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Queensland
The Sunshine Coast’s Noosa… is resplendent with shopping on Hastings Street and beautiful national parks with alluring natural attractions such as the Roaring Caves Blowhole.
cliff to Kangaroo Point – many of these venues are worth a stop. If you’ve chosen a weekend (and you’ll be forgiven for any inability to discriminate between leisure day and work day) for your sojourn, stop by the Eagle Street Pier Markets. Crossing into the Valley, you’ll see this city’s transitory state at its most raw. There’s no geographical division between the upscale Cloudland and the grungy punk clubs – sort the wheat from the chaff with your multiple bar options. There are two directions to take on Brunswick Street: left will take you into the heart of the city’s nightlife. The road less travelled, however, is daytime’s right. Immediately on this journey is one of Brisbane’s better avant-garde boutiques; Fallow crosses genders with elegant clothing and jewellery offerings. Cautious of your new favourite garment, duck into ShliX for what is claimed to be Australia’s best ice-cream. Follow this street further and you’ll find the Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts – a fantastic spot to catch Australia’s next up-and-comer’s work. Brunswick Street comes to a finale in New Farm Park, a gorgeous spot for a picnic. It’s also a great place to jump on the ferry to Brett’s Wharf and its seafood pleasures, or to The Powerhouse – where you can sip on a beverage, observe the river and wait for a show to start. Any trip to Queensland must take in either the Gold or Sunshine Coasts. For the postcard experience, head to the Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise, 80 kilometres south of Brisbane. Here you can find long walks on the beach, shopping everywhere and myriad entertainments for the young and the young at heart – Movie World, Dreamworld, Wet ‘n’ Wild, Sea World… any number of worlds. The Sunshine Coast’s Noosa, north of Brisbane, is resplendent with shopping on Hastings Street and beautiful national parks with alluring natural attractions such as the Roaring Caves Blowhole. But for those in Queensland after solitude and sand, head toward the less tourist visited Maroochydore for equally beautiful beaches, but more deference to the quiet moment. w