Buzzy--Bee

I went to Brisbane on business last week. Although I've been there many times before, this was the first time since I've lived in Australia, and the first time I've been entirely in the CBD rather than in the suburbs.

- the winter sun is gorgeous!
- I haven't seen so many and such short skirts in winter since I went to Coventry in February once!
- there's a hell of a lot of "street people" - old men pushing trolleys, groups of aborigines and maoris, people with lots of different bits of their bodies peirced.
- there's CCTV cameras everywhere
- the outdoor bars and restaurants are great but mostly very expensive.
- Brisbane CBD reminded me of a sunny version of Nottingham, or Croydon, or any other mid-size UK city.
- both me and my colleague (also from UK originally) remarked that we felt we had to "watch our backs" like we used to in London. We don't feel like this in Melbourne - maybe its all the street people, maybe its unfamiliarity with the place.

Brisbane was our second choice of a place to live and we could easily have ended up there, but I really think that apart from the weather Melbourne is a much better place for us. The sunshine could definitely tempt us to QLD one day though....!

BB

DeadVim

Brisbane = Croydon ... I quite like that analogy

Glad you (mostly) enjoyed your trip, come down to Surfers next time if you really want to watch your back

Bix

That was just Cresta on one of his rare shopping trips into civilisation.

Bix

Would have been Liverpool...........but the trolleys did have wheels.

goldchoccycoin

Can't believe you felt you had to watch your backs. That made me laugh - I'm not doubting that's how you felt but I'm the opposite! Brisbane, no worries - Melbourne, hand on bag/pocket and no trips down empty lanes!

It's funny how perceptions can be totally different.

bobbyftm

Never had to watch my back either strangely enough

Prices of food and drink don't differ too much to when i was down Melbourne earlier in the year either ........But yes the sun is great ........

Bix

Did my first visit to Brisbane last Dec staying in the middle of Fortitude Valley. Decided to leg it everywhere so had several walking trips to the CBD, Riverside, Southbank etc.

One trip was an early hours of the morning walk back from the CBD through Fortitude. Were going to take a taxi that night but couldn't get one.

I didn't feel at all "insecure" day or night time though.

Can't say I noticed a great deal of street people either and certainly no more than anywhere else I've been.

As far as the indigenous groups are concerned I don't recall seeing any. Mind you that may be because we are more accustomed to the black fellas up here so they didn't actually register with me. My impression was that there aren't many around Brisbane.

Buzzy--Bee

I probably see less than one aborigine a year in Melbourne.

BB

Bix

You would definitely notice them then.
Probably hear them before you saw them.

ozzieeagle

Try around the Courts Area in Queen St Kooris in Suits, Very Impressive.

koalakim

Has Brisbane gone downhill that much to compare it with Croydon !

I haven't been to Brissie since moving to Oz so it would be interesting to go back again. Actually when we went one February and it was freezing so glad you are getting some winter sun. We were only there 3 days, one day around the city, one at the Koala park (of course!!!!) and a very rainy trip up to Noosa but we quite liked what we saw overall. Melbourne was our least favourite place and of course that would be where fate sent us too, wicked, wicked - partly because we came in April got a crummy cold wet week which rather put us off, then we spent the rest of the holiday in a very pleasant 25 degrees in Sydney....so we didn't get off to a good start with Melbourne.

I remember the CBD was deserted on a Sunday evening and it was a bit spooky walking back from Eagle St Pier to the hotel mainly because it was just so quiet whereas it had been buzzing earlier in the day during the market but I don't remember seeing any street people back then. In fact I've just remembered it was almost 10 years ago since we went (OMG where did that time go!!!) so I guess places do change!

If only Melbourne could be like last week all winter it would be great but this week has been dire but at least the sun came out today which was nice, top up the Vit D levels!

chris955

Brisbane is certainly the only Australian city I would contemplate living in. I know what you mean about the groups of Aboriginals and Maori s, they can be slightly unsettling, not because of their ethnicity but because the groups we have seen have are often rowdy and/or drunk. I remember once stopped at traffic lights where a particular group always seemed to hang around drinking there was an Ambulance picking up one of the group, covered in blood.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Never been to Brisbane so can't comment on it.... but I know people say rose tints colour people's perceptions and Melbourne isn't that good.

I actually quite like what I've seen of Melbourne, pretty much only the city center, but on the three occasions I've been out late at night there, I saw the only pub fight I've seen since I've been in Australia, the only person I've had try to beg money off me and the only person I've seen, so drunk, that they were unconscious in the street.

bcworld

You're in SO much trouble when fish see this!

Seriously though, you never feel uneasy in Melbourne? It makes me wonder where you go! I mean, if you go out in the city at night don't you go back to Flinders St station for the train home? There's normally more unsavoury characters hanging out on the steps there than in the whole of Fortitude Valley...Swanston St not much better! Perhaps it's just the fact there are so many police around makes it all OK?

Brisbane of course isn't all quiet either...I've seen plenty of nasty incidents there.

Wouldn't say is one is worse than the other really.

BadgeIsBack

Melbourne might get 'sunny sunny' days in winters but QLD knocks it into touch.

I remember walking around Brisbane CBD after Polly's wedding and my only memory is a girl wearing her jeans so low you could see her pubic mound...(the medical term escapes me)...almost worth circling the block for...I must have done it several times..

Back to the story...Melboure is a great city for many reasons, but it's not always going to tickle tourists in some ways. Flinders and the bit around can be a bit rough - no surprise reallly.

Know what you mean about Croydon...