A plan for Brisbane

The Greater Brisbane region has a population of about 2.2 million people and is Australia's third-largest city.

Brisbane, colloquially known as Brissie (pronounced Briz-ee), gained international exposure through multiple international sporting events and political summits, including the upcoming 2032 Summer Olympics. It is also known as the main setting of the animated kids TV series Bluey.

History

For many thousands of years prior to British settlement, the Brisbane area was inhabited by the Turrbal and Jagera Aboriginal people. They knew the area that is now the central business district as Mian-jin, meaning "place shaped as a spike". The Australian English phrase "hard yakka" – meaning "hard work" – comes from the Jagera people, and is certainly what the British settlers faced in Brisbane's humid subtropical climate.

The Moreton Bay area was explored by English navigator Matthew Flinders. On 17 July 1799, Flinders landed at what is now known as Woody Point which he named "Red Cliff Point", now Redcliffe after the red-coloured cliffs visible from the bay. In 1823, Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, instructed that a new northern penal settlement be developed, intended to house dangerous prisoners in a remote location and an exploration party led by John Oxley further explored Moreton Bay. The original penal settlement was established in Redcliffe but was later moved to a location further down the bay where freshwater supplies were more reliable. Oxley named this new settlement "Brisbane" in honour of the Governor.

Buildings and landmarks

1 Brisbane City Hall and King George Square, between Adelaide and Ann Streets. The City Hall is Brisbane's most significant historical landmark and was restored in 2010–2013. The area has free public Wi-Fi.

2 Brisbane City Hall Clock Tower, Museum of Brisbane. A 92-metre clock tower with Australia's largest analogue clock face. Opened in 1930, it offers a tour through Brisbane's oldest operating cage lifts.

3 The University of Queensland, St Lucia, ☏ +61 7 3365 1111. One of Australia's oldest and most prestigious institutions, situated on a bend of the Brisbane River. Its majestic sandstone buildings are surrounded by ornamental lakes, jacaranda-lined boulevards and some of the finest architecture. Visitor attractions include the Great Court, the UQ Art Museum at the James and Mary Emelia Mayne Centre, the Eleanor Schonell Bridge, and wildlife in the UQ lakes. It can be reached by CityCat, or bus route 66 from the CBD along Busway. (updated Jun 2025)

4 Wheel of Brisbane, Russell St, South Bank. Daily 10AM to 10PM. A Ferris wheel that allows you to observe the city from 60 m with views across the Brisbane River. The trip is a 15-minute ride in an enclosed, climate-controlled gondola. Adult $22, student $18, child 4 to 11 years $14.50. (updated Jun 2025)

5 Cathedral of St. Stephen, 249 Elizabeth St. Daily 8AM-6PM. Heritage-registered Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Brisbane with regular services and guided tours on weekday mornings. Nearby is St. Stephen's Chapel, which was built in the 19th century and lays significance as being the oldest surviving church building in Queensland.

6 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Glenelg St (South Bank), ☏ +61 7 3308 3000. Named as the world's best convention centre, this purpose-built convention centre and event venue plays its host to an average of 1,300 yearly events and contains four exhibition halls.

Activities and trips

1 Kangaroo Point. The walls along the Brisbane River are a popular spot for rock climbing and give an excellent view of the CBD skyline just across the river. Activities carry on after dark, when the walls are well-lit. Abseiling and rock climbing classes on the cliffs with an instructor are available from Riverlife Adventures, as well as kayak, kick-bike, rollerblade and bicycle hire. There are also barbecue and picnic spots in the area.

2 Story Bridge Adventure Climb, toll-free: 1300 254 627Country code missing, climbs@sbac.net.au. Scale the top of Brisbane's iconic bridge. You can enjoy 360° views of Brisbane, the mountain ranges and Moreton Bay Islands at dawn, afternoon or night.

Jan Powers Farmers Markets. Buy fresh fruit, vegetables and cuts of meat from one of the many farmers markets across Brisbane including the Powerhouse at New Farm, Manly, Mitchelton and the newest market at Reddacliff Place at the top of the Queen Street Mall.

