Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 5 . BRISBANE
and Nash Street (in Rosalie) are
doing their best to catch up.
West End This small inner-city
enclave is alive with ethnic restaurants,
cafes, and the odd interesting
housewares or fashion store. Most
action is at the intersection of Vulture
and Boundary streets, where
Asian grocers and delis abound.
Bulimba One of the emerging
fashionable suburbs, Bulimba has a
long connection with the river
through the boat-building industry.
One of the nicest ways to get there
is by CityCat (see below). Oxford
Street is the main drag, around
which trendy cafes and shops are
springing up.
2 Getting Around
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Bus, train, and ferry services are run by Brisbane Transport. For timetable and
route inquiries, call Transinfo (& 13 12 30, 6am–9pm Mon–Fri; 7am–9pm
weekends; www.transinfo.qld.gov.au). The most convenient places to buy passes
and to pick up timetables and maps are the Brisbane Transport outlets on the
Elizabeth Street level of the Myer Centre, which fronts Queen Street Mall; at
Brisbane Transport’s Brisbane Administration Centre, 69 Ann St.; at the Roma
Street Transit Centre; or at Brisbane Marketing’s kiosk in the Queen Street Mall.
You can buy passes on the bus, at the train station, or on the CityCat or ferry.
Any news agency displaying a yellow-and-white BUS & FERRY TICKETS SOLD
HERE banner sells passes, but not train passes, special tour tickets, or family
passes.
A single sector or zone on the bus, train, or ferry costs A$1.80 (US$1.15).
Whether traveling with a parent on a single ticket or a pass, kids under age 5
travel free, kids ages 5 to 15 pay half fare; all seniors except Queensland residents
and all students pay full fare. If you plan on using the buses and ferries a lot,
weekly passes and Ten Trip Saver tickets are available from the outlets described
above.
The Brisbane Mobility Map, produced by the Brisbane City Council, outlines
wheelchair access to buildings in the city center, and includes a detailed
guide to the Queen Street Mall and a map of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at
Mt. Coot-tha. The council’s disability services unit also has a range of other publications
including a Braille Trail and an access guide to parks. These can all be
obtained from council customer service centers (& 07/3403 8888).
MONEY-SAVING PASSES A 1-2-3 Ticket can be used for up to 2 hours on
a one-way journey on any combination of bus, train, or ferry, and costs A$3.80
(US$2.45). There are limits to how far you can go on the trains, but the pass
will get you as far as the Australian Woolshed at Ferny Grove, which is probably
as far as you will be traveling anyhow.
It’s possible you won’t use trains to get around Brisbane, as most attractions
are on the bus and ferry networks. In that case, get a Day Rover pass, which
allows unlimited travel on buses, CityCats (high-speed catamarans), and ferries
for A$8.40 (US$5.50).
On weekends and public holidays, it’s cheaper to buy an Off-Peak Saver
pass, which lets you travel on buses all day for A$4.60 (US$3) for adults. The
Off-Peak Saver is also available on weekdays, but remember to plan your sightseeing
around the fact that it cannot be used before 9am and between 3:30 and
7pm. And it can’t be used on CityCats or ferries.