Brisbane attractions

Major international, national and local events and exhibitions are held in one area of Brisbane city known as Southbank.  Southbank is also home to large parklands, an artificial beach, dining, bars and outdoor cafes. Southbank is easy to get to, safe by day or night and many experiences are free.

Visit these Southbank websites for details of upcoming one-off events.

Australia’s largest gallery of modern art

International performances and local music

Science, ancient history, and ecology

Cheap and 3D movies on huge screen

Pop concerts and pop culture

Overlooking the Brisbane river with city views, Eat Street is a unique street food experience with 180 dining and entertainment shipping containers. Open every weekend of the year, Fri and Sat 4pm to 10pm, Sunday 12 Noon to 8pm Eat Street is a great outing with friends if you are on a budget. Make sure you sit down and enjoy the free entertainment from bands or watch a movie.

Enjoy the panoramic view of Brisbane and get glimpses of the surrounding region of Moreton Bay. Mt Coot-tha is a tourist favourite to see the whole of Brisbane while still being close to the city. Walk along the observation deck and pop a gold coin in one of the telescopes for a closer look at the city below. Mt Coot-tha is a great spot to watch the sunrise over the city. If you are feeling adventurous, explore one of the bushwalking or mountain bike trails.

Mt Coot-tha also features an outstanding Botanical Garden with a Japanese garden, bamboo grove and water-lily lagoon.

If stargazing is your passion, make sure you visit the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium to take in Brisbane's night sky.

Visit famous Surfers Paradise for the beach and take a selfie from Skypoint tower.

Theme parks

Australia’s biggest theme parks are all here: Seaworld, Dreamworld, Movie World, Wet ‘n’ Wild and Whitewater World. Travel by public transport to: 

• Seaworld for classic rides and marine life including polar bears, penguins, shark bay and dolphin shows
• Dreamworld for big scary rides, tigers, crocodiles, and a large range of native animals
• Movie World for movie-themed rides, rollercoasters and stunt shows. 

Hand feed free-ranging kangaroos and lorikeets, and cuddle a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Lone Pine is a popular animal sanctuary a short bus ride away with many native animals including platypus, wombats, emus, crocodiles, eagles and much more.

Dolphins, whales and island adventures

Hand-feed wild dolphins, snorkel or paddle in a transparent kayak around shipwrecks, go tobogganing down giant sand dunes at Moreton Island.

View humpback whales (April - November) and other marine life from cliffs and spectacular beaches at Stradbroke Island.

Discover Fraser Island for a once in a lifetime experience. Fraser Island is a world-heritage wilderness of crystal white sand and clear streams, blue lakes and a unique rainforest ecology.

The Sunshine Coast offers many top beaches including Noosa and Mooloolaba.  Sunshine Coast also offers great youth hostels and food, as well as beautiful rainforest walks and mountain views.

Take a road trip up to the Great Barrier Reef during session break - go snorkelling amongst the spectacular coral and fish, see turtle nesting and hatching (December to February) or humpback whales (June to November).