One of the most neglected travel adventures can be in our own back yard, so with the luxury of time on our hands and a feeling of freedom flowing in our veins we have been doing some local exploring. 'Tis the Christmas season and all through the town, Brisbane is radiant in her festive gown. We planned a long weekend in the city to celebrate our wedding anniversary and happily this coincided with many Christmas events.

We left the car at home and caught the train in which made us feel like real tourists as we wheeled our bags along the streets to the hotel. This is exactly what we wanted - to see and feel things from a visitor's perspective rather than as locals.

We started our explorations with a walk through the recently renovated City Hall which has now been restored to its former glory. It was built in the early 1920s of mostly Queensland freestone with an interior rich in Italian marble and beautifully grained Queensland timber. Entering the main auditorium, one is reminded of the Pantheon in Rome for very good reason. Its circular design was based on this building, and the huge copper dome above gives a feeling of wonderful spaciousness. A visit to the museum on the third floor took us on a journey along the Brisbane River, not only along its physical tract, but also through its history. And then we stepped into some Expo 88 memories - a real blast from the past.

Expo put Brisbane on the world stage in 1988 and was one of the happiest six months of my life. I would catch the train to the South Bank on weekends and after work several days a week and gloriously lose myself in the colour and fun of that time.

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the Groove Train just across the Square from the Hall. Tali, our son, joined us, popping down from his office in a building that also overlooks the Square. Al fresco dining with some fine salt and pepper squid and some even finer chilled bubbles created a delicious, lazy feel that called for a short rest.

As the afternoon lost its heat, more and more people turned out in the city. There were families everywhere and the air was filled with a carnival spirit. Tali joined us after work for an early evening drink and then we joined the throngs to watch the Christmas parade wind its way down the Queen Street Mall and on to King George Square. It was no Macy's parade by any means, but it was fun in its own small way. In fact, it seemed more personal and intimate because of its smallness. It depicted the Nutcracker story and the happy participants interacted with the watching crowds, welcoming people to feel a part of it all. The real enjoyment of the parade was in watching the looks of happiness and surprise on children's faces and their spontaneous acts of glee in clapping and dancing and jumping for joy throughout it all.

Afterwards it was extremely crowded in King George Square as families gathered to watch an outdoor stage show and view the laser light show. We opted to return to the Mall and enjoyed some great street entertainment by various talented musicians. Our first day was fun. If I were a visitor from another country I would be suitably impressed.

Day 2 dawned clear and warm, so I donned my joggers and set off over the bridge to the South Bank, along the river past the museum, library and art galleries, back across Kurilpa Bridge that looks like the masts and rigging of a sailing ship, through the city streets via King George Square and back to the hotel. I love the sights and sounds and smells of a city waking up. The buildings seem to be stretching and yawning as freshly baked bread and coffee aromas waft by and early morning enthusiasts take their daily dose of exercise. The many trees that share the cityscape mean birdsong too greets the day.

The rest of the day was spent shopping, strolling the streets, sipping coffees and watching the leisurely pace of life in the sunshine state's capital pass by. With nightfall came a summer storm typical of this time of year. We had planned to go to the South Bank, but decided to turn back when we saw the dark clouds rolling in. We watched the spectacular lightning display from the bridge, then took cover in an outdoor cafe in the Queen Street Mall as the heavens opened. When the rain finally stopped we went again to King George Square to enjoy the festive light show playing across the face of City Hall. It was truly beautiful, the lights and colour and music drawing gasps and cheers from the mesmerised crowd. Two awesome light shows in one night - one put on by nature and one by the ingenuity of man - a fitting finale to another beautiful day.

When day 3 dawned I turned my steps towards a different direction and headed down Charlotte Street to meet Eagle Street and join the river where the stall holders were setting up for the Sunday Riverside Markets. I slowed my pace to enjoy the coffee aromas and colourful wares and then chose a path that took me along the river and through the City Botanic Gardens up to QUT. This university has to have one of the most beautiful settings around, positioned as it is between the old botanical gardens and the meandering river. Set in serenity so close to the city heart, modern buildings stand harmoniously beside historic ones. Old Government House is one of Queensland's most important heritage buildings and sits splendidly on the campus amidst green manicured lawns. I have admired this grand sandstone structure many times from the exterior, but never taken advantage of its free entry to take a look into colonial life. I made a mental note to schedule a return visit during opening hours.

I returned to the hotel for a refreshing shower and then we walked across the river to enjoy Sunday on the South Bank. The warm sunshine, the cool gardens, the inviting beach pools and the outdoor markets had enticed many to do the same. We found a lovely cafe in which to enjoy a long leisurely breakfast and the surrounding sights before exploring more and capping off the morning with a ride up the Brisbane River as far as Qld University. We jumped on a city cat and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the river and the cool river breezes up and back - a very enjoyable and inexpensive way to spend a couple of hours.

The plan for the evening was to head back to the City Botanic Gardens for Carols in the Park, quite a spectacular event that draws big crowds every year. We ate early and wondered why there were so few people walking to the park. Did we have the time wrong? Why were we the only ones at the gates? Why was there no activity within? We retraced our steps to the hotel to check the information brochure. Turns out I did have the time wrong - by 24 hours. The concert had been on the night before. The next one would be in 365 days. Bummer.

Well, the night was still young, the sky was clear and the moon was full. Back to City Hall we went to watch the end of the Christmas parade and another light show. Not quite the same as lying on a blanket in the gardens listening to Christmas carols, but not too bad an alternative. Maybe next year we will try again.

We checked out of the hotel the next morning, but before catching the train home we returned to City Hall to catch the first tour of the day to the top of the tower. A free tour, it offers a lovely view of the surrounding area and an interesting insight into the Hall's history. It was a great way to end our trip to the city. As we travelled the short distance home we marvelled at what we had seen and how much we had enjoyed it. We also marvelled at how much we hadn't done and still wanted to do sometime soon. Brisbane is a beautiful city to visit. How lucky are we to live so close?