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Budget Brisbane’s chic and cheerful – Clare Fitzsimons gets closer to nature for way less in one of Australia’s finest cities, forking out a surprisingly small amount for her stay

Sitting on pale yellow sand decorated by imprints of dozens of tiny silver gull feet, with the Pacific Ocean lapping around my toes, the first hint of an orange and red dawn appears on the horizon.

It’s hard not to think in cliches at moments like these and while “the best things in life are free” is an overused phrase, it does sum up my surroundings pretty perfectly.

Watching a sunrise on the Australian coast is one of those priceless moments people pay a fortune for – but you don’t have to. We all know getting to Oz is never going to be cheap but there are ways to make that once in a lifetime trip Down Under cost not much more than a week in Spain.

I’ll admit the thought of doing Brisbane on a budget at first brought visions of the I’m A Celebrity camp – with all those terrifying spiders, and snakes. But I needn’t have worried as the east coast city’s plush hotels and apartments are remarkably affordable, costing from £79 per room a night.

We stayed at the Oaks Brisbane on Charlotte Suites (from £94 for a one bedroom apartment sleeping two and £141 for two bedrooms) and it was the perfect place to rest up after the 24-hour flight. I flew with Singapore Airlines, with a three-hour stopover at Changi and yes, it’s a long flight, but wasn’t as bad as I’d feared and soon the jetlag was gone.

Brisbane hosted the British & Irish Lions earlier this year and there’s an Ashes Test this December, not to mention the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, but a slew of free and cheap activities are also on your doorstep. From the botanical gardens, the famous Brisbane sign and the Wheel of Brisbane (like the London Eye but a lot faster), to miles of riverside to wander for hours – and it was all delightfully spider and snake-free.

Not a walking fan? You can jump on the CityCat, which is a boat service ferrying people along the Brown Snake, as the river is known, all for just 50 cents a trip – that’s less than 25p.

This budget friendly approach is not unique to boat services. Trains are the same price and are incredibly easy to use as I discovered when I split my trip and moved south an hour or so to the Gold Coast and the idyllically named Surfers Paradise (with that beach and sunrise).

The accommodation was very affordable there too. We had a two bed suite at The Island Gold Coast, just a few yards from the sea, and its rooms start at £91.

Food prices are similar to Britain but portion sizes are enormous and most meals easily feed two. There are plenty of bargains and special offers to be had – The Island, for instance, does a weekend bottomless grazing lunch (delicious) in its rooftop bar with all food and drink included for less than £40.

In fact, whatever and wherever you choose to eat, from bargain burgers to high-end fine dining (Donna Chang restaurant in Brisbane is a real gem if you’re splashing out), you are pretty much guaranteed to get food with a view.

One of the best was at Joeys, atop a Brisbane cliff with fabulous food you’ll have earned after the steep climb up the steps to get there.

And while that restaurant brought a smile to my face, it was real joeys that warmed my heart during a visit to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary along the Gold Coast.

Hopping excitedly over to eat from my hand, the pint-sized young kangaroos were undeniably cute and even the much larger and slightly more intimidating adults were very gentle and happy to be petted while they munched away on food pellets.

Animal interactions are a huge part of this park, and even locals will often come to the entrance for a morning coffee and to watch (and feed) the lorikeets.

Here for free, even before you go in, staff will give you a small plate of liquid nectar, to which parrots are partial. Next expect flurries of green feathers flocking over in seconds, hanging on the plate, your arms and often your head. A pair of the birds even decided to get a little amorous and start smooching while scrabbling about in my hair – a very odd experience.

But the highlight of the trip was four-year-old Kiki the koala.

Queensland is one of the only states which allows people to hold koalas and the Currumbin is one of the leading animal conservation sanctuaries with its own wildlife hospital treating 16,000 animals a year – including 500 koalas. Kiki was brought over and, while I was grinning like a child, she was placed in my arms for a cuddle and a photo, clinging to me like she was a baby – or more like I was a tree. The park is a bit of a splurge at around £35 for entrance and the koala experiences starting from £30, but it’s easily a full day out and something I’ll never forget.

Even if you don’t leave Brisbane, you can still meet a few of Kiki’s rellies on The Koala and River Cruises (costing just over £55) which takes you up the river to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. This time I stroked the equally adorable five year-old Fraser, fed kangaroos and saw everything from dingoes and wombats to crocodiles and snakes.

