Tourism in Brisbane is an important industry for the

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

economy, being the third-most popular destination for international tourists after Sydney and Melbourne. Brisbane is a popular tourist destination, serving as a gateway to the state of Queensland, particularly to the Gold Coast and the

Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...

, which are home to numerous popular surf beaches, located immediately south and north of Brisbane respectively. Major landmarks and attractions include

South Bank Parklands The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank, Queensland, South Bank within the suburb of South Brisbane, Queensland, South Brisbane in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88, wa ...

, the

Queensland Cultural Centre The Queensland Cultural Centre is a heritage-listed cultural centre at Grey Street, South Brisbane, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the South Bank precinct on the Brisbane River. It was built from 1976. The major compone ...

(including the

Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland, dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museum in South Brisbane with specialist mu ...

Queensland Art Gallery The Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) is an art museum located in South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The gallery is part of QAGOMA. It complements the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) building, situated only away. The Queensland Art Gallery ...

, Gallery of Modern Art,

Queensland Performing Arts Centre The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it includes the Lyric Theat ...

and

State Library of Queensland The State Library of Queensland is the main reference and research library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the Government of Queensland, state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libr ...

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually house ...

, the

Story Bridge The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the l ...

, the

City Botanic Gardens The City Botanic Gardens (formerly the Brisbane Botanic Gardens) is a heritage-listed botanic garden on Alice Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was also known as Queen's Park. It is located on Gardens Poi ...

and

Parliament of Queensland The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral s ...

, the Howard Smith Wharves, ANZAC Square,

Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestr ...

(including James Street and

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austr ...

), West End, the Teneriffe woolstores precinct,

Roma Street Parkland Roma Street Parkland covers 11 hectares in the centre of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Roma Street Parkland is adjacent to Brisbane Transit Centre and the Roma Street railway station from which it takes its name (the park ...

New Farm Park New Farm Park is a heritage-listed riverfront public park at 137 Sydney Street, New Farm, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Albert Herbert Foster and built from 1914 to 1950 by Gladwin Legge & Co. It was added to the ...

(including the

Brisbane Powerhouse Brisbane Powerhouse is an arts and cultural hub located in a former power station in the Brisbane suburb of New Farm, Queensland, Australia. The venue offers an array of performing arts, visual arts, festivals, and free community events. The fi ...

), St John's Cathedral, the

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is an koala sanctuary in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1927, it is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary of its kind in the world. History The name originates from a l ...

, the Mount Coot-tha Lookout and

Botanic Gardens A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

, the

D'Aguilar Range The D'Aguilar Range is a mountain range near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The town of Dayboro is situated on the lower foothills midway along the range and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland town of Mooloolah lies at the northernmost point ...

and

National Park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

, the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Gov ...

and its Riverwalk network, as well as

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

(including Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie islands, and coastal suburbs such as Shorncliffe, Wynnum and those on the

Redcliffe Peninsula The Redcliffe Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Moreton Bay Region LGA in the northeast of the Brisbane metropolitan area in Queensland, Australia. The area covers the suburbs of Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Newport, Redcliffe, R ...

City landmarks

Story Bridge

The

is a

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the Sou ...

icon, designed by Dr. John Bradfield, designer of the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded ...

. It spans Petrie Bight from Kangaroo Point to

and totals meters in length. Tourist groups run the Story Bridge Adventure Climb as well as the Abseil Climb, which provides daylight, twilight, and night tours. King George Square in 12

Brisbane City Hall

Brisbane's most famous landmark is Australia's largest and grandest city hall. It is home to the

Museum of Brisbane Museum of Brisbane (MoB) explores contemporary and historic Brisbane, Australia, and its people through a program of art and social history exhibitions, workshops, talks, tours and children's activities. Located on Level 3, of Brisbane City Hall ...

and features the circular Concert Hall and a world-famous grand piano organ. Free tours are available of the city hall and its clock tower. The Brisbane City Hall contains the re-established historic Tudor-style Shingle Inn restaurant, with its original 1936 Tudor furnishing and fittings restored.

