The travel industry buzz increased with recent rumours that the airline is aiming for daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and the capital-city of Queensland in the foreseeable future.
Upon enquiry, I discovered that the current five weekly flights are doing very well, as more people are choosing the premium service of the national carrier to fly directly into “Brissie”. After all, Brisbane is a fascinating travel spot.
Many people do not know that Brisbane is an excellent tourism gateway. There are excellent road, rail and sea connections from Brisbane to the rest of Queensland, but flying is usually my preferred mode of travel.
The bright and breezy Brisbane Airport is a strategic and effective air hub that I thoroughly enjoy, and Malaysia Airlines has a convenient code-share partnership with Australian carrier Virgin Blue that connects passengers to various scenic destinations across Queensland, the rest of Australia and beyond, to the island nations of the South Pacific and Polynesia.
While many tourists stop over in Brisbane for a day or two on their way to other tourist spots, few realise that Brisbane is actually what travel agents term an excellent stand-alone destination. It has enough attractions to merit an entire visit by itself. Take, for example, the fact that the city has its own riverine centrepiece, like many famous cities around the world. London has the Thames, Paris the Seine, New York the Hudson, Cairo the Nile, and Brisbane . . . well, Brisbane has the Brisbane!
Although city and river share the same name, it is the waterway that breathes life, energy and ambience into the metropolis. For one thing, Brisbane River is a vital transport artery though not on the scale it used to be a couple of centuries ago when the river was the only form of transport-access to Sydney and the rest of Australia. The Brisbane River was the settlement’s most valuable asset for transport, recreation, irrigation, and — most of all — as a source of potable water. Today, it is still very much the same, though modern technology has transformed how people relate to the river.
Quaint old paddle wheelers still chug along the river as they have done for centuries, but today they are regularly overtaken by modern speedboats and futuristic-looking sleek catamarans called CityCats. These blue, white and yellow watercraft are a speedy way to travel the river. They are also an excellent and affordable way for visitors to have a grand tour of Brisbane.
For the price of a commuter ticket, I got a great view of the length and breadth of the city. You can also hop on the similarly coloured CityFerries which are smaller and make more stops than CityCats. Popular ferry destinations include South Bank, St Lucia, New Farm, West End, Hamilton, Toowong and the Central Business District (CBD).
You can travel on participating buses, trains and ferries with a valid TransLink ticket. Fares are calculated according to the number of zones travelled in a journey. All Brisbane’s CityCat and CityFerry stops are within Translink’s zones 1 and 2.
If you’re in the city, visit the Transport Information Centre, King George Square station for more information about ferries and other public transport services in Brisbane. There are also small, private ferry services such as the Moggill Ferry in west Brisbane and the Moreton Bay Ferry Services connecting the islands of Moreton Bay.
But what about those antiquated-looking wooden paddle wheelers? Confident that Brisbane was ready for “something nostalgic, old-fashioned and different”, Millkraft Thompson Boatyards built Kookaburra River Queen I — the first wooden paddle wheeler in Australia in the last century.
Launched in the 1980s, the Queens were meticulously crafted mainly from original Queensland timbers: the keels from ironbark, the sheathed hulls planked with oregon and spotted gum, and the decks made from white beech. Weighing a whopping 200 tonnes each, the 30m paddle wheelers are each powered by two, 350 horsepower engines and were designed to operate as closely as possible to the original steamers.
The vessels have become a part of Brisbane’s riverscape for over 20 years, offering scheduled lunch and dinner cruises as well as facilities for private functions, weddings, corporate meeting venues, special events and Christmas parties. Combining elegant dining, live entertainment and some of the most breathtaking views of Brisbane, these icons of yesteryear are part of the unique attractions of the Brisbane River, and a must for well-heeled visitors.
The cruises also provide accommodation options with the stylish Sebel & Citigate Hotel, which is located within walking distance from the Queen Street Mall shopping precinct, Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane Treasury Casino and the trendy South Bank area.
Enjoying one of Brisbane’s best locations, South Bank is one of the city’s popular destinations, attracting more than nine million people annually. The South Bank Lifestyle Market has an eclectic array of art, fashion, jewellery, health products, houseware and some rather weird New Age fads. Around it are some of Brisbane’s trendiest boutiques, stores and restaurants in the heart of the South Bank Parklands.
Alchemy Restaurant boasts modern Australian cooking with an exquisite French influence. Seated overlooking the boardwalk, I had a spectacular and unobstructed vista of the illuminated Story Bridge and the twinkling lights of craft on Brisbane River.
More prosaic than the towering Story Bridge but equally eye-catching, is the 450m Goodwill Bridge that links the southern end of South Bank to the city’s Botanic Gardens and the Queensland University of Technology. More than 50,000 pedestrians and cyclists use this footbridge every day.
My favourite part of the Brisbane river parklands is the 1km leafy walkway called the Energex Arbour. Covered with brilliant shades of vivid bougainvillea, the award-winning arbour has 403 individually designed, tendril-like columns, and allows you to stroll in shady comfort as it winds its way through the length of the parklands at South Bank.
Brisbane River also attracts scheduled weekly activities like the South Bank Art and Craft Markets, which operate every Friday and weekend. There is also the Farmers Fresh and Seafood Market on the first and third Saturdays of every month. From 6am until midday, more than 60 primary producers offer an array of fresh produce.
For first-time visitors to Brisbane, sticking to the river is a good idea because it gives you the best spectrum of the city’s attractions in a scenic and attractive environment. Enjoy the breeze aboard the jet-shaped CityCats, chug along sedately on the elegant paddle wheelers, or simply stroll along the riverbanks on excellent paved walkways.
From the towering citadels of commerce in the CBD, to the lush greenery and landscaped parklands, to the kaleidoscope of activities on the South Bank, Brisbane River flows with fun and excitement.
o Malaysia Airlines flies to Brisbane five times a week.
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