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Brisbane – 10 Things To Do for FREE!

I’ve lived in Brisbane nearly all of my life and I love it. The subtropical climate suits me, as does the pace of life. People often refer to Brisbane as a big country town but I’d suggest that those people haven’t visited Brisbane in a very long time. With over 2 million residents, Brisbane is Australia’s third biggest city and yet it’s still a friendly place. If you’ve caught a bus in Brisbane, you will have noticed that almost every passenger to a fault says ‘thanks’ to the driver when they hop off the bus whether they leave via the front or back door. If you’re standing on the street with a map, someone will normally walk up to offer assistance. People wear colours other than black. These things make Brisbane a very liveable city.

Brisbane City Hall & Clock Tower looming over King George Square

Visitors often think that Brisbane has white sand beaches. It doesn’t. That’s the Gold Coast. After the initial disappointment, many people are quick to say, ‘There is nothing to do in Brisbane’. The thing about liveable cities though is that they don’t always give up their secrets easily. There’s no big coat hanger bridge with fireworks constantly shooting from it shouting ‘look at me!’. You have to walk around a bit, go up a few staircases and head around a few bends to find out what Brisbane has on offer.

Here are 10 Free Things To Do in Brisbane so you can get to know the city better.

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1. Brisbane Greeters
The best way to learn about any new city is to take a tour. Brisbane Greeters are ambassadors for Brisbane, conducting short walking/public transport orientation tours based on your interests. The Greeters are local volunteers who are enthusiastic about our city and want to share it with you. They are part of the ‘Global Greeters’ program. It’s hot in Brisbane so bring a hat, sunscreen and water!

Tours run 7 days a week from outside Brisbane City Hall but you need to book ahead by at least 3 days (Greeter’s Choice) or 5 days (Your Choice) via the website. Tours run for up to four hours and where possible, they will cater for special needs. Tours are only in English. www.visitbrisbane.com.au/Brisbane-Greeters

+ Value Add: use the #brisbanegreeters hashtag on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram to share your photos and experiences to promote this free service. Leave a testimonial on Facebook. Greeters do not accept tips (tipping tour guides is generally not part of Australian Culture) but if you wish, you can make a small tax-deductible donation via the Brisbane Greeters website to help support running costs

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2. City Hopper Ferry
These cute little ferries ply the Brisbane River around the CBD. Originally part of the city’s main ferry fleet, they have been superseded by the high volume, high-speed CityCats. This leaves the colourful ferries to shuttle people back and forth to popular destinations such as Southbank and Kangaroo Point on a non stop basis. Take the opportunity to view the city from the Brisbane River, a powerful force of nature that dominates the lives of those who live in the river city.

City Hopper Duo - Watermaked

The CityHopper runs every 30 minutes from 6.00am – midnight, seven days a week www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cityhopper

+ Value Add: Use the CityHopper to access the Story Bridge via the Thornton St Ferry Stop at Kangaroo Point.

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3. The Museum of Brisbane
MOB is a bit of a hidden gem. Located inside Brisbane City Hall, many locals don’t even know of its existence. In addition to the permanent collection showcasing the history and culture of Brisbane, there’s always a number of temporary exhibitions. Recent examples include a celebration of 30 years since Brisbane hosted Expo 88; a highly topical display about the bridging of the Brisbane River over the past 200 years; and, a trip down memory lane about the days of formal dances and debutante balls where the community was asked to contribute photos, outfits and ephemera.

Located on the 3rd floor of the Brisbane City Hall (follow the signs once you walk in), the MOB is open 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week. www.museumofbrisbane.com.au

+ Value Add: purchase a unique, handcrafted souvenir of Brisbane in the form of high quality printed linen tea towels and bags in contemporary designs.

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4. City Hall Tour
Whilst you’re visiting the MOB and Clock Tower, check if you can join one of the free daily tours which includes the beautiful sculpted dome and skylight in the auditorium and impressive 1892 pipe organ with 4600 pipes, still in use on a regular basis. Book online to secure tickets or try your luck at the desk. Don’t forget to also take a look at the sculptures outside in King George Square. A mix of classic and contemporary with some great photo opportunities.  www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/cityhalltours/

City Hall Tour - watermarked

+ Value Add: During renovations of Brisbane City Hall and King George Square, a few archaeological finds were made. One of these is the Wheat Creek Culvert from the late 19th century. The culvert was carefully dismantled during construction of the Inner-Northern Busway and reconstructed inside the King George Square Bus Station on Platform 1. Take the escalator down to the platform to have a look at a piece of Brisbane’s past.

