Our time enjoying the homely comforts of Surfers Paradise had unfortunately come to an end. We all waved goodbye to Auntie Jean and boarded our 3rd Oz Experience coach to head to Queensland's largest city, Brisbane.

Due to bus schedules we were due to stay in 'Brissy' for 5 nights. The drive up the coast was a short one and we arrived in a gorgeous heat to a beautiful city full of bridges and skyscrapers. We stayed at the 'Bunk' which was inexpensive, nicely situated and very well equipped. Much like the Aussie hostels we've been in before it came complete with built in bar, swimming pool and jacuzzi. The place was clean and modern and i don't think I could fault it much in any way. The day we arrived was typically time to settle in, get a decent food shop, relax by the pool and enjoy a beer or two.

The following day we set about exploring the city. And what better way than partaking on yet another free walking tour?! The 3 and a half hour stroll was just as fascinating as the one we did in Sydney even if it really slated us Brits for the mass amounts of convicts we deported here which lead to the destruction of sacred aboriginal land. The tour guide spoke a lot about the ANZAC troops that aided the war efforts in WWI and WWII which was both surprising and really interesting. We even managed to bag a free ticket to the cities bar crawl for answering a question correctly... Result! That night we went to the bar for a little free grub, cheap drinks and a spot of karaoke.

Brisbane was never advertised as a city with much to offer, but when you're in a hostel environment it's hard to not have anything to do. The Friday afternoon we took part in the interhostel football competition which was pretty cool (even if we were the only hostel to turn up). The city has a surprising amount of green areas amongst the grand buildings which showcase some amazing architecture. That night we celebrated our tournament win with a few drinks in the hot tub (the perk to being the only hostel to turn up).

Naturally exercise made us pay the price of feeling absolutely horrific the next day. Months away from the gym has certainly taken away any fitness I had before! So we took the opportunity to relax in a picturesque area of the city, Southbank. Previously home to the world expo it's home to museums, galleries, markets and even a man made beach complete with lifeguards! Perfect place to enjoy a day in the sun listening to music, writing journals and watching the world go by. Being a Saturday night we went out on the town and sampled some surprising good nightlife in Bris Vegas.

The next day, and our last in Brisbane, capped off our time there. We took advantage of our hostels free bus service to the koala sanctuary on the outskirts of the city. Firstly we were driven to Mt Ca Tutha where we took in views of the city built around the prominent Brisbane river. Next we were dropped at the Lone Pine koala sanctuary which was home to a huge variety of Aussie wildlife. The koalas were cute, platypus strangely small and kangaroos looked like they'd all been doped up! Nevertheless it was still pretty cool to interact with the animals even if you did end up with kangaroo slobber all over you! That evening we took a break from the drinking and went out to watch the United vs Liverpool game. I've got to admit, I do miss the football but thankfully it's huge over here and most bars show the games!

And so came an end to our stay in Brisneyland, a city which was shot down by a lot of people we spoke to, but one I really enjoyed. Next stop Noosa and Australia Zoo!