Kangaroo Point Cliffs

The

Kangaroo Point Cliffs The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are heritage-listed cliffs located at Kangaroo Point just across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. A popular recreation spot, especially for climbing and running, they are convenient ...

extend south from just north of the former Naval Bridge Depot to the former

South Brisbane Dry Dock South Brisbane Dry Dock is a heritage-listed dry dock at 412 Stanley Street, South Brisbane, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by William David Nisbet and built from 1876 to 1887. It is also known as the Government Gravi ...

, west of the Captain Cook Bridge. The rock comprising the cliffs was formed about 230 million years ago, but the cliffs as they are today were created by convicts quarrying the stone for the early colony. The cliff are popular with rock climbers, and the park and gardens below are available for BBQs and picnics. China-town-brisbane

Fortitude Valley

The Valley experienced an urban renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, when young people flocked to new nightclubs, some in place of the brothels and illegal gambling joints of an earlier era. As more people lived in the suburb, social and religious developmental trends explain the present diverse nature of The Valley, characterised by commercial buildings, hotels and churches side by side with residential buildings. James Street is a popular shopping street that straddles Fortitude Valley and the adjoing suburb of New Farm. Treasury Casino Brisbane

Treasury Building

The Conrad Treasury Casino, formerly the State Government of Queensland Treasury Building, is situated at 1-27 Queen St, right up at the top of the city near the Victoria Bridge. It was built on a site that had been earmarked for Government use since around 1825. Three stages of construction went into the completed building, starting with the William Street frontage. Completed, occupied and opened officially in 1928 at a final cost of £137,817, it provided expansive space for its Treasury Building tenants. As State Government Departments moved into the nearby Executive Building in the 1980s, the Treasury Building and adjacent Land Administration Building were sold, and consequently redeveloped as the Conrad Treasury Casino and Hotel precinct. Australia vs South Africa

The Gabba

One of Australia's most famous sports stadiums,

the Gabba The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. The nickname Gabba derives from the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located. Over the years, the Ga ...

was established in 1895 and hosts a number of sports including AFL,

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

, as well as athletics and

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...

s. Its current seating capacity is 42,000. Suncorp-Stadium-Milton-Queensland

Lang Park

Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

, also known as Suncorp Stadium, is a major sports stadium and is considered the best rectangular stadium in Australia. It was established in 1914 on the site of a former cemetery. The stadium hosts mainly rugby league and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ca ...

, and is a venue of the

State of Origin A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco Ov ...

. Its current seating capacity is 52,500. View St John's Cathedral, Brisbane 052013

St John's Cathedral

St John's Cathedral is a Medieval

gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominat ...

, and an international centre of pilgrimage attracting over 20,000 visitors annually from around the world. The cathedral is the centre for big diocesan events, and is a major centre for the arts and music with its own orchestra. St John's also has the largest cathedral organ in Australia, which hosts many concerts throughout the year. Customs-House-Brisbane

Customs House

The

Customs House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting c ...

is a Brisbane landmark known for its distinctive copper dome. Originally constructed for the government, there is now a restaurant and function centre within the building, and regular concerts and art exhibitions are also held here.

Cultural attractions

Queensland Gallery of Modern Art

The

Queensland Gallery of Modern Art The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) is an art museum located within the Queensland Cultural Centre in the South Bank precinct of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The gallery is part of QAGOMA. GOMA, which opened on 2 December 2006, is the largest ...

has a total floor area of . The Gallery holds mostly Queensland arts as well as a variety of artworks from around the world.

Queensland Museum

The

has various human and natural historical artefacts. It is located within the

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial district in central London, next to the River Thames opposite the City of Westminster. It forms a narrow strip of riverside land within the London Borough of Lambeth (where it adjoins Albert E ...

and has various cafes and restaurants within and surrounding its location across the Brisbane River from the

Brisbane CBD Brisbane City is the central suburb and central business district of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is colloquially referred to as the "Brisbane CBD" or "the city". It is located on a point on the northern bank of the ...

