Brisbane: Rising, Top Option for 2020??!!

[TLCOhio]

For those interested in Australia, there was mention from Travel and Leisure magazine yesterday with this headline: “50 Best Places to Travel in 2020”.  They spotlighted attention as top options for: “Brisbane”.  T+L rates these top areas as "must-visit vacation destinations, and with something to suit every interest — food, shopping, culture, history, and nature."

 

Here are some of the story highlights for Brisbane:   "Though the massive Queen’s Wharf revitalization project in the Queensland capital won’t be complete until 2022, headway is already being made in the form of three buzzy waterfront recreation areas. Family-friendly Waterline Park courts outdoor enthusiasts with a climbing wall and other sporting equipment; Mangrove Walk focuses on indigenous culture and local wildlife, with educational signposts stationed throughout the quarter-mile path; and the initial section of a rehabilitated Bicentennial Bikeway features wider lanes, better sight lines, and improved traffic flow. A hotel boom in 2018 and 2019 brought such high-profile openings as the Calile, Ovolo Inchcolm, and Fantauzzo, but a host of five-star properties slated for the Queen’s Wharf — including a Ritz-Carlton and a Rosewood — will elevate the Australian city’s cache even further."

 

Is Brisbane rising more and meriting a future visit?

 

Full story at:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/best-places-to-travel-in-2020

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 226,439 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[taxatty]

Hi Terry--I enjoy all of your posts (note--my DW has family in Bexley and Westerville, we love the Columbus area). Brisbane is a great place for a long leisurely walk in the beautiful parks that line the river and the TransLink river ferry is also quite scenic. We could recommend the Hilton where we stayed which was right in the middle of everything. The downtown area has excellent shops and restaurants of all imaginable cuisines, and there is a lot to do in the areas around the city. We stopped there before a 2 day Princess cruise to Sydney. It's definitely worth a visit.   

Edited December 11, 2019 by taxatty

[iancal]

We spent two weeks in the area this past winter.  Brisbane has to be one of he most people friendly cities we have ever visited.  Right down to the free ferries, the pool, beach, pubs, park area beside the river. 

 

It is not just Brisbane. Take a short ride up the coast to Noosa for a few days or down to the Gold Coast for a few days.   Great beaches, great ocean views.  We like the area as much as we like the Great Ocean Road.  

[iancal]

Our strong advice to anyone traveling a long distance to take an Australian cruise would be to, if possible, add a land portion.   Rent a car for a week or two (or more)  and discover some wonderful places that you will not see on cruise..even with excursions.   We have been three times, anywhere from a week to three weeks of land travel at a time.  We have hardly scratched the surface.  Fabulous country, wonderful people.  

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

Our strong advice to anyone traveling a long distance to take an Australian cruise would be to, if possible, add a land portion.   Rent a car for a week or two (or more)  and discover some wonderful places that you will not see on cruise..even with excursions.   We have been three times, anywhere from a week to three weeks of land travel at a time.  We have hardly scratched the surface.  Fabulous country, wonderful people.  

Lived here all my life travelled extensively, still hardly scratched the surface.

[TLCOhio]

Our experiences in Brisbane in 2014 were limited to just two times, both for passing through their international airport.  Unfortunately, that airport was not as ideally "user-friendly" as  we would have desired.  Clearly, Brisbane is on the "rise", but how it would work for us from a tourism spot remains up in the air and unclear.  Lots of places in the world still on our future to-do list.  

 

From the Wanderlust travel magazine, they had this headline: “How to spend 24 hours in Brisbane” with this subhead: "A thriving art scene, sunshine-filled days and more affordable than Australia’s southern states, add Brisbane to your Down Under must-visit list."

 

Here are some more of their reporting highlights: “The capital city of Queensland, Brisbane once sat quietly in the shadow of its southern neighbours, Sydney and Melbourne. However in recent years, ‘Brissie’ – as locals call it – has entered the spotlight.  A boom in contemporary art galleries, alfresco dining and 24-hour nightlife has transformed the capital, earning it the title of ‘Australia’s Hippest City’ by one guide book. It’s also home to Brisbane Festival, one of the country’s leading international arts festivals, which attracts around one million visitors annually.  The main sights gravitate around the edges of Brisbane River, which divides the central business district from the arts and entertainment precinct of South Bank.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/24-hours-in-brisbane/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 65,131 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[whimsy7]

our upcoming cruise will make a stop at Brisbane.

as we are on a mega-ship (Ovation of the Seas) it will dock at a temporary dock which is 25 km away from the city centre at an industrial port area. the good news is that a large terminal is currently being constructed with the opening date for late 2020.

our options are a tour with the ship or to stay on board,

we tend to explore new cities on our own but it looks like doing this in Brisbane will not be as easy as we'd hoped.

