Most of Australia’s major cities including; Darwin, Cairns, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth occupy coastal locations and the same is true of the city of Brisbane. Like the others, Brisbane boasts vast, clear blue skies, wonderful beaches and good, clean air. The city's residents, or "Banana Benders" as anyone from Queensland is colloquially known, share a common interest in healthy living and a love of the outdoors, the water, fun and fitness.
Their city is vibrant and bustling and their economy is very healthy. It’s all very different to the way it was before, when Queenslanders where seen as having nothing better to do than sit around all day, bending the bananas as they came off the plantations. Nowadays, if you were to nickname the locals at all, it would probably be more apt to use the term "Cane Toad", born of the fact that Queensland was overrun by these poisonous pests as a result of their introduction in 1935, ironically as a form of pest control. Queensland’s cane toad problem is now under control but the label has stuck nonetheless.
Living in Brisbane
One of the best things about Brisbane, from an émigrés point of view, is the distinct lack of anything resembling winter. The cooler season as it is known here is just that, cooler. Not cold like the winters you get in the UK or in Europe, just pleasantly cool. Temperatures have dropped to as low as 9.5°C in July and reached as high as 20.6 °C in the same month and this is the coolest month of the year. In January the story is very different, the high is measured at 29.1°C and the low at 20.9°C. Small wonder then, that barbecues in this city are rarely, if ever cold.
Brisbane is a clean, modern, forward-looking city whose people love life and live it to the full. You don’t have to look far to see evidence of this either. Maybe it’s the constantly blue skies, the shorts and T shirt weather, the shorter working days, the reduced stress levels, the proximity of the sea and the beach or the great out doors. Maybe it’s the combination of all these things that means the people who live here are in general happier, more relaxed, life focused people.
Think of shopping in Brisbane and you think of the Queens Street Mall and the South Bank Markets. These offer very busy and colourful yet different shopping experiences. The Queens Street Mall or QSM is located in Brisbane's Central Business District, between Edward and George Streets. It is Brisbane's single biggest retail location and offers, at one end, a pedestrianised undercover area featuring some 500 stores and at the other, The Myer Centre, 5 floors of shops featuring every designer label imaginable (almost!). There is also an international food court to satisfy even the most varied and unusual of tastes as well as supermarkets and cinemas. The centre is open all week with extended shopping hours on Fridays.
If you prefer a more bohemian style of shopping, then The South Bank Art and Craft Market is the place for you. Held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it is a bright and colourful shoppers delight, bringing with it a wonderful feeling of freedom. Buskers and other performers, mingle with the crowds adding a sense of the theatrical to the place. Here you can browse the market stalls to your hearts content, picking through an assortment of goods and trinkets from local crafts to clothing and unique works of art. The markets also proffer fresh produce alongside a good range of cafés and eateries.
Working in Brisbane
Brisbane’s CBD or central business district is arranged in a grid pattern, in a crook in the Brisbane River. Among the many buildings of national importance in the area are Queensland's Parliament House, Brisbane City Hall and the Masonic Memorial Centre, but it speaks a lot for the city planners, that they are still able to include the green spaces of The Queens Gardens, Post Office Square and Brisbane City Botanic Gardens as well as the modern King George Square which has just undergone a massive redevelopment. Re-opened in October 2009, the new space has been designed as a transit hub and as the ceremonial and civic heart of the city.
The area attracts big business, many of whom operate in global markets, not just in Asia. Among the big hitters in town are Suncorp Group, insurance and banking, after whom the Suncorp Stadium is named, QR National, the largest rail freight haulage business in Australia, Newcrest Mining, a company involved in the exploration, development and operation of gold and copper mines and Bandanna Energy Ltd who are involved in the exploration and production of coal.
Life in Brisbane’s busy city centre is by turns business like and laid back. It seems that they’ve struck the work-life balance, just right. A typical working day starts at around 09.00 and finishes at around the same time as it does in the UK. The difference is when its done, its done. Its time then to get out and enjoy yourself. Of course it helps that after the working day is done, there is still plenty of sunshine around so you can go hiking up in the hills, you can laze around on the beach or go swimming and surfing in the ocean.
Relaxing in Brisbane
If you don’t fancy getting active after work, you could look to head out and find some culture, as Brisbane is loaded with it. A full calendar of events is laid on, from theatre to opera and ballet, right through to musicals and concerts. This programme compliments an exciting array of exhibitions, installations and attractions. Look out for The Queensland Cultural Centre, on the banks of the Brissy River. It is home to some of the nations leading art institutions.
The Queensland Museum & Sciencentre, is a must see. Here you can find out all about the flora and fauna of the area, aboriginal culture, the rock formations and the history of the place, going right back to the time when dinosaurs ruled the planet. Brisbane is also favoured with the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, which is the largest modern art museum in Australia.
Moving Partnership Limited are pleased to offer international removals to Australia, including removals to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, The Gold Coast, Canberra, Wollongong, The Sunshine Coast, Hobart, Geelong, Townsville, Cairns and Launceston. So if you are moving to Australia, we can help with all aspects of your move.
International Removals to Australia - click here for full information on our removals to Australia service