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Also located within the Entertainment District of South Bank, the

has a number of theatres and auditoriums showcasing various famous shows and operas annually. Some of the most recognized shows featured at the centre include ''

Mamma Mia! Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlemen ...

'', ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

'', ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

'', ''

Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ...

'', and International Gala.

State Library of Queensland

The

is Queensland's largest library, and contains extensive historical and archive materials.

Museum of Brisbane

The

is the City of

's official museum and is located in

Brisbane City Hall Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entrance ...

. It features a changing exhibition program that celebrates Brisbane through social history, visual arts, craft and design.

Queensland Maritime Museum

The

Queensland Maritime Museum The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands and Queensland Cultural Centre precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge. The museum was founded in 1971 an ...

is located adjacent to

Parks and outdoor attractions

Tree lined avenue at the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane

Brisbane's major parklands include the riverside

Gardens Point Gardens Point is a peninsula in central Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located south of Alice Street and bounded by the Brisbane River on its other three sides. The Brisbane CBD lies immediately to the north of the point. Gardens Point ...

, the 27-hectare Victoria Park at Spring Hill and Herston,

along the river at

, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at

Mount Coot-tha Mount Coot-tha is a mountain and a suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , there were no residents in the suburb. Visible from much of the city, Mount Coot-tha is a popular bushland tourist destination including the Mo ...

and the riverside

at New Farm. There are many national parks surrounding the Brisbane metropolitan area. The

D'Aguilar National Park D'Aguilar National Park is a national park in Queensland, Australia. It contains the D'Aguilar Range and is located along the northwest of the Brisbane metropolitan area. The park is traversed by the winding scenic Mount Nebo Road and Mount Glo ...

is a major

national park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

along the northwest of the metropolitan area in the

. The

Glass House Mountains National Park Glass House Mountains National Park is a heritage-listed national park at Glass House Mountains, Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is also known as Beerburrum Forest Reserve 1. It is north of Brisbane and consists of a flat plai ...

is located to the north of the metropolitan area in the

Glass House Mountains The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of thirteen hills that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The highest hill is Mount Beerwah at 556 metres above sea level, but the most identifiable of al ...

and provides green space between the Brisbane metropolitan area and the

. The

Tamborine National Park Tamborine is a national park in the Gold Coast hinterland and is a part of the Scenic Rim Regional Council of South East Queensland, Australia, south of Brisbane. It covers 11.60 km² on the plateau of Tamborine Mountain and around its ...

Tamborine Mountain Tamborine Mountain is a plateau and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tamborine Mountain had a population of 7,506 people. Geography The plateau is a , . The name is from the of Yugumbir language of the Wange ...

is located in the Gold Coast hinterland to the south of the metropolitan area. The eastern metropolitan area is built along the

Moreton Bay Marine Park The Moreton Bay Marine Park was established in 1992 to protect ecologically significant habitats in Moreton Bay. The marine park extends from Caloundra south to the southern tip of South Stradbroke Island. The marine park's border extends up to t ...

, encompassing

. Significant areas of Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie islands also covered by the

Moreton Island National Park Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) is a national park which covers 98% of Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) in Queensland, Australia, 58km northeast of Brisbane. It has three main townships, Bulwer, Cowan Cowan and Kooringal. The island is home to ...

, Naree Budjong Djara National Park and the

Bribie Island National Park Bribie Island is an Australian national park in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, 68 kilometres (42 miles) north of Brisbane. The park covers approximately one third of Bribie Island. The tidal wetlands and areas of water around the islands a ...

respectively. The

Boondall Wetlands The Boondall Wetlands lie on the edge of Moreton Bay in the Brisbane suburb of Boondall between Nudgee Beach and Shorncliffe, in south-east Queensland, Australia. The wetlands are preserved within the Boondall Wetlands Reserve which was pr ...

in the suburb of

Boondall Boondall is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Boondall had a population of 9,217 people. It was formerly known as Cabbage Tree Creek (after the creek that flows through the area). Geography Situated approximat ...

include 1100 hectares of wetlands which are home to

mangroves A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in several ...

and

shorebirds 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

as well as walking tracks.

