WINTER 2025 • 29 JUNE — 7 JULY 2025
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
The tldr
Accommodation & Neighbourhood — Woolloongabba
Went on a trip with my mom and aunt to visit my sister n her bf studying in Brisbane. We stayed at their place which was actually pretty big (for apartment/condo standards esp compared with BTOs in sg, n the rectangular layout is a plus) and pretty convenientlly located to the city centre and cultural centre. Also, I discovered my new favourite bakery in Brisbane (Cerin Pasticceria) and there's a pretty good gelato place (La Macelleria) and poke place (Fishbowl) nearby.
The vibe — chill af; slow life (or at least compared to sg); good produce; just a drive away from a scenic spot
I actually really enjoyed experiencing the slow pace of life away from sg and how everyone is so chill bout life there (e.g. even though the drivers drive quite dangerously or carelessly there, nobody honks at each other…that would be a different story in sg…). And ofc the good produce there. Also, noticed that the city/Aussie in general seems very family- and child-friendly, now I get why so many people migrate there.
Transport — rented a car via turo.com
We also covered many nature/scenic sights in Queensland outside of the main Brisbane city area cuz we rented a car (big thx to Xavier for driving most of it).
Food — great bakeries; spoilt for choice for restaurants on James St/Fortitude Valley
I had a long list of bakeries/patisseries/icecream shops I wanted to visit and went to almost all of them :~) and the general standard of the bakeries, and ofc the coffees, were pretty high. I had a bunch of restaurants saved too but only managed to get to two of them cuz we ate quite a bit of Asian food to accommodate the oldies in the group :o)
Weather in Winter — 10-20degrees in early July, but blue skies and sunny almost every day
We went in winter and the weather was really good when we went, sunny and blue skies almost every day — now I get why Queensland is known as the Sunshine State. Some nights were colder (10+degrees) but a comfortable 15-20 degrees on most days. The aussies still go out like it's summer tho, when we were at the Noosa Beach and Burleigh Beach, it was so packed on a random weekday and many were in their swimsuits and bikinis or athleisure, it honestly looked like it was summer out.
Guide to Brisbane and Queensland (Click to skip to selected section)
Within Brisbane:
Outside of Brisbane, in Queensland:
All the spots, at a glance (Click on name of place to go to gmaps link)
Food
Sweets
Farmers Markets
Nature
Art & Culture
(*): places that I didn't get to try but were on my saved list
(—): places that I wouldn't visit again either bcuz it was relatively meh / there are other options on the list to try
- - - - - - -
1) Go to a Farmers Market (or two)
Our trip was across two weekends which was great cuz we got to check out two different Farmers Markets. Their farmers markets are super lively (pretty crowded) and everyone gets some food and then sprawls across on the empty grass patches picnic-ing and chatting. We love to see it. As a Singaporean, there isn't really a concept of Farmers Market so it was really refreshing taking in all the sights of the fruits, veggies, flowers, meat, bread, even kombucha on tap. Loved that this one was right by the Brisbane River so we sat near the river to eat our yummy paella (more on that below).
I literally just touched down in Brisbane in the morning after a red-eye flight and this was our first activity after the fam picked me up from the airport cuz they had just collected the rental car that morning (they arrived a week earlier than me).
The crowd
My first sight of their old architecture
What we ate
We decided on paella, my sis recommended it and also it looked the best outta the rest of the stalls. I think this was the most value-for-money food item there too. It's located somewhere in the middle of the West Ends Market, they have about three or four of these big paella pans in their stall + blasting Spanish music (I think) so it's hard to miss them.
Food item: Huevos Rancheros (AUD 20)
Super hefty portion and super flavourful, vvv satisfying. Do add the chilli paste/sauce that's at their condiment station, it's good.
On the second weekend, we went to Jan Powers. I liked them both, kinda similar stalls and seating areas but in different areas of the city n I think Jan Powers is slightly smaller. It's located near the Brisbane Powerhouse (an old power station that's now a performing arts venue).
Really felt the Saturday vibes here, super lively and laidback—the Aussies really know how to enjoy life. Also very heartwarming seeing many big groups of friends, families and kids gathered with good food and conversations, all lying on the grass.
