Good Value Brisbane City Hotels starting with Abby On Roma which is directly opposite Roma St railway station. The coffee shop you see on the ground floor does an excellent breakfast. Use THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.
The header on this post shows two of the hotels I will mention later, The Park Regis and Meriton serviced apartments. For excellent room rates just book through the highlighted links.
Located at 40 Elizabeth Street in the heart of the city. Nice rooms and friendly staff, good shopping arcade next door where you will fine Coles supermarket & Target. Book through THIS LINKfor a very good room rate.
Very nice rooms with an incredible view. About an 8 minute walk to Queen St Mall. My only complaint was the very poor internet service, they give you a miserly 250 meg per day. Book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.
Good Value Brisbane City Hotels here is view from Park Regis.
One of the best river & city views from my room on the 7th floor.
A huge 81 floors with 549 apartments with stunning views of Brisbane and beyond. For a great discounted room rate at the Meriton hotel there just use THIS LINK to book.
Thanks for visiting my Good Value Brisbane City Hotels photo blog.
Each month my posts receive 75,000 visits which I certainly appreciate.
Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Brisbane Inner City Restaurants I visited in August 2016 included Harajuku Gyoza at 141 Queen St. The service was good and the Gyoza excellent. There are two other branches, one in South Bank the other in Fortitude Valley.
Busy chef at work
The Gyoza was as good as I have experienced in Japan.
Little Singapore is adjacent to Harajuku Gyoza
TripAdvisor rating is 502 out of 3,180 Brisbane restaurants.
Vapiano 191 Albert StQueen Street Mall
Also opposite Harajuku Gyoza and I could not believe the queue waiting for a table. I didn’t eat there myself but if the queue is any indication the food must be good. 🙂
Comuna Cantina
Mexican restaurant in the same complex as the above at 175 Albert St.
Comuna
Latin, Mexican & South American dishes , dine in or takeaway.
Chez Nous opposite Roma St station
Very busy for breakfast, good coffee and quick service. For an excellent room rate at Abby on Roma just book through THIS LINK.
Pony Dining Eagle Street Pier
Great location and some good reviews, however I thought the food was over rated & expensive.
Pony Dining
Ambience & service was fine but I’m guessing I ordered the wrong dishes.
Not my cup of tea. 🙂
I’m positive I won’t return, there are too many other choices in the area that I need to try.
Brisbane Inner City Restaurants
As you can see there are many restaurant choices on Brisbane Riverside, follow THIS LINKfor more suggestions.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Brisbane City River Cruise started for me at the South Bank Wharf and took me on a 45 minute cruise almost to the Gateway Bridge and back. This post will highlight many of the wonderful Brisbane buildings along the river.
Treasury Casino
Overlooking the river is the Treasury Casino where they will be very happy to relieve you of your hard earned cash. 🙂
What a monster
I believe this huge skyscraper will house most government offices when completed. That’s the Victoria Bridge in the foreground.
South Bank Ferris wheel
Not as large as London or Tokyo but it does look nice at night. 🙂
Another look at the Monster
A very impressive building.
Executive Building
Called the Government’s new Executive Building it towers over Brisbane river.
Riverside buildings
This is the heart of the Brisbane business centre.
Huge towers dominate the skyline
The city cat stops right here for the workers to commute from home.
City Cat arriving
What a great way to get around Brisbane, my 1.5 hour trip only cost me around $3.
The famous Story Bridge
The Story Bridge first opened in 1940, & is named after prominent public servant, John Douglas Story.
Beautiful old paddle steamer
Kookaburra Queen paddle wheelers are famous for their dinner cruises.
Luxury living
What more could you want than a waterfront penthouse and this fabulous ship tied up in front?
Beautiful old ferry wharf
So nice to see these beautiful old structures preserved.
Bretts Wharf
Hundreds of modern (and expensive) condos are sprouting adjacent to the ferry stops, what a great way to commute to the city rather than fighting the road traffic.
Bretts Wharf up close
The city cats are smooth, comfortable and fast.
City Cat
A great way to see the sights of Brisbane.
Brisbane City River Cruise
You can also sit outside at the bow and the stern.
