South Bank is an amazing cultural and lifestyle destination in Brisbane, Australia. Popular with both locals and visitors to the city, its world-class dining venues, spectacular river views and 17 hectares of verdant parkland makes it the ideal location in which to relax and enjoy life.
South Bank has amenities for all travellers. Explore the Epicurious Garden, with its fresh produce and beautiful plant life. Stroll through the bougainvillea-lined pergolas in South Bank Parklands or relax outside a waterfront bar with a cocktail. Visitors have the opportunity to ride the famous Wheel of Brisbane offering splendid 360-degree vistas of the cityscape. Alternatively, take a walk to the exquisite three storey Nepalese Pagoda featuring 80 tonnes of hand carved timber. The pagoda took several Nepalese families 160 years to build. Sun worshippers can enjoy a dip in the water at Streets Beach with its tropical lagoon and artificial sandy shores. For those wishing to view Brisbane from the river, take a ferry ride on the City Hopper. Brisbane’s free ferry service runs daily and stops at all of the main tourist attractions. Discover the Maritime Museum, Thornton Street or the North Quay, where travellers can hop on and off the ferry whenever they choose. South Bank is also one of Brisbane’s hottest spots for dining with a fabulous café culture, and a wide variety of pubs, bars and gourmet eateries to suit all taste buds. River Quay Green is the perfect place to round off a weekend in the city. Challenge friends to a variety of lawn games, listen to live music sets and enjoy a picnic while lounging next to the river.
Brisbane offers many transport options for the traveller with buses, ferries and trains operating throughout the day and evening. The City Hopper provides a free ferry service transporting visitors along the river to attractions such as the City Botanic Gardens, Story Bridge and the Museum of Brisbane. Many attractions can be walked to from South Bank in under 30 minutes. The famous lookout point of Mount Coot-Tha can be easily reached by bus in just under an hour.
South Bank became a European settlement following the sale of land in 1843. The sale was swiftly followed by the development of commercial buildings and wharves by the river. The first electric tramway ran throughout the South Bank area in 1897, opening the area up to business and residential living. The area was chosen as the site for the World Expo in 1988, and the South Bank Parklands existing today were built on that site. The city’s beautiful open parklands, riverside amenities and warm, welcoming atmosphere ensures it remains a favourite location for all visitors to Brisbane.