Edited January 24, 2020 by whimsy7
spelling

[possum52]

23 hours ago, whimsy7 said:

our upcoming cruise will make a stop at Brisbane.

as we are on a mega-ship (Ovation of the Seas) it will dock at a temporary dock which is 25 km away from the city centre at an industrial port area. the good news is that a large terminal is currently being constructed with the opening date for late 2020.

our options are a tour with the ship or to stay on board,

we tend to explore new cities on our own but it looks like doing this in Brisbane will not be as easy as we'd hoped.

There are likely to be shuttles available to take you into the city centre - around $25 each return. Once in the city you will be able to explore by yourselves, depending on what your interests are. The new terminal is still quite away from the city, about 20 km but fairly close to the airport for those starting or finishing their cruise in Brisbane.

 

Leigh

 

Edited January 25, 2020 by possum52

[whimsy7]

Hi Leigh,

thanks for your informative reply.

I called Royal Caribbean and was told they do not provide shuttles so I'm assuming these are private shuttle companies (good business for those companies!). thanks.

[possum52]

1 hour ago, whimsy7 said:

Hi Leigh,

thanks for your informative reply.

I called Royal Caribbean and was told they do not provide shuttles so I'm assuming these are private shuttle companies (good business for those companies!). thanks.

I would be very surprised if there are not shuttles for your cruise. The only way to get into Brisbane CBD if not by shuttle is by taxi or doing a ship’s tour. I can remember others posting about there being shuttles for Royal Caribbean ships at Brisbane port. Perhaps a search on here will help. Perhaps the person you spoke to meant that they didn’t provide free shuttles. 
 

Leigh

Edited January 26, 2020 by possum52

[whimsy7]

Hi Leigh,

when I spoke to RCI (probably a central office overseas!), I was told they do not provide shuttles from the Multi us terminal ( a tempory one for mega ships). she had no answer for my question of how over 4000 passengers were going to get to the city 25 km away.....;-)

RCI probably do provide shuttles from the dock that is closer to the city....not from this Multi Use Terminal 25 km away.

looks like a private shuttle for us or a day onboard.

many thanks again for your help.

 

[BrissieB]

2 hours ago, whimsy7 said:

Hi Leigh,

when I spoke to RCI (probably a central office overseas!), I was told they do not provide shuttles from the Multi us terminal ( a tempory one for mega ships). she had no answer for my question of how over 4000 passengers were going to get to the city 25 km away.....;-)

RCI probably do provide shuttles from the dock that is closer to the city....not from this Multi Use Terminal 25 km away.

looks like a private shuttle for us or a day onboard.

many thanks again for your help.

 

This is the page for the Port of Brisbane.  Midway down is a link to a PDF for cruise ships at the multi use terminal.  It gives a bit of a rundown about transport options from there.  You could easily taxi to the station and train into the city if the cruise ship doesn't provide a shuttle.

 

https://www.portbris.com.au/Operations-and-Trade/Shipping-Schedule/

 

[possum52]

12 hours ago, whimsy7 said:

Hi Leigh,

when I spoke to RCI (probably a central office overseas!), I was told they do not provide shuttles from the Multi us terminal ( a tempory one for mega ships). she had no answer for my question of how over 4000 passengers were going to get to the city 25 km away.....;-)

RCI probably do provide shuttles from the dock that is closer to the city....not from this Multi Use Terminal 25 km away.

looks like a private shuttle for us or a day onboard.

many thanks again for your help.

 

All the RC ships would dock where you will be as they are too big to go further up the river to Portside. So the Multi purpose terminal at the Grain Wharf is where I have read RC provide shuttles. If the person you spoke to was overseas, they would most likely have no idea of what happens in Brisbane. We have docked there on Diamond Princess and took the shuttle provided into the city.

 

Leigh

[possum52]

14 hours ago, whimsy7 said:

Hi Leigh,

when I spoke to RCI (probably a central office overseas!), I was told they do not provide shuttles from the Multi us terminal ( a tempory one for mega ships). she had no answer for my question of how over 4000 passengers were going to get to the city 25 km away.....;-)

RCI probably do provide shuttles from the dock that is closer to the city....not from this Multi Use Terminal 25 km away.

looks like a private shuttle for us or a day onboard.

many thanks again for your help.

 

whimsy7, on the thread you started on the Australian New Zealand board about the Multi-use terminal, there are some replies saying that RC do provide shuttles for about $25 return.

 

Leigh

Edited January 27, 2020 by possum52

[whimsy7]

Hi Leigh,

Thank you for all your help. 

Will be in Brisbane next month so will see what is/is not provided 

[whimsy7]

thank you to BrissieB and Leigh.