HOW I SPENT 6 WONDERFUL DAYS IN BRISBANE
For those who are followers of my blog's Facebook page (if you're not then I'd love you to pop over and hit the "Like" button to get my updates) you'd know that I've just returned from a fabulous week's visit to Brisbane in Queensland (Australia). We live in Western Australia and I'd never been over to the North East coast before, so we threw caution (and a bit of money) to the wind and booked some tickets and an air bnb and flew on over.
The flight was 4½ hours (plus a two hour drive to the airport from where we live) - and then a 15 minute taxi ride brought us to a lovely little place that I booked through air bnb. It was right on the river in Kangaroo Point and when we walked in and saw the view from the sitting room window, we knew we'd chosen well. An added bonus was that we were only 15 minutes from the heart of the city using the free City Hopper ferries.
DAY 1
The icing on the cake of visiting Brisbane is that it's home to some lovely bloggers who I've become good friends with online but have never had the opportunity of meeting IRL. The most important one was, of course, Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond, and as soon as I let her know our plans, she was organizing a lunch date and then a second date to catch up with the other girls later in the week. So Day 1 lunch was with Sue and we talked for 4 solid hours! It's amazing how we instantly felt like old friends and how much we had in common to chat about!
 |
| Meeting Sue - with the view from our air bnb behind us - perfect! |
When I finally got back to my husband we ferried off to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at South Bank - and what a wonderful spot it is! So much to see and do with walkways through gardens, a huge free-to-the-public swimming area, great places to eat, and an evening markets to browse through before we headed home.
 |
| South Bank Brisbane - water, food, markets, and much more |
DAY 2
Saturday, time to be tourists - so we headed off on a day tour to the Eumundi Markets - over 600 market stalls full of handcrafted items, food, clothes, shoes, jewelry and so much more. We browsed for a couple of hours, ate lunch and then visited a lovely little European styled town called Montville in the Hinterland. Then it was off to Mary Cairncross Reserve to check out the rainforest and to view some of the highland areas - so much beautiful scenery before heading back home.
 |
| Eumundie Markets, Montville and Mary Cairncross Reserve + we passed the Big Pineapple! |
DAY 3
Sunday, and day touring again - this time we headed off to Springbrook National Park, then to Mount Tambourine and the Cedar Creek Glow Worm caves - with a lovely winery lunch to top it off. Then to walk off a few calories we were taken to Curtis Falls with a rainforest walk followed by a stroll through a little town called Gallery Walk. I managed to get my shopping vibe on and bought a lovely dress and a sparkly pair of sandals from a little boutique I couldn't walk past - a very rewarding day indeed!
 |
| Curtis Falls and Mt Tambourine |
DAYS 4 AND 5
After all the walking we did over the weekend (15,000 steps each day according to my trusty Fitbit), we decided to take it a little bit easier and check out what the city of Brisbane had to offer. We ferried across on Day 4 and checked out the Botanical Gardens and the City Centre's Queen Street Mall. Then on Day 5 we hired bikes - they were cheap and fun to ride along the relatively flat riverside to the QUT and then to South Bank for lunch. We finished both days with a quiet dinner at Dockside and home for some much needed rest.
 |
| Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Queen Street Mall, bike hire, QUT, and South Bank for lunch |
DAY 6
The last full day of our Brisbane adventure and time for a lunch catch up with some of the lovely Queensland bloggers I've become friends with. Sue from Sizzling Towards 60, Jo from And Anyways, Min from Write of the Middle, and Deb from Debbish - what a fabulous group of women and the time just flew by as we sat in a lovely restaurant on the Brisbane River and enjoyed good company and good food.
Meanwhile Ross took a hike to the Maritime Museum and checked out what else was along that side of the river further down South Bank. All in all, a lovely day for both of us.
 |
| Catching up with the Qld Bloggers, checking out the Maritime Museum and riding the City Hopper Ferry. |
Around lunchtime on Day 7 we headed off to the airport and back to sunny Perth, then home to our cat (who was very happy to see us again). A wonderful week of sight seeing, city exploring, eating, socializing, and generally enjoying all that Brisbane and its surroundings had to offer - we'll definitely be back one day!
