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Flights and travel guide to Brisbane

Story Bridge, Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland. It has a population of about 2 million people, and is the third-largest, and fastest growing, city in Australia. It’s a positive attitude and creative confidence that makes Brisbane a genuine new-world city. And , even though Brisbane is rapidly developing and forward thinking, it maintains a youthful enthusiasm and boasts what is arguably the most vibrant, laid back tropical atmosphere of any east-coast capital city.

All of Brisbane’s urban villages do things a little differently, from Australia’s premier live music scene in The Valley to exclusive world class exhibitions at Australia’s largest Gallery of Modern Art to the natural splendour of Moreton Bay and the Scenic Rim, Brisbane enjoys a lifestyle that the world envies.

The main tourist districts are:

The CBD, where Brisbane’s major businesses are interspersed with several shopping malls, cinemas, parks and many of Brisbane’s historical tourist sites. Queen Street Mall, in the heart of the CBD, is Queensland’s premier shopping destination and a must see for all visitors.
South Bank, which boasts ethnic restaurants, edgy cafes, riverside boardwalks and an inner – city beach. Queensland’s Cultural Precinct includes the Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum, the State Library, Queensland Art Gallery and the spectacular Gallery of Modern Art is located at South Bank.
Fortitude Valley, for Brisbane’s Chinatown and vibrant shopping and nightlife. Eclectic bars with emerging and innovative DJs and world-class super clubs have brought a larger than life feel to the Valley precinct.
West End, located just behind South Bank, is an edgy, bohemian district with artsy shops and cafes. West End is where you’ll find alternative books, cult video stores and organic produce.
New Farm, for upscale shopping and upmarket, trendy dining places. A confirmed favourite of the locals, New Farm is high up on the hot list of places to be and to be seen.
Portside Wharf, located at Hamilton, is where the cruise ships dock on the Brisbane River. This area was formerly known as Brett’s Wharf and offers world class dining, cinemas and specialty shopping. A great place to wander and have a meal.
Paddington / Rosalie / Milton Paddington is now becoming the place to shop with many unique little boutiques full of local designs and hard to find fashion gems. Rosalie is home to many quaint bars, markets and restaurants. Milton has two of Brisbane’s most famous icons placed side by side the XXXX Ale House and Suncorp Stadium.

Some of the other major districts are Spring Hill, Indooroopilly, Manly Harbour, Toowong, St. Lucia and South Brisbane.

Climate

Brisbane has what is considered to be an excellent subtropical climate, especially to those in the colder southern states. However, those from temperate climates may find summer unbearably hot, especially on windless days when the heat builds up in the valley.

Winters are warm and generally dry and sunny (day 20-25C, night 8-12C). In winter, a pair of jeans with a top and boots or sneakers will suffice. Summer days are warm to hot, with days over 32C common. Humidity is high during the summer months and temperatures can get as high as 40C with night temps rarely dropping below 20C. In summer, a t-shirt with shorts and thongs (sandals) is appropriate attire for most activities. If visiting in summer air conditioning is advisable for comfortable sleep and don’t overestimate what can be accomplished in terms of physical activity on hot and high-humidity days.

Summer storms with hail and heavy rainfall are common in afternoons on hot humid days. They usually pass quickly and sometimes put on a good lightning show.

Brisbane has, over recent years, experienced a significant drought. This has resulted in water usage restrictions for residents, and travellers should take note of the recommended 170 litre water usage per person, per day.

Get in

By plane

There are plenty of airlines offering flights to Brisbane from major UK airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, New Castle, London Gatwick.

Brisbane Airport (BNE) is 20 kilometres north-east of the city centre at Eagle Farm, north of the river.

It is possible to fly directly to all Australian capitals and numerous regional centres. Major carriers include Virgin Blue, Jetstar, and Qantas.

The international terminal is serviced by many regional airlines and it is possible to fly daily to most Asian centres, the United States and New Zealand without flying via Sydney or Melbourne.

Transferring between terminals

There are two terminals at Brisbane, International and Domestic. You need to check which terminal your flight leaves from, as some domestic flights leave from the International terminal. Allow sufficient time for the transfer between terminals.

It is not practical to walk with luggage between the International and Domestic terminals. It is about two kilometres in distance, but the main road that connects them has no pedestrian facilities.

AirTrain offers a connection during the day with a 30 minute frequency or 15 minutes during peak. The AirTrain fare is included by Virgin Blue and by Qantas when connecting between their flights– just present your boarding pass to the Airtrain station staff. Otherwise the train fare is $4.00 per person (currently children 14 and under are free). The trip only takes a minute or so. Last train leaves International for Domestic around 7:45, Domestic for International around 8pm. The Eagle farm station does not have access to the airport terminals.

