Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland and, with around 2.3 million inhabitants, the third largest city in Australia. The Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place here in 2032; they will be the third of their kind in Australia after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. In preparation for the games, the city is currently expanding its public transport network; the new 10 km Cross River Rail will run in a 5.9 km tunnel under the Brisbane River and the Central Business District (CBD) and will have four new underground stations.
Brisbane
Brisbane is known for the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast vacation paradises to the north and south of the city limits, which is mainly due to the mostly good weather. Queen Street is the heart of the city centre and stretches all the way to the colorful Square Library on the river; along the river you will find lots of beautiful parks.
On the other bank is the city’s cultural district. The Convention & Exhibition Centre, the Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland Museum and Art Gallery, the State Library and the Gallery of Modern Art are lined up like pearls on a necklace, interrupted from time to time by little green spots. If you would like to see the city from above, you will also find the Wheel of Brisbane, a 60 m high Ferris wheel. After a tour through the lively city center, visitors can relax in the Botanic Gardens, the green lung of the CBD.