Visiting Brisbane, Australia: a youth perspective

“I might grow old in Brisbane, but I would never grow up,” - David Malouf.

Brisbane is one of the most loved and populated cities in an Australian. It’s the capital of a state widely known for theme parks, Australia Zoo and shopping experiences, all of which I was lucky enough to visit on a week-long trip with my Mum, Dad and older brother.

EVENT 1 - Walk Along Redcliffe Peninsula Seaside Walk

We walked along what I think was the Redcliffe Peninsula. It was beautiful and sunny and very relaxing. The wind was quite strong but I captured some amazing images with my camera. The path was fairly flat, and would have been great for a bike ride but we walked instead. There was a strange fence between us and the grass. It had barbed wire at the top, but we ignored it. There were kite surfers on the beach and in the water, and boats on the harbour. The black and white picture is of a tree called the dragon tree and the colour image is of the rock at the edge of the water.

EVENT 2 - Movie World

I absolutely love Movie World! Call me a fan girl (I am) but there’s just something awesome about the Batman movies. I love the Joker and I recently dressed up as Bane for a party. Unfortunately, some of the rides were closed, including the Scooby-Doo one, which is a shame because that was a great ride the first time I went.

We went on the Superman ride loads of times. It’s really fun because it’s based on a train line but an earthquake destroys it all, but someone saves you! Its Superman! I also went on the Green Lantern a lot. There was a parade at the end of the day. I was so close to Batman when he came along but he was taking ages, so we left. I also wore a Mickey Mouse shirt to annoy people. I bought a Hogwarts hat and a Fantastic Beats and where to find them poster. (Fan girl-ing it up).

I really recommend Movie World.

EVENT 3 - Australia Zoo

I love z-starting words as much as the next girl, but something about zoos just gets me. Maybe the fact that they are so popular, or that they are everywhere you go or maybe it’s the animals. Yeah, probably the animals. Animals are my obsession. Australia zoo was great, it had otters, tigers, lemurs, giraffes, rhinos, dingos, Tasmanian devils, snakes and of course, the famous crocodiles, and so much more.

The shows and feedings were amazing, the croc show especially. I had a great time, although we did get a bit lost. I bought a snowglobe, a 2017 calendar of Robert Irwin’s photography and a mouse pad with a Robert Irwin photo on it.

There was an animal hospital sneak peek which was great but a bit small. That’s where I want to work when I'm old enough to. I also got to see Robert Irwin, Terri Irwin and Dr Chris Brown in the flesh. Robert and Terri were outside the hospital, and I walked in just after Chris. It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it.

EVENT 4 - City Shopping Day

When we drove into the city I was excited but nervous. What if I spent all my money? Yeah, I know, first world problems. Anyway, we drove in and went straight into Dymocks. I’m a nerd, just informing you. There were loads of shops to visit and I feel like I only scratched the surface. There were some amazing Christmas decorations around - giant teddy bears and ginger bread men surrounded by presents. I bought a Niffler bobble head, a Dr Strange poster, sparkly shoes and Pokémon Moon. We finished the day off with a local ferry ride and dinner, then drove home just as the rain started to come in. Lots and lots of rain.

EVENT 5 - Sea World

We weren't planning on visiting Sea World, but my brother and I insisted. Last time we went to Sea World I became super obsessed with dolphins from the dolphin show then decided I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I grow up. That didn't last but my love for dolphins did. The dolphin shows are amazing and I love them. They also have a wide range of animals; seals, penguins, turtles, pelicans, polar bears and more.

Like Movie World, however, some of the rides where closed, and because there weren't many anyway, only one was working. I went on it with my mum and brother after queuing for over an hour. Overall I enjoyed it.

EVENT 6 - Wet ’n’ Wild

We went to Wet’n’Wild on a relatively hot day to cool off. The water was very, very cold though! It was as though I was an athlete stepping into an ice bath. Overall, however, it was great fun. I went on loads of rides because the lines weren't very long as it was a school day in Queensland.

I went on Calypso Beach a lot. It’s like a river where you float around on donuts. It was great fun and incident free apart from when my dad’s fanta bottle lid shot off and hit his hand. Then Dad accidentally knocked over the drink after which he threw the last bit of his sandwich in the sand because there was a wasp on his hand. It was pretty hilarious. :P Love you dad :)