To keep up to date with my posts, feel free to add your email into the spot especially for it on my sidebar and I'd love you to share this post by clicking on a share button before you go xx
What a wonderful trip you had, Leanne! To meet Sue, Deb, Min, and Jo must be so much fun. Thanks for sharing your photos. May I ask what you use to create the collage of photos? #lifethisweek
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie - I'm a really basic girl and I did the collages in Paint - just pasted them in and moved them around to fit. I know you can also do them in a lot of more expensive programs or even in Word, but Paint did the job for what I needed :)
DeleteThank you, Leanne. I'll look into Paint. I tried the free version of Fotor which has a lot of ads so I recently tried the free version of Canva. I wouldn't pay for expensive programs for what I need either :)
DeleteYour trip sounds lovely! And your photos are gorgeous. So wonderful that you got to meet up with other bloggers. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fantastic opportunity to touch base with them all Janet - Sue did a great job of getting us all together and we TALKED a lot!
DeleteHi Leanne, looks like you had a great time there! I've also never been to that part of Australia - we both know that as West Aussies we rarely see the rest of Australia. I might try and get over there with my husband next time we visit home - it looks like a great place for a holiday. So happy that you had a wonderful time there. x
ReplyDeleteCheryl I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Brisbane - I think what they've done with South Bank really was the icing on the cake - it was such a nice contrast to the city on the other side of the river. Don't forget to include Rottnest in your holiday plans when you're back - I still think it's the best place for a beach break.
DeleteIt was so good to follow your trip Leanne and read more about it here. You look like you really enjoyed it all and I'm so happy you got to meet up with Sue and the others. #lifethisweek
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - it was a really great mix of things to do - social, tourist, city, bikes, markets - fun and seeing the girls was just amazing. The only thing we didn't like was the humidity but apparently we picked the worst time of the year for it - but no rain helped make it manageable (not like poor Townsville!)
DeleteJust popped back to share for #mlstl Leanne! Yes the humidity is hard to take when not used to it.
DeleteSounds wonderful. You certainly packed in lots of activities. What a treat to meet IRL some blogging friends. I didn't realize there is a real place called the Hinterland. I use that when parking lots are busy, as in "I am parked out in the Hinterland!"
ReplyDeleteYour use of Hinterland is pretty spot on Haralee - it was out the back of beyond somewhat - but beautiful to see and very relaxing to putter around visiting.
DeleteWhat an action packed trip to Brisbane, Leanne! Covered all the bases. It's always uplifting and just plain happy making to be able to catch up with people whose words you read each week in real life.
ReplyDeleteSSG xxx
We had such a great time SSG - lots of variety and that makes for a good mix for my husband and me (we're VERY different in what we want from a holiday) and yes, meeting the girls was such a heart happy time for me - just like old friends getting together.
DeleteHi Leanne, I missed you as soon as I dropped you to the airport. I'm so pleased you and Ross had such a lovely experience visiting Brisbane. Apart from our lunch and the Bloggers lunch you and Ross saw some lovely natural beauty. Living at Kangaroo Point myself, I love how close to the city and Southbank it is and the ferries are a great way to travel. I run around that area where you rode your bikes so now I'll think of you each time I run. Hope you can get back one day but perhaps it is now my turn to come on over to WA as I've never been to the West before. Have a beautiful day my BBB. xx
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne I'm so pleased we met through blogging and make a great team for #MLSTL. Will share on social media and have a great week. I did see cheap airfares to Perth but timing not right at the moment :) #MLSTL
DeleteSue it was just the BEST time - meeting you IRL was the icing on the cake (and the cherry on the top!) and also chatting with the other blogging girls was great fun too. It such a shame we live so far apart, but I think Skype might come into play sometime in the near future. One day we'll meet up in Perth and spend another 4 or so hours chatting :)
DeleteLeanne! Your trip sounds fabulous and how wonderful that you were able to meet some of the bloggers you've gotten to know in eSpace. Coming to Canada anytime soon?
ReplyDeleteI've been watching "Clash of the Collectables" on Netflix and have had the odd glimpse of that coast. Australia is increasingly on my list places to visit!! Thanks for sharing with us!
