Brisbane Australia - Free Sights and Fun Places
The Top 10 Places and Things to Do For Free in the QLD Capital
Feb 11, 2009
Brisbane, like most capital cities, has its unique charms and dozens of tours, attractions and sights to see. However, this article will concentrate exclusively on things the cash-strapped overseas tourist or interstate visitor can see, do, and enjoy absolutely free. Brisbane is very family-oriented and the Brisbane City Council has developed many wonderful kid-friendly activities.
1. City Centre Free Loop Bus
(Access from any of the designated bus stops. Map can be obtained from Brisbane Information Centre, Queen St Mall, Brisbane)
Tourists will be delighted to learn that Brisbane has a free bus loop that circles the Central Business District (both directions) every 10 minutes between 7 am and 6 pm. With such useful stops as Central Station, City Hall, Queen St Mall, City Botanical Gardens, Wharf St and Eagle St Pier, the best attractions and shopping precincts of Brisbane are readily accessible.
2. Spring Hill Free Loop Bus(Access from any of the designated bus stops. Map can be obtained from Brisbane Information Centre, Queen St Mall, Brisbane)
This loop bus connects with the City Centre loop and takes in the Roma Street Parklands, King Edward Park and Wickham Park. In Wickham Park stands the old mill and observatory. Built in 1828, it’s the oldest surviving building in Brisbane.
3. Southbank Parklands and Pool(Easy access by trains to Southbank Stn, by bus to Southbank bus interchange, by Citycat ferry to Southbank terminal, or by foot via the Victoria Bridge from Treasury Casino or Goodwill Bridge from the Botanical Gardens.)
Imagine tropical sun, the dense shade of palm trees fringing sparkling white sands, with shallow crystal clear blue lagoons, safe enough even for kids. Too far? Too expensive?
Not at Southbank, Brisbane. A ferry ride (or bridge walk) across from the bustling CBD will take the tourist to Australia’s only inner-city beach. It’s a construction, of course – a chain of graded-depth swimming pools with imported sand, on a site that seems to merge with the broad Brisbane River and looks across at the city buildings.
Most days, it’s wall-to-wall kids and there’s a lifesaver on duty 7 days a week. The Southbank Parklands were developed on the remains of the 1988 World Expo site, have several kilometres of pleasant, leafy walks, lawn areas, kids playgrounds and the chain of ‘beaches’ It’s all free!
(Easy access by trains to South Brisbane Stn, by bus to Southbank bus interchange, by Citycat ferry to Southbank terminal, or by foot via the Victoria Bridge from Treasury Casino.)
4. The Cultural Centre
The Cultural Centre is not one building, but more a precinct, consisting of several buildings, conveniently placed within walking distance of one another. Tourists can expect to be footsore and weary. The complex merges with the Southbank Parklands just detailed. It is easily accessible by pedestrian bridge and by bus from the city proper.
The complex comprises the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), the Queensland Natural History Museum (free) and the Sciencentre (not free), the Queensland ART Gallery (free – apart from special exhibitions), the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) and the Queensland State Library (free). Many cities do not have free museums - Brisbane abounds in them.
5. Queensland State Library(Access as for Cultural Centre)
The Queensland State Library should not be dismissed as merely ‘a place full of books’. It is well worth a visit, has some excellent displays and has special entertainment (sometimes free performances) for children, which amounts to child-minding, with excellent staff supervising craft activities.
6. The Queensland Museum(Access as for Cultural Centre)
Of the various free venues within this cultural precinct, the Queensland Museum probably has the most entertaining items for kids, including dinosaur skeletons, snakes and creepy-crawlies, and a marvellous interactive Aboriginal exhibition.
To learn Aboriginal skills, kids (adults, if they wish) can sit in a darkened room in an aluminium boat with outboard motor and be taught to steer back to a particular landing place using the stars. It’s great fun, but does lead to squabbles about who in the boat is going to steer.
7. Museum of Brisbane
(City Hall, King George Square, Brisbane - use City Hall bus stop on free loop bus, or walk north 500 mtrs from Central train Stn.)
Located on the ground floor of Brisbane City Hall (itself worth a visit!) , the museum of Brisbane focuses on Brisbane’s past and suburban identities, has an excellent small gallery and regularly changing exhibits. There are often free lunchtime concerts, as well.
8. Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens(Mt Coot-Tha Rd, frequent buses from the city - routes 425,470,415,375,445)
The Main Brisbane Botanical Garden is some 7 kilometres out from the city, but easily accessible by bus. This 52 hectare plot is divided into sectors which include a Bonsia House, Cactus House, Hide and Seek Children’s Trail, Tropical Dome, Japanese Garden and a large lagoon with bamboo grove.
9. Brisbane City Botanical Gardens(Alice St, City, accessible from Gardens bus stop on free loop bus)
The City Botanic Gardens are also free. This was Brisbane’s first public garden, established in 1855. As it is only a few minutes’ walk from the very centre of town and has delightful river frontage, plus many bike and walking tracks and picnic areas, it makes a wonderful respite from the noise and bustle of the city. It is possible to hire bicycles and inline skates there.
10. Boondal Wetlands Reserve(31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall, bus and train information from Translink.
In the outer Brisbane suburb of Boondal, tourists can experience a wetland environment, see the birdlife, and be instructed about the mangrove ecology and local Aboriginal culture on free guided tours as they walk or bike ride on the network of boardwalks over the marshes.
These few freebies are just the start of what Brisbane has to offer the visitor. Many other activities are budget-friendly, too. Nevertheless, most visitors would rate Brisbane’s magnificent warm, usually fine, weather the best freebie of all.
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