Question 1

Brisbane on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Because the cruise terminal is a half-hour drive from town, a day on your own in Brisbane starts with a taxi or rideshare into the center. From there, the South Bank Parklands, the state museum and galleries, and the old heart of the city are all within walking distance of one another on either side of the river. South Bank: Start at the South Bank Parklands, built on the site of World Expo 88, with the riverfront promenade, Streets Beach, the rainforest walk and the Wheel of Brisbane. The Queensland Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery are next door in the cultural precinct, and both are free except for some special exhibitions. Across the river: Walk over the Victoria Bridge into the city center. Brisbane City Hall, on King George Square, houses the free Museum of Brisbane on Level 3, and the convict-built Commissariat Store of 1828 and 1829 stands on William Street. The City Botanic Gardens: The gardens at the river's edge are open around the clock and are free. By ferry: CityCat and other river ferries link the city center, South Bank and suburbs along the river, on the same fares as buses and trains. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Book or find your taxi back early, and allow at least the half-hour drive plus traffic. Watch the clock: All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match local clocks or your phone. Queensland does not use daylight saving time, while New South Wales does from October to April.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Central Brisbane is good for walking, especially near the river, where the ground is fairly flat. Buses, trains, ferries and trams are run under one fare system, with a flat 50-cent fare on every trip. The 50-cent fare applied across all zones on buses, trains, ferries and trams in South East Queensland in 2026, but not on the Airtrain to the airport; check before you go. You can pay with a contactless Visa or Mastercard, a go card or a paper ticket. Touch on and touch off on every leg, or you may be charged a fixed fare instead. Children aged four and under travel free at all times. The river ferries, including the CityCat boats, run along the river between the university at St. Lucia and Northshore Hamilton. Taxis can be hailed when their roof light is on, all of them take cash and cards, and Uber and DiDi also operate. On Friday and Saturday nights, taxis in the center pick up only at ranks.

Question 3

Where to Eat

Accepted Answer

Brisbane's restaurant areas include South Bank, the city center, West End, Fortitude Valley and New Farm, so you will not be short of a lunch spot near the river. Moreton Bay bugs, also called flathead lobsters, are named for the region and turn up often on local menus. Macadamia nuts are another local ingredient that features often in the city's food. The South Bank Parklands have restaurants and shops among the gardens. Portside Wharf at Hamilton, the old cruise terminal, is now a riverside precinct with restaurants, a fish shop and café, and a supermarket, and the CityCat stops there. The cruise terminal café opens at 7 a.m. on ship days for coffee and light meals; check before you go.

Question 4

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not customary in Australia, though a tip is accepted if you choose to leave one. Restaurants must include the cost of service and taxes in the prices they post. Hotel staff, porters and tour guides do not expect tips. Tipping is not expected in taxis. The currency is the Australian dollar.

Question 5

GOMA and the Koala Sanctuary

Accepted Answer

Brisbane's cultural precinct sits on the south bank of the river, where the Queensland Art Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Museum and the performing arts center stand side by side. A short trip away, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, founded in 1927, is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary of its kind. The Queensland Art Gallery was founded by the state government in 1895, and the Gallery of Modern Art, known as GOMA, opened in 2006 a short walk away. Both are free except for some special exhibitions. The Queensland Museum moved to the Cultural Centre at South Bank in 1986 and cares for more than 15 million items, including collections from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific cultures. Lone Pine, in Fig Tree Pocket, has about 80 species of Australian animals. Visitors have not been allowed to hold koalas since July 1, 2024, though they can still get close to some of them. You can reach Lone Pine by car or taxi in about 20 minutes from the city center, by city bus, or by boat from the Cultural Centre pontoon at South Bank. Brisbane City Hall, with its clock tower and Westminster chimes on the quarter hour, is the seat of the city council.

