Brisbane
River City Beneath the Sun
Brisbane
Brisbane sits on the traditional lands of the Turrbal and Jagera peoples on a bend in the Brisbane River, about 20 kilometres from the mouth of Moreton Bay. The city has a subtropical climate, which means warm humid summers and dry mild winters, and an outdoor-focused culture built around the river, the climate and the easy access to beaches north and south.
The river runs through the heart of the city and is its most important geographic feature. The South Bank Parklands, directly opposite the CBD, have a free artificial swimming lagoon called Streets Beach, the Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and a permanent weekly Lifestyle Market. It is the single best cultural precinct in Brisbane.
The CityCat ferry service runs up and down the river between the university at St Lucia and the mouth of the river at Hamilton, and is the single best tourist experience in the city. A day pass is cheap, the ferries are fast, and the views of the river and the skyline are better than anything available on land.
Mount Coot-tha, west of the CBD, is the city's main viewpoint. A sealed road climbs to a lookout that gives a full view of the city and Moreton Bay, and the slopes below host the Brisbane Botanic Gardens with the Planetarium and a tropical display dome. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, established in 1927, is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary in the world and a short drive from the city.
Brisbane will host the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, which has triggered a massive urban renewal program including the Brisbane Live arena, the Queen's Wharf casino and hotel complex on the river, a new cross-river rail line, and extensive upgrades to existing venues at Albion Park and Nathan. The full transformation will continue through 2032.
Day trips from Brisbane include the Gold Coast beaches and theme parks (45 minutes south), the Sunshine Coast and Noosa (90 minutes north), the Scenic Rim mountain country including Lamington National Park (90 minutes south-west), the glass-roofed rainforest ski-town of Mount Tamborine, and Moreton Island for sand driving and wild dolphin feeding at Tangalooma.
Brisbane is a year-round destination but the best months are April to October when the humidity drops, the nights are cool and the summer storms are absent. Summer can be sticky and wet, though also warm enough to use the river lagoons. Brisbane Airport (BNE) sits on the bay 13 kilometres from the CBD with extensive international and domestic connections.
Things to see here
Highlights in Brisbane.
2 spots to visit
Where to stay
Holiday parks near Brisbane.
4 options via our booking partner
Bribie Island Caravan Park
NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Resort
Coomera Holiday Village
NRMA Lake Somerset Holiday Park
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Gallery
Brisbane in pictures.
5 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons
All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.
Things to do
Recommended Experiences
34 bookable experiences at or near Brisbane.
On the itinerary
Trip plans that include Brisbane.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
Content
- Background text summarised from Wikipedia: Brisbane , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Images (5)
- Faber Lane, Brisbane, Queensland.jpg · Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Queensland State Archives 148 Brisbane looking south east fr... · Agriculture And Stock Department, Publicity Branch · Public domain
- Vehicle fire on South East Freeway Brisbane P1070730.jpg · John Robert McPherson · CC BY-SA 4.0
- South Brisbane from the air, 1983.jpg · Queensland State Archives · Public domain
- Tunnel in South Brisbane flooding.jpg · Caltraser5 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.