Ten hours, two meals and one package of Ho Hos later, and we made it to Brisbane!

Hawaiian Airlines invited a few of us on its inaugural flight to the third largest city in Australia — a full eight years since its first international route to Sydney. And now the airlines is flying direct to Brisbane, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef that offers a different view of the world’s smallest sixth largest country.

And to be honest, I didn’t know much about this city until a few days — OK, hours ago. Which will make exploring this city on the continent’s southeastern coast that much more fun.

Melissa Chang (@melissa808) and I are roomies again, a la the Fukuoka trip back in April, and we’re joined by fellow bloggers Ed Sugimoto (@worldwideed) and Kaleo Lancaster (@islandtrails). Let’s see if the guys can keep up with us. 😀

Here’s what our first few hours in the southern hemisphere looked like. Brisbane, you’ve been warned.

Shrine of Remembrance

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We decided to talk a stroll last night around our 'hood. Directly across the street is this war memorial with an "eternal flame" to honor those who had died for the country. This was unveiled in 1930 and has become a major cultural landmark in Brisbane.

Follow my adventures in Brisbane on Twitter @thedailydish and on Instagram @catherinetoth.