Brisbane sits on a river floodplain between the Pacific coast and the Great Dividing Range, founded in 1824 as a penal settlement at Moreton Bay and relocated to the Brisbane River in 1825. It became Queensland's capital in 1859 and is now Australia's third-largest city at roughly 2.8 million people. Its humid subtropical climate brings hot, storm-prone summers — major floods reached the CBD in January 2011 and February 2022 — while winters stay mild and dry, drawing visitors when southern cities turn cold. The city hosted World Expo 88 and will host the 2032 Summer Olympics, a designation already reshaping its infrastructure.
Nights sit around 14°C and afternoons around 24°C, though some nights drop to 10°C.
The year in Brisbane moves gently: summer afternoons sit around 29°C, winter ones around 22°C.
Some winter nights drop to 6°C.
Most of the rain falls in summer, least in winter. In February it rains about 8 days in 30; in July, 5.
Air quality is worth watching: September averages an AQI of 52, while April clears to 41.
Days stretch to about 13.7 hours of light in December and shrink to 10.3 in June — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Brisbane are November – January. Expect fast internet (260 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €2400 a month).
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