After bidding farewell to Byron Bay, I pointed the camper toward Brisbane. But you can’t drive through this part of the world without a stop on the Gold Coast. I decided to stretch my legs with a massive beach walk, trekking all the way from Miami Beach to the towering skyscrapers of Surfers Paradise and back. There is something surreal about walking on pristine sand while a mini-Manhattan skyline looms right beside you!
Once I reached Brisbane, the weather took a bit of a turn. Between the grey skies and my tight schedule, my time here was shorter than planned, but I still managed to pack in some history.
I spent the afternoon wandering through the City Botanic Gardens and visiting the Old Government House. It’s wild to think about Brisbane’s origins; it was founded in 1824 as the “Moreton Bay” convict colony. It wasn’t until 1842 that the convicts were moved on and free settlers were allowed in. When Queensland officially split from New South Wales in 1859, Brisbane was named the capital, though it didn’t technically receive its “city” status until 1902.
To cap off my visit, I decided to tackle the city’s most iconic landmark: the Story Bridge. Opened in 1940, it’s easily the most famous bridge in the country after that “other” one in Sydney. I did the bridge climb, and even with the moody weather, the view over the Brisbane River and the winding city reaches was spectacular. It’s the perfect vantage point to see how the city has grown from a river settlement into a modern metropolis.
Next stop: Leaving the city lights behind for more coastal adventures!
