Brisbane is dynamic combination of art and outdoor adventure where creative spaces, music, hip new tasty restaurants meets picturesque gardens and man- made beach lagoons. Go down under into Brisbane’s eclectic arts scene, eat, drink, and shop in the hippest neighborhoods, and explore the thrills and wildlife. Domestic and International flight arrive at Brisbane Airport from various global hubs. Search flights to Brisbane on sites like Expedia to find the most affordable tickets for your trip to Brisbane. From the airport, the city center is a 20-minute taxi or train ride to the city center. The inner city offers a free bus service that circles the city every 10 minutes, and a free CityHopper ferry service that will ferry you along the river from North Quay to New Farm. Explore the sun-soaked capital of Queensland, Australia over a couple of days or a few weeks with our tips of 5 unique must-see tourist attractions.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Visit Australia’s wildlife at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to get the quintessential Aussie experience, cuddling with a national icon. This is the best place in Brisbane to guarantee to see and hugging a Koala. You will learn about them and other Australian animals such as kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, Tasmanian devils, dingoes, snakes, and even crocodiles in this sanctuary. Daily experience showings and encounters include large bird of prey flight demonstrations, platypus feeding, sheepdog and shearing shows, and barn animal encounters. Be sure to take a souvenir picture when your up close and personal cuddling with a koala or holding a snake or baby crocodile.
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha
Located seven kilometers from the city, ascend to the top of Mount Coot-tha and take in the panoramic views of Brisbane and Moreton Bay. Dine at the renowned Summit Restaurant or the famous Kuta Café at the top of Mount Coot-tha. The breath-taking views are truly spectacular, purely stunning during the day and a blissful romantic wonderland at night. Also, on top of Mount Coot-tha is the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha boasts diverse themed gardens over 128 acres of horticulture. Gardens include the beautiful Japanese gardens, fragrant plants, bamboo, cactus, indigenous plants, and the world’s most extensive collection of Australian rainforest trees. Children can enjoy the Hide ‘n’ Seek Children’s Trail through the rainforest, and you can journey through the free guided walks, minibus tours and restaurants that serves up delicious views to go along with the amazing city views. Best of all it’s free admission to the gardens.
The Cultural Precinct
The heritage-listed Cultural Precinct of Brisbane is loaded with family-friendly excursions located on the banks of the Brisbane River. With several museums, galleries, performance venues, and picturesque parklands, it is definitely a day out destination with plenty of fun things to do. Relax on the riverfront surrounded by lush lawns and gardens. Explore the exceptional collections at the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Museum and Science Center’s interactive exhibits, or immerse yourself in the thought-provoking, avant-garde art at the popular Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and the Institute of Modern Art. The QAGOMA are housed in two riverside buildings on the South Bank. The collection composed of over 17,000 diverse works of Australian and international modern, historical, and contemporary art exhibits. The Institute of Modern Art (IMA) in Fortitude Valley concentrates on commissioning new at work by Australian and international artists.
The music scene is Brisbane is one to talk about! Catch a show at the Queensland performing arts Center where world-class performances of everything from ballet to opera to comedy shows and contemporary music concerts. Check out the music line-up at The Triffid hosts some of music’s hottest acts or have a “down home country goodtime” at Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, an all-American saloon with live country music and southern style bar snacks.
South Bank
The South Bank is the original site of World Expo in 1988; it is truly spectacular because it has a little piece of everything. In its 17 hectares it has a subtropical rainforest, a man-made beach, all the major cultural sites, with food from around the globe, markets, shopping, parks, walkways, rollerblading and a riverside promenade. The South Bank is an oasis for activity. Here you will find public BBQ grills, picnic spots, the Queensland Performing Arts Center, Queensland Museum, and the Brisbane Wheel. The Brisbane Wheel was built in 2008 to mark the 150th anniversary of the state of Queensland. The giant Ferris wheel offers an exciting 10 to 12-minute ride with an amazing birds-eye view of the river and city any time of the day and night.
Brisbane’s Story Bridge
Brisbane’s Iconic Story Bridge is one of only three (After Auckland and Sydney) bridge climb experiences in the world. Built during Australia’s Great Depression in the 1930’s, this bridge is a historic and much-loved landmark of Brisbane. The bridge caters to people 10 years or older of all fitness levels. The bridge takes about two hours to reach the top of the bridge, 80-meters above the Brisbane River. At the top, gaze at the complete uninterrupted view of the city; look north to the Glasshouse Mountains and to the south to the World Heritage-listed Gold Coast Hinterland. If you’re into the thrill of an adrenaline rush, unique to this bridge is the choice to abseil or rappel down a 30- meter descent. Climb Brisbane’s Story Bridge during the day or at night.