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5. Brisbane City Hall Clock Tower
Not the tallest building in Brisbane, the Clock Tower made of Qld sandstone nonetheless give a great view over the city as well as providing an opportunity to go behind the clock faces. Restored as part of the 3 year $215 million City Hall restoration program, the digitised hand-operated original cage lift will take you the 70m to the top for photo opportunities and a pigeon’s eye view. The Brisbane City Hall Clock Tower has its own Twitter account: @BNEclocktower

Tours run 7 days a week from 10.15am – 4.45pm with timed tickets available from the MOB reception. Only 7 passengers can join each 15 minute tour and the day’s allocation goes quickly so try to get to the MOB at the start of the day so you don’t miss out.

+ Value Add: There has long been a Red Cross rest room or café in City Hall. After renovations, the café returned as Commix Espresso, attached to City Hall with entry on Adelaide St. Affordable drinks and snacks are available and the café provides an opportunity for trainees to learn valuable skills for employment. Money raised goes towards Australian Red Cross services such as the ‘Night Café’ for homeless youth with hot meals, showers and toiletries available two nights a week.

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6. Walk The Bridges
Brisbane is a river city criss-crossed with bridges, most of them accessible to pedestrians. Grey St, Kurilpa, Victoria, Goodwill and the Story Bridge. Each crossing of a bridge will give you a different view or perspective of the city and surrounds. Both Kurilpa and the Goodwill Bridge are green bridges with no motorised vehicles (pedestrians and bicycles only). Walking along the Story Bridge will give you magnificent views of Brisbane’s waterside financial district as well as opportunity to experience vertigo by looking over the edge of the bridge into the fast moving waters of the Brisbane River.

Walk the Bridges - watermarked

+ Value Add: On weekday mornings, grab a coffee from the cart on the Goodwill Bridge and take a seat in one of the alcoves to watch the peak hour foot traffic above and ferry traffic below.

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7. QAGOMA
You could spend days in the galleries of the Qld Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, perched on the edge of the Brisbane River as part of the broader Qld Cultural Centre complex. The Art Gallery has a vast collection representing Australian and international artworks in a number of mediums including painting, sculpture, textiles and indigenous art. There are cafes, quiet locations to sit and contemplate, kids programs and a gallery shop in addition to (paid) temporary exhibitions such as the recent California Design and Quilt exhibits.

150m away from the Art Gallery, newer kid on the block, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) has been a runaway success from the moment it opened. Soaring galleries allow multi level installations, with fun and thought provoking exhibits that change regularly. GOMA has a well rated fine dining restaurant as well as cafes, a large gift shop and a program of talks. Kids GOMA is an important aspect of the gallery with special themes tying in to temporary exhibitions. Anyone who visited the photo booth at Warhol for Kids can tell you just how fun it is for adults too.

GOMA Duo Watermarked

Both galleries are open 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week. www.qagoma.qld.gov.au  There are free guided tours of the permanent collections daily as well as special ‘in focus’ tours related to temporary exhibitions (may incur a fee for the exhibition).  www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/guided_tours

+ Value Add: Even in beautiful Brisbane there can be rainy days when you don’t feel like being outdoors. Extend your visit by attending one of the free movies on offer in the cinema at GOMA on weekends and weekday evenings. The cinema program is on the website. www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/cinematheque

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8. State Library of Queensland
What a fabulous resource the SLQ is for locals and travellers alike. Free computers and internet access (very popular so get in early to book), free wifi if you have your own device, copying & printing for a modest fee, a reading room with access to newspapers from across Australia and the world and (in my opinion), some of the best public toilets in Brisbane. For those with more time on their hands they may want to search the collections, view historic maps and prints or catch up on what was happening in the Moreton Bay Times, 100 years ago. There’s a kid’s room, cafe and bookshop as well as a regular schedule of live music and classic movies such as James Bond and Alfred Hitchcock.