Maybe you'll get to Australia before I get to Canada Agnes. Sue is heading that way sometime this year - you could all hook up and talk the day away too.
DeleteYou packed a lot into your visit Leanne and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You went to some of my most favourite places! Next time maybe don't come in the hottest month of the year though! LOL It was so wonderful to meet you in person. Isn't it funny but you were just as I expected and even nicer. Hope we get to meet in person again one day! xo
ReplyDeleteI loved that you girls were the same Min - a friend of mine who saw our photo said we all looked like we belonged together - which was a lovely compliment. I might have to wait til I retire before I can pick and choose the month I visit next - but I'm telling people that you said May was the best time to see Queensland!
DeleteI'm so glad you had a wonderful trip! I'm not sure if I'll ever make it to Australia but if I do I'll be sure to let you know! #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame Australia is so far away from all the overseas bloggers Kim - but on the other hand it's nice to be far away from a lot of the political stuff that's rife in our world!
DeleteWhat a fabulous trip! I love seeing that photo of you and Sue together. I forget how large Australia is, it seems like you should just be down the road from each other. Of course people think that about the US too. It is four-5 hours by plane for us to get to the west coast and two to four to get to the east coast. Australia really does look so incredible beautiful. We hope to go there one day, maybe after my husband retires because getting to Australia takes some serious time so we will have to see a lot of it while we are there!
ReplyDeleteAustralia seems to be a LOOOONG way away from almost everywhere Michele - I was talking to a couple of girls from the US on one of our day trips - they'd been flying for almost two days (including layovers) to get there - but they reckoned it had been absolutely worth the time and effort - it made my 4.5hr trip look like a hop, skip and jump!
DeleteWhat a lovely place. I would love to visit there. What a wonderful trip #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteIt was beautiful Patrick - similar to what we have in WA but with some rainforest and mountains thrown in. Plus the added bonus of the lovely blogging ladies :)
DeleteSounds like a lovely trio Leanne. And fantastic for you to be able to catch up with blogger friends IRL #MLSTL Shared
ReplyDeleteIt was great Jennifer - my husband loved it too (it's hard to find vacations that appeal to both of us) and the girls were definitely the icing on the cake of the holiday.
DeleteWhat a fun, fun, fun time you had! I'm so happy you got to have such a wonderful week on the East Coast and got to meet some friends too.
ReplyDeletesharing for MLSTL
Trisha it was such a wonderful time away - definitely worth the dollars, air time, road time and whatever else to get there and to meet the girls (especially to see Sue - who is just as lovely in person as she is on her blog).
DeleteWhat a great week it was for you both. You certainly chose well for your accommodation. I have not visited Brisbane other than when I was a child. I went to the Sunshine Coast a few years back and met up with two great blogging friends who both lived there then. One is Nikki from Styling You who is now in Brisbane (and launched her own clothing label last night) and the other is Stacey from VeggieMama who is in Melbs now. I have, over the years met up with many bloggers at events and conferences and it sure is the way to connect! We already know much about each other so just chat as if we've been friends for years.
ReplyDeleteDenyse #MLSTL
That's what it felt like Denyse - like old school friends catching up with each other. There was nothing new or awkward, no pauses in the conversation, just light and easy and honest - perfect. And yes, our accommodation was such a blessing - great value and big enough for us and still close to the city - and those wonderful free ferries!
DeleteI followed your trip on Facebook Leanne with much interest to see what you would get up to. It's great to see that you have a lovely time and discovered lots to do. I love Queensland too. It was wonderful that you got to meet up with Sue and more of the #MLSTL and #LovinLife blogging gang. What a great tribe! I was a little jelly and suffered from FOMO I can tell you ;) Pinned and Shared to SM :)
ReplyDeleteJo you would have LOVED every minute of that lunch with the girls! I thought about you while I was there and how you were my first blogger to meet in real life - it certainly took the worry out of what it would be like. It's like you've known someone for years when you've been reading and commenting on their blog isn't it?
