Brisbane

The capital city of Queensland, Brisbane, is a stylish blend of modern and colonial architecture in a sub-tropical setting, 32 km inland on the Brisbane River. A short drive south brings you to the highly developed Gold Coast holiday playground with over 20 miles of sandy beaches and a multitude of hotels. North of Brisbane is the relaxed but rapidly developing holiday area of the Sunshine Coast and beyond that lies Fraser Island and the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef.
MOUNT COOT-THA, 8 km south west of the city, is a good vantage point from which to see the city and its surroundings especially at night. At the foot of the mountain are the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and the Botanic Gardens; there is another Botanic Gardens in the city by the river - for more details see Brisbane's Botanic Gardens www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/bcc:botanicl
Brisbane has a relatively small shopping and business centre but extensive suburbs. Many of the major international hotel chains are represented in the city centre. Myer and David Jones form the hub of the shopping area and restaurants are conveniently close by. The Story Bridge over the Brisbane River now rivals its Sydney counterpart with exhilarating daily bridge climbs.
The SOUTHBANK complex on the Brisbane River has a huge modern exhibition centre with delightful parkland areas and an imaginative swimming beach created with imported sand. Also at Southbank are the Queensland State Library, Art Gallery and Museum and Performing Arts Centre. Nearby is the West End, an area with a rather ‘studenty’ feel with interesting cafes and restaurants and some good accommodation, more modestly priced than the city centre.
Apart from the Southbank complex, the river has not really shaped Brisbane’s city centre and often the river bank is simply bordered with freeways rather than waterfront walks and cafes.

Moreton Bay Islands

The Brisbane River flows into Moreton Bay where a number of islands close to shore are popular local holiday spots with good, long sandy beaches.  The main islands are:
BRIBIE ISLAND 
69 km north of Brisbane and reached by bridge from a turn off on the Bruce Highway. It's surf beach is the first of the Sunshine Coast beaches.  Although Bribie has a largish residential population and has both camping and resort accommodation, a large proportion of the island has been protected against development - see Bribie Island Recreation Area www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park(Bribie)
MORETON ISLAND
Moreton Island National Park www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park(Moreton) has the resort of Tangalooma on the leeward side - the hand feeding of wild dolphins is a key attraction here. There is also camping on the island which is accessed by ferry from Brisbane.
NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND
Accessed by vehicle ferry from Cleveland and is popular for whale watching in season. North Stradbroke does have some development with several hotels and resorts and is home to the Blue Lake National Park www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park(Blue Lake)
SOUTH STRADBROKE ISLAND
Largely uninhabited and there is a ferry to it from Runaway Bay.  South Stradbroke is the location of the relatively recent holiday resort development of Couran Cove, which has been rather well done with the immediate environment in mind.

Granite Belt

This is a lovely area within a few hours drive of Brisbane and the Gold Coast which combines an area of vineyards and accommodation with national parks, including accessible Girraween and wild Sundown National Park www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park(Sandown) on the QLD/NSW border.
Girraween National Park www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park(Girraween) is a rugged granite area 260 km southwest of Brisbane, loved for its winter frosty nights and wildflowers in spring and of course its proximity to the growing Stanthorpe wine region. There are good walking trails and at the height of the summer temperatures often hover around the low 20sC making it a popular destination for Queenslanders escaping the heat. There are several campsites, which can become booked out in school holidays.
Nearby STANTHORPE and vicinity have a number of good hotels, guest houses and self catering establishments, restaurants and cellar doors - there are more than 45 wineries in the area. The current grape crush of the Granite Region is set to more than double in the next few years and varieties include Chardonnay, Semillon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.