Surfers Paradise, Australia + Add a trip

Automobiles

Walking is an option in the city centre, but Brisbane is hilly and gets hot in summer, so you may prefer to drive, especially if you're exploring outside town. Car hire companies at Brisbane Airport and downtown locations include Hertz (www.hertz.com.au), Avis (www.avis.com.au) and Europcar (www.europcar.com.au). Alternatively, look out for The Loop, a free bus service that circles central Brisbane.

Planes

Regular flights wing their way to Brisbane Airport (www.bne.com.au), 16km north-east of town, from all major Australian cities with Qantas (www.qantas.com.au), Virgin Blue (www.virginblue.com.au) and Jetstar (www.jetstar.com). Numerous international carriers also service the airport.

Trains

The best way to reach Brisbane's CBD from the airport's international and domestic terminals is by Airtrain (www.airtrain.com.au), which departs every 15 minutes during peak times for the 20-minute journey (single, AU$14.50; return, AU$27). Regional trains come into the main Roma Street Transit Centre (see www.qr.com.au). CountryLink (www.countrylink.info) operates daily express trains between Sydney and Brisbane (14 hours), with connections from Melbourne, Canberra and further afield.

Dialing

Country code for Australia: +61; Queensland: 07 (drop the zero if calling from overseas).

Reads

For a creepy take on the ghosts beneath Brisbane's sun-kissed surface, pack Stephen M Irwin's horror novel The Dead Path. Brisbane writer Nick Earls' novel, The True Story of Butterfish, will appeal to musos: it's about a drummer from a once successful band drawn into a neighbour's family.

Do go / Don't Go

Brisbane basks in year-round sun, with temperatures rarely dipping below 20°C. The peak of summer (December-January) is often super-hot and wetter, with many locals escaping the sweltering city, which can make it quiet; winter is sunny and mild with little rain.

Cuisine

Taxis

Plentiful in Brisbane's city centre, with ranks in the CBD and at the train station. To call one, try Yellow Cab Co (+61 (0)7 3313 1924) or Black & White Cabs (+61 (0)7 3313 1008).

Tipping

Tips for good service aren't mandatory, but 10 per cent will be appreciated.

Currency

Australian dollar (AU$).

Packing

A pair of designer thongs (flip-flops) and big shades to look the part; sequins or a sharp shirt for BrisVegas by night.

Arts

Despite the tinseltown jibes, there's serious culture here, with key galleries in the South Bank arts zone. Start at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA; www.qag.qld.gov.au), Australia's largest modern art gallery, focusing on the 20th-century and including indigenous, Pacific Island and international collections. Its Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art is a stunning show. Sister space, the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG; same website) features Oz and global work prior to 1970. For cutting-edge theatre, music and arts, visit the riverside Brisbane Powerhouse (www.brisbanepowerhouse.org).

And...

Time your visit between June and November for a chance to spot humpback whales flocking through Moreton Bay off the Brisbane coast (spy them from North Stradbroke Island).

Shopping

Fortitude Valley is the city's boutique shopping hub, with one-of-a-kind fashion pieces: browse Ann, Brunswick, James and Wickham Streets. The massive Queen Street Shopping Mall (www.queenstreetmall.com) in the CBD is home to more than 700 outlets, dominated by Myers and David Jones department stores, or head west to Paddington's La Trobe and Given Terraces for antiques, curios and collectibles.

Viewpoint

Drive up to the look-out on top of Mount Coot-tha for gasp-inducing views over Brisbane, Moreton Bay and the volcanic Glass House Mountains. Seven kilometres south-west of the city, it's a reserve of bush and parkland named after the Aboriginal word for honey, once gathered here. The trails and picnic spots are still sweet.

Something

Watch rock climbers scale the pink cliffs at Kangaroo Point, on the south of the illuminated-by-night riverbank, or contact the Riverlife Adventure Centre (www.riverlife.com.au) if you fancy a go yourself.