LANGUAGE

English

CURRENCY

Australian Dollar

BEST TIME TO VISIT

March to May

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION

Central Railway Station, Brisbane

NEAREST AIRPORT

Brisbane Airport (BNE)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

000

INTERNET ACCESS

Wi-fi is still rare in remote Queensland, but the norm in urban accommodation, with cafes, bars, libraries and even some public gardens also providing wi-fi access (often free for customers/guests).

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and other big carriers sell mobile broadband devices with a USB connection that work with most laptops and allow you to get online just about anywhere in the country. Prices are around $80 for 30 days of access (cheaper for long-term fixed contracts). If you’re travelling here from overseas you might be better off buying a local SIM card with a data allowance you can top up.

VISA

All visitors to Australia need a visa. Apply online through the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

eVisitor (651)

Many European passport holders are eligible for a free eVisitor visa, allowing stays in Australia of up to three months within a 12-month period.

eVisitor visas must be applied for online. They are electronically stored and linked to individual passport numbers, so no stamp in your passport is required.

It’s advisable to apply at least 14 days prior to the proposed date of travel to Australia.

Electronic Travel Authority (ETA; 601)

Passport holders from those European countries eligible for eVisitor visas, plus passport holders from Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the USA, can apply for either a visitor Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or business ETA.

ETAs are valid for 12 months, with stays of up to three months on each visit.

ETA visas cost $20.

Visitor (600)

Short-term Visitor visas have largely been replaced by the eVisitor and ETA visas. However, if you’re from a country not covered by either, or you want to stay longer than three months, you’ll need to apply for a Visitor visa.

Standard Visitor visas allow one entry for a stay of up to three, six or 12 months, and are valid for use within 12 months of issue.

Visitor visas cost from $130 to $1000.

HOTEL

Australia’s third largest city and the capital of Queensland sits pretty, just inland from the coast on the Brisbane River, and features a mix of modern and historic buildings dating back to the city’s 1820s beginning. Most of Brisbane’s noteworthy attractions are found in the CBD, which winds along the river, and this is also where most visitors will want to stay – there are hotels for all budgets in this area. Here, you’ll find the South Bank cultural precinct, which is home to the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre, known for its interactive exhibits, and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, one of Australia’s top contemporary art museums. The neighborhood also hosts galleries, shops, restaurants, and hotels. The CBD also hosts parklands, promenades, and the Queen Street Mall, which is a vibrant pedestrian shopping and lifestyle district. Just northeast of the CBD is Fortitude Valley, a trendy suburb that’s home to its own set of restaurants, entertainment venues, and hotels.

LUXURY

Capri by Fraser, Brisbane

The New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites

Sofitel Brisbane Central

Hilton Brisbane

MID-RANGE

Meriton Suites Herschel Street

ibis Brisbane

Punthill Brisbane

Watermark Hotel Brisbane

BUDGET

Best Western Plus Gregory Terrace Brisbane

Bowen Terrace International

Kingsford Riverside Inn

COST OF LIVING

While international visitors tend to flock to Sydney, Melbourne, and the Great Barrier Reef, most Australians consider Brisbane to be holiday capital. The third largest city in Australia is not far from the Tropics so it’s warm in the winter and blazing hot with high humidity in summer.

What Brisbane may lack in history, it more than makes up for in beaches and other outdoor diversions. In other words, this is a place to come and enjoy yourself and to appreciate modern Australia, rather than spend all day going from one museum to another.

Due to it’s location, Brisbane enjoys year round great weather and thus attracts visitors during every season. Because of this, hotel prices will change slightly during the year but not as much as other regions. The middle of the summer tends to see a lowering of rates, though not by much.

Prices in all of Australia’s larger cities are similar for most things, so finding bargains requires a bit of work. Hotel and hostel prices can seem high in the warm summer months (December through February) and a pretty good deal in winter. As with elsewhere in Australia, prices on fast-food and public transportation are strangely high, so eating burgers and riding buses will not be as cheap as they’d be in most of the rest of the world.