Brisbane is the state capital of Queensland and is Australia’s third largest city with a population of close to 2 million as of 2007. It is located in the southeast corner, and the area used to be called Mian-jin by the locals because that means ‘place shaped as a spike’ since it is on a floodplain between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range. You can take a cruise on the Brisbane River if you like.

There is a spectacular view of the city from Mt. Coot-tha (meaning ‘place of honey’), which is 287 metres above sea level, and became a public park of 1500 acres in 1883.

Brisbane was named for Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales at the time Brisbane was established in 1824. It was the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur during World War II.

Convict labor in 1828 built the oldest surviving buildings: The Windmill (originally used as a place to grind grain, unusual with its wind powered sails, and later became an observatory) and the Old Commissariat Store (presently the home of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland).

The magnificent scenery and waters provide endless outdoor adventures to be enjoyed.

The Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) and his daughter (Bindi) brought much attention to the Australia Zoo, which is on over 70 acres of bush land containing over 1,000 species including koalas, kangaroos, tigers, wombats, snakes, elephants, and much more including magnificent gardens. Would you like to get your picture taken with a baby crocodile? You can! And there are wheelchairs and scooters available for the disabled so they can see the sights along with the rest of the family.

If you want to see, touch and feed more koalas and kangaroos, you can visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which is the world’s largest with over 130 koalas.

If you are willing to take a leisurely drive 90 minutes away, you can visit the Rathdowney Alpaca Farm, where you can enjoy the feel of their soft fleece after learning about them and visit their Alpaca Shack with handcrafted garments and many other gifts. There is also a 100 year old Queenslander farmhouse with beautiful gardens.

The Story Bridge has 6 lanes of traffic but also a bikeway and footpath and a famous pub under its span!! At the annual Riverfire, there are unbelievable fireworks displays. Fireworks are also featured year-round along with festivals, cinemas, eating places, and free live entertainment at the South Bank.

The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are sheer steep cliffs in the city where climbers can prove their skills even at night when the cliffs are lit up.

The Sky Needle (88 metres high) was part of World Expo 88.

You can venture out a short drive to some of the world’s cleanest and most beautiful beaches, the world-famous Sunshine Coast (44 miles long) and the Gold Coast (22 miles long), where you can swim, sail, surf or sunbake.