, South Bank. The “Maritime Museum” is at the western end of the South Bank promenade and as well in South Bank the “Naval Stores” has some displays on the history of Brisbane’s naval defences, the Brisbane River and Kangaroo Point. Within the “Brisbane Botanic Gardens” is the “Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium”, the largest planetarium in Australia. The “Brisbane Forest Park” is a 28,500-hectare bushland reserve in the D’Aguilar Range around 10 km from the city and has a hugely popular recreation area for city dwellers. South of the city is the “Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary”, which is the largest of its kind in the world. Popular Festivals in Brisbane are the “Brisbane Festival of Music” and the “International Film Festival”, both in July.

There are plenty of Hostels in Brisbane. Recommended are the “Tinbilly” with A$ 20 per night and dorm and you can sleep for A$ 17-21 in the “Brisbane City Backpackers”, which has a job centre, pool, bar and terrace with views of the Brisbane River, a lift and wheelchair-accessible rooms.