Experience Brisbane with a tinge of green

The word ‘sustainable’ might not spring to mind when you think of Brisbane and its snaking brown river, but it’s Australia’s most biodiverse capital city with more than 800 animals and 2,500 plant species.

The sprawling city is centred around its river, entangled with creeks and bordered by bushland and coastline – whichever way you look, nature is never far away.

But natural beauty isn’t all Brisbane has to offer. Spend a week here and you will fast realise it has lost its ‘big country town’ tag, with an impressive array of world-class restaurants, hotels, bars and attractions now calling the city home.

My wheels for this eco-friendly trip was a Tesla Model 3 from SIXT rentals at the Brisbane Airport.

The car felt like a spaceship, but Michael from SIXT made it his mission to cool my concerns and educate me on the car’s ins and outs (and Teslas have a lot of ins and outs).

If you want to rent an EV, SIXT has Australia’s largest range of electric rental cars. They also offer free charging at Chargefox stations and provide discounts to RACQ members.

If you’re on a tighter budget, public transport is a good option with some free ferries and buses in the CBD. Download the My Translink app to plan your journey.

Cocktails at Flume Rooftop Bar,

E-scooters and e-bikes are also dotted around the CBD and available for hire.

My first port of call was The Emporium Hotel at South Bank.

This place is luxury defined. As I entered my room, the curtains automatically opened to reveal Brisbane’s shimmering skyline. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie.

With 143 luxury suites, a rooftop bar and pool, beehives and vegetable gardens, the Emporium Hotel was the first in Australia to be EarthCheck Design Certified, meaning it adhered to high sustainability standards.

A little later in the week, I stayed at Crystalbrook Vincent, nestled under the Story Bridge at the Howard Smith Wharves precinct. This hotel is loud and proud of its sustainable practices.

I first noticed the recycled wooden swipe access cards and absence of single-use plastics.

Even if you don’t stay here, try one of the signature Brisbane-themed cocktails at the hotel’s rooftop bar, Fiume.

An enticing dish at GOMA Restaurant.

I sipped on the Brisbane in Bloom cocktail – a nod to the city’s iconic purple jacaranda trees.

The Howard Smith Wharves precinct is home to more than a dozen restaurants, breweries and bars and has a dedicated sustainability team.

“We now have 22 people who work in that team – they are going into kitchens and taking all of the waste and recycling to the extent where we hit 95 percent diversion from landfill,” Howard Smith Wharves CEO Luke Fraser said.

Ovolo The Valley is another great accommodation option in Brisbane’s live-music district.

It’s also home to ZA ZA TA, Queensland’s best vegetarian restaurant as rated in the 2022 Delicious 100 list. Make sure you try the halloumi donuts with chilli jam.

The Gin School at Brisbane Distillery is a real treat if you’re a spirit drinker.

Over a few hours, I was taught to distil my very own bottle of gin, selecting from more than 180 botanicals, while sipping on four delicious gin cocktails and munching on an antipasto platter.

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I attempted an apple-pie-flavoured gin which, surprisingly, turned out drinkable.

Founder and Master Distiller Jon Atherton said his distillery was powered almost exclusively by solar.

It also composts spent botanicals in the community garden across the street, uses recycled ocean plastics for bottles, and sources local ingredients.

“Our rum is made from sugarcane juice that is harvested around 40 minutes south from here,” Mr Atherton said.

If you’re travelling with kids or love wildlife, visit Flirt the sheepdog at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (about a 15-minute drive from the CBD), home to 70 native Australian species.

The sanctuary has been open for almost 100 years, giving locals and tourists a snapshot of native ecosystems and playing a crucial role in koala conservation.

RACQ members can save on tickets.

If you prefer air-conditioning, head to Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in South Bank; where you can easily spend hours getting lost in the stunning artworks and displays.

Birdlife paddling off Tangalooma Island Resort.

The food at the GOMA Restaurant is exquisite, too. Stop for lunch and try the yellowfin tuna. While you’re in the area, book a free guided tour of the South Bank Parklands.

The space encapsulates South-East Queensland, featuring swimming lagoons and snippets of native rainforest, all backdropped by Brisbane’s glittering skyline.

If you’re after island vibes, but don’t want to stray far from the city, head to Tangalooma Island Resort to enjoy scenic helicopter flights, quad biking and snorkelling around shipwrecks.

The Gold EarthCheck-accredited resort operates its own ferry service from Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba (about a 20-minute drive from the CBD).

I spent my afternoon on the island snorkelling with green sea turtles, a wobbegong shark, and fish in nearly every colour of the rainbow.

Maybe the omnipresence of nature in Brisbane drives its people to be so sustainably minded; whatever it is, it’s infectious.