The SLQ is located in the Qld Cultural Centre complex between the Art Gallery and GOMA with wonderful river and CBD views from many of the reading rooms. www.slq.qld.gov.au

+ Value Add: There are always a number of exhibitions showcasing the library’s collection with past exhibits covering ‘Hot Modernism: Qld Architecture 1945 – 1975’; white glove tours of SLQ’s most unusual bookplates; and, ‘Floodlines’ a celebration of the resilience of communities after the devastating floods in Qld in the Summer of 2010/11. The website provides information on current exhibits

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Southbank duo

9. South Bank Parklands
Most people have heard about South Bank, even if they haven’t ever been. It’s a sprawling community parkland on the river, overlooking the city and has its own beach. That’s right, a beach. With white sand, salt water and lifesavers, City Beach is a man-made beach in the heart of South Bank that draws crowds year round. Just like any beach, there are showers, change rooms, seagulls and plenty of places to buy ice cream. If swimming doesn’t interest you, take a stroll along the length of the parklands underneath the fabulous bougainvillea clad ‘dinosaur bone’ arbour or along the riverfront, stopping to take in views towards the Brisbane CBD.

In a former life South Bank was docklands and wharves before being transformed into the site where Brisbane hosted EXPO 88. You can walk over from the CBD or catch a CityHopper Ferry. www.visitbrisbane.com.au/South-Bank

City Beach Watermarked

+ Value Add: The Nepal Peace Pagoda is the only Expo 88 exhibit that remains on site. A gift from the Kingdom of Nepal, this beautifully carved pavilion is tucked away in a quiet spot, surrounded by sub tropical rainforest. Take a moment to rest your tired feet, relax and take in the peaceful surrounds of the pagoda before you rush off to your next destination.

Nepal Pagoda Trio

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10. City Loop Bus
Brisbane is a compact city, easily navigable by foot but sometimes those feet are tired. And then there’s the suburb of Spring Hill. Well named indeed. Save the shoe leather and give your feet a rest by jumping on one of the City Loop buses running clockwise and counter-clockwise around the edge of the CBD and surrounds. Relax in air conditioning, press your nose against the window and take in the surrounds.

The buses run continuously from 8.30am – 6pm Monday to Friday and take around 15 minutes to do a loop. There are two centrally located stops on the different routes in Ann St on King George Square and, on Queen St opposite the GPO. Look for the red bus stops. www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/city-centre-free-loops

+ Value Add: Hop off at stop 134 at Wickham Park on Wickham Terrace and take a look at the convict era windmill, which now serves as a weather observatory.

The Old Windmill c1892 John Oxley Library, SLQ

The Old Windmill c1892 John Oxley Library, SLQ

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You may have known about some of these things but perhaps not others. Whatever you decide to do, remember that the locals are friendly and the weather is divine!

Leave me a note in the comments if you have a question about Brisbane and I will do my best to respond.

*Looking for somewhere to stay in Brisbane? Visit the Hotels Combined website via this link to search all of your accommodation options in one place. This is an affiliate link – I will receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) from any purchases made via the link.

33 comments… add one
  • Maria August 22, 2014, 8:14 pm

    What an awesome post Fiona – makes me proud to be a Brisbanite! Also has given me some great ideas to share with my new students to Brisbane.

    • Fiona Ryan August 23, 2014, 11:06 am

      Hi Maria – yes, there’s some Brisbane pride going on. That’s a great idea for your students. Please feel free to share the link so they can visit to the site and bookmark it for future reference! I’ll be doing another post a little later in the year. Look out for it.

  • Lizzy (Good Things) August 23, 2014, 6:51 am

    What a fantastic post, Fiona, and certainly timely for the EDB delegates who will be visiting. We find that Brisbane has grown significantly over the years… our last visit was only fleeting, we stayed overnight in Redcliffe, which was lovely… my Peter loves that River Cat, he is keen to show me the sights from it… thank you for such an informative piece.

