Brisbane
A city to stay and live
Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia and is located in the state of Queensland, on the east coast of the country. Known as the "River City" as it stretches along the Brisbane River, it has a subtropical climate, with mild winters and warm summers, making it a pleasant destination all year round. Discover more information about what could be your future city in Australia!
Brisbane es la capital del estado de Queensland, ¡y el lugar donde disfrutarás de un clima envidiable durante todo el año! Se trata de la tercera ciudad más grande de Australia, después de Sídney y Melbourne. Cuenta con una población de 2,3 millones de habitantes, , Brisbane es lo suficientemente grande para ofrecer todas las comodidades y oportunidades de una gran ciudad, pero lo suficientemente pequeña para que puedas adaptarte y sentirte en casa rápidamente.
The pros and cons of living in Brisbane
Advantages
- It is a relatively small city, but constantly growing.
- It has a lot of job stability and Thousands of activities to do throughout the year.
- Almost everything is within walking distance and well connected to the center.
- The city's climate is very good, with a short winter and quite similar to a European spring.
- You are close to some of the best beaches in Queensland. In about an hour you can reach the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast. It is the ideal point to undertake road trips along the Australian east coast!
- Al ser la capital del estado de Queensland, tiene una amplia oferta de vuelos tanto nacionales como internacionales.
Some small–very small–blight of the city
- There are many hills! It is a city with a lot of unevenness, so wherever you go you will find a slope that will make your way... let's say interesting.
- Las tormentas de verano pueden ser un problema, especialmente si te pillan es la calle y vienen con granizo.
- Amanece demasiado pronto y en verano el sol te despierta a las 5 de la mañana, pues en Australia no hay persianas que te tapen el sol. Aunque, pensándolo bien, esto no es un problema. ¡Disfruta al máximo de cada día!
- Due to the humidity, the summer heat is quite stifling.
- Parking in the center is paid and is more expensive than in the other cities in Australia . The bike will be your best companion!
- It doesn't have a beach, but with the variety of entertainment in Brisbane and the east coast just a stone's throw away, this isn't a problem, is it?
Where is Brisbane located?
Brisbane is in the middle of the east coast of Australia. To the north is the Sunshine Coast, Airlie Beach, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. To the south, you will find Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Sydney and Melbourne. And around there are several natural parks such as Glass House Mountains, Springbrook or Lamington.
It should be noted that if you want to see animals that you will only see in Australia, in just 5 hours by car you can find them all. You can watch turtle eggs hatch in Bundaberg, see wild dingoes on Fraser Island, dive with whales in Mooloolaba, see wild kangaroos at sunset on Stradbroke Island or swim with sharks at Byron Bay's Julian Rocks. It may not seem like much to you!
Weather in Brisbane
Como hemos dicho, una de las principales ventajas de esta ciudad es su clima. Olvídate del frío para siempre y prepárate para disfrutar al aire libre cada día de la semana. Durante los meses de verano (diciembre, enero y febrero) las temperaturas medias oscilan desde 20Cº de mínima y 35Cº de máxima. ¡Y prepárate para levantarte pronto! Porque amanece a las 4:45 am.
¿Y el invierno? Ya lo hemos comentado antes. Se parece más a una primavera. Durante junio, julio y agosto las temperaturas medias son de 10Cº la mínima y 20Cº la máxima. Amanece a las 6:45 am y anochece a las 5:30 pm.
El otoño y la primavera son realmente suaves. Las temperaturas varían entre 15 Cº de mínima y 27 Cº de máxima. Como ves, una temperatura realmente agradable durante todo el año.
How to get around Brisbane
Lo primero que hay que hacer es comprar la tarjeta Go Card para pagar el autobús, tren o ferri. Sin ella, el coste del trayecto te supondrá un 30 % más y hay conductores que no llevan dinero para el cambio y no te dejarán subir.
La Go Card, o lo que es lo mismo, la tarjeta para el transporte de Brisbane, hay que pasarla por el lector al entrar y, recuerda, también al salir. No hacerlo te supondrá que te cobren el trayecto más largo.