Brisbane Powerhouse bldg in the bg
Winter fruits vibe
Food items we chose: German Sausage bun thing, Smoked Chicken bagel, Lisboa Caffe's Pasteis de Nata
Loved the hotdog bun (baguette was crisp, sausage was rlly juicy, relish n sauce was a good addition too). Saw Lisboa's Caffe (a place I saved) had a popup here, so I decided to try the Pasteis de Nata (egg tart), kinda pricey (AUD 5 i think), was decent but wouldn't buy again. Luckily I didn't specially go to the shop just for it. Smoked chicken bagel was pretty lame n bland.
2) Visit the bakeries (I do this in every country la but Aussie bakeries n coffees r qualityyyy esp if u know whr to go)
My favourite bakery I tried here in Brisbane! Located in Woolloongabba suburb, but still quite convenient to get to from the city centre. Very traditionally-Italian pastries here like sfogliatelle, bombolini, and some fun twists like the carbonara danish. Went twice during my trip, because it deserves that much love hehe.
Was also really surprised to see the bakery packed both times (both weekdays), people having brekkie and also people having sandwiches to-go before work. Imagine if your neighbourhood bakery was this good, goodbye self-control, hello diabetes…?
Sweet pastries
Savoury pastries & sandwiches
Our choices of the minis (first visit)
Last bakery run — secured the goods
My choices (second visit)
Eating beauts sfogliatelle at the lounge
What we ate: Carbonara Danish, Almond & Pistachio Cornetto, Vanilla Bombolone, Pistachio Sfogliatelle, Rum baba, Choc & Pistachio bigne, Passion fruit tart
Loved the pistachio sfogliatelle (my fav thing here, love the pistachio cream inside, flaky af pastry n the crunchy nut-covered side), rum baba, pistachio cornetto. Almond croissant and bignes (choux puffs of sorts) were ok. Carbonara danish was interesting that's why we orderd but wouldn't order again.
A very traditionally-French bakery (mostly viennoisseries, some sweets and savouries here). My second favourite after Cerin Pasticceria.
Eating in the car, road trip brekkie
Road trip to Glasshouse Mountains
What we ate: Bacon, Honey & Goats Cheese Croissant, Choc Eclair, Quiche Lorraine, Almond Croissant
Loved the bacon, honey & goats cheese croissant (so crisp, savoury and with pops of cheese as filling). Choc eclair was also beauts, loved the smooth, luscious, dark filling inside. Almond croissant was nawbad too but I think I would try other pastries instead the next time.
We stopped by Christian Jacques bakery for some bakes before driving off to Glasshouse Mountains. Decided to eat at a picnic table near the park lookout area, and as soon as we unboxed all our items, we suddenly were ambushed on three sides by three ravens getting closer n closer to us. Omg packed up n brisk walked away so quickly back into the car, tried to be real calm too so as not to provoke or attract too much of their attention.
Another really traditionally-French patisserie here (but more towards sweet desserts like tarts and cakes, and also sweet crepes and savoury crepes). Unrelated, but the chef also wore a really tall chef's hat and spoke french and gave off the vibe that he took his desserts really srsly (*respect*).
Our tarts
Mille feuille
What we ate: Ham & Cheese Crepe, Chocolate Tart, Lemon Meringue Tart, Mille Feuille
Loved the tarts (choc so rich n smooth, lemon meringue tart also had a good balance). Skip the crepes (kinda paled in comparison to the cakes n desserts). Finished the tarts n crepe and got a second round of mille feuille oop, that was good too, flaky n filled w v light tasty pastry cream. (it can get a lil sweet tho, esp the icing on the top).
I think this was one of the hottest new bakeries in town when we went (July 2025). Was deciding between this or Sprout Artisan Bakery, but we passed by this first while on the way back from Brisbane Powerhouse (for the Farmers Market) so we stopped here. Queue was probz 30mins+, but made more bearable by the shelves and fridges of pantry items, merch and some cutlery that they were selling. Also, lovely interior and food displays for their bakes, I got carried away ordering.
Beautiful display + branding etc
Back to sis' house to reheat n eat
What we ate: Tonka bean Kouign Amann, Pain Au Chocolat, Plain Croissant, Cinnamon Roll, Chicken pie,
My fav was the chicken pie (super flaky, it's the one with the sesame seeds top), and then the rest were pretty normal… Would actually not go back again, knowing that I have others I haven't been before and wna try (i.e. Sprout Artisan Bakery) and those favs that I would go back to ~in a heartbeat~ (Cerin; Christian Jacques) to get my fav things / try new things from.