If wildlife isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other fascinating excursions that won’t break the bank. A trip to Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre takes you back 60,000 years to learn about the ancestors of the first nation people. Going on a walkabout, the guide relates the history of the people and their connection with the land.

Jellurgal is known as the Dreaming Mountain and a Dreaming Story is a tale told through the generations as the people don’t believe in writing down their language so everything is passed on by oral tradition.

Whatever you want from a holiday you can find in Queensland. From thrill-seeking to beach-lazing – the state enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year. A day trip from Brisbane to Tangalooma Island Resort on nearby Moreton Island takes you to the white beaches of the third largest sand island in the world (the top two are also in Oz) where you can spend the day sunbathing and watching the enormous pelicans bob along the coastline.

Despite visiting in Australia’s winter, the temperatures were remarkably similar to a British summer, regularly in the 20s.

If views are your thing then the Story Bridge Adventure Climb is the place for you. It’s pricey at £75 but as one of remarkably few climbable cantilever bridges in the world, definitely worth it – even in the very fetching jumpsuit you have to wear.

If that’s not enough of an adrenaline rush, try a kayak trip along the Brisbane River (costing just over £35). Having read the river contains bull sharks, I was a tad nervous. It didn’t help when my brilliant guide from the Riverlife Adventure Centre showed me how to get back into the kayak if I fell out (which largely seemed to be belly-flopping onto the top and wriggling about like an eel).

Despite my fears and a few large wobbles, I managed not to fall in and the sense of achievement (and yes, relief) was palpable on returning to the pontoon 90 minutes later. Shark-infested river survived.

That’s what Australia is, a series of unforgettable moments you’ll be regaling your friends about for years.

And while not all the best things in life are as free as that sunset, they’re a lot closer than you’d think.

Book the holiday

Singapore Airlines offers return flights to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from Gatwick and Heathrow starting at £1,114 in economy; £2,884 in premium economy. singaporeair.com Rooms at the Oaks Brisbane on Charlotte Suites apartments start at around £94 a night. oakshotels.com Rooms at the ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street hotel start at around £79 a night. ibisstylesbrisbaneelizabeth.com.au Rooms at The Island Gold Coast hotel in Surfers Paradise start at around £91 a night. theislandgoldcoast.com.au

More info at queensland.com

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have recently joined other carriers in banning the use of power banks onboard

Two additional airlines have joined a growing list of carriers prohibiting the use of one popular gadget that countless travellers rely on during flights.

Both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have now implemented measures to prevent passengers from using power banks to charge their electronic devices whilst in the cabin. This follows comparable actions by numerous other airlines throughout the year, many of which operate in and out of the UK.

The new regulations arise from mounting worries regarding the safety of lithium batteries on aircraft. Just last week, the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) released an updated alert following 50 incidents involving power banks on board.

They declared: “Lithium batteries stored in passenger overhead bins and or in carry-on baggage may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crewmembers. Because of this, detection of thermal runaway and firefighting measures may be delayed in flight, increasing the risk to safety.”

Under these fresh regulations, travellers will no longer be permitted to charge their gadgets using power banks during flights, nor can the battery packs be recharged via in-flight ports, reports the Express. Passengers are still allowed to bring power banks into the cabin, but they must remain unused and visible at all times.

The first airline to introduce such a prohibition was Air Busan, after a power bank fire in January forced one of its aircraft out of service. Fortunately, no passengers were harmed, but the incident caused considerable damage.

The biggest name on the list of airlines banning the use of power banks is Emirates, the Middle East-based travel giant. Bosses announced that a ban on power banks will be enforced from October 1, 2025.

A spokesperson for the airline stated that “Emirates customers are still permitted to carry one power bank onboard with specific conditions” but clarified that “the power banks may not be used while in the aircraft cabin – neither to charge devices from the power bank, nor to be charged themselves using the aircrafts’ power source.”

The spokesperson added: “After a comprehensive safety review, Emirates is taking a firm and proactive stance to mitigate risk when it comes to power banks onboard. There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry.

“All power banks are subject to the new rules onboard Emirates. Emirates new regulations will significantly reduce risks associated with power banks by prohibiting their use while onboard the aircraft.

