5 Reasons To Love Queensland

There’s more to the Sunshine State than beaches and theme parks

In the wake of Australia’s tragic bush fires, we Kiwis need to show our support for our cousins across the Ditch. Queensland is unaffected by the fires, but its tourist bookings are down. In light of that, I flew with Air New Zealand to Brisbane for a mother-daughter getaway.

1 Cool Brisbane

As mentioned by many friendly Uber drivers, as well as Rob Cochrane from free walking tour organisation Brisbane Greeters, Queensland’s capital has changed a lot in the past 35 years. Apartments now flank the Brisbane River and the dining scene has grown up. Eva and I spent our first night in town at Ovolo The Valley – located in edgy Fortitude Valley. This cool and quirky boutique hotel has a rooftop pool and serves breakfast in the charming Za Za Ta, which transforms into a Middle Eastern restaurant at night.

2 Heritage and culture