Brisbane; Sunshine, Sheilas, & Steve Irwin

forbidden stuffed animal

G’day from sunny Brisbane! Except for the first few days of being there, the weather decided to be the “Worst it’s been in a while” according to the locals. Go figure. But hey I still got sunburnt so that must mean something.

Housesitting in Brisbane had a completely different vibe than Sidney. The dogs were needy, and I’m fairly convinced one was actually a dingo. Dealing with them for three weeks made me want to make dog jerky a few times not going to lie. Luckily I kept my sanity and didn’t commit any felonies.

Something else that was difficult was the public transit. The suburbs around Brisbane weren’t as connected to the city as the suburbs in Sydney. It was hard to get around and it took forever! That being said we decided to rent a car for a few days and pack everything we wanted to see within those. It was worth the money spent just to save time. If you’re wanting to check out Brisbane and the areas around it I would highly recommend having a car.

Each day was filled with amazing moments! Starting with Lamington National Park. This park was huge and had a lot to see like cliffs, waterfalls, birds, etc. We went on a Rainforest walk and saw some amazing trees! There is a specific tree that is actually a parasite. It envelops a tree and blocks sunlight from reaching it. It also steals its nutrients and over time that tree dies. However, they do look pretty cool.

These trees are MASSIVE

We also saw some colorful birds! You could feed them and Shae did it. I was not so brave. Unfortunately, I was an innocent casualty when I tried to capture the moment.

Proof

The coolest part of this National park was the bridge that went through the trees. I felt like I was on the rickety bridge in Shrek when they went to the Castle to save the princess. But it was beautiful being so high up. You could really see the trees competing with each other to reach the sunlight.

Next, we went to The Australia Zoo! Now if you don’t know Steve Irwin first of all I am slightly judging you. Steve Irwin was (God rest his soul) for all intents and purposes the world’s Australian father. He was THE croc whisperer, animal activist, and conservationist. He taught us about nature so we would love it and therefore protect it. His legacy is carried through his family and the Australia Zoo is proof of that.

There were so many amazing animals, and of course the renowned Crocodile show! It was so neat to see things I had watched on my childhood TV in real life! The Zoo was so big it took about 5 hours to see it all. I have to say though that my favorite memories that day were the Koala’s and the Crocodile show.

COME ON! So cute!

Seriously, Koala’s are so pathetically cute right?! I mean look at it. He looks like he just worked a double shift, came home to a mess, and has to pay child support. It was also cool to see dingos, red pandas, and a hella old tortoise. The crown jewel of the zoo is the crocodile show! They bring in a saltwater croc and feed it/educate the crowd. It is hard to tell from the video but this thing was HUGE. And watching it gave me chills. You can tell how intelligent they are. And when they are in the water they make no wake, splash, nothing. Its eerie.

Cute Wallaby but check out that TOE. like WHAT IS THAT.

Next, we went to another National Park and did a beautiful waterfall hike! The trail was pretty unkempt which turned out to be really fun! Hopping over streams, climbing over trees, walking through huge boulders, etc. We were hiking down to the forest floor so on the way down it was super easy. Three miles essentially straight down. The waterfall was amazing and so were all the bird sounds we heard on the way there.

Once we hiked back we got a sweet welcome by three Kookaburra’s! It was so so cool to see THE quintessential Aussie bird up close.

Next, we hit up the city! We went to an art museum (quick shoutout to every art museum we’ve been to in AUS and NZ being FREE. As they should) This museum showcased many Indigenous artists’ work which was neat to see. We also got a great view of a cool bridge!

Sugar Skulls representing the dark side of the sugar cane industry

One of the most magical days we had in Australia was spent on Stradbroke Island. A quick ferry ride from Brisbane. The Islands coast was beautiful and full of life. But the amazing bit was watching the whale migration.

We saw SO many humpback whales making their way up the coast. It was amazing to witness. The best part was seeing a couple babies playing! They were almost fully breaching, flipping their tails around, and having fun. One of the coolest things I think I’ve ever seen in nature.

We also ran into some Roo’s! It was the closest I got to them in the ‘wild’.

Overall Brisbane was such a fun place to check out! We only scratched the surface of what you can do. Brisbane is close to many amazing places like the Gold and Sunshine coast. I’d love to go back and spend more time there!