Also another really traditionally-French bakery here. Bought a crookie (croissant with cookie dough on top and a gooey-er cookie dough inside) and a country loaf back home. Freezing them and eating them while back in sg, we love that.
What we ate: Crookie, Country Loaf
Chose the crookie cuz it's less common in sg (I haven't had one or maybe I haven't been to bakeries lately in sg), it was super sinful (kinda heavy) but good, I only ate half but was super full from it cuz it's pretty sweet too. Country loaf was good, made sandwiches outta it, mom was a fan.
3) Get gelato (read: Messina) or froyo (read: Yo-Chi)
It seems Messina or Yo-Chi is a way of life here cuz every outlet we went had queues. Ok on weekdays not so much. I tried Messina in sg and it was rlllllllllly sweet for me and it melted super quickly—my 2 friends and I ordered 2 scoops to share but couldn't even finish half the cup so I wasn't rlly looking to try it in Aussie but my sis n her bf said they're big fans of it n go almost every week in Aussie o_O
Specials that change every week
Passionfruit, Coffee, The Negan below
What we ate: The Negan (twice in two days), passionfruit (for sis), Coffee (for mom n aunt)
Aaaaand I loved it in Aussie. We went back two times in two days (nearly went a third time the third day but queue was too long that night). They have weekly specials and one of the specials was called The Negan and that was my faaaav flavour (Choc Hazelnut Gelato with Choc Hazelnut Fudge and Hazelnut Praline). I love choc, hazelnut and hazelnut praline sooooo I had that both times. Texture was good like slightly sticky stretchy vibes (in a good way), strong hazelnut flavour n love the cronch from the hazelnut praline damn. I wonder why the experience in sg vs aussie was so diff maybe it's the ingredients or icecream making process or weather (hence the melting) idk man.
There was a $20,000 Yo-Chi froyo cup colouring competition while we were there lol and I think I honestly enjoyed the activity of (hardcore) colouring in the store + the novelty of seeing all their flavours (like honey, berries etc) and toppings (pistachio sauce, cheesecake etc) more than the actual froyo cup we had made.
But we bought pints of the plain original Yo-Chi from the supermarket and ate them on some nights at my sis house, honestly liked that more. I just paired it with oreos and pistachio sauce and it was great. Less is more, indeed…
Hardcore colourists or whatever
Had my first yo-chi in Gold Coast
c) Bonus ice cream place: La Macelleria
Several locations in Brisbane
We stayed near one of the La Macelleria branches and it was like very authentic Italian gelato vibes, q good
Went for four scoops ofc
Smaller portion, but just enuf for us
What we ate: Tiramisu, Bacio, Ricotta & Fig, Dark Choc
My fav flavour was the Bacio (chocolate + hazelnuts, duh i'm so predictable). Wouldn't say that you muuuuust come here, but it's pretty good n if you're nearby one, can try.
d) Bonus Aussie chain place: Fishbowl
Several locations in Brisbane
We also were staying near a Fishbowl branch (same mall as the La Macelleria, above), so on one of the nights we were lazy to think of what to eat, I just bought that. I looove poke (and salads in general) and this was light, refreshing and hearty. They had red onions, kale and another base in their pokes so it was different than the ones in sg (like poke theory). Enjoyed my poke ::::) maybe cuz im biased to poke but yeah it was v satisfying for me.
Their menu
The large bowl can feed 2 pax
4) Explore Fortitude Valley: the beautiful James Street & its top-notch curation of restaurants and chic Aussie brands
Storefronts
Beautiful street
An upscale marketplace, I love looking at groceries overseas esp when the produce section is wider and fresher. Got some hummus, cara cara oranges (winter fruit season), and sourdough from James St bakery.
Veg display
Orange season
Fortitude Valley
Was out here just admiring the brutalist architecture of this building. It's so different in the day and night. The interiors are also really beautiful.
Love the geometric shapes n concrete
Super cute dropoff driveway
In the day VS below
One of my favourite meals here in Brisbane, really good Thai food. Glad we (went w our Asian gut and) chose this over the other options we had in the area. I had saved Bianca (Italian), emme (Middle Eastern fare), Gerard's Bistro and some others as well but didn't get the chance to visit.
This was my first time third wheeling my sis and also first time having a proper (more expensive) dinner date w her without my parents, I can't believe she's 21 already O_O I used to go bring her to watch Pixar movies, now we here O_O but proud of how much she's grown la…youngest kid vibe to being independent and studying and living in a different country now.
