Brisbane is a beautiful city.  With perfect weather all year round it’s affectionately known as Queensland’s sunshine capital.  Enjoy your holiday and discover all the fun things to do in and around Brisbane.

You will love visiting this amazing city!  Award-winning restaurants, fun activities, fabulous short-stay getaways nearby gives you plenty of fun things to see and do while soaking up the sunshine. 

Spend a few days, soak up the Queensland sunshine and try some of our favourite fun things to see and do in Brisbane.

Highlights

Brisbane city is known for its love of the outdoors and quality of lifestyle. Boasting a subtropical climate and an average of 283 days of sunshine every year.  This city is the envy of capital cities everywhere!

• Take a Cruise along the Brisbane River
• Hang out at Southbank
• Do the Story Bridge Climb

The Best of Brisbane

[bctt tweet=”With 283 days of sunshine every year – Brisbane city is the envy of capital cities everywhere!” username=”aussiemob”]

Chill out on Southbank

Southbank is Brisbane city’s favourite lifestyle and cultural destination.  With hundreds of fun events all year round Southbank is the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Visit the cultural spaces such as the museums and art galleries or laze away the day on the lawns and inner-city beach spaces of Southbank. You will find beautiful riverside gardens, funky new restaurants and man-made beaches.  It’s a great place to spend your day.

This revitalised ‘Expo 88’ site is now a beautiful city space to hang-out with family and friends.

Climb Brisbane’s Story Bridge

One of the two Bridge Climb’s in Australia and 1 of only 4 bridgeclimbs in the world.

Brisbane’s Story Bridgeis the place to go for panoramic views right across the city.  Enjoy the stunning views north to the Glasshouse Mountains and south to the Gold Coast hinterland.

A two hour climb will take you 80 metres (262 feet) above sea level as you learn about history and construction of Brisbane’s Story Bridge.

For that additional adrenalin rush, there’s an option to abseil down, a mere 30 metres (98 foot).

Take a ferry down the Brisbane River

A great way to enjoy Brisbane is to take a river trip down the beautiful Brisbane River.  Ferries provide access to the city for commuters throughout the day and it’s one way to see the city reaches and enjoy a calm water river trip.

Brisbane is heaven for Foodies

Brisbane is known for its excellent restaurants and cafés showcasing local Queensland produce.  A great selection of brunch and lunch cafes are popping up in all the trendy suburbs so be sure to explore somewhere different.

Treat yourself to a magnificent lunch with views across the river at Watt Restaurant at Brisbane’s Powerhouse. For a great degustation menu, try award-winning Esquire or try some of the amazing restaurants along Southbank to enjoy some of the best food in Brisbane.

Try out some of the Brisbane favourite rooftop bars that are popping up everywhere in Brisbane city and Fortitude Valley if you want a night about town.

Tip:  One of my new favourite wine bars is the newly opened Snack Man in Fortitude Valley.  With a great range of cocktails and fabulous wines it’s the perfect place to start your night out.  Make sure you try the restaurant next door too.

Explore the Museums, Art Galleries & Music

Explore the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, and the Queensland Museum based on the riverbank at Southbank.

With over 17,000 historical, modern and contemporary art pieces.  These galleries present a diverse program of Australian and international exhibitions.  Fortitude Valley is the home to the Institute of Modern Art commissioning new works by Australian and international artists.

Brisbane also boasts an exciting live music scene often hosting international stars. Check out the music scene when you get there, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Shop until you Drop

The Queen Street Mall has long been a popular place to do some serious shopping.  The Myer Centre hosts the popular specialty shops including the top Australian designers.

Fortitude Valley is brimming with department stores and trendy boutiques and is well-regarded as Brisbane’s best shopping district.  Find high-end Australian designers such as Lee Mathews, Scanlan & Theodore and Zimmerman and quirky boutiques such as The Outpost, Babushka Ballerina and Stock and Supply.  Make this part of Brisbane a ‘must do’ part of your shopping expedition.

Markets are held each Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday in the Stanley Street Plaza.  They’re a great place to find handmade jewellery, art, antiques, photographs and vintage fashion and are well worth visiting!

Take a day trip

Go to the Gold Coast

Head south, and you will be in the midst of Surfers Paradise on the fabulous Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast is famous for it’s endless beautiful beaches!  It is one of the go-to coastal destinations of southern Queensland and a popular holiday spot for Australians who want to soak up the sunshine.

You will find plenty to see and do along this coastline, including fabulous surf beaches, shopping and a great selections of cafe’s and restaurants.   Want to know more?

Read more:  Things to do on the Gold Coast

Theme Parks

Do the theme parks – Some of Australia’s best theme parks are just a day trip from Brisbane City.

Purchase tickets for Dreamworld, Movie World, White Water World, Sea World and Wet & Wild tickets.

Head to the Islands

Take a day trip to the idyllic islands along the coastline, easily accessible from Brisbane city.

• Tangalooma on Moreton Island is just 70 minutes by ferry.  Sandy beaches, pristine bushlands and crystal clear lagoons. Moreton Island is also home to the famous Tangalooma Wrecks, popular for diving and snorkelling.
• North Stradbroke Islandis just a 40 minute ferry ride from the bayside town of Cleveland.  Catch some sun on one of the magnificent surf beaches or visit Point Lookout to spot migrating whales between June and October.

Visit Tamborine Mountain

Breathtaking views, abundant wildlife and clean mountain air.   Tamborine Mountain is a refreshing mountain village just north of the Gold Coast.  You will find local arts and crafts, a host of attractions, award winning wineries and award-winning restaurants.

Take a walk through the rainforest, enjoy the mountain streams and keep your eyes peeled for koalas in the trees. It’s a great place to escape for a romantic weekend.

Head to the Sunshine Coast

A short drive to the north will have you on the Sunshine Coast.  Just an hour and a half drive gives you access to some of the most spectacular surf and swimming beaches in Australia.

Visit Australia Zoo

Noosa is one of the most sought-after Queensland holiday destinations so, if you get the opportunity – stay a while and relax!

Famous for its trendy boutiques, alfresco restaurants and its chic cafe scene, people simply go to Noosa for it’s beaches, surf and the glorious sunshine.  You will find a great selection of award-winning restaurants, cafe’s and bars where you can enjoy some of life’s best culinary treats.

Read more:  Noosa – Australia’s favourite Holiday Hotspot

Relax and stay a while!

5 Essentials to Pack for Singapore

1: Great Camera and Lens – I love my Sony A6000 mirrorless camera, which was ideal for capturing my Sunshine Coast experience.

2:  Lonely Planet Guidebook – The Lonely Planet Queensland guide book is helpful for any trip to Sunny Queensland with lots of tips and useful information.  I wouldn’t travel without it!

3:  Sandals – A good pair of sandals are vital in Queensland and I love my Tiva Sandals.  Perfect for keeping my feet cool and well supported with all the walking that I did.  I wore them all day, every day!

4:  A Shady Hat – Queensland is well known for it’s sunshine!  Make sure you are protected by a big shady hat.  This is my favourite – Furtalk Beach Hat.  Slip on a shirt, Slop on some Sunscreen and Slap on a hat.

5: Light, Waterproof Jacket – Tropical downpours happen!  Bring a light waterproof jacket which can be stuffed into a bag when sightseeing. I love my North Face Venture 2, which was perfect for rainy days in Queensland.

How to get to Brisbane

• National and International flights arrive at Brisbane Airport from Interstate hubs of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.
• From the airport, it’s an easy 20 minute taxi or train ride to the city centre.