- In this episode of "Fly Brother," we hit the city with the biggest backyard in the world, Brisbane, Australia.

We start off with a climb high atop the Story Bridge, with my buddy Luke Fraser.

Then we hang out with the koalas and kangaroos, with Ranger Kayla.

Next we explore the ancient and verdant Scenic Rim, with eco guide Lisa Groom, before finally getting cultured and a little bit windblown with storyteller Alicia Kissick, in magical Minjerribah.

It's a wild old time in the capital of Queensland.

Let's get fly.

(plane whooshing) (upbeat rhythmic music) I'm Ernest White II, storyteller, explorer... Don't try this at home.

I believe in connecting across backgrounds and boundaries.

(upbeat rhythmic music) Join me and my friends.

Just like home.

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) And discover that no matter the background, no matter the history, the whole world is our tribe.

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) This is fun!

Come with me.

See how my friends do?

(upbeat rhythmic music ending) "Fly Brother."

- [Announcer] Major funding for this program is provided by: (gentle pensive music) (birds chirping) (bright string music) (energetic rhythmic music) - Halfway up the sunny east coast of Australia, Brisbane is the city with the largest backyard in the world.

Brisbane is blessed with a vibrant downtown, verdant mountains, and vivid wildlife at its back door, and gorgeous islands and beaches right in its front yard.

Oh, and a river runs through it.

First Nations people built fish camps here that became waystations along the waterways, and centuries later, this is still a place to stop and hang out with locals and fellow travelers.

You can swim, hike, surf, and meet creatures found nowhere else on Earth, all about an hour from bustling, vibrant restaurants, museums, and nightlife.

But first, you need to get the lay of the land, and I know just where to start.

So, clip on your safety harness and let's go.

What do you have me out here doing, Luke?

- Well, this is a bit of adventure today.

- Okay.

- So we're going to climb up that bridge behind us.

I reckon you're going to make it.

It's pretty spectacular up there.

- Alright, well let's do it man.

- Yeah, let's do it.

(uplifting rhythmic music) - The Story Bridge Adventure Climb takes you more than 250 feet into the sky, high above Brisbane, and it's well worth the effort.

At the top, you have a 360-degree view that sweeps from the city and the river to the Glass House Mountains in the north, Moreton Bay in the east, and the Scenic Rim mountains in the south.

My buddy Chief Epic Adventure Officer, Luke Fraser, born and bred in Brisbane, helps me get my bearings.

Man, it's beautiful.

- Mate, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, I really am 'cause it is one of the best places to see the city.

- Sure.

- You know, it was a really important project of its day.

It was during the Depression-era.

- [Ernest White II] Mmm.

- And people needed jobs and they needed to put food on the table, and we got this beautiful bridge out of it.

- Now, you represent as CEO, a company that provides all kinds of experiences for people, everything from dining and entertainment to just enjoyment.

- Yeah.

- You know?

Tell us a bit about your story, how did you even get into developing a project like this in the first place?

- Oh man, it was little bit by chance.

Aussies are travelers, you know, we go and see the world- - Yes.

- And we bring lots of cool ideas back home.

And in Brisbane, we've done a really good job I think at creating our own version of that.

There was this amazing site called Howard Smith Wharves.

- [Ernest White II] Well, what's special about the wharves?

- They're really old, you know, they were before this bridge even existed- - (laughing) Okay, sure.

- Just the wharves.

And they were really important history in our city, and they were a place where lots of goods came and went from.

But they got forgotten for a long time until we came along with a proposal, and we got to transform it and share it with lots of people now.

So there's these beautiful old wharf sheds, beautiful heritage listed buildings that we lovingly restored.

I remember this site from when I was a kid.

So I've let the family down, both my dad and grandfather were both firemen.

- Firemen.

- Firemen.

And the fire station is right there.

So I spent most of my childhood, you know, driving over this beautiful Story Bridge.

- Mm-hmm, and so no firefighting for you.

Other types of fires.

- No firefighting, yeah.

I like making a fire when I'm camping.

- Right.

(laughing) - Yeah.

- Okay.

Listen, I'm excited to be here.

Yeah man, it's just been excitement from the minute I got here, so thanks.

- Yeah.

- What's next?

- What's next?

Ah, I can't wait to see more boats on this river.

- You can't wait to see more boats on the river.

- That's what we're going to do, yeah.

- [Ernest White II] Okay.

- We want to activate the river, we've got the Olympics/Paralympics coming in 2032, so you're just going to see this city change even more.

(gentle reflective music) - Downtown Brisbane blends old and new, and a lively cityscape with charms for locals and tourists alike.