Cripsy Tiger Prawn and Grapefruit Salad, Peanut Nahm Jim, Mint, Coriander
Chiang Mai Duck Larb, Crispy Lime Leaf, Sawtooth Coriander & some crudite to go with (we rlly liked the fresh veg)
What we ate: Crispy Tiger Prawn & Grapefruit Salad, Chiang Mai Duck Larb, Green Curry of Grilled Lamb Neck, Massaman of Wagyu Beef Cheek
We ordered two curries and two salads between three of us and I think we made great picks even with such a big menu (had a hard time deciding). Everything was really good and super flavourful, we were really happy with our picks. Could tell that some parts of the menu catered more to the white-ppl Asian food that angmohs order (like the fried chicken burger, tofu burger kinda things.) so we stayed away from those.
I have actually never tried Gang Rawang or Massaman, both variants of curries that we chose here, even though I've been to Bangkok so many times lol, it was even my first time having duck larb. I wish they gave bigger portions of the curry gravy tho, cuz I loooove to douse my rice in curry and also cuz the curry was good. It was also q interesting seeing the wok master right in the centre of the restaurant, I mean how often do you see those big wokhei fires in such a restaurant setting.
AND an important note that one bowl of rice is 7 AUD, roti is 12 AUD lol. Fought so hard internally (within me) to do away with the rice but we were having curry…we had to la…so we ordered 1 rice to share between the 3 of us O_O Luckily, the rice that came was a heaping mountain in the bowl, and it was also in a slightly larger bowl than a regular chinese rice bowl. (ok crazy rant on rice…)
5) Take a walk down Fish Lane
a) Fish Lane Town Square
South Brisbane
Once an important lane in the 1800s, it has now been revitalised by Aria Property Group into one of Brisbane's top dining and cultural destinations, showcasing a mix of street art, restaurants and public spaces. I loved the public park/seating area and the brick flooring, all under a train track (the railway overpass)—I love when underutilised spaces/old buildings that have seemingly become obsolete have the chance to get repurposed to keep up with the current context, before demolition happens. Cuz old architecture is more often than not so beautiful and full of character 🥺
V cute public spaces n greenery in FIsh Lane Town Square
Bar under a traintrack. LOVE TO SEE IT
The street art is also really tasteful
6) Visit the QAGOMA for art, or the Queensland Museum Kurilpa for natural history (all free entry)
The QAGOMA is made out of two neighbouring buildings—the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art. And it's all free entry!
Rainy day = indoor activities so I headed to the museum alone cuz no one else in my family cares. I enjoyed the Gallery of Modern Art, it was interesting and quite inspiring (as expected) and also smaller so it did not need as much time. Also, it's pretty kid-friendly for a museum, was lovely seeing all the parents+kids, grandparents+kids interacting over the artworks, saw a lot of parents asking their kids questions bout the art (was really cute).
The exhibition that was on (I was there in July 2025) was called Wonderstruck and damn did I feel awestruck…and I also felt really energised exploring alone in the museum at my own time looking at art again after not having done so in a while, with no one to rush me (even I wasn't rushing myself, cuz the entire day was gna be gloomy so I had nowhere else to go anyway).
"In bed", Ron Mueck
V modern building to house QAGOMA
"The Observer", Patricia Piccinini
"We come,we eat,we sleep" NSHarsha
Felt that
Some Aus landscape, Elton Wirri
Zoom in for the crazy intricate strokes
Nylon thread+styrofoam balls, craaazy
It's pen strokes not tapestry, BOLOHO
Here's an excerpt from the opening text of the "Wonderstruck" exhibition, it struck me when I read it (imma stop to smell the roses and see the beauty in everything kinda person) so I kinda (hardcore) relate…
"To be struck by wonder is to live with heightened awareness, to appreciate the minute and the vast, and to see the extraordinary in the most ordinary, yet sacred, corners of life. From this position of openness and curiosity grows an increased appreciation for the world around us, and empathy for those with whom we share it. The cycles of nature, in particular — ocean tides, seasons, day and night — are a steadfast reminder that the world is far greater and more complex than any one of us alone: finding awe in nature can be just as transformative as encounters with the spiritual, scientific or artistic."
b) Queensland Art Gallery (one part of QAGOMA)
Several locations all around Aussie
Free Entry
Open every day 10am-1030pm
I didn't realise there was a second building (the QAG part of QAGOMA) so I took my time and spent quite a while at the GOMA side of QAGOMA. By the time I got to QAG, I was already pretty maxed out on art so I didn't stay long in here.
