Brisbane's former Expo 88 site was transformed into a flourishing outdoor precinct, South Bank Parklands. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
Brisbane's former Expo 88 site was transformed into a flourishing outdoor precinct, South Bank Parklands. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
Ditch the guidebook and do Brisbane like a local with al fresco fun for the whole family, writes Cassie Tannenberg
With around 283 days of sunshine annually, Brisbane is a city made for enjoying outdoors. It's a visual stunner, built around the Brisbane River with family-friendly al fresco spots that show off the city's natural attributes and outdoorsy appeal.
It's where you can swim all year round, chase waterfalls and careen down sand dunes. Queensland's capital city has a bounty of natural wonders in and around the CBD with scenic lookouts, rainforests and gardens plus natural and manmade beaches to explore.
In Brisbane, the living is easy. There are family-friendly craft breweries, markets piled high with food stalls and speciality stores that'll cast a spell.
Getting around town is simple, too – whether you hire a car or take public transport. Brisbane has a compact and walkable CBD plus a well-connected TransLink network of buses, trains and ferries accessible via a go card. Taxis and ride-share services, including Uber, DiDi and Ola, are also available.
If you're visiting Brissie with the tribe in tow, you'll find plenty of activities for all ages and stages from tots to teens. From kid-approved eats and sweet treats to parkland adventures, water-based activities and curious critters, go where the locals play for your next Brisbane family holiday.
Howard Smith Wharves
Hands down, the current local hang-out is Howard Street Wharves. A 15-minute walk from the City, these forgotten wharves under the Story Bridge have been reimagined as a riverside entertainment precinct with a hotel, restaurants, brewery and ample space to frolic outdoors. The family-friendly Felons Brewing Co. welcomes walk-ins with open seating on the wraparound veranda, a hole-in-the-wall fish and chipper and a rolling lawn with a wooden ship for the kids and cityscape views for the adults. howardsmithwharves.com; felonsbrewingco.com.au
Howard Smith Wharves underneath Brisbane's Story Bridge have been reimagined as a riverside entertainment precinct, with something for all the family. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
Eat Street Northshore
This mega-market has captured the hearts and stomachs of Brisbanites with more than 70 pop-up eateries housed in repurposed shipping containers. The buffet of global dining options means there's something for fussy palates and adult tastes. From Peruvian to French street food, Swedish candy and Hungarian langos, and open Fridays to Sundays from 4pm, it's a fun family night out with live music. eatstreetnorthshore.com.au
Eat Street North Shore has more than 70 pop-up eateries housed in repurposed shipping containers so there's something for every family member's appetite. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
South Bank Parklands
Take the train or bus to South Brisbane Station or cross Victoria Bridge from the CBD to encounter Brisbane's expansive South Bank Parklands. The former Expo 88 site is a flourishing outdoors precinct framed by a riverside promenade and eateries with an array of picnic and barbecue spots, playgrounds, landscaped features and the manmade Streets Beach swimming area within its 17ha green interior. visitbrisbane.com.au/South-Bank
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
With the devastating bushfires and Covid-19 closures of 2020, the koalas are missing their international visitors (and visiting celebs). Show these Aussie marsupials some love at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in the leafy suburb of Fig Tree Pocket, a 15-minute drive from the City. You can also meet more than 70 wildlife species, including platypus, kangaroos, dingos, wombats and flocks of colourful and curious birds. koala.net
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is 15 minutes' drive from Brisbane CBD and has more than 70 wildlife species including koalas, platypus and wombats. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
City Botanic Gardens
Right in the CBD, City Botanic Gardens has it all – a huge playground with equipment geared for all abilities, plenty of lawn, a bamboo forest, floral garden beds and ponds where you can spy the resident eels, water dragons and turtles amid the water lilies. On Sundays, the Riverside at the Gardens Markets has an array of international food and craft stalls plus a super-skilled face painter. queenslandmarkets.com.au/riverside-markets
Brisbane's City Botanic Gardens are located in the CBD and have bamboo forests, floral gardens, ponds and a huge playground. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
New Farm Park
Another family favourite, New Farm Park is near the historic Brisbane Powerhouse in inner-city New Farm. The picturesque playground lures littlies with a dragon's lair of climbing equipment and swings where gnarled Moreton Bay fig trees wrap their knobbly roots among wooden platforms. There are plenty of open fields for picnics and ball games, too. newfarmpark.com.au
Riverlife Adventure Centre
If your tweens are up for adventure, Riverlife has the activity. At the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Riverlife can hook your crew up with kayaking, abseiling and rock-climbing activities along the Brisbane River. Available Tuesday to Sunday for 8-year-olds and older, choose either daytime or twilight expeditions. riverlife.com.au
If your tweens and teens are up for an adventure, take them to Brisbane's Riverlife Adventure Centre for daytime or twilight expeditions. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
JC Slaughter Falls
Sounds ominous, but JC Slaughter Falls ticks all the boxes for a family bushwalk, including a cascading waterfall. Even littlies will be able to tackle the uphill 2km Summit Track that takes you to Mt Coot-tha Lookout where a panoramic view and icecream awaits.
Holey Moley Golf Club Fortitude Valley
Housed in a former church in inner-city Fortitude Valley, Holey Moley Golf Club - like its Auckland Viaduct outpost - is not your regular mini-golf course. Festooned in neon with pop-culture references that even your teens will appreciate, swing a club at holes that include The Simpsons' couch, Operation Ouch and Pac-Man, complete with glow-in-the-dark ghosts. holeymoley.com.au/locations/fortitude-valley
Victoria Park
If outdoor mini-golf strikes your family's fancy, head to Victoria Park. Brisbane's only inner-city golf course and driving range is just 2km from the CBD with an 18-hole course on site. Victoria Park Bistro provides a welcome weekend meet-up for Brisbane families with a kid-friendly menu, playground and outdoors games area. victoriapark.com.au
Further afield
The Store of Requirement
Grab your sorting hat and transport your wannabe witch and wizard to The Store of Requirement, Australia's largest purveyor of official Harry Potter merchandise. Tucked into bucolic Samford Valley, 30 minutes' drive from Brisbane City, this charming store conjures an immersive environment with butterbeer and an array of HP products. thestoreofrequirement.com.au
Yatala Drive-In
A 40-minute drive from Brisbane, book into the Yatala Drive-In for a nostalgic night out with the fam. Introduce the kids to the classic car cinema experience to watch movies under the stars, complete with a visit to the candy bar for a hotdog and choc-top icecream. Tip: No road trip to Yatala is complete without a visit to Yatala Pies, a five-minute drive away. fivestarcinemas.com.au/drive-in; yatalapies.com.au
A 75-minute catamaran cruise from Brisbane, Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island is a local secret. From sliding down dunes on a sand toboggan and bumping along the desert on a 4WD bus to feeding wild bottlenose dolphins at sunset, a full-day Desert Safari Day Cruise is the ultimate action-packed beach adventure for the whole tribe.
tangalooma.com/desert-safari-day-cruise
Moreton Island, a 75-minute cruise from Brisbane, is a place where you can let the kids run free. Photo / Brisbane Economic Development Agency
Checklist BRISBANE GETTING THERE Air New Zealand and Qantas fly direct from Auckland to Brisbane. Under the transtasman bubble agreement, travel is quarantine-free. Check border and state travel restrictions before travel. ONLINE visitbrisbane.com.au
