South Bank Brisbane

The riverside area to the south from the city is now known as “Southbank”. This beautiful recreational area covers 17 hectares of parklands in a wider 120 hectare precinct. Southbank Parklands was the site of the World Expo in 1988 and really put Brisbane on the map as one of Australia's most important and beautiful cities.

One of the many highlights of South Bank is a sandy beach area surrounded by subtropical parkland and with the city skyline directly across the river. Should you venture there on a sunny summer weekend, you will find what seems to be good proportion of Brisbane’s population, enjoying a swim or just lying on the sand soaking up the sun. The use of the beach is free. Not far from the beach is a good number of restaurants, cafes and pubs, all at reasonable prices or you can bring a picnic or BBQ, and guaranteed to find your own secluded spot amongst the many grassy areas.

The Southbank markets which operate on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays are also a real highlight. Southbank is also home to the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Opera Queensland, Queensland Theatre Company, Queensland Museum, and State Library of Queensland and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Victoria Bridge and the Goodwill Bridge directly link pedestrians at Southbank to the CBD area and is therefore extremely accessible. It is also a stop for the river transport the City Cat. You can also catch the train and get off at South Bank station. South Bank is totally free and is a great day out.

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