Visiting sunny Brisbane

Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, and recently voted as the country's hippest, is a great place to live and visit. From Moreton Bay, the city is nestled along the meandering Brisbane river, whose geography leads to the city's enormous number of bridges (15!). Although Brisbane is probably Australia's most hilly city, the touristic sites are easily accessible by bike, bus and ferry. For the attendees of SCCS, a range of suburbs might be of interest and the most picturesque way of visiting these is by ferry.

Starting from the University of Queensland in St Lucia, the ferry passes by West End, South Bank and the CBD. West End is a relaxed residential area, popular for its weekend markets and organic cafes. Boundary Street offers a diverse range of inexpensive restaurants with a casual vibe, and many pubs with live music keep the place happening after dark.

South Brisbane and South Bank host many of Brisbane's cultural and entertainment opportunities, such the as the Queensland Museum, the Museum of Modern Arts, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, as well as a parkland installation with the Wheel of Brisbane, a Nepal Peace Pagoda (which still remains from the Expo in 1988), and a free pool landscape. The area harbours regular arts and craft markets and free live music. Check Brisbane's "What's On" for more information.

While the CBD can satisfy your shopping urges, it also has a number of historic buildings and hosts the city's botanical gardens. These lie opposite the cliffs of Kangaroo Point - a popular rock climbing spot. Another popular suburb, best accessed by bus, is Fortitude Valley. It offers a range of night clubs and is therefore a popular destination for Brisbane's youth. For the more relaxed folks, "the valley" also has a range of mellow live music venues, rooftop cocktail lounges and Asian cuisine in Brisbane's Chinatown. More information can be found here.