Southbank, Brisbane

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When coming to Southbank, there is no need to go hungry as there is plenty of everything here.
You can fetch your own meat, and have a BBQ at any of the many nice areas around the park. There is even an island they call "Picnic Island"

This would be the cheapest option.

Takeaways, and once again, there is a good choice, but I found them very expensive, pay at least $2 more per item to else where, the same with drinks, make sure you bring your own bottle of water with you as it is expensive here.
The eating area is really nice, beside water & fountains, the beautiful bouganvillea, just a very nice, relaxing setting.

Restaurants, and plenty of these too, if you wish to have a sit down meal and be waited upon.

It can be quite hot in Brisbane, and for a nice, sandy beach, we really need to head to the Gold or Sunshine coast, that means a drive, bus or train trip.

Well, Southbank, located right in Brisbane city, has a lovely man-made Beach, nice clean water, and even Life guards on duty. Plenty of seating to watch the littlies, they have their own area, plenty of shade to sit in the cool, Ice-creams and drinks and Toilets right there!

It is a beautiful area, and as you may have guessed, in the hot weather, it is very popular!

Catch the Train, and get off at either Southbank or South Brisbane stations. It is only a short walk or ferry ride from the city! So easy to get to, come and enjoy!

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On walking through Southbank yet once again, I happened to come across a new Sculpture, it was of the Great Chinese philosopher and thinker Confucius.

It hasn't been here long, only being unveiled in December 2009.
The bronze statue of him is quite large measuring 2.7 metres high, and it weighs about a ton! It was created by artists from East China's Shandong province, where Confucius was born and lived about 2,500 years ago and the idea is .... that it will contribute to greater mutual understanding between Chinese and Australian people.

Set in a nice setting, with a large pond in front

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Every Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, the South Bank Lifestyle Market is on.

This market is really great if you are looking for the arty, crafty items, designer clothing, home made fudges, drinks, icecreams, I guess you could say exotic wares, and of course, Buskers! It really is quite interesting walking around, even if you do not buy. For the tourist, it is a chance to buy a unique hand made Australian gift, I did see some "VERY" different items for sale here!

The Markets are popular, and it is easy to see why, when they are located in such a nice place as Southbank.
It’s the only 3 day market in Brisbane, on Friday nights, they have the Moonlight Markets, I haven't been to that one.

OPERATES......

Fridays from 5 - 10 pm
Saturday 10 -5pm & ,,,Sundays from 9 - 5pm

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Bulimba
It's just 20 minutes by City Cat to Oxford Street, Bulimba. Here you'll find more than 15 casual dining restaurants and lots of alfresco dining. All this plus a boutique cinema complex, several fashion stores and a bookstore.

Caxton Street
Just a short road that leads into Petrie Terrace, Caxton Street has a couple of trendy pubs and some of the city's best seafood dining establishments, clubs and bars. A popular nightclub zone.

Eagle Street Pier
Go ashore here and try one of the many excellent restaurants. There are also specialty shops and a busy market featuring arts, crafts, clothing and local produce on Sundays.

Fortitude Valley
This suburb, Brisbane's liveliest and most multicultural, is known as 'The Valley'. The area has shed its past seedy image and now has a cosmopolitan look and feel that is rare in suburban Brisbane. A vibrant Chinese community has long called the suburb home and this is the best place in the city to obtain Asian food items. Some of Brisbane's best nightspots and pubs are here and there is a market on weekends.

New Farm
Home to a large migrant population for years, New Farm is a vibrant suburb with plenty of ethnic restaurants. Brunswick Street is the main thoroughfare and it is lined with alfresco eating places and chic bars, cinemas, art galleries and bookshops.

New Farm Park
Found at the eastern end of Brunswick Street, this park is a mass of purple jacaranda blossoms from October to December each year. The park always has splendid displays of flowering plants. This great family destination has playgrounds, barbeques and sports ovals.

Paddington
Just to the west of the city centre, and west of Caxton Street, lies the trendy suburb of Paddington. Given Terrace and Latrobe Terrace follow the ridges here and along this busy shopping and alfresco eating strip are interesting secondhand stores, antique shops, bookshops and boutiques. The leafy hills and valleys here are covered in weatherboard houses, many of which have been lovingly restored to their former glory.

Park Road, Milton
Miltonís main thoroughfare, Park Road has an interesting assortment of specialty clothes and furniture shops, a range of good eating establishments and a couple of Brisbane's best bookshops. Look out for the mini Eiffel Tower.

Powerhouse
Check out Brisbane's newest theatre and performance space, the Powerhouse. Built in 1926, and abandoned in the 1970s, it has been restored and rebuilt, even retaining some of its original graffiti.

Teneriffe
This riverfront suburb, once known for its woolstores, is undergoing urban renewal. With lots of new apartment buildings, specialty shops, furniture warehouses, cinemas and fine dining establishments, the suburb is well worth a visit.

West End
Centred on Boundary Road, on the southern side of the river and nearby South Bank, bohemian West End has many ethnic restaurants, some interesting secondhand bookshops and multicultural food shops.

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The Southbank of Brisbane River is littered with tourist sights. Cross the river via Victoria Bridge. On your right, you'll find plenty of art galleries and museums, of which I will cover separately.

On the left, the first main structure you'll encounter is the cumbersome Performing Arts Centre. Unless you are going for a performance here, proceed on and you'll enter the South Bank Parklands proper.

At some stage, you'll walk past the Nepalese Pagoda, a remnant of the 88 Expo held in Brisbane. The so-named Peace Pagoda is rare in that it is the only international exhibit remaining on the old Expo 88 site. It is also the only example of a Nepalese temple in Australia, being one of only three that exist outside Nepal. The craftwork is quite intricate and certainly worth a closer look.

Beyond that, lies Streets Beach, an artificial swimming hole crafted into the park, worming its way around into a lagoon. Extremely popular (since it's free), you may be hard pressed to find some space for yourself on sunlit days!

Benches hug the walk and it's a great spot to look back on the northern shore with its tall buildings and heavy traffic. Not bad for a cool evening romantic stroll for 2.

There is only one in the southern hemisphere and it was built by craftsmen from 160 Katmandu Valley families for the people of Brisbane as part of World Expo 88. Situated in its current site, amongst the Southbank Rainforest near the Queensland Performing Arts Complex, the pagoda is a replica of a traditional Nepalese temple and is constructed from 80 tonnes of indigenous Nepalese Terai forest timbers.
If many of the carvings seem slightly pornographic in nature, it is said to protect the pagoda and is probably a symbol of virility.

South Bank Parklands offer several BBQ huts where it is lawful to consumer liquor if you are having a substantial meal. In other words, they allow you to have a wine or beer with a meal cooked on the BBQ. This is valid from 10am in the morning until 8pm at night.
The Parkland and river is absolutely stunning late afternoon in April and May with a gorgeous crisp sky and the sun painting a magnificent canvas against the cityscape.
Some of the BBQ huts near waterways are off limits for obvious safety reasons. They don't want broken glass where it may result in injuries. However, these are marked with signs.