Tours

Land, water or air; relaxed panoramas, wild adventure or underwater marvels; Brisbane and environs offers you unlimited choice.

The City Highlights In a new city, it is best to orient yourself first. Take the air-conditioned City Circle bus, which loops the city every 10 minutes between 7a and 6p on weekdays. Try a City Cat ferry from St Lucia to Hamilton, taking in the seven meanders of the broad Brisbane River, stopping anywhere to explore, then reboard at your leisure.

For a commentary about the city's highlights, hop on a guided City Highlights bus tour, which includes a one-day unlimited access ticket to certain ferries and buses.

There are comprehensive day trips, allowing you to visit four or five main tourist attractions in one day. You might visit South Bank, Mt Coot-tha Lookout, a sheep show, a koala sanctuary, do some shopping or take in a river cruise, with operators such as Gray Line Day Tours and Coachtrans Day Tours.

The energetic can keep their feet moving while soaking up the historic sites along the Heritage Trail. Hire a bicycle and zoom down the river paths, winding along from the picturesque South Bank.

City Nights Tour is sure to please. The clarity of Brisbane's night air makes the stars look brilliant as you gaze at them from Mt Coot-tha Lookout. A visit to Chinatown, a ferry to South Bank, and a buffet meal with a glass of wine are also included.

Shopaholics are not forgotten as the South Bank Markets and Eagle Street Pier Craft Markets are well worth a visit.

Wild Adventurers Do not miss the magical Balloons Above tour. Drift gently through Brisbane's clear air, enjoying the great climate while you are at it. Why not paddle your heart to health with a canoe trip? Colleges Crossing Canoe Hire on the upper Brisbane River employs experienced guides to help you master the challenges of the water. Some might prefer to skip the adventure and go straight to the refreshments with a Ale House Brewery Tour.

Theme Parks Families scramble to visit the fantastic theme parks of southeast Queensland. Coachtrans offers the 'Brisbane Get Around,' a three- to four-day unlimited travel pass. This includes airport transfers, a half-day guided City Sights tour, a choice of four Gold Coast Theme Parks (Movie World, Sea World, <Wet 'n' Wild among others) and a tour along the coastline, which, many will say, is Australia's favorite playground.

Rainforests Rainforests delight visitors when they arrive in sub-tropical Queensland, and the choice is ample. Gray Line Day Tours offers O'Reilly's Treetop Walk in Lamington National Park, with a Mt. Tambourine Gallery Walk and an alpaca farm visit. Australian Day Tours has a similar alternative.

Going North Sunshine Coast (true to its name) is a must. Australian Day Tours and Coachtrans Day Tours offer packages including such treats as the Big Pineapple, Underwater World, the Ginger Factory, Bunya Park, Australia Zoo, crocodile feeding (in season), and the Glass House Mountains; a wow of a day for all the family.

Cruise Maroochy Eco Tour introduces you to 200-300 year-old mangroves living in a unique ecosystem. More invigorating, perhaps, is to catch the 'big one' with Mooloolaba Reef and Game Charters.

How about peacefully cruising the Everglades of Noosa? Combine this with the Coloured Sands Tour to Rainbow Beach, or the Surf Fishing Tour or get your thrills with a bird's eye view of this fabulous coastline on a joy flight from Marcoola Airport.

And even further North The largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island, is a spectacular place with flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. The orange-colored scribble gumtrees are truly amazing with scrawled markings all over their trunks! You can trySunrover Tours, in a 4WD, and speed along the beach while checking out the sights along the way. If time permits, spend more than just a day as there is so much to see. Sunrover Tours also provides a tour which includes a stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort & Village and a three-day 4WD Discovery Tour.

The world-renowned Great Barrier Reef, a magnificent variety of fish and corals among which you can swim, snorkel, scuba dive or fish, can be experienced from a base on Lady Elliot Island and Lady Musgrave Island (further north off the coast from Bundaberg).

A Taste for the Grape If you enjoy wine tasting, try the Stanthorpe area for taste-bud tingling delights (up-market restaurants too), and many interesting places to visit on the way.

Over the Sea Tours to St Helena Island are offered by day or by night. Sunrover Expeditions' 4WD and Walking Adventure Tour to Moreton Island will appeal to campers, while Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort on the same Island is perfect for luxury lovers. North and South Stradbroke Islands have 4WD tours (Australian Day Tours), and resorts to stay overnight (such as Couran Cove on South Stradbroke Island). Moreton Bay has many smaller islands for you to enjoy as well.

So, pack a sun hat, go to it and soak up all the sights of beautiful Brisbane. The climate is on your side: fresh, clean air; blue, blue skies; and endless sunshine.