Brisbane is the capital of Australia's sunniest state and one of its most popular destinations when it comes to exchange. The third largest city in the country still cultivates a more tranquil, inland atmosphere, but make no mistake: boredom is far from the place!
Want to know more about Queensland's capital? Check out our complete guide to Brisbane!
Demographics
With a population of over 2.4 million, Brisbane is Australia's 3rd most populous city, just after Sydney and Melbourne. The city's population represents 19% of the national population. It is also one of Australia's oldest cities, founded on the lands of the Turrbal and Jagera indigenous peoples, and covers 15,826 km². According to the census, the six main nationalities that dominate the region are Australian, New Zealand, English, South African, Indian and Filipino. And the five main languages (apart from English) spoken in Brisbane are: Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian and German.
Weather
Brisbane's climate is subtropical oceanic, which means it has very mild, relatively dry winters and hot, rainy summers. Due to its location on the east coast of Australia, the city is more protected from the cold than the southern cities (Perth, Melbourne, Sydney), as well as from wind and rain. It is also protected from heat waves coming from the desert, as ocean currents prevail in summer. However, in summer it can sometimes be affected by tropical cyclones and heavy rain.
Time zone
Brisbane is 13 hours ahead of Brasilia time.
Minimum wage
The current minimum wage in Australia is AUD $19.49 (information updated in July/2019).
Job market
Even though Brisbane is Australia's third largest city, it is much smaller than Sydney and Melbourne. this reflects on your job market. Job vacancies are proportional to its size and population. But don't worry, there are opportunities for everyone! The most common positions for students who have just arrived in the country and don't yet have developed English are waiter, barista, cleaner, delivery man, construction worker, among others. It's important to remember that exchange students shouldn't limit themselves to just these areas, but should try out and try activities in the area in which he worked in Brazil or in a new profession.
Cost of living
Another advantage of Brisbane is that, as it is smaller, the cost of living is lower than in other cities. The rent for a shared room ranges from AUD $120 to AUD $160 per week. The price of a private room ranges from AUD $185 to AUD $300 per week. On the other hand, the average weekly spend in the market, considering someone who cooks and makes meals at home, is AUD $70 per week.
Public transportation
In Brisbane and the surrounding area (Ipswich, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast), international students enrolled in an English language course (ELICOS), a Vocational Course (VET) or a tertiary course can use the Adult Go Card, which calculates the fare according to the type of transport and the areas traveled.
The card can be recharged online, at specific machines in train stations, at authorized establishments or by calling 13 12 30.
If you use the Go Card for eight journeys in a week (Monday to Sunday), you will be charged half the price for the rest of the journeys, regardless of the zones you travel through. Off-peak journeys also have different fares.
South Bank
Think Brisbane, think South Bank! This is where the famous Ferris wheel and the city sign are located. The cultural, social, educational and leisure precinct is where almost everything happens in Queensland's capital. Located in the suburb of South Brisbane, on the south bank of the Brisbane River, the complex is open 365 days a year dand weekend, such as Davies Park, full of craft, fruit and vegetable vendors, and Boundary Street, known for its food stalls. Organic cafés and family-run Greek and Vietnamese restaurants provide a casual atmosphere. Breweries and live music keep the area lively after dark.
Facts about Brisbane
- O CityHopper is a free ferry service in the center of Brisbane. You can get on and off the boat every 30 minutes. The service runs between 6 am and midnight, seven days a week!
- In Queensland, the sea water is very pleasant in the summer, even warm if the day is too hot! Quite different from Sydney's beaches
- Wide-brimmed hats are part of the compulsory school uniform because of the strong sun rays that hit the region;
- Brisbane was known to the early Aborigines as Meanjin, which means "spike-shaped place";
- The first Lamington, a typical Australian cake, was made in 1900 at Old Government House for Lord and Lady Lamington. French chef Armand Galland accompanied Lord and Lady Lamington to Brisbane in 1900. The lamington was born out of necessity - it was Galland's answer to the perennial problem of unexpected visitors coming his way. He took inspiration from the French vanilla sponge cake and added chocolate and coconut. It proved so popular that Lady Lamington was inundated with requests for the recipe and so Galland named his treat after his customers;
- Brisbane City Hall is the largest city hall building in Australia;
- North Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island are the second and third largest sand islands in the world;
- Brisbane has an average of 283 days of sunshine a year;
- South Bank's artificial beach is 2,000 square meters of concrete made up of around 4,000 cubic meters of sand. The sand around the beach comes from the Rous Canal in Moreton Bay, and every year the beach is topped up with an additional 70 tons to ensure its good condition. Almost half of the lagoon area is on reclaimed land that was once the Brisbane River. The lagoon contains chlorinated fresh water that is recirculated every six hours at up to 125 liters per second. The beach area comprises a lagoon with enough water to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools, with sandy beaches, palm trees, rocky creeks and subtropical trees and exotic plantations.
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