Since landing in Australia over 5 months ago I haven't visited any places outside of Sydney. And with the rainy weather taking over the city it seemed like the perfect time to head on over to sunny Brisbane. I spent 3 nights and 3 full days exploring new streets, parks, and getting up-close with the wildlife.

Day 1

I looked up a few highly rated cafes in Brisbane to try out, but what I didn't realise was how difficult they would be to find! Instead of being on the main street a lot of the cafes would be down alleyways and hidden from the public eye. I felt like a local walking in and was secretly patting myself on the back.

Queen Street Mall is the place for shopping. Block after block there are shops and malls to get lost in. I had to use my iPhone's GPS a few times to find my way out!

One of my favourite activities is visiting local markets. I accidentally ran into this one on the way back to the hotel. It was full of food stalls, groceries, and sweet treats. I bought a seafood paella for lunch and couldn't pass up one of the extravagant juices that came with sliced pineapple and a banana (?!). 

The weather was beautiful in Brisbane, which made walking in the Botanical Gardens even more enjoyable. I am always pleasantly surprised at how well kept and groomed all the parks and public areas in Australia are. Way to go Aussies!

After walking through the gardens and along the river I headed across one of the many bridges to the South Bank.

There are public pools and man-made beaches along the South Bank that overlook the North Quay of Brisbane - so there is no need to go outside of the city for a day of soaking up rays at the beach!

Don't be surprised to find fruit, veggies and herbs growing all over the city. When walking about I found everything from pineapples to basil.

My stay in Brisbane was especially lovely due to the fact my friend Peter was there for a work trip. Not only did I get to spend time with him and see a friendly face, but I mooched and stayed in his suite - look at that view from the room! We enjoyed cocktails and watched the sunset while catching up :)

Day 2

Brisbane is home to the largest koala sanctuary in the world, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. There are over 130 koalas living there - and the best part is that you get the chance to cuddle with one!

But the koalas don't get all of the attention. You can walk about the Kangaroo Reserve and get up-close with the wallabies, kangaroos and emus. If you purchase food at the nearby general store you can feed them too!

Above: Look at those sharp nails!

Below: I found the Koalas to have rough fur, which is meant to get rid of rain water as quickly as possible. The Kangaroos, on the other hand, had surprisingly soft velvety fur. 

I chickened out and didn't get too close to the emus. They had these piercing stares that didn't look welcoming.

Day 3

It showered a bit the last day of my trip, so I almost didn't make it to the Roma Street Parklands. I am sure glad I decided to go for it anyways! It was one of the most beautiful and colourful parks I have visited.

One of the park employees stopped me to show me this flower (below). It's nickname is Cinderella's slipper.

The last thing on my Brisbane bucketlist was to the visit the XXXX Brewery. While Peter and I didn't splurge on a tour of the brewery the bar staff did give us a private little tasting. 

A very special thank you to my killer-friend Peter who made my trip to Brisbane possible (and super fun)!