Gallery is a standout for a Brisbane whistlestop, writes David Skipwith.
Brisbane has a definite laidback charm but old perceptions of it being a country town are well wide of the mark.
There's certainly more to Australia's third-largest city than its amazing subtropical climate. The Queensland capital boasts an impressivearray of sophisticated food, accommodation and shopping and a growing list of arts and cultural activities to go with the region's natural attractions.
Arriving mid-morning on an Air New Zealand flight, my hit-and-run visit begins with a short train ride from the airport that lands me smack in the middle of the city and close to my impressive four-star digs at Oaks Festival Towers.
I spend the afternoon getting my bearings, browsing the shops and big department stores in Queen St Mall, with my wallet taking a couple of significant hits in both Myer and Uniqlo.
I stop for a bite to eat and cold drink, before wandering across the Victoria Bridge over the Brisbane River to the South Bank precinct.
The Queensland Art Gallery is well worth a visit — there's no admission charge although some exhibitions and special events may have an entry fee. The building itself impresses with its beautiful minimal design and you don't need to be an art buff to get plenty out of its permanent and regularly changing exhibitions. QAG has a commitment to presenting major exhibitions from contemporary indigenous Australian artists — the latest is Tony Albert: Visible, which opens on June 2.
Adjacent to the gallery is the South Bank Parklands — the transformed site that hosted the World Expo 88 (remember the New Zealand pavilion?) — home to various rainforest, grassed and swimming areas.
Streets Beach is another must — Australia's only inner-city, manmade beach, consisting of a lagoon surrounded by white sand and subtropical plants. It's free to use, is patrolled by lifeguards and provides welcome relief on hot days.
My evening is spent enjoying a few craft beers at The Gresham Bar in the city — although they also stock plenty of high-calibre rum, whiskey and Australian wine — before remembering to grab a late casual dinner at Italian restaurant Milano, near the top of the Queen St Mall.
After getting the gist of what the inner-city offers, the following day I head offshore on a trip to North Stradbroke Island with Queensland Day Tours.
North Stradbroke is a beach and nature lover's dream, situated 30km southeast of Brisbane within Moreton Bay and just a 45-minute ferry ride away.
The Australian Galleries at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Photo / Joe Ruckli, QAGOMA
My tour guide, Shane, a typical knockabout Aussie, picks me up near my hotel, along with a group of Barmy Army England cricket fans.
"Straddie" — the second largest sand island in the world (40km long) — is surrounded by beautiful beaches, rugged coastline and crystal-clear waters, and boasts an abundance of Australian wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, dolphins, sea turtles and manta rays. There are no resorts on North Stradbroke, unlike the more developed Fraser and Moreton islands nearby but you can stay in a couple of hotels or camp grounds, which are run by the local Quandamooka Aboriginal people.
We start with a swim in the tea-tree infused waters at Brown Lake, before finding koalas lounging and snacking in the forks of eucalyptus trees.
A bistro lunch at the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel is included in the tour and after wolfing down my calamari we wander down to the stunning Cylinder Beach for a swim in the surf.
I could have spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the water and lying on the beach, but our tour concludes with a coastal walk around the rugged North Gorge headland that takes in some spectacular scenery, before catching the ferry back to the mainland.
FACT BOX
GETTING THERE Qantas flies from Auckland to Brisbane, with return Economy Class fares from $555.