En Brisbane solo pagas los 9 primeros trayectos que hagas en la semana, lo cual quiere decir que a partir del décimo es gratis. Incluso si te apetece ir, por ejemplo, a Gold Coast el fin de semana, ese trayecto será gratis si está hecho a partir del noveno viaje pagado. El coste depende de la zona, la hora y el tipo de Go Card que hayas comprado. Las zonas más comunes donde vivir son la 1, 2 y 3, y el coste de cada zona sería:
- ZONE 1: 3.31 AUD in peak hours and 2.65 AUD in normal hours.
- ZONE 2: 4.03 AUD in peak hours and 3.22 AUD in normal hours.
- ZONE 3: 6.16 AUD in peak hours and 4.93 AUD in normal hours.
All these prices are reduced by half if you have the concession, which is a discount that is granted to students full-time who study courses other than English.
If you board several buses in a period of less than an hour and a half, it is considered a continuation, so that trip will be free or you will be charged only the proportional part if you pass to the next area. If you live near the river between Sydney Street in New Farm and North Quay in the city, you're in luck! The Cityhopper is a free ferry that makes 8 stops near the city and runs every half hour from 6:00 am to 11:30 pm.
The best neighborhoods to live in Brisbane
What are the best areas to live in Brisbane? We tell you!
- Spring Hill: is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Brisbane. The former homes are now office and apartment buildings.If you are looking for one single room, prices range between 180 and 210 AUD per week. Remember that you can also rent an entire apartment for a good price.
- Fortude Valley: is a central neighborhood where most of Brisbane's nightlife is concentrated, with countless bars and restaurants. Prices around 180-200 AUD per week (single room).
- New Farm and Teneriffe: These are the neighborhoods that follow Fortitude Valley, but with a much calmer atmosphere. Prices for a single room are usually around 170-190 AUD per week.
- West End: is one of the most alternative neighborhoods in Brisbane. There are many restaurants, bars and even a market on Saturday and Friday nights. Prices are around 180-190 AUD per week (single room).
- Highgate Hill: The neighborhood next to West End. A little more remote, but well connected to public transport. Prices for a non-shared room range from 160 to 190 AUD per week.
- Newstead, Red Hill, Petrie Terrace, Toowong, Milton, Woolloongabba, Kangaroo Point, East Brisbane y Annerley: son barrios un poco más alejados (20-30 min en autobús) en los que encontrarás viviendas compartidas de mayor tamaño y calidad por unos 160-180 AUD a la semana.
- Paddington: This residential neighborhood is located in the western part of Brisbane. It is characterized by being a quiet area with a wide commercial offer. It is a very good option if you want to feel like you are in the Aussie lifestyle and eat a good brunch in the cafes in this area. In addition, the prices of The rents are not high and you can find a single room for 170-190 AUD.
- South of Brisbane: the most prominent neighborhood in this area is the South Bank, a very lively suburb located on the river, next to the famous Ferris wheel and the Queensland Museum. The price to rent a room is higher than in the other neighborhoods but it's worth it if you work in the CBD.
Find out about all the Brisbane plans
We have made a compilation of the upcoming events in Brisbane so you don't miss out on what's happening in your new city:
- Enero: Campeonato Internacional de Tenis. Si eres aficionado al deporte, este es un evento que no te podrás perder. Se celebra en Tennyson.
- Febrero: Año nuevo chino. Se celebra con varios eventos, desfiles, música y bailes tradicionales y comida típica en diferentes puntos de la ciudad, especialmente en Chinatown Mall y Fortitude Valley.
- Marzo: Festival Irlandés. Se celebra una colorida cabalgata al más puro estilo irlandés en Alice Street. El Patrick’s Day se celebra con mucha alegría en Brisbane. El 17 de marzo la ciudad se viste de verde, se llana de gorros y caras pintadas.
- Abril: Anzac Day (ANZAC – Australian and New Zealand Arm Corps). El 25 de abril es el día en el que, en Australia y en Nueva Zelanda, se rinde homenaje a los miembros de las fuerzas armadas.
- Mayo: Paniyiri Greek Festival. Es un festival cultural que comenzó a celebrarse en 1976 gracias a un grupo de greco-australianos. Se celebra anualmente en Musgrave Park, West End, y en él podrás disfrutar de música, bailes e historias griegas tradicionales.