DeleteBrisbane is such a fabulous City, we too have really enjoyed exploring it. And you definitely covered a lot of territory during your short visit. I hope you do get to come back as I too would love to meet you in real life :-) Pinned
ReplyDeleteIt was all pretty spur of the moment Jan - talked about it with my husband and booked it that night! I'm not normally all that spontaneous, but it just felt like the perfect opportunity to grab a week - a very warm week I might add - but wonderful to meet the girls and you'll definitely have to come next time x
DeleteLoved seeing this post again. Follow your trip was fun for me too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing on Life This Week. Next week's optional prompt is: 7/51. Self-Care: Share Your Story. #1. 18/2/19. Denyse
Thanks Denyse - I thought it would be a good one to share on your link up x
DeleteThis sounds like the perfect trip, Leanne. I look forward to visiting all the states in the US once I retire. There are even parts of my own state I haven't visited yet. I'm so glad you got to meet the blogging ladies from the northeast coast. It's nice that your husband doesn't mind doing a little touring on his own. I'm glad you are settled in back home with the cat. Our pets do miss us when we're gone--and we miss them. #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen anywhere near enough of my own home State Christie - it's a big place! But I'm gradually getting the capital cities crossed off for the rest of Australia - a couple more to go and then we'll stretch it a bit further. And it was lovely coming home to our cat and settling back in.
DeleteHi Leanne,
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that you got to meet all the lovely bloggers from this corner of our blogosphere. And, I was interested to here how LONG a trip it was, not only across a country but the whole continent. It looked like an absolutely fantastic trip!
It was a long haul to get there - but nowhere near the distance and time it takes to get to most places from Australia - we're a long way from almost everywhere! Definitely worth it though and we had a wonderful time.
DeleteIt's so beautiful there! And sunny and warm! I have to admit that I am jealous!
ReplyDelete#mlstl
It was definitely warm - a little bit more humid than we expected but apparently that was due to the time of the year. When you work you don't always have the option to pick the perfect time - but we were barely rained on at all and that was apparently quite unusual - so I'll take the humidity over rain any day!
DeleteLeanne I have to say I am jealous. I think it would be so awesome to meet other bloggers irl. You trip sounds so fun.
ReplyDeleteVictoria it was such a blast meeting them all - especially Sue because we've been saying we want to meet for years. I always thought she'd come to me but fate works in mysterious ways!
DeleteHI, Leanne - This sounds like an absolutely incredible trip. I am so jealous that you, Sue, Jo, Min and Deb where all together in one place. I totally wanted to be there. FOMO big time! :)
ReplyDeleteI know Donna - I keep thinking of you and Sue meeting later in the year - I want to be there for that too! She's doing a lot more distance than I did to achieve your IRL encounter - so it will be super special for you both x
DeleteI am so happy to ready your post. My Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather are from there and I want to visit too. Happy Weekend, Kippi #kippiathome
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely place Kippi - similar to Western Australia but a bit more tropical - and they've done such a great job with South Bank.
DeleteJust catching up on this now. You guys managed to fit so much into your time. I'm glad you got to see the part of teh world I call home ie the Sunshine Coast. Mostly though it was just fabulous to meet you in real life. It truly was like catching up with an old friend. And that, in a nutshell, is why I love blogging.
ReplyDeleteMe too Jo - it's so strange that you can live thousands of miles apart and yet have so much in common. It was wonderful meeting you girls and I want to do it all again!
DeleteI'm glad you had a good time in my neck of the woods and survived the heat and humidity. Would have loved to met up with you too but clearly my invite got lost in the mail ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi Janet - I didn't realize you were a Brisbane girl - the only one I knew lived there was Sue and she managed to rake together a few of the others who were working in town or happy to drive in. Next time I come I'll make sure your invitation is in the mail! xx
DeleteWhat a FABULOUS trip! And meeting fellow bloggers was the icing on the cake :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I will ever make it to Australia (although it is on my bucket list). All these destinations sound perfect for my travel lifestyle :)
How wonderful that you got to meet up with these friends, Leanne!! I feel like these relationships are the best part of blogging.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
Looks like a lovely time. Australia's definitely on my bucket list..dreaming anyway!
ReplyDelete