Taxi may be the only option outside AirTrain hours, or if you have a limited connection time.

From the airport to the city

AirTrain connects to the city from the airport every fifteen minutes during peak times and stops at Central, South Bank, Brunswick Street and Roma Street stations. Adult fare to the city stations is $14. A return ticket can be purchased for $26 from the Airport stations. If you pre-purchase online, there are further discounts. Travel time between the international terminal and Roma Street Station is 23 minutes. It is also possible to take the Airtrain direct to the Gold Coast, although it is necessary to connect to a bus service at Nerang to reach Surfers Paradise or at Robina to reach Coolangatta. Trains run from 6am, with the last train leaving the city at 7:30pm and the airport at 8pm.

CoachTrans also provides transfers via shuttle bus to Brisbane City accommodation and to the Gold Coast. Adult fare (one way) to Brisbane City is $12, and an Adult fare (one way) to the Gold Coast is $39. Fares are cheaper if you buy a return ticket.

Additionally, the airport also hosts all major car rental companies.

By train

Countrylink operates rail services from Sydney

Queensland Rail has services from most centres in Queensland

By car

Visitors from southern states can reach Brisbane by either the New England and Cunningham or Pacific Highways.

The Bruce Highway connects the northern coast of Queensland to Brisbane.

The Ipswich Motorway connects to Ipswich and surrounding Western Brisbane areas.

The Warrego Highway links Brisbane to the west through the Lockyer Valley, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.

By bus

Premier Motor Service links some centres on the east coast of NSW and Queensland to Brisbane, as well as connections to Melbourne.

Greyhound Australia link to most other locations to Brisbane.

Get around

By bicycle

Getting around the city and the surrounding areas is easy thanks to the many cycle paths along the river. Bicycles can be rented in the centre of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and also at Brisbane Bicycle.

Cycling on footpaths is legal in the Brisbane City Council area, however pedestrians have right of way. Always keep as far left as possible when riding on the road or a bike path. The police issue $120AUD on the spot fines for cycling without a safety helmet. Maps showing bikeways in the Brisbane City Council area are available on the BCC website. All cyclists are legally required to have, and use, a bell when cycling - though most still do not.

Remember, Brisbane is very hilly. A short trip can quickly become a lot of work. Stick to the river when possible - it’s where you get the best views anyway.

By car

Many of the roads in Brisbane Central Business District (CBD) are one-way, making driving in this area difficult and stressful for people not familiar with the layout. Also, many CBD road become clearways at 4pm, and any cars parked on the side of the road will be towed, and can only be recovered at considerable cost. Check carefully any informational signs when parking.

There are several toll roads in and around Brisbane, including a $2.90 toll on the Gateway Bridge, which crosses the river near the airport, connecting the north and south arterial roads and providing a convenient bypass for the CBD. Cash is still accepted at all toll plazas, but will be phased out at some point in the future (june 2009, after which toll users must have a prepaid transponder or post-pay via website).

Public transport

The three main public transport options of Brisbane, ferries, buses and trains are linked by a common ticketing system, known as TransLink. This coordination arrangement allows free transfers to be made between the three different transport modes, providing relevent time and zone restrictions are met. The TransLink website (tel. 13 12 30) is handy for researching public transport options between destinations, and is essential for Brisbane visitors planning their commute.

As well as paper-based tickets for trips of various lengths of time, TransLink incorporates an integrated ticketing system called the go card. The go card is based on smart card technology, offering the same benefits as the integration of transport options delivered by the TransLink arrangement, except with transport users paying for trips through pre-paid credit instead of cash. Go card fares are also 20-35% cheaper than the equivalent paper ticket. There are however, disadvantages, as there is no equivalent of, for example, a daily ticket which provides unlimited travel throughout the day. Also, as it costs money to obtain a go card ($10 refundable, plus an amount of credit which is used to pay for public transport fares), short-term visitors to the city would be better off buying single or daily tickets.

Ferries have become an icon of the city. As well as traditional ferries which generally operate on cross-river routes, high-speed catamarans (CityCats) operate on longer routes.

Travelers can take advantage of Daily and Off-Peak Daily tickets which allow unlimited travel within given zones across all modes of transit. A Daily ticket for zones 1 to 3 (about 20km radius) costs $6.80 and is great for catching a bus or train into the city, taking a ferry along the river and getting back to the suburbs again, or back into the city from a ferry terminus.

