A lot of travellers make a stop in Brisbane when travelling the East coast. Who wouldn’t?, it has heaps of activities, restaurants and attractions! However, if you want to literally look “at” Brisbane, you must head to Mount Coot-tha. The mountain, also locally known as Mount Coot, is approximately 287 high so  depending on the time and energy you have to spare, you can get up to the look-out by bus, foot or mountain bike.

If getting the perfect “postcard” snap of Brisbane is not worth the trip for you, you will be happy to know Mount Coot has more to offer! Of course, hiking or mountain biking are great activities, especially since the mountain is part of the Mount Coot-tha reserve. For something more relaxed though, there is the Botanical Garden, located at the bottom of the moutain. Or you can simply enjoy the Summit Restaurant and Kuta Cafe!

See you up there !

Not satisfied with beautiful views, stunning walks and a great night life? Well A) You’re to damn picky but.. B) we can let you in on a little “locals only” secret that will get you way off the backpacker trail and mixing it with some local Banana Benders (Queenslanders) in no time.

North Stradbroke Islsnd (Straddie to it’s mates) is THE place to go if you’ve got to escape the city. Brisbanites have known it for years but up until now travellers and backpackers have sped by to Fraser Island, The Whitsundays etc missing out on one of Queenslands absolute gems. From bushwalking to 4 wheel driving, lazy strolls on the beach to kite surfing Straddie delivers it all without the hype of it’s more northern cousins. Even if none of that is for you just grab a beer at the Point Lookout Pub on the cliffs and watch the local surfers below playing chicken with the islands resident Bull Shark population!!

With plenty of camping and parks Straddie is a budget travellers dream. The island small size and good local transport means you don’t need a car to get around but if you’ve got your own transpot there is even a car ferry in operation several time a day from the mainland.

So when you get up that way why don’t you take your foot of the pedal for a day or two. Airley can wait, Fraser Island will always be there and last I checked Cairns was firmly bolted to the ground so not likley to be blown away before you get there. Take a bit of time around Bris-Vegas to climb a mountain and get a bit of REAL Aussie island flavour.