“Storing power banks in accessible locations within the cabin ensures that in the rare event of a fire, trained cabin crew can quickly respond and extinguish the fire. Safety is one of Emirates’ core values, and a cornerstone of all operations and practices.”

UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), alongside other aviation regulators, advises that lithium batteries and power banks should be carried in hand luggage and switched off completely to minimise fire risks.

Their guidelines specify that the heat-generating element of a lithium battery-powered gadget should be “separated” from the battery – meaning the battery or heat-generating part should be taken out. The guidelines state: “Any battery that has been removed must be protected against short circuit (by placing in its original retail packaging or by otherwise insulating terminals, e.g. by taping over exposed terminals or placing each battery in a separate bag or protective pouch).”

Portable electronic devices containing lithium ion batteries that exceed a Watt-hour rating of 100 Wh and under 160 Wh should also be stored in carry-on baggage. The CAA further advises: “If devices are carried in checked baggage measures must be taken to prevent unintentional activation and to protect from damage and the device must be completely switched off (not in sleep or hibernation mode).

“Large portable electronic devices such as laptops and tablets should not be packed near aerosols or perfumes.” The new regulations introduced by airlines affects passengers flying from London aiports including Heathrow, as well as other major transport hubs like Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Full list of all 14 airlines banning power bank use aboard a plane

Operating in the UK:

• Asiana Airlines: London Heathrow
• Cathay Pacific: Heathrow, Manchester
• China Airlines: Heathrow
• Emirates: Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh
• EVA Air: Heathrow
• Korean Air: Heathrow
• Singapore Airlines: Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester.
• Starlux Airlines: Gatwick
• Vietnam Airlines: Heathrow

Not serving UK airports:

• Air Busan
• Hong Kong Airlines
• Thai AirAsia
• Tigerair
• Vietjet Air

An experienced cabin crew assistant and author revealed that on one particular airline there was a special space reserved for the most gruesome eventuality during a flight

There are many unseen happenings that take place on an aircraft while you manoeuvre your way down the narrow aisle trying to locate your seat, store your cabin luggage overhead and settle back for what you hope is a relaxing and smooth flight to your chosen destination.

Cabin crew members often share their secrets of life in the sky and what really goes on, with some grisly warnings of things to avoid when flying.

One experienced assistant has revealed what she’s learnt and witnessed behind the scenes during her years working for a US airline and there’s one quite morbid detail many travellers would never have known about.

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Heather Poole has worked for a major carrier for over 15 years and is the author of Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet. She has spoken about the rather morbid topic of death on board an airplane.

Although she says it’s very rare for a passenger to die in the air, it obviously does and can happen – although no one officially passes away in flight unless there is a doctor on board to pronounce it.

Speaking to mentalfloss.com, she said that in such challenging circumstances most stewards would rather move the deceased to an empty row of seats where they can be covered over away from other passengers, although this isn’t always possible.

“On these very rare occasions, the crew will do everything possible to manage the situation with sensitivity and respect,” she said. “Unfortunately, most flights are full, so it’s not always possible to move an “incapacitated” passenger to an empty row of seats.”

Heather revealed that one company, Singapore Airlines, decided to get around the problem with a “corpse cupboard”. This she explained was “a compartment for storing a dead body if the situation arises”.

The company installed the locker on its Airbus A340-500 in 2004 next to one of the aircraft’s exit doors. It was big enough to hold an average-sized human body and had special straps to secure the corpse and stop it being moved by turbulence or on landing.

It only chose this particular type of aircraft for the cupboard because it operated on extra long haul flights from Singapore to New York and Los Angeles. The routes had some of the longest distances in the world, with flight times of 18-19 hours. The fleet was retired in 2013-14 and the lockers aren’t used on any other airlines currently.

While Heather said she thankfully hasn’t had to deal with a death on board, her room mate has – and in some rather strange circumstances. She revealed that her friend realised a passenger was trying to sneak a dead body on the flight.

“She knew the man was dead the moment she saw him looking grey and slumped over in a wheelchair, even though his wife and daughter assured her he was just battling the flu,” she said. “Midway through the flight, the plane had to make an unscheduled landing when it became apparent that no amount of Nyquil was going to revive him.”

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