Mountains and national parks

There are many

s surrounding the Brisbane metropolitan area which are popular recreational attractions for hiking and bushwalking. The

runs along the northwest of the metropolitan area in the

, and contains popular bushwalking and hiking peaks at

Mount Nebo Mount Nebo ( ar, جَبَل نِيبُو, Jabal Nībū; he, , Har Nəḇō) is an elevated ridge located in Jordan, approximately above sea level. Part of the Abarim mountain range, Mount Nebo is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Mose ...

, Camp Mountain, Mount Pleasant,

Mount Glorious Mount Glorious is a rural locality in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mount Glorious had a population of 296 people. Geography Mount Glorious is a mountain which is part of the D'Aguilar Range and is a suburb in Moreton ...

, Mount Samson and

Mount Mee Mount Mee is a rural town and locality in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mount Mee had a population of 484 people. Geography Mount Mee (also known as Bonnie Knob) is a mountain, located north of the town of Dayboro, i ...

. The

is located to the north of the metropolitan area in the

between it and that of the

. The

is located in the Gold Coast hinterland to the south of the metropolitan area. Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie islands are substantially covered by the

, Naree Budjong Djara National Park and the

respectively. The

in the suburb of

are protected

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in sever ...

wetlands with floating walking trails.

Mount Coot-tha

The suburb Mount Coot-tha Reserve contains the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens which house the

Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is located on the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in the suburb of Mount Coot-tha, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Planetarium was officially opened on 24 May 1978. The Planetarium is named a ...

and the "Tsuki-yama-chisen" Japanese Garden (formerly of the Japanese Government Pavilion of Brisbane's World Expo '88). Atop the mountain is the Mount Coot-tha Lookout, providing views of the metropolitan area and Moreton Bay.

South Bank Parklands

attractions include the

Wheel of Brisbane The Wheel of Brisbane (also Brisbane Eye) is an Observation Wheel in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is tall. It was erected in 2008 at the northern entrance to South Bank Parklands, the transformed World Expo 88 site by the Brisbane Rive ...

(a large ferris wheel), a swimming lagoon with sandy beaches, the South Bank Arbour,Things to Do - South Bank Corporation official website
rainforest walks, picnic areas and a picturesque riverfront promenade. Entertainment venues at South Bank Parklands include the

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University. History The Conservatori ...

and Suncorp Piazza. South Bank Parklands are also home to the Lifestyle Markets on Fridays (5pm-10pm), Saturdays (11am-5pm) and Sundays (9am-5pm).

City Botanic Gardens

The

include Brisbane's most mature gardens, with many rare and unusual botanic species. In particular the Gardens feature a special collection of

cycad Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody ( ligneous) trunk with a crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants of a species are either male or ...

s, palms,

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

and

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, but ...

. The Gardens are located at Gardens Point, to the south-east of the CBD, within walking distance of the city centre.

New Farm Park

New Farm Park is a large heritage-listed riverfront

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...

covering . It is located at the southeastern end of the New Farm peninsula within a bend in the

. The Powerhouse arts centre is at the eastern end of the park. The park also includes the New Farm Park ferry wharf and links to the Brisbane Riverwalk from Newstead to

Toowong Toowong is a riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Toowong had a population of 10,830 people. Geography Toowong is situated between Mount Coot-tha and the Brisbane River and is made up of rolling hills ...

. It is one of Brisbane's most popular parklands and tourist attractions.

