With a population of 1,600,000 and with an area of approximately 525 square miles, Brisbane has shucked the reputation it had as a backwater and changed it to a reputation that the people living there can be proud of, being one of the country's most progressive centers. Brisbane has a number of interesting locations such as a great riverside park and a good street cafe scene. Brisbane's cultural calendar is quite busy and the nightlife is thirving too.

Locally, Brisbane is known as Bris Vegas, renowned elsewhere for the sun and the brash, grlitzy hordes that follow it. Brisbane is also an arts capital that is thriving, it has lot's of theatres, concert halls, museums and galleries. It must be paradise with a climate this good.

Brisbane is placed in a good location where the weather is in a delightful contrast to the chilly weather further south, Brisbane

is most pleasant in winter time, June to August, when the days are warm and sunny and the nights are cool. All that while not suffering from the further north stifling humidity. Between June and August, a lot of people from Sydney and Melbourne move up north so a crows could be expected.

The Sunshine Coast

Not more than an hour drive from Brisbane you can reach the Sunshine Coast Queensland, beginning at Caloundra and extending to Cooloola, that is gateway to Fraser Island. The Sunshine Coast Queensland has a pristine coastline and lush hinterland and a superb cuisine. Whatever you are looking for adventure or a nice spot of sand to sit and ponder, the sunshine coast delivers. This coast is a holiday center for both couples and families.

Just to give some examples of the diversity, the kids can be kept happy fishing, visiting local attractions, canoeing or wandering around the markets. There are a variety of swimming spots provided by rivers, sheltered bays and beaches. You can take a quiet rainforest walk, play a round of golf or you can choose a romantic dinner by the sea or in the mountains.

The Sunshine Coast is an ideal place to relax, being a perfect mix of coast and country.