Why Brisbane & Gold Coast should be M’sian travellers’ top Aussie destinations in 2025

[This is a sponsored article with Singapore Airlines.]

Just last year, The New York Times featured Brisbane in their list of 52 places to visit in 2024.

And about a month later, the Washington Post likewise also featured Brisbane in their own list, titled “Where to go in 2025, without crowds.”

For two big names in the media industry to simultaneously look at Queensland’s capital city and recommend it, surely, there must be something to it.

Here are some of the highlights of what Brisbane has to offer.

Favouring the bold

Brisbane is commonly overlooked as just a gateway city to the popular Gold Coast. 

But you’d be missing out if you disregard it as a tourist destination, especially since there have been quite a few recent developments in the area.

Launched in late August last year, one such example is the Queen’s Wharf, a residential and entertainment precinct that was eight years in the making.

It’s located in the Brisbane central business district (CBD), the birthplace of the city’s European settlement nearly 200 years ago and home to indigenous Australians for even longer.

In line with such a history, the Queen’s Wharf houses 12 state-owned heritage sites. This includes the Commissariat Store, a history museum built in 1828, which makes it the oldest occupied building in Queensland.

The plan for some of these once neglected locations is to restore and repurpose them to suit modern needs, combining culture with dining and retail.

Four luxury hotels additionally line the area, and it is also adorned with various parks and greenspaces, a welcome respite from the glare of an LED screen.

The newly opened Star Brisbane in particular is also home to the Sky Deck, a rooftop runway seemingly suspended 250 metres high. 

It features a glass walkway overlooking the city as well as Southbank Parklands, providing guests with quite the vantage point for an aerial view.

It goes without saying, of course, that food is also a major highlight. The Queen’s Wharf features a plethora of Asian and European eateries, of which the lineup can be viewed here. 

But outside of the Queen’s Wharf, there’s also Howard Smith Wharves, where visitors can dine under the city’s iconic Story Bridge.

Regarded as one of the hottest dining spots for locals and visitors alike, it features restaurants, bars, and breweries, all of which can be booked online.

There’s also Eat Street Northshore, a street food hub decorated with fairy lights and features over 70 stalls alongside five themed bars. Local talents can serenade you here as well while you feast.

If animals are more your thing, then 75 minutes by ferry from Brisbane is Tangalooma Island Resort.

There, visitors have the opportunity to handfeed wild bottlenose dolphins. There’s one particular family of dolphins that visits the area regularly, so much so that the resort has even crafted a family tree of them.

Not something that you’d find yourself experiencing everyday, let alone with the backdrop of a sunset.

Another highlight is their Desert Safari experience, where visitors will have the opportunity to toboggan down Moreton Island’s dunes at a claimed top speed of 40km per hour.

For something more relaxed, there’s the whale watching cruises. It’s a staple offering of the resort’s since 1987, where lunch is also included as part of the package.

From capital to coast

If the coast is more your style or you’d like to escape the city for a bit, then an hour south of Brisbane lies the popular Gold Coast.

Whale watching is available here too, on a seasonal basis between June to early November when humpbacks are known to migrate.

Other nature experiences include the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s Astra Lumina night walk, a new permanent attraction for the company.

But if walking something rather than walking yourself is more your speed, then the Mountainview Alpaca Farm will suit your needs just nicely. 

Their packages offer visitors the chance to feed, pat, and stroll around with the fluffy creatures for up to an hour. 

The Alpaca Experience package has a minimum requirement of two people per purchase where one alpaca will be shared, whereas the Alpaca VIP Package has no such restrictions, being one alpaca per person.

Gold Coast’s theme parks have also seen new upgrades recently. Warner Bros. Movie World and Dreamworld in particular have invested over A$50 million each into making new rides and attractions.

Dreamworld’s new Rivertown land features a ride with an inclined triple switch coaster turntable, allowing for operation both forwards and backwards. This is a world first, according to the company.

Warner Bros. Movie World’s latest on the other hand is a Wizard of Oz-themed attraction. It features two new roller coasters, of which the Wicked Witch has a top speed of 67 km/h, reaching 19 metres high along its 454-metre track.

Just the bump of adrenaline thrill-seekers will no doubt be looking for.

But there is no beating Sea World’s helicopter tours when it comes to height. The ride offers an unrestricted view of the city’s skyline.

If you’d much rather feel the breeze against your skin, however, then SkyPoint Climb has a pathway taking you 270 metres above sea level on foot, be it day or night.

Flying high

If what both Brisbane and the Gold Coast has to offer interests you, then it would be best to book your flights with Singapore Airlines. 

The company is currently offering exclusive fair deals until March 30, 2025 for trips as far forward as February 28, 2026.

A flight to Brisbane specifically, as there is no direct flight to the Gold Coast, will involve a transition from any one of Singapore Airlines or Scoot’s 11 departure points across Malaysia to Singapore Changi Airport.

The hope is that the airport’s amenities, including shopping and relaxation areas, will provide customers with a layover that feels both shorter and more enjoyable.

Singapore Airlines itself promises a seamless and comfortable travel experience, with even its economy class seats possessing “ample personal space.”

The Premium Economy Class comes with an additional two USB ports, a wider selection of in-flight meals, and even extra amenities such as eyeshades and lip balm.

June 16, 2025, onwards will additionally see the Singapore–Brisbane route increase to four daily flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. All four services, the company noted, will become daily from that date onwards.

Earlier this year, we at Vulcan Post previously reported on how Singapore Airlines was recognised by Fortune as the 28th most admired company globally. That, as well as how the company hit a record quarterly revenue just recently.

With its emphasis on convenience for this Queensland trip, it is quite easy to see why.

Featured Image Credit: Felons Barrel Hall / Tourism and Events Queensland / SkyPoint Climb