Balloons over Brisbane, ☏ +61 7 3844 6671. You can gain an aerial perspective as you float over Brisbane in a hot air balloon. It's often possible to see as far off as the magnificent Glasshouse Mountains, to the Gold Coast and out to the islands of Moreton Bay. (updated Jun 2025)

Cruise the Brisbane River. There are various companies offering a range of river cruises and tours to take in the sights. These include cruises to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and the BrisVegas floating nightclub.

Explore Brisbane's Moreton Bay and Islands. The bay is 25 km (16 mi) from Brisbane's CBD and stretches from Bribie Island to the Southern Bay Islands. Enjoy sand tobogganing, 4-wheel driving, diving or snorkelling or go marine watching and spot turtles, dolphins, dugongs and whales.

Brisbane City and Spring Hill

Budget

1 Kadoya, 73 Mary St, ☏ +61 7 3229 3993. Mon–Thu 10:30AM to 8PM, Fri 10:30AM to 8:30PM, Sat 11AM to 9PM, Sun closed. A casual Japanese eatery and takeaway dishing up rice bowls, noodle soups and bento boxes. Cooked fresh, tasty, cheap. Popular lunch spot for city-workers. (updated Apr 2019)

2 Beach House (Beach House Bar & Grill CBD), Shop 58, Level E, Myer Centre Corner Elizabeth and Albert St, ☏ +61 7 3003 0017. Sun–Thu 11AM–9PM, Fri Sat 11AM–9:30PM. Located on the corner of Albert and Elizabeth St, Myer Centre, 2F. Licensed bar, large meals and live entertainment at value for money. (updated Jun 2025)

Bar Merlo. Various outlets throughout the city, their first being opened in the QUT Gardens Point campus. Regarded as one of the leaders in the Brisbane café society boom since the 1990s, their coffee is served at countless cafes and restaurants throughout Brisbane.

3 Pancake Manor, 18 Charlotte St (just down from George Street), ☏ +61 7 3221 6433. A Brisbane institution, open 24 hours. Tends to fill up with nightclub revellers on their way home after about 3AM on a Saturday or Sunday morning. (updated Jun 2025)

Mid-range

4 Le Bon Choix, 379 Queen St, ☏ +61 7 3229 9260. Mon–Fri 7AM to 6PM, Sat Sun 7AM to 5PM. Near the golden triangle. Great French bakery. Sells a good variety of sandwiches, cakes, tortes, macarons, fresh bread, croquettes, quiches and coffee. (updated Jun 2025)

Splurge

5 Alchemy, 175 Eagle St, ☏ +61 7 3229 3175. Located in a little hideaway on Eagle St, this restaurant has one of the most impressive views in Brisbane, looking across the river to the Story Bridge. Well known for its "liquid nitrogen nibbles", Alchemy lives up to its name. (updated Jun 2025)

6 E'cco Bistro, 63 Skyring Tce, ☏ +61 7 3831 8344. Founded and run by the internationally renowned and acclaimed chef Philip Johnson, it is one of the best restaurants in Brisbane and Australia-wide. (updated Jun 2025)

7 Moda, The Barracks 61, ☏ +61 7 3221 7655. Huge selection of wines and a varied menu including seafood, duck, rabbit and pork cheeks. By no means cheap but amazing food. (updated Jun 2025)

8 Vintaged, Elizabeth St (Hilton Brisbane). Serving carefully aged meat within luxe surroundings, this is one of the better hotel restaurants in Brisbane.

Brisbane's drinking and nightlife scene is separated into some distinct areas. Anyone planning a night on the town should be aware that after 3AM, no more patrons are allowed into pubs and clubs. This is a safety measure, coupled with increased security presence at taxi ranks. Additionally, smokers should beware of strict anti-smoking regulations. Smoking is now banned in "all areas where food & drink are served", both indoors and outdoors. This means that smoking is banned in all hotels, clubs, and cafés except in designated smoking areas.

The drinking age in Australia is 18 and only an Australian driver's licence, 18+ card or a foreign passport is accepted as proof of age. Other forms of ID such as a student card are not accepted. These regulations are strictly enforced – for nightclubs in particular, your ID will always be checked at the door, and while venues serving food may let you in, most are very prudent in checking ID if you wish to purchase alcohol.