But I loved the architecture (I didn't make it through the whole building, mainly only first floor), this building was an older building. I loved the entrance atrium area, it reminded me of some other museums I had visited before (I forgot which oops). The skylight, water feature, apertures, was really welcoming and felt really serene, it made you want to slow down and stay in there for a while longer.
Love the materials (esp the stone)
Exterior of the building
The skylight, water feature, views
A painting of the Brisbane River in the old days
Rainy days = museum days for me
c) Queensland Museum Kurilpa
South Brisbane
Free Entry
Open every day 930am-530pm
Ran out of things to do towards the last few day of the 8 days we were there. So I suggested to go to this museum cuz it was free entry and it's pretty all-age-group friendly since it's natural history.
Coral display
Always in awe of nature and its stones, always amazed how these exist naturally
Like wow dat blue exists naturally
Like wow dude
All the taxidermied animals O_O
Giant squid facts went crazy (eye diameter is 30cm, the largest eyes of any animal species), grows up to 14-15m n as heavy as 400kg. bro is bbbig
7) Take a day trip to Noosa Heads, make a pit stop at Glasshouse Mountains
Pit stop: Glasshouse Mountains
Sunshine Coast region, Queensland
Took a road trip out to Noosa Heads, it's approx a 2h drive from Brisbane city. So we stopped by here for a breakfast (pastries from Christian Jacques bakery) + scenery/nature.pit stop.
Unreal clear blue skies and mainly a mountain lookout point, nothing craaaazy but acts as a good pitstop for toilet break, brekkie break etc. Just don't eat outdoors, we were surrounded by ravens when we tried to unbox our pastries at one of the outdoor tables, retreated calmly n cowardly back to eat in the car :')
Lil sisters 🤝 big sisters
Specials that change every week
Destination: Noosa Heads
Shire of Noosa, Queensland
Noosa Heads is a town/suburb in Queensland. It's giving vacation town, there were sooooo many people there when we went (it was a random weekday, but maybe it was the winter holidays, I'm not sure) but the beaches, restaurants, carparks were all really full—loved seeing everyone on vacay mode there. It was winter in July but it looked like a regular summer day on the beach for them cuz it was still really sunny and blue skies galoreeee. Bun's out, surf's out.
We hiked a little up the Noosa National Park. From there, you can see how wide the whole coastline stretches, like wow never ending. I love these moments of witnessing vaaaaast views that have been around forever that make you feel like a small speck of nothingness in the universe, really puts things into perspective when you feel troubled over daily life.
After a bit of that Noosa National Park, we had lunch along the beachfront (at Bistro C), explored the beach for a while during golden hour people-watching (we were in pants n stuff amongst the beachgoers), walked around the boutique shops at Noosa a bit (nothing much, touristy vibe), stopped by Yo-Chi again, headed home during sunset (lovely sunset on the drive back).
Noosa National Park views
The Aussie winter hits diff (context: it's July 2025 and 15-20°C here)
Parents teaching lil kiddo how to surf hehe. Apparently Noosa beach is where many beginners learn to surf cuz of the steady waves
Many shades of blue in these photos
8) Explore the Eastern side of the Scenic Rim (Tamborine Mountain, Hang Glider Lookout, St Bernards Hotel)
Scenic Rim is a region about 1h away from Brisbane with many natural landscapes. We explored the Scenic Rim over two days—first day was around the East (covered in this point), second around the West (point 9).
From the places we went to, I'd say the East side is more natural scenery (mountains, rainforests, waterfalls etc), West side places were more farm/rural vibes but also with my favourite view of the trip (Moogerah Lake, you can get a glimpse from the landscape photos in point 9)
a) Hang Glider Launch and Lookout
Tamborine Mountain, Queensland
We spent one day driving out to the East side of Scenic Rim, mainly the Mount Tamborine region. Drove all the way up to a small town on Tamborine Mountain (where a popular bakery Franquette is located, I really enjoyed their toasties, the bakes are not too bad too, but might not be worth taking the drive all the way there). Nearby the town, we also trekked a short trail (20mins) through a eucalyptus forest to see the Curtis Falls (also pretty tiny and underwhelming but actually quite liked the forest). Can skip both this town and the waterfall imo.