And its namesake river is the thread that connects them all.

From dynamic street art to trendy galleries, this town is a hotbed of creativity with a laid back vibe, celebrating local artists, craftspeople, farmers, and chefs.

You can stroll past skyscrapers to a perfect spot on the river for relaxing and people watching, or head up to an elegant rooftop bar and drink in the scenery at sunset along with a craft cocktail.

You're never far from the magic or the energy of the water.

And Howard Smith Wharves makes the most of its historic location.

Back in the 1880s, Captain William Howard Smith expanded his Melbourne shipping business north into Queensland, and leased commercial wharves in Brisbane for transporting goods and passengers.

Today, the Howard Smith Wharves are a destination in their own right, a place to relax with great food and drink in a spectacular riverfront setting, especially after working up in appetite on the Story Bridge.

(gentle rhythmic music) Now, Luke suggested that I come down here to Howard Smith Wharves and have a meal at one of the amazing eateries that they've got down here.

And the restaurant that I chose tonight is a Japanese izakaya style place called Yoko.

Let's go.

(low rhythmic music) There's an eatery in Howard Smith Wharves for just about every palate, taste, and obsession, from Greek and Italian to Japanese and pup grub.

And if it comes from the ocean, you'll probably find it on a menu here.

I'm talking everything from sushi and sashimi to what the locals call Moreton Bay bugs, scrumptious flathead lobsters.

These restaurants are committed to sustainable, locally-sourced food.

So while you're eating well, you're also doing good.

See?

(camera snapping photo) First Nations people lived here long before Captain Cook sailed up the coast and claimed Eastern Australia, in 1770.

By 1824, the site of modern Brisbane was a penal colony, where the UK exiled its worst convicts.

But within decades, it was a free settlement and growing fast, thanks to mining, shipping, and agriculture.

The first plane flight across the Pacific landed here in 1928, and now Brisbane is Australia's closest major airport to North America.

An easy hop to the rest of the country and to the Summer Olympics, when the games come here in 2032.

(camera snapping photo) It's time to trade the city sights for natural wonders, so I'm off to meet some of Australia's iconic furry friends at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Kayla Ousley is the Director of Education, and she's going to help me get up close and personal with some of the creatures who live here.

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

- Hey, Ernest!

- Good to see you.

- Good to see you.

(Ernest laughing) - Alright, I'm excited.

- How you goin'?

- Hey, I'm goin' good.

- Awesome.

- Do you say it like that, do you say, "Goin' good?"

- Love your hat.

How you goin'?

Yeah, you're rocking the Akubra?

- You know what?

I figured it was about time.

I've been here over a day, I needed to get the proper gear.

- Oh, over a day.

You've got to have the Akubra.

- Yes.

(laughing) - Alright, shall we?

- Let's do it.

- Let's go.

- Alright.

- I like to come up here sometimes in the afternoon at the end of my shift, during the kind of golden hour sunset time, just hang out with the kangaroos.

These kangaroos, most of them were born here at Lone Pine, so they're really used to this level of interaction.

We've got obviously kangaroos and wallabies, platypus, dingoes, reptiles, birds, and of course koalas.

So we are the largest koala sanctuary in the world, we've got about 100 koalas that that live here.

And we were also the first koala sanctuary, so we were open in 1927.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

- So she is smelling this food here.

- Yeah, she's keen, she's keen for some brekky.

Kangaroos are what we call a crepuscular species- - Uh-huh.

- So they do most of their feeding in the morning and afternoon.

So coming up here in the morning like this is the perfect time for them to be active.

- Am I overfeeding her?

- No.

So they're a grazer- - Okay.

- So they will just eat until they're full and then go and lie down.

- Sure.

(Ernest laughing) - Just livin' the dream.

- Eat and lie down.

- Yeah.

- And yet, they stay so slim.

- They do.

Well, they do move around a lot.

They're known for their hopping abilities.

- Okay.

- They can cover about three body lengths in a single jump, which is pretty impressive.

- You want more, huh?

(laughing) - And they can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers an hour.

- When people visit the sanctuary, what do you want them to take away with them?

- One of the things that is really special about Lone Pine is that it's a really authentic experience.

- Mm-hmm.

- It's a very natural setting.

So a lot of times these days, if people live in big cities, they don't get to have that connection with nature.

And so I want people to come here and relax.

And it's a sanctuary not just for our animals, but for humanity as well.

- Mm-hmm.

- And have an experience with nature.

Our native species are, you know, on the brink of extinction, so we really need to educate people.

- Sure, sure.

What do you love most about Brisbane in particular?

- Oh, I really love it.

