Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, I walked into Brisbane Distillery Co., Australia’s only registered gin school. It was there I selected, measured and mixed a carousel of floral botanicals including elderflower, lavender and violet leaf to distill a spirited concoction I christened Magnolia Moon in honor of my home state of Georgia.
When I heard of Brisbane Distillery, where I would get a chance to be a master distiller, if only for an afternoon, it was just the tonic I needed to add to an otherwise delightful first journey to Australia during the continent’s springtime.
Gathered around a long laboratory-like table complete with mini copper stills, beakers and all manner of gin-making equipment, my fellow distillers and I chose our own botanicals from 180 options and began the fun, two-hour process of transforming raw spirit to Magnolia Moon and other monikers, each bottle emblazoned with our own personal label.
When it is deep into our autumn, it is spring in Australia, called the Land Down Under because it is, well, down under the equator and among the most southerly of any country in existence without tumbling into Antarctica.
For a geographical snapshot, Brisbane, in Queensland and where I chose to spend my first-ever visit to Australia and make my own artisanal gin, is nicknamed Brissie. The climate is subtropical, with the land sprawling and surrounded by low-slung hills generously peppered with sweet masses of jacaranda trees, their blossoms suspended over the city like a pillowy purple cloud.
With its population of some 2.3 million, Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, feels more small town than big city with welcoming locals and friendly neighborhoods. Its heartbeat is the Brisbane River, whose serpentine coils fringe a range of architectural and natural wonders from skyscrapers to botanical gardens to rainforests and Streets Beach, a man-made beach highlighted with a sparkling lagoon. The weather is almost always good, paying homage to Queensland’s one-time tourism slogan, “Beautiful one day, perfect the next.”
Early in the morning of my first full day in Brisbane, I set Moreton Island in my sights. I boarded the ferry from Holt Street Wharf, where the sleek catamaran began its 75-minute journey along the Brisbane River, its brown water — the river is called the “brown snake” — nonetheless glittering in the sunlight before, in surprising contrast, opening out into the emerald-hued and startlingly translucent water of Moreton Bay.
Ahead of the catamaran, Moreton Island, the third largest sand island in the world, rose like a scepter against the backdrop of the Coral Sea, just to the east of Moreton Bay. Moreton Island, sunlit and fragrant with its centerpiece of Tangalooma Island Resort, is known for its mélange of beachfront villas and hotel rooms, lively tropical vibe, and kookaburra- and dolphin-feeding excursions. With Moreton’s isolation, tapestry of tropical forests and shimmering beaches with sandlike, lightly sifted cinnamon, it easily mimics Bali. Although the Julia Roberts-George Clooney romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise” was set in Bali, because of red tape, it couldn’t be filmed there. The exotic, beautiful Moreton Island became its replacement.
After a decadent lunch of fried fish and gigantic prawns at Tangalooma’s Beach Café and then a short marine discovery cruise, I boarded a small, four-person helicopter for a kookaburra’s-eye view of the entirety of Moreton. The island forest and its surrounding seas meld seamlessly into an artist’s palette of gently woven greens worthy of an Impressionist watercolor.
“Sometimes we see whales or sharks breaching,” said Louis, my pilot for the half-hour ride over the spectacular landscape. “I never tire of it.”
While the bigger fish were scarce that day, among the creatures I spotted were green sea turtles, a small fever of stingrays and a few dugong, close cousins of the manatee. Along the southern end of the island, the helicopter passed over several shipwrecks strewn across the water. Louis explained they were intentionally sunk to defend the delicate shoreline from rough seas. Their hulls, emerging from the sea like rusted skeletons, provide for excellent snorkeling and diving, and from my perch in the whirlybird, I saw plenty of swimmers bobbing in the water and searching for vibrantly hued fish.
After the helicopter ride, I found myself almost face to face with several kookaburras, the iconic birds of Australia, during the daily feeding. It’s no laughing matter that the kookaburra’s long, flat beak, perfectly made for its strikingly loud, maniacal laughter, an almost fiendish portmanteau of chortles, shrieks and cackles that is an anomaly in the bird kingdom and completely at the other end of the rainbow from melodic songbirds like the nightingale or whippoorwill.
In the afternoon sun, the carnivorous kookaburra lit on posts and trees surrounding the water’s edge, waiting to be fed their meal of bits of beef. As shrill as they are, at the same time they are a gorgeous part of the island scenery. Lucky birds, living there in paradise.
The dolphin feedings are at sunset, but since it was spring and still cold, I didn’t relish the thought of getting into the water with the silvery bottlenoses, although a couple of dozen guests lined up for the literal and figurative cool experience. I was content to take photos and watch the dolphins glide almost into the shoreline where they are fed high-fat herring by those willing to brave the chill and wade knee-deep into the water. When the dolphins neared the shoreline, all eager for their herring, it was a sight to behold, this happy mix of humans and mammals.
