One of the easiest ways to tour South Bank is go on a ferry ride along the river. — Photos: EILEEN YONG
Have you ever wanted to escape from the hectic life of the city and relax? Well, you may want to visit South Bank in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia.
My family and I recently did just that. Since it is near the Brisbane River, you get to ride on one of the ferries, like the CityCat (a paid service), for a fun experience. Hopping onto a ferry is actually a convenient way to explore part of Brisbane.
You can also catch the CityHopper, a free ferry service that runs from 5.30am to midnight. It’s one of the fastest modes of transport in Brisbane, so you can sit back and relax while enjoying picture perfect views of the city. Snap away at the beautifully illuminated Story Bridge at night, or take a quick picture of the Wheel Of Brisbane as you head into South Bank.
South Bank has the famous Streets Beach, the only man-made beach in Queensland, which is pretty cool. There are some benches in the shade available here for folks who don’t wish to swim in the water.
Another spot to check out, especially if you have kids, is the South Bank Parklands. Within the park is the Riverside Green Playground that has a large play space for children of any age, as well as a giant hamster wheel, a rock climbing slope and more.
We visited two of Queensland’s famous galleries: The Queens-land Art Gallery Of Modern Art (Qagoma) and the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG). They are a short walk away from each other, so you can easily check out both galleries on the same day. The QAG has collections that include Indigenous Australian art, Australian art and Asian art, while Qagoma has Indigenous Australian artworks, a light exhibition and more.
The Qagoma also has the Australian Cinematheque, a small cinema in which you can watch a variety of art-themed films.
The Queensland Museum has the skeletal remains of a T-rex.
We managed to make our way to the Queensland Museum, too. From dinosaur exhibits to discovery centres full of animals, the museum was the perfect place to end our trip. We checked out the dinosaur exhibition, and it was nothing short of incredible. “Real”, life-sized dinosaurs surrounded us! Not only did it have the skeletal remains of a wide array of dinosaurs, including the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex or T-rex, there are also interactive displays for visitors to learn more about them.
The ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Legacy Gallery displayed commemorative objects related to the ANZAC, like Mephisto, the only German tank that still remains out of the 20 that were built during World War I.
The Discovery Centre was perhaps the most interesting exhibit as it had live animals, such as snakes and stick insects, in their habitats.
Overall, we enjoyed our fun visit to the South Bank.
The views expressed are entirely the reader’s own.