Brisbane for me really feels...

I mean, San Diego will always be home, but Brisbane's like a second home.

(gentle uplifting music) We did start out as a refuge for sick, injured, and orphaned koalas in the local area.

- A hungry koala can eat more than a pound of eucalyptus leaves a day.

But the leaves don't offer much nutrition, so Koalas can conserve energy by sleeping or snoozing 18 or 20 hours out of every 24.

That's a lot of downtime.

And they look pretty cuddly while they're chilling.

So what do we love about koalas, Kayla?

what do you love about the- - Oh my goodness.

I think the obvious first thing is that they're- - Cuteness.

- The cute factor.

- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah.

They do get called "koala bears" a lot, but they're not a bear, they are a marsupial.

- Okay.

- And I think for me, what I love about them is that they've just evolved so specifically to survive in a pretty harsh climate.

- Sure.

- To eat this eucalyptus leaf that most animals don't like to eat, to live up in the tree.

So you can even see on his hands, see how he's got two thumbs and three fingers?

- Mmm.

- So that's an adaptation to grip and hold on.

- Sure.

- They're the only animal other than primates to have a fingerprint, so they've evolved that fingerprint as well for gripping.

- Okay.

- And yeah, they're just so special, they're really unique.

And I think you can't downplay the cute factor.

- It's true, even I'm being taken in.

- [Kayla Ousley] Is your heart- - Mm-hmm, it's melting.

- [Kayla Ousley] Feel little heart warm fuzzies?

- How ya goin'?

- It's a pretty special... - How was that, could he understand that?

How ya goin'?

(Kayla laughing) - I don't know, he doesn't look overly impressed.

But (laughing) then again- - Try again.

- That's just sort of his face.

- Aw.

This is cute, you all.

Don't try this at home though.

- No.

So the koalas that come out for this at Lone Pine have gone through a lot of training and conditioning to be comfortable.

Out in the wild, koalas are best observed from the ground, which is where you'll probably see them anyways 'cause they're probably going to be way up high in the trees.

- Sure, sure.

- But they are a wild animal.

But we do think it's pretty special that we can facilitate this type of interaction.

- Mm-hmm.

- [Kayla Ousley] And as I talked about before, Lone Pine, it's all about creating connections between people and nature.

- Mmm.

- And I mean, you're very much connected at the moment.

- Aw.

- Hi.

Hi, sweet boy.

(gentle uplifting music) - Tamborine National Park is only about an hour's drive from Brisbane, but this green oasis feels like a world away.

Walking trails wind through lush rainforest to beautiful waterfalls and eucalyptus groves.

The park is part of the Scenic Rim, a semicircle of mountains around miles of natural wonders.

Lisa Groom's grandfather was a dedicated conservationist who built one of the first tourist lodges here, so you could say she has the great outdoors in her blood.

Lisa, what do you love most about Tamborine National Park?

- Well, this particular national park is pretty cool 'cause it's one of Queensland's first national parks.

And it's also surrounded by people, so in amongst us, you know, we've got the traffic just up there but then we come straight into a jungle.

- Yes.

- And they're nice short little walks for families.

Or if you just want a quick waterfall fix, you can come zooming down here.

- Mm-hmm.

- You don't have to work for your waterfalls.

- No.

(laughing) - You know what I mean?

- Yes, yes.

Don't go chasing waterfalls.

- Don't go chasing waterfalls.

- (laughing) Yeah, there's one right in your backyard.

- (laughing) So yeah, it is really in a way, a convenient national park.

You know, you've got a really quick access.

- I'm sorry, I just love the phra... - Convenient?

- Yes, "convenient national park."

(laughing) It's what we want, convenience in our national parks.

- That's it, that's it.

- Yes.

- So we got a little turkey over here.

- Oh, wow.

- So that's the brush turkey.

I love it 'cause it's a reversal of motherhood.

So she lays the eggs, she walks away, and then he comes and looks after the eggs until they hatch.

- [Ernest White II] Oh, he's a stay-at-home father.

- He's a stay-at-home dad.

- Okay, love it.

(Lisa laughing) - So here we have a strangler fig.

- Mmm.

- As the name entails, it's actually strangling the tree that it's enveloped.

So this is a really ancient specimen, this one, he's really old.

- Mm-hmm.

- And he's completely come down from the top, the canopy, and he's slowly put his roots down right to the ground, and he's cut off the supply of nutrients to the tree inside.

So it's a slow death, but it's kind of a symbiotic relationship.

- Sure.

- (laughing) In a good way.

- Well, I wouldn't want to go that way, but hey, this tree offered itself up to the fig so.

- It did.

