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Renting a Brisbane car hire deal through carhire.com.au is a great way to experience one of Australia's best cities.
Brisbane is Nestled halfway between two of the best beaches in the country - and perhaps the world. With the famous Gold Coast to the South and the pristine Sunshine Coast to the North you’ll be eager to explore outside of the city limits so having access to your own vehicle is a must.
There are lots of great Queensland locations within easy driving distance of Brisbane if you've hired a rental vehicle.
Just an hour's drive north-west of Brisbane you'll find yourself driving along gorgeous, winding mountain roads lined with gum trees and stretches of rain forest. This road is favoured by motorbike riders and people on weekend pleasure drives - and you might see the occasional brave hiker or jogger pushing themselves to the limit. Make no mistake, this is a steep climb at times.
If you're keen to head north on your day trip then the Sunshine Coast and Noosa should be top of your list of priority destinations. The drive will prove picturesque as you discover the Glasshouse Mountains on your left as you pass by pineapple farms on your way to Noosa. The world heritage listed Fraser Island is also a must-do. It's natural beauty brings together gorgeous sands and rainforest. Swim in the ocean or take a dip in one of its freshwater lakes.
Another worthwhile inclusion in your trip to Queensland are the Whitsundays which are some of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world. Located in far North Queensland the Whitsundays got their name from the history books. Captain James Cook passed through Whitsunday passage On Sunday the fourth of June - which happened to be Whit Sunday, the seventh Sunday after Easter.
If you're after some stunning dining options and love the sample a slice of Australia's history at the same time then look no further than Brisbane's trendy hot spot, The Barracks, at Petrie Terrace. The Barracks was the original location of Brisbane's first jail but now the historic buildings have been lovingly renovated and won architecture awards. They provide a fantastic backdrop for the casual diner out for a sunny, alfresco experience. There are also plenty of stores and services to keep you occupied for a few hours.
This is a great time to visit Queensland as the Sunshine State is really living up to its name, with warm weather and sunny skies. South Bank is the perfect place to start your exploration of Brisbane. It's Brisbane's famous inner-city artificial beach. South Bank is known to be a mecca for children of any age. There are loads of green spaces, plenty of sand and swimming areasas well as an all year round special events program.
You'd be hard pressed to find Brisbane’s equal in terms of lifestyle and climate. It is, after all, located in the Sunshine State of Queensland. If you've spent any time in Brisbane recently or hired your vehicle here then travelled elsewhere then you probably got a taste of the dust storms. This is far from the norm in Queensland. The dust spread from southeast Queensland to Cairns but the dust particles came from South Australia where strong winds stirred up top soil and dispersed it across New South Wales and Queensland. The haze has now cleared though leaving the usual beautiful, sunny weather. The week ahead is expected to be mostly sunny but Wednesday will see a bit of rain and there will be a bit of cloud cover also.
If you're after suggestions for how to spend your time here in Brisvegas, a drive up to Mt Cootha to the lookout provides a gorgeous birds' eye view of the river city. Alternatively, simply hop on a City Cat and explore the region by water.
If ultra fine dining is your weakness you'll be pleased to know celebrity chef Matt Moran's celebrated Aria restaurant has opened at Eagle StreetPier. This location is also holme to Il Centro & Cha Cha Char Restaurants which are the bench mark for smart dining in Brisbane. And if a drive to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast seems to much you can always enjoy the artificial beaches at South Bank and even check out the museum, art gallery or some plays and stage shows.
If you're in the mood for a serving of culture with a side dish of history then make sure you check out the St Lucia University of Queensland campus. This university has some culinary delights on offer - students favour the popular Pizza Cafe which serves a different pizza for every letter of the alphabet and is made with a fairly healthy pita bread base - but, even better, it has a rich history unique to Brisbane.
The T&G building was once used as a Headquarters by the American troops during World War II. About 1,000,000 US troops passed through Australia during the war, as the main coordination point for the South West Pacific. The 'Battle of Brisbane' is still talked about: in 1942 there was a violent clash between visiting US military personnel and Australian servicemen and civilians. There was one death and several injuries.
These days St Lucia is a much more serene place but you can still hear the students tell stories of ghosts walking the corridors and a mysterious set of underground tunnels than can no longer be accessed.
Bear in mind that there are some pretty good free public transport services on offer in the city itself. The Loop downtown service is a CBD service which will get you from one end of town to the other. It runs Monday to Friday ever ten minutes so you can simply hop on at the red bus stops. The Spring Hill loop runs between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday with twelve stops in the CBD and Spring Hill. All children under four also travel free on Brisbane's public transport system.
You too will fall in love with Brisbane and Queensland once you've explored the region with your carhire.com.au rental car. And you'll love the car hire savings even more because you shouldn't see Brisbane without taking a trip up and down the coast as well!
So slap on some sunscreen and soak up the warm weather. While there is a little rain due over the week the weekend should provide perfect bikini weather.
