Who wouldn’t want to spend time in a city that enjoys over 280 days of sunshine per year? How could anyone turn down the opportunity to spend 24 hours in a place that is the capital of what is known as the “Sunshine State” in Australia? I have always wanted to get to know Brizzie, as Brisbane, Australia is called by the locals, but have never really had the chance to do so. That all changed one day recently when there was an extra seat on a charter plane available. The only catch was that I would be responsible for finding my own hotel room in Brisbane. In addition, I had to find that Brisbane hotel room in 5 minutes or fewer, as the plane was leaving and they weren’t going to take me with them if I had nowhere to stay. I got right to work, hoping to make something happen somehow.
I started with the world of apps. I had my phone out and started searching for last-minute hotel apps. I found one called HotelTonight. I opened it and searched for Brisbane hotels. I was impressed by both the quantity and the quality of the choices returned. I also liked the reasonable rates. I was leery of the booking process, however, as this had taken a lot of time in the past on other apps, and I had to get this done. As it turned out, I didn’t even need minutes to find a Brisbane hotel. I needed seconds, as I had my room booked and confirmed. I was going to Brisbane. All I needed to do now was put together a list of places to visit while there.
Where better to introduce yourself to a new city than at its center? City Center in Brisbane is an interesting mix of everything. It’s home to the business hub of the city, as you’ll see big banks and other huge corporations stationed here. You’ll also see quite a few restaurants, pubs and shops along with people buzzing about. Finally, you see some open, green space here as well with the City Botanic Gardens. This is a huge garden with gorgeous greenery all around. I couldn’t believe I was still in the City Center when I walked through it. It was a peaceful way to get the day started.
I ventured out of the middle of the city and into the hills for my next stop, which was Paddington. It’s an interesting neighborhood in that it’s almost a cross between a California beach town and a Hawaiian village. There are cottages that dot the landscape that are painted in unique colors and many are on stilts. There are also a lot of different restaurants and cafes here, and I stopped at one in search of a nice cup of coffee. I found a place that smelled fantastic from the street, and my nose was correct. The coffee was delicious as were the sweets that came with it. I was feeling recharged and ready to get back into my day.
New Farm is one of the more forward-looking suburbs I had seen in some time. The local government and leaders here encourage an outdoor lifestyle, and they’ve provided residents with a lot of green space. There are also trails, tree houses, playgrounds and all sorts of other activities available. Fortunately for me, there were also quite a few restaurants in the area, as it was the middle of the day and I was hungry. I found a place that served Australian fare, and I had a hamburger made in the true Australian way – juicy with an enormous number of toppings. It was delicious.
Around here, I noticed people simply call it The Valley, but Fortitude Valley is one of those places that’s come a long way in recent years. I was talking to someone who said that 30 years ago, you didn’t want to spend time here unless you had to for some reason. These days, the area has completely turned around, and it’s a haven for young professionals. It’s also home to a lot of different shops, which I made use of by purchasing gifts for the people in my life who would be thrilled to hear that I had spent a day exploring Brisbane. It was time for my final stop of the day.
I decided to end my day in the West End, which is an eclectic place that mixes old with new. There are tons of restaurants here, which I liked to see because it was around dinnertime and I was famished. I spent some time walking in a park and talking to people. Many of them told me about this bistro not far from the park that only served organic, fresh produce and meat. I had to give it a try. I got there and had a meal that I may never forget. It was as if everything was grown and cooked specifically for me. It was fantastic.
As I made my way back to my hotel, I realized that I had pulled off quite an adventure. I could not have possibly predicted that I’d spend a day here even a few days prior, and I could not have possibly spent that time here without HotelTonight helping me find a hotel room in Brisbane in seconds. I looked forward to a restful night of sleep, and I looked forward to using HotelTonight in the future.
