Bidding farewell to Gold Coast, we drove up north to the state capital of Queensland, Brisbane. We were welcomed by heavy traffic jam, and hailstorm. The stormy hail, or I would refer them as ice, was scary. Pii-li-pa-laa... They were enormous! We were also informed by the radio that the city was flooded the day before. Gosh! Brisbane city is indeed situated in a low-lying floodplain.

Thankfully, lady luck was on our side. The sun was out for the rest of our stay.

Brisbane is beautifully. The view of Brisbane city skyline was magnificent from the riverside.

Brisbane city skyline viewed from the Riverside Walkway.


The city is beautifully lit at night.

Mt Coot-tha Lookout is one of the popular tourist attractions. From the summit, we got to view the whole Brisbane city!


Brisbane city from Mt Coot-tha Lookout.

There are many bridges in Brisbane, crossing Brisbane River. One of them is Story Bridge, a steel cantilever bridge, which situated near the place we stayed -- Bowen Terrace.


Story Bridge during the day.


Story Bridge at night.


777m long with 280m main span.

With the heavy traffic, driving in Brisbane city during peak hour was probably not the best thing to do. We took the option to explore the city on foot!

There's a saying "Wherever you go in the world, there is a particular allure of Chinatown." This is true in most country, although it's not in New Zealand. From New Farm, passing by a nearby Sunday market, we reached Chinatown, situated in Fortitude Valley.

Besides restaurants and food, there are many Asian supermarkets, ranging from Chinese, Korean, Thai... The street names are even accompanied by Chinese characters.


Stone guard-lions under the traditional Chinese gates.


Chinatown in Brisbane.


Oriental architectures and colours.

Guided by a maps, snapping photos along the way, we reached the city center. Oh my, there are many shopping malls!! I was tempted. It's window shopping time! LOL.


More high-rise buildings.

Crossing another bridge, we arrived South Bank.


One of my favorite pictures. :D


Discover Queensland at Brisbane Museum.

South Bank is famous for its parkland, featuring a man-made beach. The greens, welcoming by a natural purple bougainvillea-entwined walk, relaxing atmosphere, cafe... I would say, a good place to bring your special someone for a date.


South Bank Arbour.


Wheel of Brisbane.

We stopped by at a coffee shop, enjoying the view along Brisbane River. I ordered an affagato, out of curiosity. A shot of thick espresso and a scope of vanilla ice-cream, was all I got. I was flabbergasted. Perhaps affagato is not something that I will get next time, as the espresso shot was too strong to my liking. Somehow, my first experience wasn't too bad, considering I have some ice-cream. Haha!


Affagato.

More walks, more complains of sore feet, more jokes created, more laughters, more pictures... we arrived Bowen Terrace exhausted! We concurred the city center on foot!!


Boats and yatches were seen along the riverside.

Leaving Brisbane city behind, we drove up north, passing and dropping by towns, such as Caloundra, Maroochy, Mooloolaba... The towns are unique in its own way. After all, sight-seeing is always the fun part of any road trip.


View from Glass House Mountain.


More volcanic cones.

And of course, we visited Sunshine Coast, a beautiful beaches with nice surfing waves. The sunny coast is truly an escape from the hustle and bustle of Brisbane city center.


Sunshine Coast.


Rows of shades.


That's me in Sunshine Coast!

Perhaps you've heard about the crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin. You're right, we visited Australia Zoo. Australia Zoo is the home for a wide range of mammals, reptiles, and birds. There are many activities and wildlife shows available to visitors. The highlight of my visit was personal up-close with koalas and kangaroos. How I wish I can cuddle the koalas!! They are super cute!


Feeding the elephant.


Stroking the koala.


The koala bear is so cute! Simply irresistible!!


Kangaroos.


One of my best shots - Cassowary.

So.. that's my 11 days Australia trip. What do you think? :D