Visiting Hillsong Church Brisbane and Tasting Craft Beers at Stone & Wood Brewery, Valley Hops Brewing and Charming Squire

This post is part of our travels from Singapore to Brisbane (via Bali with Jetstar – $425 per person) and returning via a stopover in Bali (Brisbane to Bali via Jetstar – $300 per person). The last leg from Bali to Singapore was via KLM at a surprisingly affordable price of $79. This made the return flight from Singapore to Brisbane a rather affordable total of $800 SGD.

On Day of our travels in Brisbane, as it was a Sunday, we started the day worshipping at Hillsong Brisbane!

Brisbane Travels Day 4 Itinerary

Visiting Hillsong Church Brisbane CBD

Worshipping at Hillsong Church Brisbane City

There were some worries that Tom was having during this trip but thank the Lord, the sermon really spoke to him and addressed his fears this morning!

We started out with some familiar tunes including “I Speak Jesus” and “Holy Forever“. The topic for the day was about

First Love

The pastor used Psalms 73:25 as a backdrop:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”

This verse drew our attention back to the topic of First Love before dwelling on several texts including

Luke 10:38 about the story of Martha and Mary where the Lord said to Martha:

“Martha, Martha”, the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The pastor reminded us that we only needed one thing – Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Jesus. Likewise, we are to turned our attention to Jesus, even in the midst of our worries and challenges.

After addressing Tom’s spiritual need this morning, the Pastor turned to the message of the Gospel where our sin put Jesus on the cross. But Jesus did the following for us instead – summarised in the “3 Ls”:

1. Jesus Left the throne of eternal glory and communion with the Father and Holy Spirit
2. Jesus Lived as a man, endured the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. He knew about the temptations that we face.
3. Jesus Loved. Through his death and resurrection on the cross, Jesus demonstrated His love for us, to redeem us.

On a similar note, because of the eternal life that we now have in Christ, everything that we face now will come to past. In other words, we will outlive all the trials and challenges that we face today.

Thank the Lord for addressing Tom’s worry through the simple message today. Apt and timely!

Visiting Hillsong Church Brisbane and Tasting Craft Beers at Stone & Wood Brewery, Valley Hops Brewing and Charming Squire — Passing by Brisbane Central Station while walking to Fortitude Valley

St John's Cathedral Brisbane City — St John’s Cathedral Brisbane City

We left church at 1145am and reached Stone and Wood Brewery Brisbane at about 1245pm. During the walk, we also passed by historic buildings such as the Brisbane Central Station, ANZAC Square and St John’s Cathedral Brisbane. During this walk, we clocked about 3500 steps.

Checking Out the Craft Beer Scene in Brisbane Fortitude Valley

Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane

There was actually no one else when we arrived at Stone and Wood Brewery (Fortitude Valley Brisbane). After interactions with the bartender, we found out that there was a huge party the night before and they ended pretty late. This also explains why they missed out an item when we ordered at the bar – still having slight sleep debt we sense 😅

Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane Fortitude Valley - Hazy Pale Ale ($13) and Big Pale Ale ($13) — Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane Fortitude Valley – Hazy Pale Ale ($13) and Big Pale Ale ($13)

Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane Fortitude Valley - Pork Schnitzel ($26) — Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane Fortitude Valley – Pork Schnitzel ($26)

This time, we ordered the Hazy Pale Ale ($13) and Big Pale Ale ($13). Both were excellent. The Hazy Pale Ale had the woody and tropical aroma along with the light hoppy taste while the Big Pale Ale was gassier and had a more robust hoppiness to it.

We also ordered the Pork Schnitzel ($26). Turns out, it was probably one of the most delicious pork schnitzel we’ve ever had – including the ones we’ve had in Germany. It was probably due to the marination and the bread crumb coating which were absolutely delicious. The schnitzel, somehow, had a smokey aroma to it. Together with the light buttery mushroom sauce, the combination was superb. Even the salad that came with it was worth a mention. There were spring onions in it, crunch and appetizing with a light vinegar fragrance. There were no additional tips or taxes for our meal which came up for $52 in total for a very decent meal. Highly recommended to drop by Stone & Wood Brewery if you’re in the vicinity of Fortitude Valley, Brisbane!

