Brisbane used to be known as a sleepy city with nothing much to do, its monotonous nightlife and limited cultural or culinary sophistication compared it’s bigger and bolder southern rivals of Sydney and Melbourne. Because of that the moniker ‘Brisvegas’, was coined by people from the south as a form of mockery to describe it.

One of the main advantages of living in Brisbane is its sub-tropical climate, so even in the middle of winter, there is virtually no winter. It is common see people walking around in shorts and a tee shirt even in the middle of July and August. If you like long hot summers then Brisbane is the place for you and with its close proximity to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts a perfect place for people who want to escape the rat race on weekends. A great place to visit near the downtown is Southbank which sits alongside the Brisbane River and opposite the CBD is the original site of World Expo 1988 is another attraction which is filled with restaurants, bars, parklands, plazas and promenades. It also features Southbank’s Big Wheel which is also visible all over Brisbane. There is even a man-made beach at Southbank called Kodac Beach which is a popular place to go to take a cool dip in the water on a hot summer’s day.

The disadvantages are without doubt Brisbane’s sweltering humid days in summer which is often broken by a late afternoon heavy downpour and thunderstorms. Because of the heat and high rainfall throughout the year there is a constant mosquito problem. The main threat to Brisbane’s prosperity in the future are things like a downturn in tourism and mining which Brisbane and South East Queensland are very much dependant on. A downturn in either sector tends to cause a lot of unemployment. Finally, Brisbane is prone to heavy flooding. Major floods in previous years have caused many people to lose their homes and caused billions of dollars in damage. Prolonged heavy rainfall and flooding occurs around four times a century and this is without doubt the biggest permanent threat to Brisbane’s future.

I’m sure I will live in Brisbane in the future because it has a wonderful outdoor lifestyle and there are so many exciting places to visit.

 PART 2: Vocabulary
NOUNS
century: one hundred years
dependant on: relying on, contingent on
dip: a brief swim
downpour: heavy rainfall
downturn: a decline in economic activity
feature: attribute, quality, characteristic, hallmark
floods: water overflowing onto land that is normally dry
mockery: to tease or taunt a person or thing
moniker: a name
nightlife: an area that has late night café’s, bars, eateries, night clubs and other night time entertainment
plaza: an open public square often found in many cities
promenade: esplanade, seafront, parade, boulevard often by the water
prosperity: success, security well-being, wealth. affluence
rainfall: the fall of rain
rival: competitor
sector: an area or industry within an economy
sophistication: worldliness, experienced
thunderstorm: a storm with thunder and lightning, heavy rain and sometimes hail
unemployment: a state of not having employment, being out of work

ADJECTIVES
bolder: daring. Not hesitant or fearful
culinary: related to cooking and food
cultural: relating to ideas, customs, social behaviour. Also artistic and intellectual achievements
humid: marked by a relatively level of water vapour in the air
man-made: made or caused by human beings as opposed to occurring naturally. Artificial
monotonous: tedious, boring, dull, uninteresting, unexciting
opposite: facing something from the other side. Across the street
permanent: enduring, lasting, remaining unchanged indefinitely
previous: happening or occurring beforehand
prolonged: continuing on for a long time
prone: susceptible, likely, vulnerable
sleepy: quiet. Not much activity happening there
sub-tropical: regions or areas just bordering the tropics

VERBS
broken: something that has stopped
coin: to invent or devise a new word or phrase
escape: to getaway or break free from of confinement, control or struggle

ADVERBS
virtually: nearly, almost, practically, essentially

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
without doubt: indisputably, no doubt, certainly
rat race: a way of life ( usually in the city ) where people are in a constant exhausting competitive struggle to make a living

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