Enjoy the fresh air and the wind in your face
The perfect spot to take photos of this wonderful city.
The Gateway Bridge
Construction on the Gateway Bridge commenced on 5 June 1980. It was officially opened on 11 January 1986.
Brisbane River
As you can see the river meanders through the suburbs and almost circles the city.
The CityHopper lets you travel the Brisbane river for free, the ferries run every 30 minutes between 6am and midnight, seven days a week. The ferry travels along the Brisbane River, to North Quay, South Bank 3, Maritime Museum, Thornton Street, Eagle Street Pier, Holman Street, Dockside and Sydney Street terminals.
I leave the City Cat after a terrific 90 minute cruise.
You can take the City Cat in both directions from the city, a nice idea would be to head in the direction of Toowong and disembark at the fabulous Regatta Hotel,a great place for lunch, dinner or a few drinks. Follow THIS LINKto see this iconic hotel.
Brisbane City River Cruise
This city is just getting better & better, it’s now August 2016 and the number of cranes on the skyline indicate a building boom.
Thanks for visiting my Brisbane City River Cruise photo blog. For a discounted hotel rate at the Park Regis Hotel which is in a terrific location just book through THIS LINK.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Regatta Hotel Brisbane Landmark has been around for a long time. The original hotel was built there in 1874, as a single story wooden building. Located by the river and classified by the National Trust it has been flooded out quite a few times over the years. The above photo shows the rear view of the hotel and highlights the ornate cast iron lacing which adorn the entire building.
1992 Jaguar sovereign.
My great old friend Steve Rado picked me up at the Park Regis Hotelwhere I was staying and drove me to the Regatta Hotel in his immaculate Jaguar which he recently purchased for $1300.
The Park Regis is in an excellent location, for a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.
What a fit out
Certainly one of the best fit outs I have ever seen at an Australian Hotel.
Designed by a genius
If you are not impressed by the decor here then pubs are obviously not your thing. 🙂
A surprise around every corner
There are lots of nooks & crannies to eat and drink at this fabulous hotel.
Flood levels
Outside they have marked flood levels and the years they happened. The recent level of the 2011 flood was around the bottom of this photo.
Sidewalk dining
The Regatta even have a place where the smokers can continue with their disgusting habit. You guessed it, I’m a reformed smoker. 🙂
Lovely table settings
They certainly have many dining options for parties of any size.
Outdoor bar
So many choices of where to eat and drink and such little time. 🙂
If you cant find a place that suits you at the Regatta Hotel Brisbane Landmark, you are just not trying. 🙂
Lunch at the Boatshed
Quite a spectacular room with very good food and wine.
Aged beef
If it’s a good steak you are looking for, this is the place. Seeing the aged beef on display gave me a flashback to Gallagher’s Steakhouse in New York City, follow THIS LINK to see what I mean.
Open kitchen
The food was excellent, we both had steaks washed down with a Margaret River red.
Regatta Hotel Brisbane Landmark
Follow THIS LINK for the Boatshed menu.
City view from opposite Regatta Hotel
In the middle of the photo behind the William Jolly bridge is the Park Regis hotel. The rooms are excellent and so is the cost if you use THIS LINK to book. I had a room with a great view for $109 aud per night, but you must use THIS LINK to get this price. 🙂
Farewell from the Regatta Hotel
Thanks for visiting my Regatta Hotel Brisbane Landmark photo blog. It was the perfect place to catch up with my old friend Steve Rado and reminisce about our life in Adelaide in the 70s.
Here are some other Brisbane photo blogs to check out.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Brisbane airport railway station Bangkok Thai flight Cancelled Bangkok Thai flight Cancelled, I have flown thousands of times throughout my life and this was the first time I ever experienced a cancelled flight. As Newton would say “For every action, … Continue reading →
This is not a travel blog just my personal photo collection from the Gold Coast in Australia in August 2016.
Sorrento Sam
Surfers Paradise sentimental journey
Surfers Paradise sentimental journey took me back to where I lived for 25 years before moving to Thailand in October 2011. I stayed at Sorrento with my old friend Tony Murphy and his lovely wife Nikki, plus Sam the 3rd member of their family.
