Skytrain to Brisbane	Brisbane Botanic Gardens	King George Square	Brisbane from Kurilpa bridge

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third most populous city in Australia. The metropolitan area has about 2 million inhabitants. The city and river that runs through it are named after Thomas Brisbane, governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony in Redcliffe, 28km north of Brisbane's business district, in 1824. That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859. The city played a key role during World War II, as Pacific Southwest headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur. Brisbane hosted many major cultural and sporting events including the Commonwealth Games in 1982, the Universal Exposition in 1988 and the Goodwill Games final in 2001. In 2008, Brisbane was classified as a "world city + range" in the inventory of the World Cities Study Group from Loughborough University. It was also declared the 16th most habitable city in the world in 2009 by "The Economist". The highest temperature in the city was 43.2 ° C, recorded in January 1940, but temperatures above 38 ° C are not uncommon. From an artistic point of view the city owns the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) which is the largest gallery of modern art in Australia. Asia Pacific Triennial (APT) takes place in GOMA, which focuses on contemporary art from Asia and the Pacific. GOMA is located near the State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Art Gallery. The most interesting places to visit in the city are: the Brisbane Botanic Gardens which represent the reconstruction of numerous habitats, with plants and flowers from all over the world, such as tropical trees, cacti and aromatic gardens. It is a pleasure to walk along these paths, between streams and lagoons. The area dedicated to Australian flora, Australian Plant Communities, occupies 27 hectares, in which different habitats are enclosed, such as rainforest, swamps, eucalyptus woods and a pond, which offer shelter to over 40 endangered species, such as dragons of water and other native species. To spot birds, turtles and observe eels that flicker among the lagoon waters, you can reach the Lagoon and Bamboo Grove area, where you can also admire rare species of bamboo. Queen Street is Brisbane's main street; named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The western part of the street is covered by a new square at the base of Brisbane Square and below part of the western half is the Queen Street bus station. Kurilpa Bridge is a $63 million foot and cycle bridge over the Brisbane River. The bridge connects Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane to Tank Street in Brisbane's central business district. The skytower is Brisbane's tallest skyscraper. With its 270 m. and 90 floors is the 4th tallest in Australia. The residential tower includes 1,138 one, two and three bedroom apartments, as well as sub-penthouses and penthouses. A recreational deck on the 89th floor houses Australia's tallest infinity pool. An eight-storey underground car park is included, for a total of 980 spaces. South Bank is a cultural, social, educational, and recreational area of ??the South Brisbane neighborhood. It is located on the southern quay of the Brisbane River. In addition to the Exhibition and Convention Center, the Quensland Art Gallery and the museum and Science Center, there is a wonderful recreational area characterized by swimming pools and a beach that can be used by the inhabitants of the city. Obviously there is no shortage of restaurants and bars. About 70 km from Brisbane is the Gold Coast reachable by train in about 65'/AU$ 32/A/R. The Gold Coast is a metropolitan region south of Brisbane on Australia's east coast. It is famous for long sandy beaches, surfing and the elaborate system of navigable canals and waterways. The city is also home to theme parks such as Dreamworld, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild. Inland, the hiking trails cross the mountain ranges and valleys of Lamington National Park, where rare birds and the rainforest are found. You arrive at Helensvale station from Brisbane, then take another connecting train that takes you to Southport, Main Beach, Surfers'Paradise and Broadbeach South, the southernmost point of the Gold Coast (48 '). It is possible to buy a 10 AU$/24h card at Brisbane airport which allows you to travel with all means of transport on the Gold Coast. From Brisbane airport to the city center you can arrive by train by spending AU$ 14/11 Km/15 '. You can also use the UBER service which costs AU$ 34 from the hotel to the airport.