Suburban

Toowong:

1 Regatta, 543 Coronation Drive, Toowong (adjacent to the Regatta CityCat terminal), ☏ +61 7 3871 9595. Expect a wait to get in on Th, F and Sa nights, but a must-go for the best sessions on W and Su nights when the venue is completely taken by students. (updated Jun 2025)

2 Royal Exchange (RE) Hotel, 10 High St, ☏ +61 7 3371 2555, royal.exchange.hotel@alhgroup.com.au. Generally a good, down-to-earth pub, more so than the Regatta, which tends to cater to a slightly trendier crowd (updated Jun 2025)

Regatta and the RE have reputations (which they more than live up) as student haunts, being located reasonably close to the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland.

Bulimba:

Catch a citycat to Bulimba for some trendy shopping on popular Oxford Street, great cafes, hip bars or for a picnic in the park.

3 Oxford 152, 152 Oxford St, ☏ +61 7 3899 2026, oxford152@alhgroup.com.au. One of Brisbane's most popular suburban restaurant/bars. (updated Jun 2025)

By public transport

Translink is responsible for all trains, buses, ferries and trams in South East Queensland and regional urban buses. The website and app can be used to plan a journey, including full navigation and real time updates. Apple Maps and Google Maps provide a similar experience.

Fares

A 50-cent flat fare applies to any journey, regardless of mode or distance, with a limit of 3 transfers. The only exception is an Airtrain journey to or from Brisbane Airport which costs $22.30 (June 2025), with a 15% discount for booking online. Refer to the website for other discounted fares. You can be fined $261 for travelling without a valid fare.

There are three ways to pay for your journey:

Contactless credit or debit card. A Mastercard or Visa is accepted, including those in a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your fare is deducted from your card as you touch on and touch off each mode of transport. Trains and trams have fare gates or distinctive pink validators to touch before you board and after you alight. Buses and ferries have validators to touch as you board and alight. A failure to touch off each mode of transport will result in a fixed fare of $2.50.

Go card. A go card is available at train station ticket counters, busway and tram fare machines, and selected newsagents and convenience stores. The card requires a $10 deposit. The card can be topped up with travel credit at the same locations, including train station fare machines. The maximum travel credit you can top up is $250. Refunding the deposit and travel credit can be a hassle. If you last topped up using cash it can be processed at Brisbane Airport and selected newsagents and convenience stores. If you last topped up using credit or debit card it can only be processed via an Australian bank account transfer.

Paper ticket. A paper ticket is available at train station ticket counters and fare machines, and busway and tram fare machines.

Crime

Brisbane has a relatively low crime rate in comparison to other cities of such size. In most cases being aware of your environment and using common sense will keep you safe. Like Sydney and other large cities, trains and train stations are usually considered a common crime zone throughout the afternoons and nights, however trains and stations are patrolled by Police, Transit Officers, railway personnel and private security guards. Cameras are also used to increase security. It is advised to exercise caution when travelling on trains and buses during these periods of the day.

Here are some particular areas of note:

Outer Suburbs: Tend to have a higher crime rate than inner suburbs which should be taken into account when visiting these areas.

Days: Very safe during the day, but using common sense goes a long way. Avoid gangs of people, especially if they seem trashy or obnoxious and be mindful if a questionable person approaches you.

Nights: Like most other places, outer suburbs to get more dangerous. Most suburban streets are poorly lit or have no lighting at all. It is recommended that individuals walking in these areas at night take extra precautions or venture within a group.

City Central/CBD: Usually very safe at all hours.

Days: Very safe during the day thanks to a good police presence and most people only being there for work. Though during school holidays groups of youths can congregate, especially around Queen St and South Bank and can get rather rowdy, but they usually mind their own business.

Nights: Still relatively safe at night. Police presence isn't as strong, except on Friday and Saturday nights, but you're still urged to travel with others. Be careful if catching a train at night, even though the train stations and trains are well patrolled and watched by CCTV. Treasury Casino patrons often gather outside and unwanted attention can be received late at night due to drunks. However, security is tight and the entire area around the Casino is monitored by CCTV. Take extra caution if in South Bank at night due to groups of youths congregating there.