A weekly zones 1 to 3 ticket costs $27.20. 50% Concessions are available to students, pensioners and children, and these tickets are available from all railway stations and some of the newsagents that are sprinkled liberally throughout the confines of Brisbane City. It is strongly advised that travelers purchase tickets as ticket inspectors make frequent appearances and fines can be significant.

Buses in Greater Brisbane mostly lead all the way to Queen Street. The routes 598 and 599 form the Great Circle Route which circles the city in clockwise and counter-clockwise direction and can be a great way of getting around the different suburbs. Drivers do carry notes with them, however not always many or of high value and they do not appreciate giving out large sums of change. Try to limit paying with notes only when the fare is roughly around the denomination mark ($5, $10, $20, etc). Where possible pay with the correct fare and in coins. It is advisable to check the timetables, as some of the less popular routes do not run very late or on Sundays, and, especially on Sundays, runs can be up to an hour apart.

‘The Loop’ is a free and convenient bus service traveling in both directions around the CBD. Operating Monday to Friday 7am – 5.50pm, every ten minutes from any red CBD bus stop.

Trains in Greater Brisbane run along radial lines from Central and Roma Street Stations. Interurban services can also be caught to the Gold Coast (using connecting bus services at Nerang and Robina) and Sunshine Coast (using connecting bus services at Landsborough and Nambour) as well as Australia Zoo (connecting bus at Beerwah). The first trains start around 5am and run till midnight or a little earlier. Services are usually 30mins or an hour apart, depending on the line, and more often during peak times. Times are available on TransLink’s online journey planner and also at QR.

Places to See

Alma Park Zoo, About thirty minutes north of the city centre. The Zoo Train can be caught from the city on the Caboolture line.

Brisbane City Hall and King George Square. Located between Adelaide and Ann Streets, this is the city’s most significant historical landmark. City Hall often hosts free concerts throughout the year. There is a restored lift that can be taken to the top of the clock tower for free. The lift opens at 10 a.m. and stops running at 3 p.m. (2:30 p.m. on Saturdays) daily except Sundays. There is no access to the clock tower outside of these hours.

City Botanic Gardens, 10 to 15 minute walk from the city centre and Central or Roma Street railway stations. Walking and cycling tracks. Exhibits. Open 24 hours. Free.

CityCat. take the CityCat river taxis up and down the river. A great couple of hours to see the city at speed. It’s also very cheap, less than $5.00 for a daily combined transport ticket (which includes all citycat/ferry/train/bus).

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, 15 minutes drive from the city on Jesmond Road in Fig Tree Pocket (via the Western Freeway). Catch the hourly 445 or 430 buses from the city or the Mirimar boat cruise from Southbank at 10:20 am. Tel: +61-7-3378-1366. World’s first and largest koala sanctuary, with over 130 koalas. Cuddle a koala any time, hand feed kangaroos and encounter a large variety of Aussie wildlife, all in beautiful, natural settings.

Manly Boat Harbour. Located 20 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD, Manly Boat Harbour is the nearest access point from Brisbane city to Moreton Bay. Nestled beside the Manly Harbour Village, it is Brisbane’s gateway to the Moreton Bay Marine Park with its pristine waterways and fascinating islands. Manly Harbour Village has a great range of dining and shooping options overlooking the marina.

Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane’s tallest mountain (which isn’t actually a mountain). A popular makeout spot with a great view and good but overpriced cafe and restaurant. Also home to one of the Botanical Gardens and a Planetarium.

Museum of Brisbane,. In King George Square. Features one floor of exhibits about the history of the city, and another floor for exhibitions of local artists.

New Farm Park. This historic park is famous for the long line of jacaranda trees, shady picnic areas and its large rose gardens that contain hundreds of variety of roses, and over 40,000 individual plants.

Queensland Cultural Centre - including The Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) and State Library of Queensland- located on Grey Street in South Brisbane. The Queensland Conservatorium and the Queensland College of Art are also located on Grey Street. The recently opened GoMA regularly hosts exhibitions featuring internationally famous artists (such as Warhol and Picasso) as well as many local contemporary artists.

Roma Street Parklands - is the world’s largest subtropical garden in a city centre and home to 1800 unique species of plants. Experience the theme gardens such as the topiary maze, rain forest walk, lake, celebration law and amphitheater with many public artworks to admire.