(Ernest and Lisa laughing) And up on our right, we have another sort of, I would say, exciting plant of the rainforest.

This is a stinging tree.

On the top of the leaf, there's these little fine hairs.

And if you touch that, it's like instant pain.

So the way to get rid of that is really extreme.

You should carry waxing strips with you.

- Okay.

(Lisa laughing) And just wax it off.

- And you just go (imitating whooshing sound) before you rub it.

- Alright.

- So don't forget, pack waxing strips.

- I will remember now to pack my waxing strips before I go for a hike in the woods.

- Or in the worst case, duct tape.

- Okay.

- You know duct tape?

- I do know duct tape.

- Okay, good.

(Ernest imitating tape ripping) Yeah, that's it, same thing.

- Yes, alright.

- Yeah, probably better and more versatile than having waxing strips.

- Okay, could use them in other areas and ways.

(Lisa laughing) Got it.

(laughing) - So Indigenous people would make this into a carry basket.

So you can basically join them like this, and then you put rocks in here, and then you can carry all sorts of things in it.

So it's like the local basket that's very convenient in the forest.

More convenience.

(laughing) - Sure, well palms are known for having all kinds of uses.

- Yes, yes.

(gentle uplifting music) - [Ernest White II] Less than 25 miles away from gorgeous Tamborine Mountain is the equally lush Lamington National Park.

- Oh, see that flat top over there?

- Mm-hmm.

- That's where we were at Tamborine.

(Ernest gasping) So Tamborine's that flat-top mountain, and then behind that is Brisbane.

- So what do you want people to take away with them?

- What I like people to take away is that nature's healing.

It's a place to slow down, connect with yourself, with nature, and with other people.

- I love it, connectivity.

- Yeah, exactly.

- Yeah, that's what we're here to do.

- Yeah.

Unplug to plug back in.

- Yes.

(Lisa laughing) (oscillating rhythmic music) Brisbane sits at the nexus of land and sea, with ample opportunities to take to the water.

And barely 20 miles to the southeast of the city center, and only a beautiful short ferry ride away is the island of Minjerribah, at the heart of Quandamooka Country.

Minjerribah is the original and traditional name of North Stradbroke Island, a subtropical paradise with a rich cultural history.

The traditional First Nations owners of Minjerribah were the Quandamooka People, known as the people of sand and water.

On her tours of the island, Elisha Kissick, Founder of Yura Tours, shares stories handed down through her family, and teaches the next generation to be caretakers of the land and sea.

(easy-going rhythmic music) This is beautiful and peaceful out here.

- It's amazing here.

- Yeah.

- So firstly, I'd like to give you a bit of a welcome to country here.

So Quandamooka (speaking Indigenous language), welcome to Quandamooka Country.

I'd like to pay our respects to our Quandamooka creator spirit, and our ancestors, elders past and present.

So I'm Elisha, and yeah, I'd just like to welcome you here.

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you so much.

- (laughing) So where we are is Capemba.

My Nan taught herself how to read and write.

- Mmm.

- And oh man, when she did, she annoyed the crap out of government because she just wrote - Oh, I'm sure she had somethin' to say.

- Letters, and letters, and letters, and letters, saying she's going to put this island on the map, and she did.

(fire crackling) - These are not clams, they're not oysters, but they are on and poppin'.

- Yup, they're eugaries.

- Eugaries.

- Yeah, so this is one of our staple foods that our mob used to always collect from the oceanside and surfside.

- Yes.

- So there's little bumps in the sand, dig down, pull 'em out, put 'em in your bucket, and then have a good feed.

- Alright, a good feed, a eugarie bake.

- A good feed, a eugarie feed.

Pull it out, pull, pull!

- Okay.

I don't want to break it.

- Yeah.

No, you can break it, there you go.

- And I just pop it in?

- Pop it in.

- Pretty good.

- It's nice.

- I know.

- Tender.

- My daughter made some nice dipping sauce too, so better when you put it in that.

- Where's that at?

- Where is the dipping sauce?

Ruby, we need the dipping sauce!

Alright, so pull it out.

There you go.

So this is Ruby.

- Okay.

- There you go.

- Where are you, Ruby?

- Hi Ruby, you got the dipping sauce for us?

Okay.

(laughing) (Ruby laughing) - Ernest needs some dipping sauce.

Have a dip.

- Okay.

(Ernest imitating dipping noise) (Elisha laughing) - A bit of vinegar, a bit of lemon, brown sugar.

- It's good, it's got a kick.

- Way better.

- Mm-hmm.

- Way better, isn't it?

- Nice and tangy.

- Yeah.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, darling.