More than Moreton
Besides the kookaburra, Australia harbors an assortment of oddball creatures including cassowaries, wombats, Tasmanian devils, bird-eating spiders, spiky echidna, long-nosed bandicoot, and the platypus, perhaps the most oddball of all with its duck-shaped bill, beaver-like tail and webbed feet. In this Land Down Under, road signs warn not of whitetail deer or black bear but of kangaroos and koalas.
It was the chance to hold a koala that took me to Brisbane in the first place. The best place to see the slow-moving marsupial, besides the treetops of the eucalyptus trees — its sole diet is the eucalyptus leaf — is Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket near Brisbane. The sanctuary, established in 1927, is one of the few places in the world that offers opportunities to hold a koala.
When it came my turn to hold the teddy bear-like little fellow, I was surprised at not only how loving it seemed but also its weightiness. Those creatures, so soft and cuddly, are deceptively heavy; my guess for my fuzzy pal was about 20 pounds. They share Lone Pine with dozens of other koalas, plus a host of Down Under creatures, most notably a mob of kangaroos.
Once back in Brisbane, I signed up for the glamorous experience of Spree with Me, a company that essentially takes the guesswork out of where to shop and dine in Brisbane. Spree with Me is a customizable shopping and walking tour with a personal stylist to sample some of Brisbane’s fashion, food and wine choices. I booked with owner Imogene Whittle for a four-hour tour, fashion consultation and lunch in the James Street shopping district, a place she termed “the most fashionable street in all of Brisbane,” but she will curate the experience for any place you want to go in the city.
While shopping and visiting Lone Pine, Brisbane Distillery Co. and Moreton Island are wonderful experiences, Brisbane, the perfect introduction to Australia, is a remarkable city to spend a few days in or use as a jumping-off point to other places on the massive continent.
Eating, drinking and sleeping
The drawback to having only four days in Brisbane is the inability to try all of the city’s restaurants and hotels. So many fabulous global eateries offer a mishmash of everything from gourmet to casual fare with the freshest of seafood — the city is surrounded by fresh and salt water — as well as legendary Australian beef and lamb.
Among the noteworthy samplings of restaurants is Southside Restaurant at Fish Lane Town Square. Almost hidden away under the monolithic train bridges of South Brisbane, its cuisine is East Asian heavily influenced with Chinese traditions. In a restaurant of standout dishes, I practically swooned over a five-course lunch of scallops with fermented chili jam, pork and prawn sui mai with caviar and finished with tastiest spring rolls ever that were crafted with truffles.
Ovolo the Valley, in the heart of the Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley, is a small luxury boutique hotel with spacious rooms and super-comfortable beds and bathrooms. Its Za Za Ta Bar and Kitchen celebrates market-fresh local produce that combines vegetarian dishes with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Israeli-inspired dishes. Try the four-course Taste of Za Za Ta with offerings such as Halloumi doughnut, slow-fermented zaatar potato bread and stuffed squash.
The oasis-like Calile Hotel, also in Fortitude Valley, has been called Australia’s “very first urban resort,” and salutes the dynamic forces of nature with gardens and palm trees, plenty of open spaces that provide for abundant sunshine, and outdoor dining, all complemented by myriad shades of pink everywhere. The must-try is Hellenika, the hotel’s poolside Greek restaurant, for authentic dishes including loukaniko, eggplant moussaka and souvlakia.
Brissie’s hotels range from super-luxurious to cutting edge to comfortable, and the Crystalbrook Vincent falls into the category of all three. The color-filled hotel is underneath the iconic Story Bridge overlooking the Brisbane River and Howard Smith Wharves, and its cozy Fiume Rooftop Bar provides for stunning views of the skyline complete with dazzling sunsets and twinkling lights. On my final night in Brisbane, after drinks at Fiume, I walked to Mr. Percival’s, also underneath the bridge. While the restaurant is known for its pizzas, beef and burgers, I chose a farewell feast of sweetly grilled king prawns coupled with a spicy watermelon margarita.
Getting there and getting around
While it’s no hop, skip and a jump all the way across the Pacific to Brisbane from the U.S., Qantas, the national flag carrier airline of Australia, operates daily nonstop service from Los Angeles. Beginning in June, Qantas will also offer three weekly nonstop flights from New York to Auckland, New Zealand, with quick connections to Brisbane.
Since I was traveling with a small group and Brisbane is huge, a car service proved smarter than trying to rent a car or van and maneuvering unfamiliar traffic. With Limoso Limousine Services, every car was sparkling clean and each driver was friendly, prompt and knowledgeable.
The last word
When I return to my beginnings, I realized early on I was born with a wandering spirit. The magical places such as Australia I read about as a small child have never disappointed, and Brisbane, with its koalas, kangaroos and kookaburras, is no exception to the rule.
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