Question 6

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

The Brisbane River valley was home to the Yagara, Turrbal and Quandamooka peoples for more than 22,000 years before Europeans arrived. The city grew from a convict outpost founded in 1825 into the capital of Queensland in 1859, and it will host the Summer Olympic Games in 2032. First peoples: The Yagara, Turrbal and Quandamooka peoples used the river valley as a cultural, economic and ceremonial landscape for more than 22,000 years. Exploration, 1799: Matthew Flinders made the first recorded European exploration of Moreton Bay in 1799. A penal settlement, 1824 to 1842: A British penal outpost was set up at Redcliffe in September 1824 and moved to the banks of the Brisbane River in May 1825, on the site of the modern city. The Moreton Bay penal settlement ran until 1842. The Commissariat Store: Convicts built the storehouse on William Street in 1828 and 1829, and it is one of only two buildings left in Queensland from the convict period. Capital of Queensland, 1859: When Queensland separated from New South Wales in 1859, Brisbane became its capital, and in 1925 dozens of local councils were merged into a single City of Brisbane. The Second World War: Brisbane was the headquarters of the Allied South West Pacific Area command, and General Douglas MacArthur's office is now a small museum. The 1974 flood: After three weeks of heavy rain, helped along by Cyclone Wanda, the Brisbane River broke its banks on January 27, 1974, and 16 people died across the region. Expo 88: World Expo 88 ran from April 30 to October 30, 1988, and drew more than 15 million visitors. Its site became the South Bank Parklands, which opened in June 1992. To learn more ashore: The Museum of Brisbane, on Level 3 of Brisbane City Hall on King George Square, covers the city's history and is free to enter.

Question 7

Traveling with Family

Accepted Answer

Brisbane is easy with children once you are in the center, because South Bank puts a lagoon beach, an observation wheel and a free museum within a short walk of one another. Plan by age, and take the sun seriously: the UV index is usually extreme in the middle of the day, and sunburn can come in 15 minutes. Younger children: Streets Beach in the South Bank Parklands is a man-made lagoon of chlorinated fresh water with sand around it, patrolled by lifeguards all year. The Wheel of Brisbane, 60 meters tall, takes about 12 minutes for four turns in air-conditioned capsules. School age: The Queensland Museum is free except for some special exhibitions. At the Queensland Maritime Museum, just south of the parklands, children can go aboard the navy ship HMAS Diamantina and see Ella's Pink Lady, the yacht Jessica Watson sailed alone around the world. Teenagers: The Kangaroo Point Cliffs across the river are a popular climbing spot, and instructors run abseiling and climbing sessions there. Koalas: The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is about 20 minutes from the center by car, or you can go by bus or by boat from South Bank. Visitors can no longer hold koalas there. Fares: Children aged four and under ride public transport free, and in 2026 everyone else paid the flat 50-cent fare; check before you go. Sun: Bring hats, sunscreen, shirts and plenty of water, even on a cloudy day.

Question 8

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

The cruise terminal, opened in 2022, has lifts, accessible toilets and passenger boarding bridges, and central Brisbane near the river is fairly flat. Tell your cruise line in advance about any assistance you need, because the cruise lines run passenger assistance in the terminal on ship days. The terminal has two floors linked by travelators and two passenger lifts, and there are accessible toilets on each floor. A hearing loop covers part of the check-in area, which also has accessible counters. Accessible parking bays are in all the car parks, at the taxi rank and in the two-minute pick-up area at the front of the building. The boarding bridges between the walkway and the ship can slope up or down or lie flat, and the port publishes videos of each case. If you need a terminal wheelchair, you may have to wait for one to become free, so ask your cruise line ahead. In the city, lifts link the Queensland Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery footbridge to the Cultural Centre busway station.

Question 9

Shopping & Local Markets

Accepted Answer

For shopping, head for the Queen Street Mall in the city center, where the visitor information center can help you plan your day. If you are leaving Australia on the ship, you can claim a tax refund through the Tourist Refund Scheme at the cruise terminal, if your purchases qualify. The Tourist Refund Scheme desk is on Level 1 in the immigration area of the cruise terminal, near the entrance to the walkway to the ship. Bring your printed receipts. A farmers market has run at Reddacliff Place, at the top of the Queen Street Mall, as well as at the Powerhouse in New Farm. The terminal's souvenir shop sells hats, sunscreen and essentials on cruise days.

Question 10

Beaches

Accepted Answer

Brisbane is a river city, not a beach city, but Streets Beach in the South Bank Parklands gives you sand and a lagoon swim in the middle of town. Lifeguards patrol it all year. Streets Beach is a man-made lagoon of chlorinated fresh water, edged with sand brought from Moreton Bay, beside the Grand Arbour. Moreton Bay, about 25 kilometers from the city center, has islands with sand dunes and marine life, and ferries to Moreton Island leave from Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba for a 75-minute crossing. In Queensland, sunburn can happen in as little as 15 minutes in the midday sun, so cover up on any beach.

Brisbane, Australia

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