Roma Street Parkland

is the world's largest subtropical garden in a city centre. The parkland features a variety of themed gardens and recreational areas, with a web of pathways and boardwalks traversing cascading waterways and rocky outcrops, and ''in situ ''artworks by 16 local artists. Roma Street Parkland also has an open air

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

(which was previously called the Albert Park Amphitheatre).

Moreton Bay

Lovers’_Walk,_Shorncliffe,_Queensland_03

and its marine park is also a major attraction, and its three primary islands

Moreton Island Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) is an island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay on the coast of South East Queensland, Australia. The Coral Sea lies on the east coast of the island. Moreton Island lies northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. ...

North Stradbroke Island North Stradbroke Island ( Jandai: ''Minjerribah''), colloquially ''Straddie'' or ''North Straddie'', is an island that lies within Moreton Bay in the Australian state of Queensland, southeast of the centre of Brisbane. Originally there was on ...

and

Bribie Island Bribie Island is the smallest and most northerly of three major sand islands forming the coastline sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. The others are Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. Bribie Island i ...

, accessible by ferry, contain popular surf beaches and resorts.

Tangalooma Originally a whaling station, Tangalooma Island Resort (formerly known as Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort) is a resort on the west side of Moreton Island in Queensland, Australia. It lies on the eastern shore of Moreton Bay and is known for its ...

resort on Moreton Island is popular for its nightly wild dolphin feeding attraction, and for operating Australia's longest running whale watching cruises. Beachside suburbs such as those on the

, as well as Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Wynnum, Manly and Wellington Point are also popular attractions for their bayside beaches, piers, and infrastructure for boating, sailing, fishing and

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wa ...

is on the east side of Brisbane, sheltered from the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

by two sand islands -

to the north and

to the south. Activities here include sailing, boating, diving,

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

and fishing.

, at the site of an old whaling station on the bay-side of Moreton Island, offers diving, whale-watching and dolphin tours. The two larger islands, and many of the smaller islands, for example, Coochiemudlo Island, Lamb Island and Russell Island, can be accessed by ferry. St Helena Island is near the mouth of the Brisbane River and is significant for its history as a

penal colony A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer t ...

, and its

migratory birds Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting b ...

. Beachside suburbs that offer swimming and watersports include Wynnum, Manly, Shorncliffe, Sandgate and Wellington Point. Redcliffe-jetty

Nudgee Beach is a suburb about outside of Brisbane. The beach is surrounded by numerous

, and has a bike track that heads down to

Shopping

Retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

in the CBD is centred around the

Queen Street Mall The Queen Street Mall is a pedestrian mall located on Queen Street in the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The mall extends approximately from George Street to Edward Street, and has more than 700 retailers over of retail spa ...

, which is Australia's largest pedestrian mall.

Shopping centres A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre ( Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known colle ...

in the CBD include the Myer Centre, the Wintergarden, MacArthur Central and QueensPlaza, with the last of these along with Edward Street forming the city's focus for

luxury brands In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a greater proportion of overall spending. Luxury goods are in contrast to ...

. There are historical shopping arcades at

Brisbane Arcade Brisbane Arcade is a heritage-listed shopping arcade at 160 Queen Street through to Adelaide Street in the Brisbane CBD, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Richard Gailey, Junior and built in 1923 to 1924 by J & E L ...

and Tattersalls Arcade. Suburbs adjacent to the CBD such as

(particularly James Street),

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people. Geography The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, bounded to the north-west, ...

and West End are also a major inner-city retail hubs. Outside of the inner-city, retail is focused on indoor

shopping centres A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre ( Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known colle ...

