introduction

Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland. It is situated on the Brisbane River on the FloodplainMoreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland.
It has a population of about 2 million people, and is the third-largest and fastest growing city in Australia.

Brisbane was once considered to be just a big country town, however it has grown rapidly and now has a big city style all of its own.

 

surfing

The surf coast around Brisbane is located off shore on the series of islands that run from south of Caloundra down to the Gold Coast. The islands block off all major swell from actually reaching the mainland shores in the Brisbane region. The main surf spots are on the islands of Bribie, Moreton, North Stradbroke and South Stradbroke. The sand banks up an the ocean sides of the islands and makes for some great, uncrowded heavy beach action.

Bribie is the northern most of these islands and can be reached via a toll bridge. It is the most sheltered island from south swells due to Moreton and North Straddy further south.

Moreton has to be accessed by one of the ferries from either Scarborough on the mainland or Bulimba Wharf on North Stradbroke. It has some excellent peaks and right hand beach breaks but to stay here you will need to bring a tent for camping and food and water - a good surf adventure.

North Stradbroke or Straddy is probabley the most consistent of the islands and can have good waves when everywhere else is lacking. There are places to stay in the form of hostels and camping grounds and can be reached by ferry from the mainland. It is worth noting that marine life is in abundance here and shark sitings are certainly not unheard of.

South Stradbroke is a little more difficult to gain access to, you'll need your own boat. It's a much smaller and protected island and receives less swell than the others.

where to stay

The city is insanely popular with backpackers and countless choices of hostels have sprung up to cater for this offering clean and cheap living in the city centre. Fierce competition has kept the prices down and the longer you stay loyal to one the cheaper it gets. Caravan, camping and holiday parks are also available on the outskirts of the city for budget accommodation for families and many are on bus routes into the city for those without transport.

There are also a full range of bed and breakfast and guesthouses scattered in and around the city centre  and outer suburbs. Needless to say, in a modern clean city such as Brisbane, top end luxury hotels are plentiful for those wishing to splurge some serious cash.

Basing yourself here also gives you a centralised location between the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and the outer islands such as North Stradbroke all within a day trip. 

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