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Photo tour: Brisbane

By Bobbi Lee Hitchon // 4 April 2010 // Comments: 0 // Related Categories: brisbane, free, photography, Things to do, walks

In the book “Eat Pray Love,” author Elizabeth Gilbert writes that every city and person has a word. She writes that Rome’s word is “sex” and goes on a quest to find her own personal word. If Brisbane had a word, it would be “random.”

The city exhibits the clean cut business atmosphere found in Sydney, but also the funky coffee shop and public art scene found in Melbourne. While those two Aussie cities seem to constantly compete over who's the best, Brisbane seems to just be happy being “Brissie,” and it shows in the city unique layout and details.

People can rock climb at Kangaroo Cliffs, walk in the shadows of skyscrapers in the city business district and pray in a Nepalese Pagoda, all within a 30-minute walk. It’s a place where suited CEOs and pyro baton-twirlers picnic together on the weekend. The city even has a beach in the middle of it.

A walk from the Botanic Gardens across the Goodwill bridge to the South Bank and over the Victoria Bridge is a perfect example of the city’s randomness.

Entering at Edward Street, people will spot heaps of sailboats floating on the Brisbane River while walking the serene Botanic Gardens Path. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The area contains some interesting seats and picnic tables, such as this double-seated chair decorated with a platypus in the middle. Rather than sitting next to each other, like a normal bench, pairs can sit facing each but separated by the chair’s s-shape design. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Stroll down The Arbour on Brisbane’s South Bank. Following the swerved-path, peer up at more swerved metal columns decorated with bougainvillea. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Watch to see if something hops around the stilled-lily pads on a pond between Picnic Island and The Arbour. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Stop to look at a bronze statue of Confuscious, which was donated to Brisbane by The People’s Republic of China in 2009 to mark Queensland’s 150th anniversary. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The Southbank even has an aquatic playground. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Young and old take advantage of the playground's many fountains on warm days. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Sunbathe and swim on the city’s Streets Beach. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

When shopping at the markets at Stanley Street Plaza look up at this circus-themed statue dangling on lines above the crossroad of Stanley and Ernest Streets. The statue was originally casted from a real person for the 1988 World Expo, which Brisbane hosted. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon