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

EXPLORING BRISBANE 233
7:30am–5pm; 1:30–5pm on Anzac Day (Apr 25). By car, take Milton Rd. to the roundabout at Toowong cemetery,
and then the Western Fwy. towards Ipswich. Signs will direct you to Fig Tree Pocket and Lone Pine. The
sanctuary is 20 min. from the city center by car. There’s a free parking lot. Bus 430 goes directly to the Sanctuary
from the Koala platform “N” at the Myer Centre, Queen St. Mall, and leaves hourly from
8:45am–3:45pm weekdays; 8:30am–4:30pm weekends and public holidays. Bus fare is A$2.80 (US$1.80)
adults and A$1.40 (US90¢) children. A taxi will cost about A$22 (US$14) from the city center.
Queensland Cultural Centre Kids This low-rise, modern complex stretching
along the south bank of the Brisbane River houses many of the city’s performing
arts venues as well as the state art gallery, museum, and library. Thanks
to plenty of open plazas and fountains inserted by thoughtful architects, it is a
pleasing place to wander or just to sit and watch the river and the city skyline.
The Queensland Performing Arts Complex (& 07/3840 7444 administration,
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, or 136 246 for all bookings) houses the 2,000-seat
Lyric Theatre for musicals, ballet, and opera; the 1,800-seat Concert Hall for
orchestral performances; the 850-seat Optus Playhouse Theatre for plays; and
the 315-seat Cremorne Theatre for theater-in-the-round, cabaret, and experimental
works. The complex has a restaurant and a cafe. Free 40-minute frontof-house
tours leave from the box office at noon Monday through Friday; no
bookings are needed. One hour backstage tours are available by arrangement for
A$5.50 (US$3.60) per person (&07/3840 7431).
The Queensland Art Gallery (& 07/3840 7303) is one of Australia’s
most attractive galleries, with vast light-filled spaces and interesting water features
both inside and out. It is a major player in the Australian art world, attracting
international blockbuster exhibitions of works by the likes of Renoir,
Picasso, and van Gogh, and showcasing diverse modern Australian painters,
sculptors, and other artists. It also has an impressive collection of Aboriginal art.
Admission is free. Free guided tours run Monday through Friday at 11am, and
1 and 2pm; Saturdays at 11am, and 2 and 3pm; Sundays at 11am, and 1 and
3pm. There is a gift shop and bistro. The gallery is open 10am to 5pm Mon-Fri,
9am to 5pm weekends; closed Good Friday, Christmas, and until noon on
Anzac Day (Apr 25).
The Queensland Museum Kids on the corner of Grey and Melbourne streets
(& 07/3840 7555) underwent a major revamp in 2003. Additions include a
new entrance and the incorporation of the popular interactive Sciencentre on
level one of the building. The museum houses an eclectic collection ranging
from natural history specimens and fossils to a World War I German tank. Children
will like the blue whale model and the dinosaurs, which include Queensland’s
own Muttaburrasaurus. The museum has a cafe and gift shop.
South Bank Parklands Kids Follow the locals’ lead and spend some time at
this delightful 16-hectare (40-acre) complex of parks, restaurants, shops, playgrounds,
street theater, and weekend markets. The former World Expo 88 site
has been happily transformed into a people’s place that really works. There’s even
a man-made beach, lined with palm trees, with real waves and sand, where you
can swim, stroll, and cycle the meandering pathways; sit over a caffe latte in one
of the cafes and enjoy the city views. From the parklands it’s an easy stroll to the
museum, art gallery, and other buildings of the adjacent Queensland Cultural
Centre (see above).
From the Queen St. Mall, cross the Victoria Bridge to South Bank or walk across the Goodwill Bridge from
Gardens Point Rd. entrance to the City Gardens.& 07/3867 2051 for Visitor Information Centre, or 07/3867
2020 for recorded entertainment information. Free admission. Park: daily 24 hr.; Visitor Information Centre:
Sat–Thurs 9am–6pm; Fri 9am–10pm. Train: South Brisbane. Ferry: South Bank (CityCat) and Old South Bank