- Junio: Winter’s festival. Cuando empieza el frío, se monta en King George una pista de patinaje sobre hielo con cañones de nieve. Esta pista está rodeada de puestos de comidas típicas de diferentes países en esta estación del año.
- Julio: Teneriffe Festival. Desde hace ocho años, este festival inunda las calles del Teneriffe con diferentes puestos de comida, conciertos y tiendas de comercio local para celebrar el desarrollo del barrio.
- Agosto: EKKA. El segundo miércoles de agosto dirígete al Brisbane Showgrounds. Verás las actividades agrícolas propias del estado de Queensland. El recito ofrece también puestos de comida y muchas actividades.
- Septiembre: Brisbane festival. Durante todo el mes de septiembre encontrarás actos culturales como música, teatro y espectáculos de luces. El último fin de semana termina con una fiesta de fuegos artificiales en la que colaboran las fuerzas armadas.
- October: Valley Fiesta is an event held annually in Fortitude Valley in which you can enjoy a wide variety of live music for free local food and art stalls.
- November: Melbourne Cup it is the most prestigious horse race in Australia. In Brisbane, the Eagle Farm and Doomben racecourses hold multiple horse races, and the neighborhood of Hamilton is filled with hats, headdresses and ties .
- Diciembre: Christmas Festival. Se organizan tours para ver las casas mejor decoradas y hay cabalgata y espectáculo de luces en King George Square. En la playa se proyectan películas de navidad en South Bank, ¡de forma gratuita!
Mistakes to avoid in Brisbane
- Fumar en Queen Street. Está al aire libre, ¡pero está prohibidísimo fumar!
- Do not buy in the markets.It is a way to save on purchases, especially if you go in the hour before they close, since they lower prices a lot and, sometimes, they even give away fruits and/or vegetables.
- Do not carry an umbrella in summer.Because the sun in Australia is very strong. And in Brisbane, even more!
- Forgetting to swipe the Go Card when leaving the bus, train or ferry.Second time we say it. If you don't pass it you pay for the entire trip!
- Do not greet or thank bus drivers. Apply the Aussie style and start greeting everyone.
- Come without warm clothes.Yes, the temperature is unbeatable all year round, but… a jacket never hurts!
- To think that whatever you do, the work will fall from the sky. Make no mistake! It is true that there are jobs in Australia and that Brisbane is one of the cities with the most job opportunities, but you have to have an attitude and move a lot.
What to visit in Brisbane
We know that you love to travel and discover new places, that's why we have made a list so you know what to visit in Brisbane.
- Roma Street Parkland: is a 14-hectare park in the center of the city with multiple playgrounds, barbecues and paths to explore.
- CityCat ride:Taking a ferry excursion from West End to Teneriffe at sunset is one of the experiences that will remain in your retina.
- Mount Coot-tha: a place to enjoy the best views of the city from the highest point. You can choose to stay to eat at the restaurant, have a beer or take a walk along one of the paths that surround the forest reserve.
- South Bank Parklands y Lagoon: es una zona de recreo con múltiples opciones como: barbacoas, playa artificial, bares y restaurantes, un pequeño rainforest, una pagoda nepalí y la noria de Brisbane.
- Kangaroo Point Cliffs:Green area on the river's edge, with barbecues and stunning views of the city and the Story Bridge.
- Springbrook National Park and Lamington National Park:are two parks that offer you a wide variety of walks to do and experiences to live, such as watching the sunset or seeing luminous larvae in the cave of the Natural Bridge , in Springbrook.
- Stradbroke Island, Moreton Island and Bribie Island: these are the closest islands to Brisbane. Here you will find endless beaches and a great variety of wildlife. For the first two you will need to go by ferry.
- Mount Glorious and Glass House Mountains: are two great options for same-day countryside getaways. You will find several paths to take that end in incredible views.
- Coolum and Currumbin: The first beach is to the north and the second to the south. They are less than two hours from Brisbane and have a calm and family atmosphere.
- Maleni: is a town an hour inland. It has a very Australian atmosphere, with small houses and lots of local shops.Wellington Point is located 30 minutes from downtown.Noosa and Byron Bay, also nearby, are a fantastic place for a weekend getaway.