After Curtis Falls, we drove and stopped by Hang Glider Launch and Lookout, and woooow, the view TOOK my breath awayyy, it's an unblocked view of a whole mountainous range kinda area, and typically, there are hang glider activities here (but not when we were there). Very peaceful and beautiful here, would be beautiful at sunset or for a picnic (but might be a little windy).
Mom being huggggged by mountains
Many ppl sitting ard, taking in views
Can u feel dat wind n the vastness?
Idk if u can tell how vast the mountain landscape is from the photo, but once I stepped outta the car, my immediate instinct was to ruunnnn towards the mountains. Cue: the hills are alive~~ Alive, indeed.
Tamborine Mountain, Queensland
This hotel revolves around their 3 St Bernard dogs (sadly now 2, cuz one recently passed away). So many photos of their St Bernards (from a puppy till now) and other St Bernard memorabilia. We had a quick break at the hotel lobby restaurant, sitting at the alfresco area by the mountains, to have a quick bowl of chippies (Aussie for fries) and they were good (almost Aussie fries we had were good, standard for fries is v high here, it seems).
Hated the birds getting too close on the railings, so we shifted inside (the inside is really old-school and cosy, likka old wood cabin, but a more classy version.
Size of St Bernards, w child for reference
The alfresco view of the hotel cafe/restaurant
9) Explore the Western side of the Scenic Rim (Scenic Rim Farm Shop, Kooroomba Vineyards, Moogerah Lake)
a) Kooroomba Vineyards and Lavender Farm
Mount Alford, near Boonah, Queensland
The drive for this from Brisbane was honestly one of the longer ones. Had some light snacks (scones, cheese plate, fries, berries tart) at their restaurant/cafe. We stayed for wine tasting cuz we already drove in for so long, so decided to take it slow and just stay longer at the restaurant and compound. We were supposed to go to the next place (Scenic Rim Farm Shop) for brunch which is apparently quite good in the area (homely vibes)
The lavender fields (thought it would be more WOW but still beauts)
The scones and berries tart were great
b) Scenic Rim Farm Shop
Kents Lagoon, Queensland
It's a little idyllic farm area with a house, a cafe, a flower shop and a farm shop (produce all from their farm or nearby farms, but don't expect too much from the farm shop, it's just like neighbours coming tgt to place their produce and using their barn as a storefront). I guess this is the Aussie version of a home-based cafe.
We didn't manage to try the food (only a brownie which was quite nice n fudgy) because they weren't serving brunch by the time we got there (we stayed at Kooroomba Vineyards for too long).
The whole place was quite cute and homely and they have lots of seating so I'm guessing many people stop by here if they drive out to this area. Everything felt very quaint and slow-paced, so this whole day on the Western side was just us seeing and somewhat experiencing farm/countryside life vibes. I think my mom n aunt were super bored and restless (also cuz of the relatively longer ride through the countryside).
Scenic Rim Farm Shop: mostly known for their cafe, but also has a florist
Beautiful flowers at the flower shop, colours so vibrant *o*
b) Lake Moogerah
Moogerah, Queensland
This was my favourite nature place we went to in our whole trip, maybe also because the golden hour made it even more special. (also one of the only places I took landscape photos LOL).
Being in the presence of the lake is just so calming and peaceful (I feel this calmness with most water bodies, but at this lake it was ofc x10 bcuz of the beauty). Being amongst such vastness (both the lake and mountains) really reminds me of how big the world is and how we are nothing but specks. These are the sights and places that make me feel so happy to be alive and to be able to experience and explore.
It's a kid driving the boat, there were also ppl fishing here (photos below)
The sunset on the drive back
Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia
As teens, our parents brought us to Gold Coast for Dreamworld and Movie World theme parks and it was really fun (I was 14, not sure if it would still be fun but I think so la the rides were pretty thrilling to me then, Dreamworld especially).
My mom just reminded me that, as kids, we also went to Dreamworld and Movie World when I was 5, on a family Sydney trip with ahma <3 Shoutout to the effortful photo collages and photo albums of that childhood Aussie trip in the old school photo albums my parents made (our Dreamworld trips then was going for those kids shows, kids rides and taking photos with all the Looney Tunes characters lol). Aussie trips were actually a big part of my childhood (family-friendly, indeed). Truly thankful for family time and family trips, even till now as a grown-ass adult :')
So this time we chose to go to Burleigh Heads instead, a coastal suburb in Gold Coast. It's about a 1h drive away I think, slightly further away than Dreamworld/Movie World (cuz we saw it on the highway on the way to Burleigh Heads, still looked enticing to me when we were driving by).