    • Fiona Ryan August 23, 2014, 11:09 am

      Thanks so much Liz. Yes, it is good timing for EDB though the thing that got me started was my research for a trip to NYC. When I read a few posts I thought ‘Hey, there’s lots of free things in Brisbane too’ and thus, a kernel of an idea started to grow. The CityCat is enormously popular (though not free!) as it goes all the way from Qld Uni to the Gateway Bridge so it is a very popular tourist attraction by default.

  • RobertL August 23, 2014, 8:09 am

    I have been catching a lot more buses recently and I have noticed how friendly the drivers are these days.

    But here’s a bonus quiz: where in Brisbane do we actually have white sandy beaches with surf good enough to host tour surf events? Most locals don’t know the answer.

    • Fiona Ryan August 23, 2014, 11:12 am

      The bus thing is something I noticed when we returned from Europe. These days, if someone doesn’t say thank you, they nearly have to do the walk of shame off the bus under the steely glare of the other passengers!

      As to your bonus quiz. I have no idea. Can others take a guess?…. Make sure you come back and let us know.

  • Elizabeth August 23, 2014, 9:14 am

    This is fantastic! I might do one for the Gold Coast 🙂 I have only recently moved back and have just started to explore Brisbane! I can’t wait to do a few of these fabulous places! Liz x

    • Fiona Ryan August 23, 2014, 11:15 am

      Thanks Liz – great feedback. I realised that there are lots of things in Brisbane that people just don’t know about. If I was a traveller, I’d want to know about that free interenet at SLQ! A Gold Coast one would be great. I’ve been visiting all my life but so much has changed, some tips would be good.

  • RobertL August 23, 2014, 10:27 pm

    The answer to the beach question is North Stradbroke island. Cylinders beach has great surf – hence the name – and has hosted tour events in the past. Deadman’s is another good surf beach too.

    And they are definitely part of Brisbane.

  • Heather Smith August 24, 2014, 4:47 pm

    The Roma Street parklands, the botanical gardens and the various lookouts I will throw in.

    Plus other free stuff : listen for the kookaburras, lookaround for the galahs and cockatoos.

    • Fiona Ryan August 24, 2014, 6:48 pm

      Yes, the Parklands are beautiful Heather. I will be doing a follow up post with more free things to do. Thanks for stopping by and making a comment too. I really appreciate it!

  • Jan Rhoades August 24, 2014, 4:56 pm

    What a fabulous post Fiona. Oh, and yes Heather, Fiona probably knew that I would comment about our 3 beautiful park spaces in Brisbane, two of which are world class botanical gardens and the other one – Roma Street Parkland, is one very dear to my heart because I drive the train there as well as help with the gardening. Oh, and I’m a gardener at South Bank too – have you all visited the new Epicurious Garden (consumer friendly) at South Bank.
    Oops, sorry I’ve horned in on your post Fiona. Again, thank you for such an informative around the highways and byways of our great city.

    • Fiona Ryan August 24, 2014, 6:46 pm

      You have to keep your powder dry, mother dear. You don’t tell everyone everything in the one blog post. You have to keep them coming back for more!

  • Denise walsh August 24, 2014, 5:35 pm

    Walk down Elizabeth Street to the oldest church in Qld, St Stephens Chapel next to the Catholic Cathedral of St Stephen a quiet oasis in the centre of the city. Tour guides available most mornings to walk you around the Precinct and learn the early history of Brisbane. Thank you Fiona for a beautiful blog.

    • Fiona Ryan August 24, 2014, 6:50 pm

      Thanks for that tip Denise. I didn’t know that, so will be sure to include that in a follow up post. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave a comment. Cheers!

  • Gift August 25, 2014, 2:09 pm

    Nice work, I love Brisbane, yet to do some of the other things like the bell tower, QAGOMA, Greeters, City Loop….
    Regards, from Rothwell, QLD
    You Gotta Love the Sunshine State <3

    • Fiona Ryan August 25, 2014, 6:27 pm

      Yes, there’s still plenty for you to see and enjoy. Glad you love Brisbane. I do too!

  • Gary Lum (@garydlum) August 25, 2014, 8:19 pm

    Fantastic post. I grew up in Brisbane. I agree with everything you suggested.

