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

RIVER CRUISES & OTHER ORGANIZED TOURS 237
River Queen paddle wheelers (& 07/3221 1300) are a good way to take in the
Queenslander homes, historic buildings, and tropical foliage—especially in
October and November when the jacaranda trees bloom. The boat departs from
the Eagle Street Pier at 12:15am (boarding at 11:45am) and returns at 1:45pm.
The cheapest option is the A$24 (US$16) “coffee, tea and cookies” fare, which
provides a snack (you can also get a meal). Children pay half price; seniors get a
15% discount.
BUS TOURS Brisbane Transport (& 13 12 30 in Australia) runs two bus
tours that are a much better value than commercial tours, especially as tour tickets
entitle you to unlimited access to buses, ferries, and CityCats for the day. The
City Sights bus tour stops at 19 points of interest in a continuous loop
around the city center, South Bank, and Fortitude Valley, including Chinatown,
South Bank Parklands, the Queensland Cultural Centre, Sciencentre, the Riverside
Centre (where markets are held Sun), the City Botanic Gardens, the casino,
and various historical buildings. The driver of the blue and yellow bus gives a
commentary, and you can hop on and off at any stop. The bus departs every 45
minutes from 9am to 3:45pm daily except Christmas, Good Friday, and Anzac
Day (Apr 25). The whole trip, without stopping, takes 90 minutes. Tickets cost
A$20 (US$13) for adults, A$15 (US$9.75) for children ages 5 to 15. Buy your
ticket on board. You can join anywhere along the route, but the most central
stop is City Hall, Stop 2 on Adelaide Street at Albert Street.
The City Nights tour shows you the city lights from Mt. Coot-tha, the Brisbane
River at South Bank, the illuminated cliffs at Kangaroo Point, New Farm
Park, and Fortitude Valley. It departs City Hall, Stop 2 on Adelaide Street, daily
(except Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Good Friday, and Anzac Day) at 6pm
(Mar–Oct) or 6:30pm (Nov–Feb) and takes about 2 1 ⁄2 hours. Tickets are A$20
(US$13) for adults, A$15 (US$9.75) for kids ages 5 to 15. The trip also includes
a sector by CityCat from South Bank to New Farm Park, where the bus waits to
pick you up again.
WALKING TOURS The Brisbane City Council sponsors Walking for Pleasure
(& 07/3403 8888): Most days a free guided walk departs from somewhere
in the city or suburbs, exploring all kinds of territory from bushland to heritage
buildings to riverscapes to cemeteries. The walks are aimed at locals, not tourists,
so you get to explore Brisbane side-by-side with the townsfolk. Every walk has a
flexible distance option and usually lasts about 2 hours. Most are easy, but some
are more demanding. Most start and finish near public transport and end near
a food outlet of some kind.
Historical Walking Tours are run by local historian Brian Ogden (& 07/
3217 3673), who leads visitors on a journey into Brisbane’s past, telling tales
dating from convict settlement through the present day. Four different routes are
taken, and each tour takes about 2 hours and costs A$15 (US$10).
Prepare for shivers up your spine if you take one of Jack Sim’s Ghost Tours
(& 07/3844 6606), to relive Brisbane’s gruesome past. City walking tours (A$25/
US$16) are run on Friday nights, and there are also tours of the historic Toowong
Cemetery and the now-disused Boggo Road Gaol. Bookings essential.
Read and walk the Albert Street Literary Trail, the best way to experience the
city from a writer’s view! Pick up a map from any Brisbane City Council Service
Centre, ward office, or library (& 07/3403 8888).
Great Brisbane Walks, an inexpensive guide to more than 40 of Brisbane’s
best walks, is available from Brisbane City Council (& 07/3403 8888). Another