Southbank - Formerly the site of World Expo ‘88 this relatively recent development is across the Brisbane River from the heart of the city and features an artificial beach surrounded by extensive parklands. Also in Southbank are the shops, cafés, restaurants and cinemas of the Grey Street precinct. A great place to hang out on a hot day and swim for free. Suncorp Piazza within Southbank often hosts free live events and movies.

University of Queensland - 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, the Schonell Theatre, the lakes and Wordsmiths Bookshops. The university can be reached by bus from George St on bus numbers 412 and 109 or via the City Cat.

Wheel of Brisbane - (Located At Southbank) is a Ferris wheel that allows you to observe the city from 60 m to give views across the and Brisbane River. The trip is a 15 minute ride in an enclosed, climate controlled gondola. Open 7 days a week from 10am - 10pm, tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 years and under, $2 for children aged between one and three.

Things to do

Kangaroo Point - the walls along the Brisbane River are a popular spot for rock climbers 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.

Story Bridge Adventure Climb - offers the opportunity to scale the top of Brisbane’s iconic bridge. Enjoy 360 degree views of Brisbane, the mountain ranges and Moreton Bay Islands at dawn, afternoon or night.

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

Balloons over Brisbane- Gain an aerial perspective as you float over Brisbane in our hot air balloon. It’s often possible to see as far off as the magnificent Glasshouse Mountains; to the fabulous Gold Coast and out to the islands of Moreton Bay.

Cruise the Brisbane River - There are many tours available that cruise the Brisbane River and will help you take in the sights of the city.

Live Music Scene - Brisbane has been named one of the world’s top 5 hotspots for music by the influential US entertainment bible Billboard magazine. A night out in Brisbane is not complete without experiencing some of the live music on offer.

Explore Brisbane’s Moreton Bay and Islands - Located only 25 kilometres from the Brisbane’s CBD and stretches from Bribie Island to the Southern Bay Islands. Enjoy sand tobogganing, four-wheel driving, diving or snorkeling or go marine watching and spot turtles, dolphins, dugongs and even whales.

Explore Greater Brisbane Country - Take a day trip to the surrounding regions around an hour from Brisbane and discover wineries, national parks, lakes and country living. The Scenic Rim including Ipswich, Beaudesert and Boonah is a vast region of mountains, rainforest and valleys embracing the World Heritage wilderness of the McPherson Range. The Lockyer Valley provides a perfect blend of town and country living, with experiences ranging from guided tours and buch camping to hot air ballooning and sky-diving.

Connectivity

Free Internet access is available at the Brisbane City Council library, although you might need to book your session in advance.
Free Internet (Wireless as well) access is available at the Queensland State Library, Southbank in selected areas.
There are a myriad of Internet cafes in the Brisbane city area which provide high speed internet access for $2-3 an hour.
Many cafes and hotels provide free wireless access to patrons. Keep an eye out for signage. www.brisbane.tv is an internet city guide.
Most McDonald’s restaurants have free WiFi.

Payphones are abundant in the downtown area.

For Australia wide contact options, such a mobile phones and calling cards, see the entry in Australia

The Brisbane Visitor Information Centre and Booking Centre on the Queen Street Mall is open daily (Monday – Thursday 9am – 5:30pm, Friday 9am – 7pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday and public holidays 9:30am – 4:30pm) with the exception of Good Friday and Christmas Day. Tel +61 7 3006 6290

Stay safe

Emergency numbers

Throughout Australia, the number for emergency services (Police, Fire and Ambulance) is 000. When using a mobile or cell phone, the numbers 000 and 112, are free of charge, and connect using any of the available networks.

Emergency numbers such as 911 and 999 do not work within Australia.

Areas

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. Similar to Sydney and other large western 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 traveling on trains and buses during these periods of the day.

The outer suburbs have a much higher crime rate than inner suburbs and therefore should be taken into account when visiting these areas. It is preferred that individuals walking in these areas especially the southside including Logan and Beenleigh, take precaution or venture within a group.

Fortitude Valley - Police presence very strong here due to the concentration of bars. For females, it is recommended to travel in pairs or groups to avoid any unwanted attention from drunken revelers, especially in the early hours of the morning. Taxi ranks in particular can be a little dangerous due to many frustrated drunks having to wait for cabs.

City Central - Be careful if catching a train at night, even though the train stations and trains are well patrolled (especially at night) and watched by CCTV. Southbank should be avoided at night due to gangs of teens congregating there. Generally speaking the inner city is quite safe.

Suburban pubs - Drunks can be a hassle when in the vicinity of suburban pubs, especially around closing times.

Treasury Casino - 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.

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