This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
The third largest city in Australia by population has a relationship with water that delights us.
In Australian Aboriginal mythology, the Rainbow Serpent is the great master of the waters. By sinuating on the surface of the Earth, it traced the beds of rivers and rivers, the contours of lakes and seas before summoning the rain there. In Brisbane, capital of the State of Queensland, one could even believe that Waugal, one of his many names, “signed” his work: the river which crosses it indeed draws a giant W there!
On this water boulevard, also called Brisbane, private yachts and sailboats sail, excursion boats, kayaks and CityCats, these public transport service catamarans that drop us off from shore to shore. another, from one neighborhood to another. That’s all it takes to give the town a happy holiday atmosphere! Especially since it is located an hour’s drive from the Sunshine Coast, to the north, and the Gold Coast, to the south, two hyperpopular seaside destinations. “It’s a proximity that actually has positive consequences on our quality of life! says Josephine Mitchell, from the Museum of Brisbane, to be visited at City Hall.
From penal colony to “Brizvegas”
In the company of M.me Mitchell, we’re walking downtown. “In 1825, the new penal colony had three muddy streets corresponding to the heart of the current Central Business District (CBD),” explains the young woman. A penitentiary had been built there to house the most hardened of the detainees, turned back by Sydney. A women’s prison occupied the current site of the post office.
Around the middle of the 19the century, government programs favored immigration to the north of the country, and free British, German and Asian settlers gradually came to populate the region. Brisbane officially became a city in… 1925. It now has 2.3 million inhabitants.
Thus, in the CBD, the majority of buildings date from the 1920s and 1930s, and they are in the process of being completely obscured by the sprawling glass towers, new totem poles of the modern world. It is moreover to make fun of its ideas of grandeur that “locals” have nicknamed it “Brizvegas”!
But for our guide, “Brizzy” is above all synonymous with change. “Before the Commonwealth Games in 1982, she had a reputation for being really boring! she confides. Then it hosted the Universal Exhibition [en 1988] and since then, the cultural life has developed, the culinary scene, the cafes, all that is now flourishing. »
The city’s next pivotal moment will be the Summer Olympics in 2032, and it’s already preparing big time. Revitalization of the railway station and cultural facilities, expansion of a tram-like bus network, new hotels: the work sites are legion. Also in the CBD, Queen’s Wharf will be inaugurated this year. Valued at AU$3.6 billion (CA$3.3 billion), this sprawling riverside complex will add 1,000 rooms to the existing hotel portfolio, 50 new restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as an observation tower, the SkyTower.
In the meanders of the “W”
On the heights of the city centre, the dapper area of Paddington boasts of its beautiful Queenslanders, traditional houses with verandas, adorned with lacework, while the sinuosities of Brisbane reveal other neighborhood-villages with a strong personality. From east to west, the elegant New Farm is proud of its Powerhouse, a former hydroelectric station converted into a contemporary art gallery. Fortitude Valley, he hesitates between the super chic and the disreputable. Result ? Its flowery backyards (Bakery Lane and California Lane, among others), where cafés, barbers and microboutiques are found, are particularly attractive. As for the West End, it’s the quintessential bohemian neighbourhood, a haven for farmers’ markets.
Opposite the CBD, the 17 hectares of South Bank Parklands, remnants of the World’s Fair, are frankly breathtaking. Along the river and a promenade shared by pedestrians and cyclists, there are gardens, a tropical forest, a concert hall, the State Library, four museums, including the extraordinary Gallery of Modern Art, a huge lagoon, vast swimming pool bordered by palm trees, as well as a multitude of bars and restaurants. At any time of the day or evening, the site is busy.
It is precisely from this shore that a boat from Miramar Cruises goes up the Brisbane to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The commented cruise gives us another perspective on the city and its surroundings; the reserve, a real delight.
Founded in 1927 to protect the species then hunted for its fur (and recently threatened by bush fires), the huge park has around a hundred of these cute residents. In their enclosures open to the four winds, they sleep in a ball for 18 to 20 hours a day and the rest of the time, nibble eucalyptus leaves to hydrate themselves, because they do not drink – that is what stands for the Aboriginal word “koala”. In the reserve, you can also become familiar with other endemic species, including the no less adorable kangaroo.
It’s time to head back to Brisbane. Contemplating the panorama from the waves, one cannot help but think that the Rainbow Serpent did things well…
Carolyne Parent was the guest of Tourism and Events Queensland.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, relating to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.