Getting Around Brisbane

Brisbane area has a few toll roads.

As from September, 2009, all Toll booths have been removed.

This does not mean that you get free travel, it means that you have to have a scanner in your car, or do one of the options on the etoll site.

For Tourist's, you can pay for your travel on a Toll Road at any of these place..........

United, Matilda, Caltex, B.P. & Freedom Fuel stations, Nextra, Night Owl stores, & Supa News.

Have a look at the website to find all the information on Tollways in Queensland.

This has brought Queensland in line with other Australian states.

Living in Brisbane, I had heard that the Brisbane City Council was going to introduce Bicycle's for hire, just like other countries around the world.
Well, in October 2010, they were introduced, and whilst walking in the Brisbane CBD, I saw a couple of these Bicycle Stations. The idea of these, is to reduce traffic congestion in the city. When all station's are built, it will cover an area from Newstead to West End and Toowong, in which there will be 150 stations.

CityCycle bike hire stations are located at areas with bus, train and ferry connections.

To hire a CityCycle bike, riders must first subscribe to the scheme via the CityCycle website.

Subscription rates are:

$60.50 annually
$27.50 quarterly
$11.00 daily
Once subscribed, any ride less than 30 minutes is free (during operating hours).
Additional charges apply for longer rides.

By law, a helmet be worn by users.
Visitors to Brisbane can buy or hire helmets at a number of locations across the city.

Based in Brisbane the Kookaburra river queens offer dining cruises up and down the river. We saw this one lit up like a christmas tree while walking along the Riverside Promenade from the Botanical Gardens.

2 more images

Just last night (15 March, 2010) the Clem 7 Tunnel was officially opened. I have just driven through it and wanted to be among the first to report back to VT about this fabulous new improvement to the traffic problems here in Brisbane.
The Clem 7 is a tunnel which is 6.8kms in length and runs from Bowen Hills on the Northside of the City under the Brisbane River to Wooloongabba on the Southside or vice versa depending of course, on which direction you are headed. It is the longest vehicular tunnel in Australia and is just one part of a huge road building project in Brisbane which will be under construction till at least 2012 and will direct traffic past all of the high density hotspots in and around the city. It is a huge enterprise and from all reports one of the biggest roadwork projects under construction anywhere in the world today.
The Clem 7 was built at a cost of 3 Billion dollars. God only knows how much the rest of the project will cost.
The tunnel was named after one of the most forward thinking and beloved Lord Mayors that Brisbane has ever known i.e. Clem Jones. This is the man who can be credited with a tremendous vision fo what once was a big country town and started it on its way to being the great city that Brisbane is today.
The tunnel is a tollway.

Stradbroke ferries, is a car/passenger ferry, than has services to the Islands in Moreton bay.

If you want to go to North Stradbroke island, then the ferry to catch leaves from CLEVELAND.

Ferries depart Cleveland from........[CAR & PASSENGER FERRY]
Mon - Thurs 5.30am until 5.30pm
Friday .....the last ferry departs at 7.30pm
Sat.......5.30 am to 4.30 pm
Sun.......6.am to 6.30pm

Return journey from Dunwich is.....
Mon - Thurs 5.30am - 6.30 pm
Fridays....8.30 pm
Sat...........5.30am - 5.30 pm
sun...........7 am - 7.30 pm

2010 PRICES......

Cars and there passengers.....$135return
Walk on passengers................$11 return

The water taxi leaves at similar times, please check the website for times.
PRICE 2010....

Adult return $17
Adult one-way $12

Take the Citytrain to Cleveland from Central or Roma Street Stations. Regular "Stradbroke Ferries" buses depart Cleveland Station for a short five minute trip to Toondah Harbour where you can catch a water taxi. The bus will depart the station 15 minutes prior to the water taxi departure. There are also connecting buses that will return you to the train station that meet most of the water taxis.

I would seriously advise against the bus unless you plan on getting off along the way, and if that's the case there are several companies that do hop on/ hop off deals that any decent baclpackers can help you with. If you in Bris then the place to start would be YHA headquarters which is about 5 min walk from CBD near the Roma street train station (well it was when I was there last) and as already mentioned with the airfare wars in OZ at the moment you can catch a flight on one of the cheaper airlines for as much if not less then the cost of either the bus or the train and if travelling direct with no plans to see any of the amazing things between the two cities FLY, FLY FLY :)

Repeated in the "Warnings" tips.
Brisbane CBD Parking Stations provide the fifth most expensive places to park in the World. It costs more to park here than downtown New York.
3.5 to 4 hours parking at the Eagle Street and Queen Street parking stations will put you back approx. $50.
Queens Plaza and The Myer Centre charge $49 for 4 hours. It is cheaper at weekends $15 and $18.
During the week, cheaper spots are available at South Bank: $25 for four hours in a Cordelia Street park. $36 for 5 hours at South bank Underground Park.
The city council parking stations at King George Square and at Wickham Terrace are approx $24 for 4 hours.
Reason enough to take public transport!

2 more images

FROM SINGAPORE
3 airlines connect the 3rd largest city in Australia to Singapore directly:
Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways and Emirates.

Budget airlines-wise, Tiger Airways and Jetstar connect you to Brisbane from Singapore via hops in Perth and Darwin respectively. However, the time of arrival in Perth and Darwin usually means a stopover (not a transit) of a few hours before you may board your connecting flight to Brisbane.

INTERNALLY WITHIN AUSTRALIA
You have a choice of 3 main airlines:
Qantas Airways (Full service airline)
Virgin Blue (Budget airline)
Jetstar (Budget airline)