, including numerous regional shopping centres along with six super regional shopping centres, all of which are among Australia's largest, namely:

Westfield Chermside Westfield Chermside, colloquially known as 'Chermside or Chermy', is a regional shopping centre located in the Brisbane northern suburb of Chermside. It is the second largest regional shopping centre in Australia by number of stores, behind Cha ...

in the north;

Westfield Garden City Westfield Mt Gravatt (formerly Westfield Garden City, prior to that simply Garden City, and always commonly known as Garden City) is one of Brisbane's major shopping centres, located in the suburb of Upper Mount Gravatt in Queensland, Austral ...

in the south;

Westfield Carindale Westfield Carindale is a large shopping centre in Queensland located in the suburb of Carindale, east of Brisbane. The centre is one of the largest shopping centres in Australia. The centre contains over 450 specialty stores and almost 6,000 ...

in the east;

Indooroopilly Shopping Centre Indooroopilly Shopping Centre (formerly Indooroopilly Shoppingtown, colloquially Indro) is a major regional shopping centre in the western suburb of Indooroopilly in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It hosts over 300 specialty stores ...

in the west; Westfield North Lakes in the outer-north; and

Logan Hyperdome Logan Hyperdome Shopping Centre in Shailer Park, Queensland, is the largest shopping centre in Logan City, Queensland, Logan City and one of the largest single storey shopping centres in Australia. The Queensland Police Service operates a poli ...

in the outer-south. Brisbane's major factory outlet centres are the Direct Factory Outlets at Skygate and Jindalee. The 100 hectare Brisbane Markets at Rocklea are Brisbane's largest

wholesale markets The consumption and production of marketed food are spatially separated. Production is primarily in rural areas while consumption is mainly in urban areas. Agricultural marketing is the process that overcomes this separation, allowing produce to b ...

, whilst smaller markets operate at numerous locations throughout the city including

, Davies Park in West End and the Eat Street Markets at

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

Queen Street Mall

Located in the centre of the city, the

and its nearby surrounds is

's premier shopping destination. The mall is open plan, stretching half a kilometre along Queen Street Mall. There are five major shopping centres, two department stores and four shopping arcades located within the mall.

Entertainment precincts

South Bank Parklands

, once the site of the

Expo '88 World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised World Expo, Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of ...

, is now an entertainment precinct boasting entertainment, cafes, restaurants, man-made beaches, lagoons, playgrounds and views of the city along its boardwalk. It is also the location for the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the temporary, relocatable Ferris wheel, the 60-metre

Howard Smith Wharves

Howard Smith Wharves along the New Farm Cliffs below the

is a stretch of riverside parkland which incorporates numerous entertainment and restaurant venues.

Eagle Street Pier

Eagle Street Pier is a riverside entertainment precinct which is home to numerous restaurants.

Portside Wharf

Portside Wharf Portside Wharf is the international cruise terminal, residential and retail development at Hamilton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Wharf is Brisbane's commercial international cruise terminal. It is also an upscale residential and retai ...

, located approximately from the

on the

, is a residential, retail precinct with numerous cafes, restaurants, shops and cinemas.

Throughout Brisbane

RiverWalk

Brisbane is notable for its Brisbane Riverwalk network, which runs along much of the

foreshore throughout the inner-city area, with the longest span running between Newstead and

. Another popular stretch runs beneath the

between

and Kangaroo Point. Several spans of the Riverwalk are built out over the Brisbane River. Brisbane also has over of bicycle pathways, mostly surrounding the

and city centre. Other popular recreation activities include the

adventure climb and rock climbing at the

CityCat Ferries

CityCat Ferries are

catamaran A Formula 16 beachable catamaran Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-sta ...

s, and are a pleasant way to travel past such Brisbane icons as the

and

City tours

Brisbane Greeters provide free walking tours around Brisbane, aiming to provide a customised, flexible, intimate and authentic experiences through a knowledgeable and enthusiastic local volunteer. Kangaroo Segway Tours offer tours of the city's major attractions using segways. Brisbane By Bicycle conduct daily tours of Brisbane city and surrounding areas in small groups. The tours are fully guided by a Brisbane local with extensive knowledge of the city including local bars, restaurants, events and attractions.

Brisbane's Food Scene

Brisbane is home to over 6,000 restaurants and dining establishments, with outdoor dining featuring prominently. The most popular cuisines by number of dining establishments are

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...

, Modern Australian,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional It ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

, and Vietnamese.