Murphy’s birthday
Morning coffee at The Island cafe is a tradition with this group of friends, and today August 11 2016 just happened to be Tony’s 74th birthday.
I must say the coffee at the Island Cafe is absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t help noticing the price of the small quiche compared to a similar one in Thailand that I regularly buy. Here it is $15.90 and at Big C in Pattaya $1.85.
Close to Tony’s home in Sorrento is the Gold Coast race track, here is the view of downtown Surfers Paradise.
Two things I miss living in Thailand
Fresh ocean prawns and avocado at Isle of Capriis a perfect meal for me. Sure you can get both items in Thailand but certainly not is the same class as Queensland.
Other things I miss
A few good friends who can’t be replaced or forgotten. In fact catching up with them was my main reason for this trip. Above is my great mate Ross Kennedy leading me astray once again.
Lunch at Chevron Island
On the left is Bryan Dart, on the right Phil Thomson
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Chevron Island Surfers Paradise is located between Surfers Paradise and Bundall, a nice village with a very good choice of restaurants and coffee shops. My 2 nieces Laura & Elyssa pictured in the header of this blog is at probably my favourite eating spot, Frank’s seafood which is a traditional fish & chip shop.
Chevron Island Surfers Paradise
Cafe Alfons is a nice cafe for coffee or breakfast.
Bacon, eggs avocado.
Throw in a flat white or latte and cost comes to $21.
Hairdresser, R/E agent & Happy Dragon Massage.
Have a haircut, buy a house then go upstairs for a soothing massage. 🙂
Tribeca is a hot new restaurant on Chevron Island
Excellent food and very good service, run by Brandon & Shannon Pollard.
Sadly this venue closed in 2019.
Western end
Three more restaurants including one of 4 Thai restaurants on the island.
Good Thai food
This is the restaurant you see in the previous shot, It was 2011 & I’m with my brother Warren & a girl from Ray White who’s name I can’t recall. 🙂
Fu Manchu
Had lunch at this upmarket new two story restaurant, nice decor and good service but I have mixed feelings about the food.
Mixed reaction
The wontons on the left were not to my liking, fried does not suit me, however the chicken skewers on the right were quite good. Overall the dishes on the menu seem a little expensive, of course I only tried two so it is rather hard to give a reasonable opinion. The Spanish waitress was delightful. 🙂
Espresso Bonsai
A nice little cafe with very good coffee.
Fabulous hot rod
On Chevron for a promotion.
Colour coded outfits
And terrific smiles. 🙂
CHEVRON ISLAND SEAFOOD
My friend Frank operates this excellent fish and chip shop where I have been enjoying fresh seafood for years. Oysters, hamburgers and great prawns are also available. Grab a bottle of wine and a table on the footpath then enjoy the passing Chevron Island eye candy.
Adjacent to the traffic lights
Say hello to Frank and Warren.
Chevron Island Surfers Paradise
More seafood from Frank’s.
Feast at Franks.
Here are my friends enjoying one of Franks feasts, phone 5592 0027 to reserve a table. From left to right is Steve Bates, Nikki Murphy, Tony Murphy, Nick Partridge, Sharon Delmundo and Anne Lacy.
Sadly in March 2017 Anne lost her long battle with cancer & passed away, RIP.
You bump into the nicest people at Franks.
Here is my friend Donna at Chevron Island Seafood.
For a great hotel room rate (with free cancellation) just book through THIS LINK.
Looking east on Thomas Drive
The Surfers skyline is rather spectacular.
From the corporate centre
Chevron Island a few years ago was all low rise, a couple of multi story buildings have popped up recently, this shot however was taken around 2003.
Chevron Island Surfers Paradise photo blog
Farewell from Chevron Island Surfers Paradise , here I am with my old friend Bryan Dart who totally upset me when he told me he had lost 8 kilo since I saw him 18 months ago. The problem is I think that’s how much I have put on. 🙂
Running of the bikes
An article I wrote in the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Tall buildings Surfers Paradise where I lived for 25 years before moving to Thailand in October 2011. Personally I preferred the city in the 70s & 80s before the explosion of modern high rise hotels and apartments. Having said all that, it is quite a spectacular part of Australia.