@2bearbeartravel Stone & Wood #Brewery in #Brisbane was probably our favourite of the #craftbeers in Brisbane. Located at #FortitudeValley, they one of the best #hazypaleale which had the juicy tropical flavours with the hoppy and woody aromas. The #schnitzel was probably the #best we’ve had, even when compared to the German ones. Probably due to its secret marination… 🤔🤫 #beer #food #foodie #travel #traveltiktok #foodtiktok #foodlover #foodtok #australia #traveling #visitbrisbane ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – なな a💫💫 – なな💫💫

After strolling about in the vicinity of Brunswick Street Mall, we chilled at Hungry Jacks (aka Burger King in Singapore) where we had a flat white ($4) and an ice cream cone ($1) while listening to the live music that started at 2pm from one of the pubs.

Valley Hops Brewing

Valley Hops Brewing - Widow's Weed (Oatmeal Stout) and 21 Pubs (American Pale Ale) — Valley Hops Brewing – Widow’s Weed (Oatmeal Stout) and 21 Pubs (American Pale Ale)

Nearby we went to Valley Hops at about 3:30pm. While we were ordering our drinks at the bar, Tom saw that there was a discount on the Oatmeal Stout at $10 per pint (yes pls!). Kate had the 21 pubs ($14 – American Pale Ale). As the kitchen was not opened till 4pm, we just chilled with our craft beers while enjoying the interior decoration of the rooftop bar. The entire area was decorated with Kate’s favourite colours while greenery and wide spaces made the restaurant a beautiful venue to hang out. There were also choices of high bar seats or lower dining/cushioned seats.

During our visit, there was also a DJ spinning live tunes. It was fun to watch how he also jived along to the cool tunes that he was mixing.

@2bearbeartravel Glad that Kate found Valley Hops Brewing at #FortitudeValley. Affordable #craftbeers with a relaxing atmosphere and instagrammable premise. Great venue to #chill and catch up with your mates! ☺️👍@valleyhopsbrewing #beer #food #foodie #sgfoodie #brisbane #visitbrisbane #travel #traveltheworld #2bearbear #traveltok #foodtok #traveltiktok #foodtiktok ♬ Beautiful life – T I N E 🇵🇭

From Valley Hops, we strolled to Wilson Outlook Reserve (with amazing views of Brisbane River) and down to Howard Smith Wharves where there are opens spaces and pubs with one particularly large craft beer brewery known as Felons Brewing. We also took a walk down the New Farm Riverwalk, taking in views of Story Bridge as well as the many developments along the Brisbane River with awesome views!

Views of Brisbane River from the Wilson Outlook Reserve

Views of Brisbane CBD from the Wilson Outlook Reserve

City Hopper from Howard Smith Wharves to South Bank Brisbane

From Howard Smith Wharves (HSW), we took the free City Hopper ferry again and reached South Bank at about 6:30pm. We walked by the Brisbane Festival tents (a ticketed event) and headed over to the Charming Squire to reminiscence the good times we had during our last visit – but it was not to be…

The Charming Squire

This evening at The Charming Squire (South Bank Brisbane), we had the Fish and Chips ($35.2), Four Wives (Pilsner – $15.95) and Broken Shackles (Lager – $15.95). The Pilsner was slightly more bitter but both were refreshing. We actually found the prices post-COVID to have risen quite a bit here. The last time we were here in 2018, the 400g Giant Rump was only going for $36! This time, the 200g steak was already going for $30 – about a 60% increase! As there were construction works nearby and the interior hadn’t been updated, we felt that the price hike was certainly not worth it. Probably won’t be back the next time we’re in Brisbane…😢

