Brisbane suffers from bad press.     We got asked more than once why we were going there.      Not much to see.     Guess you could take the boat tour of the river, if you wanted to.        The truth is our train pass ends in Brisbane and we figured we'd take a look-see.      

And we quite liked what we saw in the few days that we stayed in this city that sits 10 km inland from the ocean and wraps itself around a windy river that shares the same name .       

Local neighbourhoods were thriving and fun.   The Southbank is a lovely park area, with another lagoon (this time to protect against river sharks…we’re out of the stinger zone), trellised flowers hanging everywhere and dozens of restaurants and outdoor eating areas.     Green spaces are everywhere and one of the most beloved overlooking the river includes a series of gas barbeques for the public to use for picnics.   Aussie bbqs are a national pastime.

The city hall houses the one thing people did recommend we take in – one of the best collections of old Hollywood costumes anywhere.      Dresses worn by MGM stars from Fred Astaire (who didn't wear a dress) to Grace Kelly and Barbara Stanwick were displayed beside either pics or videos of the movies.      Fun to see that as flamboyant, lamméd and sequined as some of them were, a close squint showed some raw hemlines…the finishing touches not needed for movies perhaps .    The same city hall building had a wonderful clock tower above, and the old cage elevator is made available to those wanting to see the view.       Both New Zealand and Australia open their museums and buildings for all to enjoy - nary a coin changes hands..

A hop-on-hop-off bus gives us a broader sampling of the city.       This one was a skim for us, but we liked what we saw.   The one common theme we have seen in most Australian cities and towns is that there is a great deal of space dedicated for public use….parks, playgrounds etc., with a heavy emphasis on sports and cultural facilities. Here they build in a 2% of project cost fee for any development approval to be used for public art, which is beginning to make a major impact.    Obviously, the Aussies here want to remain active and enjoy art, music and other forms of education and entertainment.

So when someone ask us about whether they should visit Brisbbane, we'll reply in our best aussie "give 'er a try, true dinkum."