Old motel for sale
I’m surprised this prime property adjacent to the Chevron Island bridge was not developed years ago.
Chevron Renaissance
One of three towers offering apartments and hotel rooms.
Finally drinks with good friends Phil Thomson and Greg Craig at Melbas. Thanks for visiting my Blue Sky tall buildings Surfers Paradise photo blog, before you go check out my Isle Of Capriand Bundall blogs.
Bundall Shops Brothels Racecourse, it has it all. This was where I lived for 21 years until October 2011. The north end of Upton Street was residential with some luxurious waterfront homes including mine, while the southern end is full of shops, offices & factories.
Bundall Shops Brothels Racecourse
90% of anything and everything I needed to purchase over the years I could find in Upton St.
The Corporate Centre
Around the corner in Bundall Road is the iconic Corporate Centre.
Bundall Road near Crombie Avenue
A couple of the Bundall Road prestige office buildings.
McLauchlan & Partners
A financial planning company at 80-82 Upton St, Bundall, I knew Alex many years ago in the late 8os when his office was in Southport. I remember him as a keen golfer who enjoyed a beer.
The Good Guys
Another huge Queensland discount electrical store.
Adult toy shop
Here is where you can buy all those adult toys & accessories to put some buzz back into your sex life.
Right across the road
For those lonely guys here is Silks one of the local brothels, as I said earlier Upton Street Bundall has everything you could possibly need. 🙂
For all you need to know about the local hookers just follow THIS LINK.
Here’s a map
So you guys won’t get lost. 🙂
OK, back to reality
This is one of about 3 major lighting stores on Upton Street Bundall.
The race track
Upton St also butts onto the Southport race track which used to be the only track in Australia to host a meeting every Saturday.
I’m there for nearly every Melbourne cup or Magic Millions event.
Watching the the ladies slowly deteriorate as the day draws to a close. 🙂
This was my home for 21 fabulous years, I designed and had it built in 1990, added a 2nd story in 2004, which turned out to be a mistake as it made it much harder to sell. However sell it did in October 2011 and one week later I moved to Thailand.
This is an awful looking house
Being built 4 doors from my old home in July 2018.
The lake near where I used to live.
My house was just out of the photo to the right.
For a great hotel room rate (with free cancellation) just book through THIS LINK.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
This is not a travel blog just my personal photo collection from the 2nd half of 2016.
Another birthday rolls around July 7.
Loving Pattaya life 2016
Loving Pattaya life 2016 has seen me spend all year here, the quietest travel year I have had this century. I over spent in the last 2 or 3 years so I thought I should pull my horns in. 🙂
I spent 5 days in Koh Samui in June, 2 weeks in Australia in August and a great trip to Japan in October.
Some of the usual suspects
Greg, Hamish & John helped me celebrate at the Mantra.
A year living in Pattaya seems like about 6 months, time just seems to fly.
Great beach shot August 4th at 7am
All the boats are waiting for the hordes of Chinese tourists.
And here they come in their thousands
The buses roll into Beach Road of a morning and the tourists flock to the boats.
Tony & Nikki Murphy at Signature Steak & Seafood.
The Murphy’s spent a week in Pattaya then 3 nights in Mae Pim before flying back to Australia.
Visitors from San Diego
It was great to catch up with Paul, Eileen, Parker & Elle in Pattaya as part of their 9 week Asian holiday with included Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Samet & Danang.
Seagulls in Pattaya?
Here is a sculpture on Beach Rd showing a flock of seagulls, yet to this day I have never seen a seagull in Pattaya. 🙂
Here comes the rain
I love seeing the black clouds roll in over Pattaya.
Steve is a great mate of Larry’s from the Gold Coast. Terrific news for movie goers which vastly overshadows the recent Brangelina bullshit, the “odd couple” Larry Krausz & Steven Reade have been signed by BangBros, the largest porn studio in the world, to star in a remake of the 1988 movie Twins, which stared Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. See if you can pick who will play DeVito. 🙂
The more thigs change the more they stay the same
After many years the Cherry bar on Soi 3 & 2nd Rd has been sold and is now Billabong 2.