Moreton Bay bug ''Thenus orientalis'' is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans. ''T. orientalis'' is known by a number of common names. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while t ...

s, less commonly known as flathead lobsters, are an ingredient named for the Brisbane region and which feature commonly in the city's cuisine, along with

macadamia nuts ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia, native to northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland specifically. Two species of the genus ...

, also native to the region. There are many Good Food Guide-awarded restaurants, cafes and bars in the region. Brisbane has a number of food markets to sample the local cuisine and street eats. Eat Street Markets at

and Boundary Street Markets at West End are popular weekend markets, especially with locals and offer a variety of cuisines from local restaurants and food trucks.

Food Tours

Food tours provide great insight into a city's local food scene, and Brisbane's local food culture can be experienced on a tour with Delectable Tours.

Other attractions

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

The

opened in 1927 and was the world's first koala sanctuary. Wildlife in the sanctuary includes

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womba ...

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii'') (palawa kani: purinina) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. Until recently, it was only found on the island state of Tasmania, but it has been reintroduced to New South Wales in ...

wombat Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are ada ...

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...

s, various species of

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates ( lizards and snakes) and rhynchoce ...

s, as well as many types of Australian birds. The sanctuary is located in the

suburb of Fig Tree Pocket.

Brisbane Tramway Museum

Brisbane Tramway Museum The Brisbane Tramway Museum is an Australian transport museum that has preserved a collection of trams and trolleybuses most of which operated in Brisbane from 1897 until 1969. The museum is located at Ferny Grove. History The Brisbane Tramway ...

is a transport museum which preserves and displays

trams A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

and

trolley-bus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

es, most of which operated in

, Australia. The museum also has a collection of vehicles and other equipment used in maintaining Brisbane's electric street transport system which operated from 1897 to 1969. The museum is located at Ferny Grove, a north-west suburb of Brisbane.

Newstead House

Newstead House Newstead House is Brisbane's oldest surviving residence and is located on the Breakfast Creek bank of the Brisbane River, in the northern Brisbane suburb of Newstead, in Queensland, Australia.Trent Dalton, "Grand residence", ''Brisbane News'', ...

, in Newstead Park, is the oldest house in

. Built in 1846, it is now a museum and heritage listed site. It is open to the public, and

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...

are sometimes held at the house and grounds.

Day trips

The Gold Coast and Hinterland

The Gold Coast is a strip of urban areas and beaches located about south of Brisbane, about an hour's travel by car or train. Major centres with shopping, restaurants and sandy beaches include

Surfers Paradise Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...

, Mermaid Beach, Burleigh Heads and

Coolangatta Coolangatta is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is the Gold Coast's southernmost suburb and it borders New South Wales. In the , Coolangatta had a population of 5,948 people. Geography Coolangatta and its ...

. There are several theme parks in the region, including Movie World, Sea World,

Wet'n'Wild Water World Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is a water park situated in Oxenford, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. In 2019, the park received 1,120,000 visitors making it the most visited water park in Austral ...

and Dreamworld, and wildlife parks such as David Fleay Wildlife Park and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The Gold Coast hinterland features rainforests and wet sclerophyll forest with walking tracks and picnic areas. Some areas also offer camping sites, bed-and-breakfast accommodation, cafes and markets. Popular areas for tourism include

Springbrook National Park The Springbrook National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland, Australia. The park is situated on the McPherson Range, near Springbrook, approximately south of Brisbane. The park is part ...

Lamington National Park The Lamington National Park is a national park, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border in Australia. From Southport on the Gold Coast the park is to the southwest and Brisbane is north. T ...

and

. The Hinterland is promoted as "The Green Behind The Gold".

Bribie Island

is a sand island north of Brisbane, accessible by a road bridge over

Pumicestone Passage Pumicestone Channel, also known as the Pumicestone Passage, is a narrow waterway between Bribie Island and the mainland in Queensland, Australia. The northern extent of the passage is at Caloundra, while at the south is Deception Bay. The ...

