Things to do in and around Brisbane

Famous for its laid-back lifestyle, Brisbane is great for the arts, entertainment and shopping. Brisbane is also the gateway to South East Queensland. Officially Australia’s “most liveable city”, Brisbane has a sub-tropical climate, a vibrant city centre and a host of major cultural, sporting and business venues. It is Australia’s fastest growing city and is rapidly becoming a major commercial player in the Asia Pacific region.

Things to do in and around Brisbane

Brisbane Cultural Centre: Brisbane boasts a thriving arts and cultural scene – the Queensland Cultural Centre on the South Bank of the Brisbane River is home to the Queensland Museum and Art Gallery as well as the State Library of Queensland and the Gallery of Modern Art, the largest of its kind in Australia. The museum showcases a diverse collection of exhibits, all relevant to Queensland’s past and present, including a dinosaur garden, a whale exhibition, and a collection of Melanesian artefacts. Also on display is the Avian Cirrus, the aeroplane in which Bert Hinkler made the first England to Australia solo flight in 1928. The Gallery of Modern Art showcases both Australian and international artists’ work, and there are separate galleries showing contemporary indigenous art. The original Art Gallery contains an impressive permanent collection of Australian art, as well as some rare Asian art.

Brisbane Heritage Trail: The Heritage Trail starts at Brisbane’s City Hall and takes in many of the grand colonial style buildings in the city centre including the Old Government House, Parliament House, and Customs House on the banks of the Brisbane River.

Brisbane Botanic Gardens: The City Botanic Gardens are Brisbane’s oldest park, dating back to 1825 when convicts established them with food crops to feed the prison colony. Now, you can find a range of exotic plant species as well as ancient trees and rainforest plants.

MacArthur Museum: One of Brisbane’s newer museums, the MacArthur Museum Brisbane, is Australia’s equivalent to the Cabinet War Rooms in London. Housed in an architecturally impressive building on Edward Street, the museum includes the office used as the headquarters of the Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in the South West Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur from 1942 to 1944.

Shopping: Brisbane is a mecca for shoppers as it boasts a wide range of internationally recognized stores as well as an eclectic mix of specialty stores. Brisbane’s main shopping area is the Queen Street Mall, nearly half a mile of shopping opportunities, including over 700 specialty shops, six shopping centres, three arcades and two department stores, as well a plenty of cafes. Fortitude Valley is home to boutique fashion stores, and modern clothes, shoe and jewellery designers. Brisbane also boasts a number of markets, mainly at the weekend.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: a 35 minute bus ride from central Brisbane is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the first and biggest in the world, and home to over 130 koalas. Set in parklands on the banks of the Brisbane River, the sanctuary offers visitors the opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close as well as learn more about them from the resident experts. There is also a field of tame kangaroos, and an Outback Farm Experience including a display of sheepdog skills.

Moreton Island: Moreton Island, located in Moreton Bay, at the mouth of the Brisbane River, which supposedly has an island for every day of the year, is home to Tangalooma Resort, famous for its dolphins. There are a few rocky headlands but other than that, Moreton Island is almost completely sand, and Mount Tempest, at 280m high, is the tallest stabilised coastal sand hill in the world – adrenalin junkies will love the sand-tobogganing excursions on offer here! The island comprises bare sand, forest, lakes and swamps, and a surf beach almost 20 miles long on the east coast. A staggering 96% of Moreton Island is designated National Park. Moreton Island is home to the first ever lighthouse built in Queensland, first lit in 1857, and once the only light on the whole of Australia’s East Coast.

The main attractions are of course the dolphins at Tangalooma, a place once Queensland’s first and only whaling station and now a popular tourist resort. Every evening guests at the resort can assist in the hand feeding of the wild bottlenose dolphins that come to shore, accompanied by a commentary by the staff. As the dolphins come in of their own accord, sightings are not guaranteed though the success rate is as high as 99%. Tangalooma Resort is accessed by a 75 minute catamaran ride from Brisbane.
Moreton Bay itself is a haven for marine-life and the ideal place for spotting dolphins, whales, turtles and manta rays as well as birdlife.

North and South Stradbroke Island: North Stradbroke Island, or “Straddie” as it is affectionately know, is located at the southern end of Moreton Bay and is a favourite weekend getaway spot for Brisbane residents. The island boasts long stretches of white sandy beaches, making it the perfect spot for swimming, surfing and fishing. Head into the island’s hinterland on a four wheel drive adventure and discover the beautiful lakes, flora and fauna. There are also numerous Aboriginal heritage sites, and you can attend cultural and bushtucker talks laid on by the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders.

South Stradbroke Island features some great surfing beaches as well as rainforest and opportunities to view native wildlife. The island is home to Couran Cove Island Resort, a renowned ecotourism resort popular with Queenslanders and international visitors alike. Accessible both from Brisbane or the Gold Coast and served by either Brisbane or Coollangatta Airport, the island resort features a 14 mile surfing beach, rainforest boardwalk, a wealth of sports and other activities.
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