Sightseeing and Tourism
Things to do and see in Brisbane
Shopping
A short walk from the conference will take you to the Queen Street Mall in the heart of Brisbane's central business district. Along the Mall and in surrounding blocks you will find a wide range of department, specialty, and duty-free stores. The Myer Centre, at the river end of the Mall, contains the biggest concentration of shops as well as food courts and cinemas.
If you are in Brisbane on the weekend, it's worth visiting the open markets at Riverside Centre, Southbank, and Fortitude Valley. Ask at your hotel for more details.
Sightseeing
The centre of Brisbane is compact and easy to walk around. The Brisbane City Council has prepared a guide to a series of self-guided walks, which feature the City Botanic Gardens, colonial architecture, Brisbane's literary heritage, and public art. For a different view of the city, take a ride on a City Cat. Brisbane's modern fleet of river ferries provides great views and a smooth, relaxing ride.
Southbank Parklands
Across the Victoria Bridge from the Queen Street Mall is the Southbank Parklands, a large public recreation area with shops, restaurants, IMAX theatre, a native animal enclosure, and a sandy beach.
Mt Coot-Tha
Twenty minutes drive from the city centre, Mt Coot-Tha provides panoramic views across the city, to the bay in the east and the mountains in the west and north. It also features a restaurant, cafe, and, for the more adventurous, several short bushwalks.
The casino
The Conrad Treasury Casino occupies the former government Treasury building at the river end of the Queen Street Mall. It features several bars, restaurants, and nightly entertainment.
Lone Pine Koala sanctuary
Regular boat tours take visitors down the river to Lone Pine, where you can cuddle a koala, feed kangaroos, and see other native wildlife.
Golf
Brisbane is home to many affordable golf courses. You can play 18 holes on Brisbane's public courses for around AU$20-AU$25. An hour's drive south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast, a beach city with several international resort courses. Your travel agent should be able to give you more information about golf packages there.
Going out of town
Brisbane is surrounded by a huge range of sightseeing and holiday options. An hour to the south are the famous beaches, resorts, and theme parks of the Gold Coast. For a more laid-back beach experience, Noosa and other Sunshine Coast towns are two hours north. For mountain retreats, try Maleny (north) or Tamborine (south). Or for an island escape just off the coast of Brisbane, Tangalooma resort offers diving, snorkeling, and wild dolphin feeding. Speak to your travel agent for more advice or visit the Tourism Queensland website.
Gold Coast (image courtesy of Virtual Australia.)