South Bank
Featuring 17 hectares of lush gardens and lawns, Brisbane’s South Bank Parklands, is a place not to be missed. The public spaces, renowned for their relaxed friendly atmosphere, are always open and include free barbeque and picnic facilities.
One of South Bank’s most popular attractions, Streets Beach, is a unique man-made swimming beach, which overlooks the sparkling Brisbane River and the impressive steel and glass towers of the Central Business District. The crystal clear lagoon is fringed by white sandy beaches, rocky creeks and drooping palms. Throw a Frisbee around, challenge your friends to a football game or have a game of bocce with a set hired from the Visitor Information Centre. The kids will love climbing, sliding and swinging in any or all of the three adventure playgrounds.
Of course, South Bank is so much more than a place to take it easy in the sun. There's a real energy here, and the place always seems to be buzzing with action. Little Stanley Street is a lively strip of restaurants, cafes, bars and specialty retail outlets that adds a cosmopolitan flavour to South Bank parklands. Browse the Friday night lifestyle markets in Stanley Street Plaza and try the free and fabulous Salsa dancing, or enjoy a latest release blockbuster at the South Bank 5 Cinema.
South Bank is also Brisbane’s premier arts precinct, home to the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, showcasing enthralling theatre, ballet, orchestral concerts and opera.
How to get there?
South Bank is easily accessible from the centre of Brisbane by public transport or by walking through the Botanic Gardens and over the Goodwill footbridge.
- River front Promenade: walk, ride a bikes or rollerblade along the Brisbane River
- South Bank Markets: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Little Stanley Street: dine out and shop
- Hands On Art: holiday workshops, daily activities and art and crafts for children
- Musgrave Park Cultural Centre: featuring gallery space, indoor and outdoor performance areas, meeting spaces and a “yarning” circle.
- Queensland Art Gallery: featuring a collection of over 10,000 works of art
- Queensland College of Art Griffith University: the College has produced some of Australia’s leading artists, animators, designers, film-makers and photographers
- Queensland Gallery of Modern Art: linking to the Queensland Art Gallery and combining to make the second largest public art museum in Australia
- Queensland Maritime Museum: displaying a wide range of fascinating Maritime displays, and featuring access to the HMAS Diamantina
- Queensland Museum: an innovative, exciting and accessible journey of discovery in the worlds of science, environment and human experience
- Riverfestival: South Bank is home to the festival that celebrates Brisbane as the River City
- Sciencentre: see, touch and feel science in action
- The Goodwill Bridge: at just under 500 metres long, the Goodwill Bridge is a vital pedestrian link between South Bank and the city.
