Brisbane

We are continuing our drive up the eastern coast of Australia and made our way from Byron Bay to Brisbane.  On the way to Brisbane, we passed through the Gold Coast.  The Gold Coast is located on the southeast corner of Queensland and stretches for 35 miles along the coastline.  Over 500,000 people live in this region. We did not make plans to stay in this area, so wanted to be sure to stop and tour around a bit.  Alex and I parked the car at Burleigh Heads Beach and walked the length of the beach.  In the distance, you can see the Gold Coast's skyline.  It is a much larger city than I realized!  The beach was beautiful and there were lots of people and surfers enjoying the sunny day.

Before continuing on, we stopped at Black Hops Brewery to enjoy a schooner (what the Aussies call a pint).  Black Hops opened two years ago and was recently voted the 2018 Champion Small Brewery in Australia.  Alex went with their Eggnog Stout and I tried the Tropical Lager.  

Alex and I spent both Friday and Saturday walking around the city of Brisbane.  We did not have a specific route in mind, but just looped around and ended up walking over 6 miles on Friday and over 5 miles on Saturday!  The city center hugs the Brisbane River and we lucked out with really nice weather.  Although cooler in the mornings, it warmed up significantly in the afternoons.  

Watermelon art in Roma Street Park

Cathedral of St. Stephens

Brisbane River

Friday evening, we walked around the South Bank neighborhood and grabbed some dumplings for dinner.  I love the way a city looks when the sun starts going down.  It is so sparkly and pretty.  

Saturday evening, we drove to the Eat Street Market.  The market is comprised of over 180 shipping containers that have been transformed into food stalls, shopping booths, and bars.  It was huge and a bit overwhelming at first as we didn't know where to begin.  There were also a TON of people there - it felt like all of Brisbane gathered here for food and fun! To get our bearings, we walked around for awhile before settling on Korean sliders at A-meri Seoul.  We also grabbed one of Alex's favorite treats from his childhood - the churro!

Perhaps the biggest cotton candy (it's called "fairy floss" here) I've ever seen - we are currently without dental insurance so thought it best not to get one of these!  Ha!

We are leaving Brisbane tomorrow morning and will be traveling to Noosa for a few days.  It was fun spending some time in a city for a bit, but I'm looking forward to being back along the coast!

Food:

• Brekky: Local & Co. & Scout Cafe
• Dinner: The Yiros Shop, Harajuku Gyoza, & Eat Street Market