- You're welcome.

(Elisha laughing) - It's like that forced cameo.

- Yeah, right.

(Elisha and Ernest laughing) So traditionally, you know, these eugarie shells are found in the middens, you know, because it was a gathering place.

So it represents the gathering of community or family.

- Wonderful.

- So when you come and you see these shells around, you know that it was a gathering, and it's a celebration, and food.

- It's a party.

- Everything's food.

Food, yeah.

- Mm-hmm.

- (speaking Indigenous language) Yum-yum?

Yummy.

(laughing) (group chatting) (feel-good rhythmic music) He loves them.

(feel-good rhythmic music continues) - So the lake itself is a perched lake, so it means that it sits like this.

- Okay.

- And it's not fed from the underground water tables, it's fed from the rain.

- Mmm.

- So with the oodgeroo trees here, the paper bark being antiseptic, it's a tea tree, all of the bark falls off and sits in the bottom of the lake.

- Okay.

- And then all of the beautiful properties come out of it.

So when the women would swim here, it cleanses you.

- Mmm.

- And keeps you clean.

It's almost soapy when you dive in.

- [Ernest White II] Okay.

- [Elisha Kissick] It's really beautiful.

- You can luxuriate in it.

- Yeah.

And if you've got skin problems or like eczema and stuff, it like heals it and soothes it as well.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

So it's actually a really beautiful lake.

- Good to know, it's kind of like a spa.

- Yeah, it is a day spa.

And we had the paper bark, which was sanitary pads, babies' nappies, bandages.

And that again is because of the tea tree that's in it.

- [Ernest White II] Mmm.

- And then you had the reeds for weaving, midyim berries.

So, no men around for that couple of weeks it would turn into a day spa, so paradise.

- Paradise on Earth.

- Paradise, yeah.

- I love that.

- Yeah.

(feel-good rhythmic music) Now, you have been all around the world Elisha, what makes home so special for you?

- The people, community, our country here.

There's like nothing better than getting off a plane, getting back over here, and diving in that ocean.

It takes all the worry away.

And it's the family, it's just everybody's a family, and just always helps and supports each other.

And you can feel your old ones here as well when you walk down that beach.

- [Ernest White II] The ancestors.

- Mmm.

- Mmm, powerful.

Even you saying it just kind of gives me goosebumps, the power of that.

- Oh, well they're with you everywhere.

It's in the trees, it's in the bush, it's everywhere around you.

So, you get that feeling when you're home.

- Yes.

- And you miss it when you're not here.

- What are some ways that those of us who are visiting can be more respectful when we're in Minjerribah, when we're in Brisbane, when we're in Australia?

- I think the main thing is like just looking after country, caring for country.

And also knowing where you are and who the people are.

- Mmm.

- Seek out the traditional custodians.

You know, go on a tour, you know, look around, say hello to the locals.

- [Ernest White II] Mm-hmm.

- And also when you come to a place, shop locally, you know, help that economy.

- Indeed, yes.

- Don't just bring all your stuff here.

Like go to the little grocers, go to like the little cafes, you know, give back to the community that way as well.

- Well, and you've got the beach, obviously, but you've got the culture- - Yeah, exactly, exactly.

- And the people.

And you know, that's what I think is what people are looking for, connection.

- And it's authentic culture too.

Like, you know, the stories that I tell, they're directly from my grandparents.

I'm not talking about stuff that's 200 years old, I'm talking about stuff directly from my grandparents.

- That's beautiful though.

That for me is very resonant.

My parents are older, I was also connected very deeply to my community and to generations past.

And so for me, it just feels really heartening to engage in that kind of storytelling and that kind of experiential presence in a place- - Yeah.

- When I travel.

So to be here, it's an honor and certainly a privilege to do so.

- And it's a living culture too, and you got to continue those stories 'cause these old ones have passed away.

- Mmm.

- And you know, my grandparents were such great storytellers.

And so for me to be able to do this as a job and continue on those stories, then I know it's going to be here for my children and their children.

- Mm-hmm.

- You know?

And that's what the most important thing is about.

- Continuity.

- Yeah, that's it.

- And connection.

- Yeah.

Living culture.

- Living culture.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

(upbeat rhythmic music) Amid city, sea, and sky, Brisbane thrills the senses, delights the palette, warms the heart, and expands the mind with loads of laughter.

What more could you expect from the city with the biggest backyard in the world?

Plenty.

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) - [Announcer] Major funding for this program is provided by: (gentle pensive music) (birds chirping) (bright string music) To join the "Fly Brother" travel community or to order your own copy of this episode, visit flybrother.com.

(warm string music)