@2bearbeartravel Revisited #TheCharmingSquire at #Southbank #Brisbane. There were some construction across the road so the atmosphere’s a little different than when we visited 5 years back pre-COVID. Drinks and food were quite pricey too. The Lager and Pilsner were at $15.95 and the Fish and Chips at $35 🥲 #food #foodie #craftbeer #beer #foodtiktok #traveltiktok #foodtok #traveltok #visitbrisbane #2bearbear #travellife #traveling ♬ Remix. – 二祺 ☯️

View of Ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street from South Bank

The Star Brisbane is a new development that rehoused the old casino and will have a hotel within its premise as well. The Sky Deck was where we wanted visit as there were panoramic views of Brisbane skyline and as of our visit, it was still free! On the way up, we actually saw the wedding couple at the Star as well! Hence, we took the opportunity to take a group photo at the Neville Bonner Bridge (named after an aboriginal senator). Great wefie by the groom!

Meeting the Wedding Couple at Neville Bonner Bridge Brisbane

Queuing up to visit The Star Brisbane's Sky Deck — Queuing up to visit The Star Brisbane’s Sky Deck

View of South Bank from The Star Brisbane's Sky Deck — View of South Bank from The Star Brisbane’s Sky Deck

Restaurants, Cafes and Bars at The Star Brisbane's Sky Deck — Restaurants, Cafes and Bars at The Star Brisbane’s Sky Deck

The views from the Star Brisbane’s Sky Deck was amazing. There were many restaurants and bars at the Sky Deck where you can hang out with friends as well. From there, we were able to see the Brisbane City Skyline and in the night, Southbank was still clear as the Streets Beach area was still brightly litted. Having said that, we revisited the Star Brisbane’s Sky Deck during the day as well, which we enjoyed more, being able to see the Brisbane River and CBD skyline more clearly. The breeze up here was cooling!

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@2bearbeartravel The #skydeck at #thestar #brisbane is currently free. We visited it twice. Once in the morning and there was not much wait for the lifts up to level 23. However in the evenings, it was crowded. Both going up and down required some queuing. There are cafes, bars and restaurants up here to chill and enjoy the expansive views over #Southbank. Enjoy! ☺️👍 #attractions #visitbrisbane #2bearbear #travel #traveltiktok #travellife #traveltok #traveling #travelblog #travelblogger ♬ I Got It – thuy

Back at our hotel at Ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street, we watched a movie called 57 seconds – kinda like a time travel show where the main character is able to travel back in time for 57 seconds by touching his ring (free movies at Ibis Styles). Slept around midnight – clocking over 20,000 steps today! Stay tuned as we visit Mount Tamborine on day 5 of our travels in Brisbane!

Brisbane Travels Day 2: Checking into Ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street and Strolling about in Brisbane City

Brisbane Travels Day 3: Wedding, Blessings and Lots of Food!

Brisbane Travels Day 4: Visiting Hillsong Church Brisbane and Tasting Craft Beers at Stone & Wood Brewery, Valley Hops Brewing and Charming Squire

Brisbane Travels Day 5: Day Trip to Mount Tamborine and Surfer’s Paradise

Brisbane Travels Day 6: Brisbane’s Best Pancakes at Pancake Manor and Flying from Brisbane to Bali

Bali Travels Day 7: Checking into Mercure Kuta Bali and Sunset at GIOI Ocean Gourmet!

Bali Travels Day 8: Shopping at Beachwalk Kuta and Chilling at one of the Best Rooftop Bars in Bali…

Bali Travels Day 9: Massage at Shine Spa Sheraton Bali and Stroll to Seminyak Village!

Bali Travels Day 10: Day Out at Mal Bali Galeria

Bali Travels Day 11: Visiting Hillsong Bali and Chilling at Mercure Kuta Bali before Departure 🙁

Brisbane

Ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street Review: Deluxe Corner Room King Bed with River View!