Brisbane: Capital city and gateway to Queensland

Places to see and things to do around Brisbane

Brisbane skyline

When visiting Brisbane, try to make the time to enjoy these popular tourist and recreation areas:

In the city itself:

City Botanic Gardens

Visitors can see the exotic and gorgeous plants that flourish in Brisbane's sub-tropical climate.

The City Botanic Gardens are in a fabulous spot beside the river (and an easy walk from the busy City Business District - CBD). Make sure you don't miss a walk through the mangroves on the boardwalk.

South Bank

South Bank was developed when the World Expo came to the city in 1988. It is now a major park in the middle of the city with a man-made beach, restaurants for all kinds of taste, picnic and barbecue spots and shops. There are cinemas, regular free live entertainment and many festivals throughout the year. Fireworks are held as part of River Festival in September every year, and New Year's Eve celebrations.

The Cultural Centre

Part of South Bank is Queensland's arts and theatre precinct at the Cultural Centre.

Spend time admiring Australian and international artworks and exhibitions at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art.

The Queensland Museum is an exciting way to learn about natural history, cultural history and science and the Sciencentre is especially popular with the kids.

You can see plays, opera, ballet or other performances at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

The State Library of Queensland is just across Victoria Bridge, and has something for everyone including books, multimedia, internet, displays, etc.

Roma Street Parkland

A new sub-tropical park near the Roma Street train station, the Roma Street Parklands have separate theme gardens such as the topiary maze, rainforest walk, lake, celebration lawn and amphitheatre. There are many public artworks to admire and a good cafe as well.

Story Bridge

Named after John Douglas Story, Brisbane's Story Bridge took five years to build and opened on July 6, 1940, to connect the south and north banks of the Brisbane River from Kangaroo Point to Fortitude Valley.

You can have a picnic or BBQ under the bridge at Captain Burke Park or eat out at the historic Story Bridge Hotel. For the more adventurous, it is possible to organize a climb over the bridge itself.

Chine Town Around Brisbane:

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Visitors from overseas will just love the abundant Australian wildlife at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Hold a koala, feed a kangaroo, hear a talk about our reptiles – it all makes for a great day out. There’s no need to leave the city to experience Australia's amazing animals.

Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha

The Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha are only 7 kilometres from the CBD and feature a magnificent tropical display dome, a lagoon, Japanese gardens, 52 hectares of themed gardens and a planetarium. Have a coffee or a meal by the lake.

Mt Coot-tha Lookout

Take the drive up to the top of Mt Coot-tha to get a view of the whole of Brisbane city. You’ll see the curves of the river and the skyline of the CBD. Plus, on a clear day you can see south-west to the distant ranges, east towards Moreton Bay and miles in every other direction. Enjoy the view at the cafe and restaurant on the top of Mt Coot-tha.

A bit further afield you will find Moreton Bay.

Moreton Bay is the bay off Brisbane. Take a trip to Stradbroke Island or Moreton Island, where you can feed wild dolphins. The greater Brisbane area includes anumber of bayside areas like Sandgate, Redcliffe, Wynnum or Cleveland.

What's on in Brisbane

Brisbane is a cosmopolitan city complete with world-class art galleries, a lively live music scene and thanks to the perfect climate, a fabulous café culture, open air concerts and cinema. Major shows and exhibitions touring the world often include Brisbane on their itinerary.

Wining and Dining in Brisbane

Brisbane has a number of dining precincts, with al fresco dining the preferred way to enjoy a nice meal on a balmy night.

Often restaurants and pubs are in close proximity to entertainment venues like cinemas and theatres.

Brisbane Accommodation

There are literally thousands of acommodation options in and around Brisbane, from camping grounds to five star hotels, and from youth hostels to romantic bed and breakfasts.

Brisbane Transport

There are plenty of transport options in Brisbane. The city has an extensive bus and rail network, and uses a fleet of fast river ferries (city cats) on the Brisbane River which snakes all the way through the city. The city cats are also your cheapest way to see the whole city from the river.

Destination map

Visit this website: www.visitbrisbane.com.au

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