    • Fiona Ryan August 26, 2014, 6:54 pm

      Thanks very much Gary! Do you still live in Brisbane or have you wandered farther afield? Looking at your blog, I think you are Canberra based now. It’s somewhere I also visit regularly. I think we work for the same big employer… ; ) If you haven’t visited Brisbane in a while, you’ll see it’s a very different city. So many cranes and building going on for the G20.

  • Amy August 29, 2014, 9:08 am

    I moved from Sydney to Brisbane 2.5 years ago and I’m sorry I do have to agree with those who compare Brisbane to a big country town. It really is. A few features that suggest the same: travelling 20 minutes is considered ‘a bit of a drive’ not just down the road; a local stop their car so as not to hit a person who decides to cross away from a crossing (a rarity in Sydney); a wave of thanks is almost always given if another driver lets someone in and the biggest shopping centre is Chermside. Not that this is a bad thing, AT ALL. In fact I love it. But it really is a big ol’ country town in comparison to Sydney 😉

    • Fiona Ryan August 29, 2014, 4:06 pm

      Waves of thanks and not running over pedestrians are OK by me! The pace of life is different to Sydney certainly but I think big country town status is accorded to smaller cities such as Toowoomba. Anyway – glad to have you here and hope you stay. See you at #EDB14 (I’m helping to organise).

      • Amy @ Eat Pray Workout August 30, 2014, 7:35 am

        Those features are some of the primary reasons I love it Fiona 🙂 We’ll be here until our posting is up (my husband is in the army) but so far its our preferred ‘settle city’ for the future. Yes can’t wait for EDB14! Looks amazing, I can see you and the other organisers have been working VERY hard. x

  • Vanessa August 31, 2014, 5:46 pm

    I didn’t know the city hopper was free. Bad local haha.

    • Fiona Ryan September 1, 2014, 4:51 pm

      Vanessa! What sort of local are you? Get on that bus this instant and take a look.

      • Vanessa September 1, 2014, 8:51 pm

        I’m terrible, aren’t I?! I’m always in the city for work, not fun 🙁

  • card games October 14, 2017, 6:41 am

    Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll
    just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying
    your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing.
    Do you have any helpful hints for novice blog writers? I’d certainly
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    • Fiona Ryan July 12, 2018, 3:14 pm

      Hi – thanks for your positive feedback. My tip for a novice blog writer is to jump in boots and all and give it a go. On a practical note, take some time to set up your SEO properly from the beginning so you appear more highly ranked in Google searches.

  • Francis Vogel November 26, 2018, 8:37 pm

    Having lived on Burleigh Heads while working, i retired early to Brisbane CBD. Best decision ever. Beautiful place and people. Not at all “Australia’s New World City” it’s the world’s biggest country town. So friendly. Brisbane has heart. It is as friendly as it gets. Plenty to do and see and so close to rainforest, stunning mountains and beaches. Perfect. And getting better every day.
    And I can tell you our visitors just love the place.

    • Fiona Ryan November 27, 2018, 12:20 pm

      It seems the move was the right thing for you Francis! I’m glad you enjoy it and so do your visitors. There’s always so much to do. Out of curiosity, how did you find your way to my blog? Fiona

  • Naomi M January 15, 2019, 8:32 am

    Hi Fiona, I will be in Brissie in March and have been looking for things to do for my one day allocation (boooo) but you wouldn’t believe it I was actually in Pinterest when your blog popped up (yaaayy). So very helpful, so many things to look forward to now, I may have to do some prioritising though wont be able to fit them all in, I will just have to come back. Thanks again, Naomi

    • Fiona Ryan January 15, 2019, 9:03 pm

      Hi Naomi – probably not the time to tell you there’s a second post with 10 More Things to Do for Free. Glad you found me and I hope you have a good time on your visit. Thanks for the feedback xxx

  • Emma October 3, 2019, 1:29 pm

    Thai food – I just love it and it would be an absolute dream of mine to take cooking classes in Thailand 🙂 I got REALLY excited when I heard there was a cheese masterclass this year. I freaking love cheese. The stronger and smellier the better!

    • Fiona Ryan October 30, 2019, 3:55 pm

      I’ve done a cooking class in Bali, which I recommend. I agree, the stronger the cheese, the better.

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