Overnight Adventures - An extravagant outing to Brisbane

I have always loved Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones, so at the prospect of them both appearing on stage in Driving Miss Daisy, I got myself a cheap fare and booked a room at the Sofitel - central but walking distance to the theatre. I was off for 24 hours in Brisbane!

I had little time to do my usual research, so all I thought I'd do was finally get to this GOMA I'd heard so  much about. I was travelling without my usual entourage, so the idea of pottering about an Art Gallery was particularly appealing.

Brisbane's galleries are all in the Cultural Centre in a complex on Southbank, perfect for the traveller on foot. It's a pleasantly landscaped arts precinct and makes it very easy to assess a number of venues. It is located on the Brisbane River from the Kurilpa Bridge to the Victoria Bridge. They are together with the State Library, and there are a number of dining options for those who arrive at lunchtime for the afternoon. After a great curry and Little Creatures ale at the Library cafe, I headed to the galleries.

The collections cover a broad range but for me the modern art was particularly enjoyable, and abundant as the  The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) is the current exhibition until April 14.
Many hours later, I swung by the library again to check out the Garage Gamer - a gaming exhibition in the State Library (see here for timetable of talks and events).

Walking a roundabout circuit to the hotel, I was amazed at how many sculptures grace the Brisbane city streets. Modern sculptures on almost every corner contrast with the lovely old buildings. While walking nowhere in particular, there is an awful lot to see!

The Sofitel is located above the central train station, so handy for those who have to travel further afield, and perfect for those who just want to walk to the tourist sites. The rooms are large and comfortable, though I'll be honest, I spent very little time in the hotel.

After checking in, there was time for an hour stroll through the shops on the way down to the theatre. While not much of a shopper, the Queens Plaza is a lovely shopping centre, which my friend described as the Paris end of Brisbane Mall.

Heading back to Southbank for dinner at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, I was amazed at how busy the precinct is. It's a well populated cultural centre, and worth an evening stroll even if not attending a show.


Our show finished early so we were able to stroll back to the hotel and see the city lit up, one of those things that only visitors appreciate.

The next morning the sun was kindly out for a few early morning hours, and I managed a swim and an hour of reading by the lovely landscaped hotel pool before it was time to hit the road.

This time it was brunch by the river and then a stroll around the lovely Botanic Gardens. The gardens are big and amble into many feature gardens, and the river is on the boarder of one side. There's a bridge over the river with lookouts, which lets you look back along the gardens or over to the Arts precinct to put the city layout all into perspective.

I'll be honest, I'd had little expectations for the trip beyond seeing my friends and the show but the city itself was a real delight, and I enjoyed exploring it far more than anticipated. My snobby rival city attitude has been corrected and I'll never refer to it as Brisvegas again!

Practicalities:
QLD Art Gallery & GOMA:  http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/
Queensland State Library: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/
Queensland Performing Arts Centre: http://www.qpac.com.au/
Queens Plaza http://www.queensplazashopping.com.au/home/
City Botanic Gardens: http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/parks-and-venues/parks/city-botanic-gardens/attractions/index.htm

Related Articles:
Coffee & Chocolate: http://www.weekendnotes.com/coffee-chocolate-cafe-queens-plaza/
The Lyrebird Restaurant: http://www.weekendnotes.com/the-lyrebird-restaurant/
Driving Miss Daisy: http://www.weekendnotes.com/driving-miss-daisy-australia-theatre-review/
Riverbar & Kitchen: http://www.weekendnotes.com/riverbar-kitchen/
Thyme2 (at Sofitel) http://www.weekendnotes.com.au/thyme2/

Linking with #TravelTuesday as I've been looking at Brisbane because I have some hotel points to us for a school holiday adventure and can't work out what to do...