When can we have some fun?
Every night you go out in Pattaya the fun starts.
For a discounted hotel rate with free WiFi in Pattaya or anywhere in the world, just book through THIS LINK
Starbucks
Opened in September at the “Bay” which is between Soi 5 & 6 on Beach Rd.
Good coffee & happy staff
They are the first to open at the Bay, next will be McDonalds.
Stunning November sunset
So many great sunsets from my balcony.
My new home
On November 1st after 4.5 years I moved from the 17th floor in Markland to the 20th, does that mean I coming up in the world?
The usual suspects
Jim’s Burgers is a great place for a casual dinner with friends, I’m with Hamish, Jonathon & Matt.
Delicious
Lots of varieties & you can order small or large.
One of my massage girls
Used to be a waitress in Chamiko in Soi 3, now she works at a massage parlour in Soi 3 & sometimes gives me a reasonable foot massage.
Spectacular clouds over Koh Larn
These days I seem to be obsessed with taking photos of clouds & sunsets. 🙂
October in Japan
I m with my friend Kayo in a Spanish restaurant in Tokyo. I purchased a two week ticket on the Shinkansen or bullet train, then after 3 nights in Tokyo I travelled to 6 interesting Japanese cities, includung Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Nagasaki & Fukuoka.
I arrived back in Pattaya on Ocober 28th & the following day my good friend Larry Krausz was rushed to Bangkok Pattaya hospital after suffering a major stroke, now 5 weeks later on December 5th he is still in a serious condition in the intensive care ward.
Ross & Bryce arrive from Australia
The boys came over for a few days to visit Larry.
Centara Grand
After a couple of cold beers at Centara Grand and a Pattaya cop working security wanted to throw us out. I lay the blame 100% on Pothole aka John David Martin who was dressed like a local bum & showing off his silly tattoos. 🙂
Pothole & sons + Kayo.
Tate is Pothole’s eldest son, he arrived in Thailand from Australia to celebrate Xmas & to meet his 2 half brothers Tyrone & Tiger. Notice for some strange reason known only to Pothole, all his children including daughter Tamara have to have a first name starting with the letter T. Just another one of his many offbeat strange quirks. 🙂 The lovely Japanese girl in the photo is my friend Kayo from Tokyo.
Shopping for a dress in Soi 6
Even though Soi 6 is one of the wildest streets in Pattaya there is still time for some quiet shopping. 🙂
Soi Diana redhead.
A very sweet girl from Area 51, no wonder I’m Loving Pattaya life 2016′
On the subject of Soi 6
Here is Geoff from Australia, a fanatical Soi 6 supporter. We are at Leckerle in Soi 33 Naklua with his ex fiance Nana for a terrific meal & lots of wine.
Xmas Day with Geoff & Nana
We started with a bottle of French Champagne on my balcony.
Lunch at Surf & Turf & Loving Pattaya life 2016
A great location on the beach at Wongamat. Kayo flew from Tokyo to spend 10 days in Thailand before heading to Australia.
Two nights in Bangkok
December 29th took Pothole & Yogurt to Cheap Charles before checking out Brewski a new sky bar at the Radisson Blu.
New Years Eve in Pattaya
Steve “Jumbo” Reade having a ball at the Atlantic Bar & Loving Pattaya life 2016.
Atlantic girls
They all looked terrific, dressed to kill. 🙂
Meet the gorgeous Katie.
A very happy lady from Billabong 2.
Here’s Pothole dressed in his Jaffa outfit.
Anything to attract attention. 🙂
Farewell to an old friend
Larry Krausz, a friend for around 30 years suffered a major stroke on October 28. After 2 months in the Bangkok Pattaya hospital on life support he was transported to Australia by a hospital Leer jet, thanks to his Medibank travel insurance. After a month his life support was removed & he passed away peacefully.
It’s now 2017 and here is Glenn Frey to tell you exactly how I feel today.
For a discounted hotel rate with free WiFi in Pattaya or anywhere in the world, just book through THIS LINK
Called the Government’s new Executive Building it towers over Brisbane river.
You can also sit outside at the bow and the stern.