. The area features a surf beach on the east side at

Woorim Woorim is a town and suburb of Bribie Island in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Woorim had a population of 1,829 people. Geography Woorim is on the south-eastern corner of Bribie Island, bounded by the Coral Sea to the e ...

, and quiet estuaries for boating and fishing on the west side, in the Passage. Accommodation is available in caravan parks. There are 4WD-accessible camping sites on the northern end of the island, which require permits. Attractions include the recently opened Bribie Island Seaside Museum, Passage cruises, and birdwatching at Buckley's Hole Environmental Park.

The Sunshine Coast and Hinterland

The

, about an hour drive north of Brisbane, offers a wide range of beaches, national parks, theme parks and golf courses. Urban centres that cater for tourism along the coastline include

Caloundra Caloundra ( ) is a coastal town and the southernmost town in the Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland, Australia. Geography Caloundra is north of the Brisbane central business district. Caloundra is accessible from Landsborough ra ...

Maroochydore Maroochydore ( ) is a coastal town in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. The town was subdivided from the Cotton Tree reserve by Surveyor Thomas O'Connor in 1903. The land was acquired from William Pettigrew who had a timber de ...

Noosa The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of . It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it was ...

, and Coolum. To the west, the iconic Glasshouse Mountains offer scenic drives, lookouts, walking tracks and picnic areas. There is a ginger factory at Yandina, and

Maleny Maleny (pronounced ''mah-lay-knee'') is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. At the , the locality of Maleny had a population of 3,959 people. Maleny was a timber town ...

and Montville offer art galleries, wineries, shops and cafes. The

Woodford Folk Festival The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia. Every year ap ...

, an annual music festival, is held near the semi-rural town of

Woodford Woodford may refer to: Places Australia * Woodford, New South Wales *Woodford, Queensland, a town in the Moreton Bay Region * Woodford, Victoria Canada * Woodford, Ontario England *Woodford, Cornwall * Woodford, Gloucestershire * Woodford, Gre ...

, north of Brisbane. Mount Beerwah

Rainbow Beach

Rainbow Beach is a coastal town in south-eastern

, Australia, near

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. The ...

, famed for its rainbow-coloured sand dunes, sand cliffs and pleasant beaches. The beach is located approximately north of Brisbane, east of Gympie and 700 metres west of

Fraser Island Fraser Island ( Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fr ...

on the Cooloola Coast.

Kondalilla Falls National Park

Named after the spectacular Kondalilla Falls, where Skene Creek drops 90m into a rainforest valley, this park is a cool mountain retreat and an important refuge for many native animals and plants. From Brisbane, the drive to the falls takes roughly 2 hours.

References

External links

Brisbane Tourism Guide

VisitBrisbane.com

Brisbane - Tourism Australia

Make the Day - Brisbane Outdoor Activities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tourism In Brisbane

City landmarks

Story Bridge

Brisbane City Hall

Kangaroo Point Cliffs

Fortitude Valley

Treasury Building

The Gabba

Lang Park

St John's Cathedral

Customs House

Cultural attractions

Queensland Gallery of Modern Art

Queensland Museum

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

State Library of Queensland

Museum of Brisbane

Queensland Maritime Museum

Parks and outdoor attractions

Mountains and national parks

Mount Coot-tha

South Bank Parklands

City Botanic Gardens

New Farm Park

Roma Street Parkland

Moreton Bay

Shopping

Queen Street Mall

Entertainment precincts

South Bank Parklands

Howard Smith Wharves

Eagle Street Pier

Portside Wharf

Throughout Brisbane

RiverWalk

CityCat Ferries

City tours

Brisbane's Food Scene

Food Tours

Other attractions

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Brisbane Tramway Museum

Newstead House

Day trips

The Gold Coast and Hinterland

Bribie Island

The Sunshine Coast and Hinterland

Rainbow Beach

Kondalilla Falls National Park

See also

References

External links