The city has a lot more to offer than it did 30 years ago when Daniel Gschwind first came to the place. The chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council says his first impression was very disappointing.
"I was expecting a coastal city with a magnificent river flowing through it, but it was very difficult to see it (the river) and certainly very limited opportunities to experience any of it,'' he says.
There was no outdoor dining, most places closed by 6 o'clock on weekdays and there was nothing to do on a weekend. (Now restaurants scramble to be included on divine alfresco dining lists and hot spots are open earlier and later than ever before.)
"Now I think a visitor, and a local for that matter, can experience a vibrant, lively and beautiful city that has turned its way towards the river and that recognises the great natural attractions it has in it and near it.''
He points to the lush forests packed with birds wildlife that fringes Brisbane's western suburbs and the beautiful Moreton Bay to the east with its turtles, dugongs and occasional whale visitor.
The city itself now offers plenty of dining opportunities so that there are tough choices to be made on where to find Brisbane's best pizzas, where to sample European fare or whether it's time to take in the river with the pick of waterfront dining.
And if you want to get away from it all, there are plenty of hole-in-the wall joints popping up that are adding flair to Brisbane's sip scene. Those cocktails or beers also wash down bar snacks that are no longer confined to a bowl of peanuts, but rather are a sophisticated selection of nibbles that in recent times have competed on the city's culinary scene.
As well, there is a rich cultural scene with a range of shopping, outdoor markets, music and arts, especially along the river side.
"South Bank is a major piece of infrastructure that would have to be amongst the best pieces of urban infrastructure you will see anywhere,'' he says.
Part of the problem though, he says, is making people aware of what Brisbane does have to offer.
"What we probably don't do as well as we might is making them accessible to the visitor who doesn't have any local connections'' he says.
Mr Gschwind's comments follow criticism by Tourism Queensland head Anthony Hayes that Brisbane does not have enough permanent attractions to draw in more visitors.
There was criticism too that nothing had been done on 10 major catalyst projects identified in a plan three years ago to help boost tourism in the city and surrounding area.
Mr Gschwind says adding more attractions to the city would be good but he says the high Australian dollar is making it difficult to attract overseas visitors, and Australian tourists are heading for cheaper foreign destinations.
"The business and convention market for Brisbane is actually going quite well,'' he says. "It's the leisure market that's suffering and that is a phenomena that's affecting the whole state, if not the while nation.''
So what is there to do in Brisbane?
The place is packed with attractions - many of them free - and there's always something on offer.
If the weather's fine then it's outdoors in some of the most beautiful locations in Australia. From Mt Coot-tha to Mt Nebo and on to Mt Glorious there are plenty of lookouts and walks in the forest to enjoy the bird and wildlife.
A short ferry ride across Moreton Bay reveals some stunning locations on Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island that rival some of the better-known tourist attractions further north on the Queensland coast.
The whale watching off the bay is getting better each year.
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