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

EXPLORING BRISBANE 235
when you mention your intention to visit it. That said, this is a popular attraction
with overseas visitors and school groups, and you may have to contend with
busloads of them. The ram show features eight trained Australian rams that
“answer” to their names and walk through the audience to take their place beside
their named spots on the stage. There’s also sheep shearing, spinning, and sheepdog
demonstrations, and you can get your hands dirty classing wool, milking
cows, feeding kangaroos, and cuddling koalas (a photo will cost you
A$14/US$9). The gift shop has quality Australian-made souvenirs. A rustic
restaurant serves Aussie specialties, including billy tea and damper. Some Friday
and Saturday nights the Woolshed hosts a traditional bush dance and dinner, featuring
country dancing, spoon-playing, singalongs, a live band, and a two-course
dinner. Tickets cost A$39 (US$25) per adult and A$17 (US$11) for children 5
to 14. The fun starts at 7pm and goes until midnight. Bookings are essential.
148 Samford Rd., Ferny Hills. & 07/3872 1100. www.auswoolshed.com.au. Admission to ram show A$17
(US$11) adults, A$12 (US$7.80) seniors and students, A$11 (US$7.15) children 3–14, A$46 (US$30) family
(2 adults/3 children). Admission to billy tea and damper A$6.50 (US$4.20) adults, A$4.10 (US$2.65) children
3–14. Water slide A$6.50 (US$4.20) for 1 hr.; A$10 (US$6.50) for 4 hr. Minigolf A$5.50 (US$3.60) for 9 holes.
AE, MC, V. Daily 8:30am–4:30pm (Ram show 9:30 and 11am and 1 and 2:30pm) except Christmas Day and
Anzac Day (Apr 25) morning. Train: Ferny Grove (station is 800m/2,624 ft. from the Woolshed). Car: Kelvin
Grove Rd. from the city becomes Enoggera Rd., then Samford Rd.; the trip is 14km (8 1 ⁄2 miles). Large off-street
free parking lot.
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt. Coot-tha These 52-hectare (128-acre) gardens
at the base of Mt. Coot-tha feature Aussie natives and exotics you probably
won’t see at home, including an arid zone, a Tropical Dome conservatory
housing rainforest plants, a cactus house, bonsai house, fragrant plants, a Japanese
garden, African and American plants, wetlands, and a bamboo grove. There
are lakes and trails, usually a horticultural show or arts-and-crafts display in the
auditorium on weekends, and a cafe. Free 1-hour guided tours leave the kiosk at
11am and 1pm Monday through Saturday (except public holidays).
Mt. Coot-tha Rd., Toowong, 7km (4 miles) from the city. & 07/3403 8888. www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Free
admission to Botanic Gardens. Gardens open daily 8am–5pm (5:30pm Sept–Mar). Bus: 471. Free parking.
Museum of Brisbane Brisbane’s newest attraction, opening October 2003,
is housed in the historic City Hall and will incorporate the City Gallery.
Designed to capture the history and the essence of Brisbane, the museum will
include a small theater showing a short film about the city and a shop for “made
in Brisbane” items. It should be an ideal starting point for your visit and will
relate the stories, events, and ideas that have shaped the city as well as giving
practical information for visitors. Exhibitions in development at press time
included “One Square Mile” (about the 1844 establishment of an exclusion zone
for Aborigines), one on Brisbane’s bridges, one on Brisbane Buddhas, and an
Australian War Memorial exhibition of World War I photographs.
City Hall, King George Square, City. & 07/3403 8888. Free admission. Opening times not set at press time.
Newstead House Brisbane’s oldest surviving home has been restored to its
late Victorian splendor in a peaceful park overlooking the Brisbane River. Wander
the rooms, admire the gracious exterior dating from 1846, and on Sundays
and public holidays between March and November, take Devonshire tea. The
U.S. Army occupied the house during World War II, and the first American war
memorial built in Australia stands on Newstead Point on the grounds.
Newstead Park, Breakfast Creek Rd., Newstead. & 07/3216 1846 or 1800/061 846. A$4.40 (US$2.85)
adults, A$3.30(US$2.15) seniors and students, A$2.20 (US$1.45) children 6–16, A$11 (US$7.15) family pass.