Sadly, it was a really cloudy day so the views weren't as great. Burleigh Heads was one of our first road trips out of the city so the views on the subsequent road trips only got better (Scenic Rim etc).
Personally, if you only have enough days for one beach, I think Noosa Heads is more beautiful and has more to do (cuz there's a national park there too if you want to hike).
Vvv cloudy skies but many surfers still
11) Get your Asian food fix in the suburbs of Sunnybank or Inala (it's a bus ride or quick drive out)
Inala, Queensland, Australia
Inala (the suburb) is just a bus 30-40+minute bus ride away from the city, quite interesting to see a whole Little Vietnam here. Entering from the bus stop area, there are many fruit stalls and many Asian grocery stalls. And inside Inala Plaza (a mall), there is also a big Asian supermarket (super well-stocked with very specific Asian sauces, meats, noodles, Thai/Viet herbs, everything). I love seeing how Asian immigrants thrive anywhere they move to, with their own supermarkets, food stalls, food trucks etc.
Along the outside pathway leading up to the entrance of Inala Plaza, there's some public spaces and seats (spotted uncles playing chess ofc) and some stalls as well. We got a sugarcane juice and pandan waffle from a street stall. The sugarcane was super gao (very dark green, like almost can't see through it) and pandan waffle is the best I ever had, look at the thick batter, the crisp and the chewiness from the waffle was perfect.
Inala, Queensland, Australia
Had a really good Viet meal here. It was also my first time trying Com Tam (broken rice), and it was really yummy and satisfying (the pork chop was very well-marinated). We also tried Bun Rieu and Bun Bo Hue (both my first time LOLLLLL), slightly on the sweeter side, so the Com Tam was still my fav dish here.
The fruit market at Inala
Our Viet meal at TRONGAN
#1 fan bus driver truly decked out his bus man. Context: the Brisbane rugby team won the league the previous night. Love to see the enthusiasm man
12) When in Aussie, buy and eat their fresh produce (fruits, bread, cheese, yogurt etc)
Needless-to-say tip here but we were really happy eating our fruits everyday (breakfast or after dinner), love the prices of fruits here. We bought fruits mainly from fruit stalls (e.g. Spuds & Plums) in malls or supermarkets (e.g. Woolsworth, Coles). Maybe next time, we will try fruits from farmers markets.
It was winter, so we mainly had avocadoes, kiwis, berries, many varieties of oranges (Cara Cara, Murcot). Also bought things like hummus, Yo-Chi in pints, smoked salmon, sourdough from bakeries, cream cheese.
Fresh fruits & fresh flowers (bought from the flower shop at Scenic Rim Farm Shop)
Smoked salmon toast + fruits for quick brekkie at home on some days
Fruit nights
Yo-Chi that tasted better at home from the pint
Got Ma hooked on hummus n sis hooked on using cucumber sticks
- - - - - - -
Notes from the Road
Leading up to the holiday, I was originally not as excited about it because of my current life sitch. But honestly, it was a really good break (very slow & unrushed, carefree, less planned than usual). Pre-trip, I mainly only researched the food stuff (restaurants, bakeries, cool areas). The rest of the itinerary (farmers markets, road trips, nature stuff) was all planned by sissy and her bf (thx 1yro locals).
I initially thought an 8-day trip to Brisbane would be boring and overkill and we would run out of things to do but actually I was very pleasantly surprised by it.
The city of Brisbane itself is pretty cool and comparable with more known cities in Australia like Melbourne, or even other big cities in the world. They've got good restaurants and bakeries, farmers markets, art museums, good Asian food (lol that unrelated criterion). Most notably, I loved the proximity of having beautiful nature of all kinds (from beaches and mountains to lakes, rainforests, waterfalls) and many are just a 1-2 hour drive away. I was also able to see the slower side of life through visiting some of the countryside (defo still a city gal but it was nice to see a different way of life). Even in the city, their pace of life was slower than what we know in sg (loved to see it).
Don't know if I would return again, but honestly wouldn't mind going again in a few years time maybe when my sis is still there. Maybe we'll go on a trip to another Aussie city (Tasmania and/or Melbourne or even NZ o_O) and then stop by Brisbane, we'll see~ Good things are coming!!!!!!!
