Southbank Brisbane

South Bank is located at the south bank area of the Brisbane River. It is a popular place for both tourists and Brisbane locals as it has many places to go and activities to get involved in including:

• The Cultural Centre – As the name suggests, has Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum and the State Library.
• The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) – always has something to see like musicals, plays and dance performances.
• South Bank Lifestyle Markets – Is a good place to check out more locally made and designed products, souvenirs or just to get a massage.
• South Bank’s Visitor Centre – Would be a good place to stop by as it gives information and sells tickets for upcoming events.
• Streets Beach – Is the only beach located in the middle of a city in Australia. It is a man-made beach with views overlooking the city and the Brisbane River. There are no waves or rips and the beach is constantly under supervision by trained life guards.
• The Wheel of Brisbane – an air-conditioned Ferris wheel. It is 60 metres tall and lights up at night. There are 42 enclosed capsules with a 360 degree view of the city and the river. Visit soon as the Wheel is scheduled to continue only till 2010 though this may get extended.

South Bank is also well known for the South Bank Parklands which was developed on the site of where the World Expo 88 used to be. The Expo was a World’s Fair held in Brisbane in 1988. The theme was ‘Leisure in the Age of Technology’ and attracted more than 18 million visitors in the six months it was open.

The Parklands opened to the public in 1992 and is a nice place to just spend the day having a barbeque or riding a bike. It is popular gathering for events and national holidays like Australia Day and there are three playgrounds for children to enjoy.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and inviting with beautiful scenery, so much so that it has won awards including the best public sector development in the world by the International Real Estate Federation.