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Best Things to Do in Brisbane

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Brisbane things to do for river kayaking, Story Bridge climbs, wildlife, gardens and weekend markets, with seasonal gates and booking conditions.

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Activities

Best Things to Do in Brisbane

Guide: Brisbane by River, Garden & Rooftop

Brisbane offers river-level kayaking, a bridge summit, subtropical gardens and markets whose schedules matter as much as their locations. These ten activities include free walks, paid adventures, wildlife viewing and GOMA’s indoor contemporary-art and family programme.

  • South Bank ParklandsSouth Bank Parklands opens river promenades, lawns and a bougainvillea-covered arbour opposite the CBD. The park remains useful without a swim; aquatic areas have separate lifeguard, seasonal and maintenance access conditions within the park’s 05:00–midnight hours.
  • Riverlife Adventure CentreRiverlife runs guided kayaking and cliff abseiling from the Naval Stores at Kangaroo Point. The river and rock face offer different kinds of exertion, and the displayed office hours do not replace a booked tour’s departure time or weather conditions.
  • Story Bridge Adventure ClimbStory Bridge Adventure Climb takes small groups to an 80-metre summit for dawn, day, twilight or night views. Check-in is now at Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street; wear enclosed shoes and arrive 15 minutes before the booked climb.
  • Lone Pine Koala SanctuaryLone Pine combines koala viewing, keeper talks and a kangaroo reserve at Fig Tree Pocket. Koala holding has ended, while closer encounters are separately booked; kangaroo feeding finishes at 16:30, ahead of the sanctuary’s 17:00 closing time.
  • Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-thaBrisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha spreads subtropical collections, a Japanese garden and tropical dome across 56 hectares. The free garden gates close at 18:00 from September to March and 17:00 from April to August; planetarium sessions are separately ticketed.
  • City Botanic GardensCity Botanic Gardens provides mature trees, lawns and riverside paths along the CBD’s southern edge. The heritage grounds stay open around the clock, making a quiet walk possible outside office hours, though visitor facilities and services have shorter operating times.
  • Roma Street ParklandRoma Street Parkland combines themed gardens, a lake and guided walks across 16 hectares near the city centre. The main grounds stay open 24 hours, but the Spectacle Garden and Rainforest Walk operate from dawn to dusk and organised tours require registration.
  • Eat Street NorthshoreEat Street Northshore fills shipping containers with food stalls and music stages beside the river at Hamilton. Friday and Saturday run until 22:00 and Sunday until 21:00; the A$6 admission charge is separate from everything ordered at the stalls.
  • West End MarketsWest End Markets brings produce, cooked food, clothing and live music to Davies Park on Saturday mornings. Entry is free and the market runs in rain, hail or shine, with closing shortened from 14:00 to 13:00 during December through February.
  • Gallery of Modern ArtGOMA exhibits contemporary art at South Bank and houses the Children’s Art Centre and Australian Cinematheque. Free general entry makes a collection visit accessible, while special exhibitions and film screenings have their own tickets, programmes and times.
Visit Brisbane — Free things to doTourism Australia — Brisbane guideSouth Bank Parklands — officialRiverlife Adventure Centre — official

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