The Cliffs Boardwalk

If you cross the Goodwill Bridge from the city side, and venture around to your left, just under the Captain Cook Bridge (the Riverside Expressway) you'll find the start of The Cliffs Boardwalk. The walk runs adjacent to Lower River Terrace on the South Bank side of the Brisbane River. It stretchs along this reach of the river through Kangaroo Point Park to the Riverlife Adventure centre.


The Kangaroo Point cliffs are a results of a violent volcanic event which is estimated to have occurred some 220 million years ago. When the volcanic material settled, it was so hot it welded together. The fine grained rock which was formed is known as Brisbane Tuff. In the early years of settlement in Brisbane, convicts would quarry these cliffs to obtain the building stone which would be used in many of the city's original buildings.


This is another of the great walks within easy reach of the Central City area of Brisbane. The views and atmosphere are fantastic, and you'll often find people scaling the cliff walls in search of their own adventure. The park areas include barbeques, play areas, grassed lawns and even a nature reserve. Both bike and walking tracks are available. As an afternoon of outside exercise there aren't many other things which come close as part of a family activity.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Roma Street Parkland Playgrounds

When you have kids, I feel its important to be able to utilise the city parks and gardens with them. Although you can show kids sculpture, artworks and horticulture, invariably the one thing they want to do is play in the park. Roma Street Parkland quite adequately meets this requirement. Bounded by Wickham Terrace, College Road and Parkland Crescent, the sixteen hectares contain a number of recreational areas and playgrounds, particularly in the Upper Parkland precinct.

Each playground contains a variety of activities. There are swing sets, covered walkways, crawl spaces, ladders, bridges and slides. Everything is vivid and multicoloured. There are also areas where musical instruments in the form of piping have been interspersed along the walkways to provide interactive play elements. They even have a Liberty Swing, which is a great invention for kids with disabilities to get the experience of swinging in a wheelchair. The playground areas also contain BBQ and picnic areas so its easy to take a picnic lunch and eat it on the lawns whilst your children play.


On weekends, for those of us Brisbanites who live in the suburbs, a trip into the city generally means spending several hours in town. With the kids, one of the trade-offs I use is to let them know that if they're going to spend time shopping or running around, that they can have some kid time in the park playgrounds. I'm grateful that we have wonderful facilities like this in such close proximity to the city, and a detour into the Parkland is an easy and effective way to let the kids run off their boundless energy.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Post Office Square

Post Office Square is another of the open spaces within the Central Business District. Bounded by Queen Street and Adelaide Street as its main street access, and with buildings either side, it covers an arcade of shops underneath. The shopping area is predominantly eateries and a food court, however, there is also a pharmacy, newsagent and other specialist shops. Post Office Square was opened in April of 2004.

The main lawn area has been affected by the drought, and subsequent lack of watering. That, however, does not stop the large number of city dwellers who congregate here during their lunchtimes to either eat on the lawns or surrounding seats. There are also a number of cafes and restaurants adjoining the square which offer a range of delectable taste delights! There are also trees to provide some level of shade. On a warm autumn lunchtime its a great place to stop.


The Square is opposite two of Brisbane's feature locations. On one side is ANZAC Square, and on the other is the General Post Office. It is close to where I walk, and a good place to go to just stretch out and grab a bit, and watch a bit of the local colour. It even has public toilets, which are on the National Toilet Map!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Fern Gully Roma Street Parkland

Roma Street Parkland contains a cornucopia of greenery, and even with the current drought conditions continues to provide a green haven in the city. Part of the park I enjoy visiting is Fern Gully, amidst the Forest Walk precinct of the parkland. Located on the northern tip of the parkland, it can be accessed from the parking area at College Close.

Fern Gully is an integral part of the subtropical Forest. The gully includes a circuitous walk which runs along the side of a man made creek. Various species of tree fern line the banks, and the gully attracts a menagerie of bird life who use the forest for nesting and the stream for water and preening. The stream through Fern Gully originates in a spring adjacent to the bridge and the start of the boardwalk. The stream is also met from water cascading down from Angiopteris Ravine, where are what are known as King Ferms (Angiopteris evecta) provide more sheltered cover.

Like the South Bank Parklands Rainforest Walk, this walk offers a great place for kids to explore. The walkway above Fern Gully gives a fantastic aspect to the gully because as you meander along the paths you move from the rainforest floor through the canopy to over and above the entire area. They have also incorporated sandstone rock faces to hide the not so obvious roadway which is close by. The only thing you have to be careful of is letting your kids go into the stream!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Spectacle Garden

The Spectacle Garden is one of the precincts of the Roma Street Parkland. Located in the centre of the parkland, it offers a collection of colorful and unique flowering and foliage plants, selected from throughout the sub-tropical world. These are displayed in a number of specialised theme gardens.


This is the horticultural heart of the Parkland. These shots are predominantly from the area around the Concentric Garden. The stainless steel sculpture Concentric Intersection by Wendy Mills forms the focus of a lot of annual flowering plants, although the drought continues to have an effect on what can be displayed. The Spectacle Garden features several themed gardens including the Topiary Maze Garden, Lilly Pilly Garden, Traditional Brisbane Garden, a wall of Epiphytes and an extensive collection of herbs.


One of the great things about the Internet is that you can do a virtual tour of the garden online. Modelling the The Spectacle Garden Walk, the virtual tour takes visitors on a visual trail of the areas. I'd encourage anyone who's not from the area to get online and have a look, but if you're a Brisbanite or tourist you should go there in person yourself.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Roma Street Parkland

The Roma Street Parkland is a sub-tropical garden covering 16 hectares behind the Roma Street Station and Brisbane Transit Centre. It is bounded by Wickham Terrace, College Road and Parkland Crescent. The railways are now largely hidden behind the upmarket apartment blocks which have been developed along the southern edge of the park. The parkland features a variety of themed gardens and recreational areas, with plenty to do for families on a day out. There is even a licensed cafe, Melange, which offers a variety of fast and fresh food. You can get guided walks through the parklands if you book. It is open 24 hours daily, and there is no admission charge.


The parkland has five distinct precincts: The Spectacle Garden; Forest Walk; Lake Precinct; Celebration Lawn; and Upper Parkland. There is also a large variety of public art in the park, with well over 20 pieces in various locations. The parkland is the result of the redevelopment of the Roma Street railyards, with construction beginning in January 2000 and completion, with the opening ceremony, in April 2001. More than 100,000 shrubs, 1,200 mature trees, 1,800 unique specimens and 350 palms were initially planted to provide a showcase of world plant species.


This, like the Botanic Gardens, is another showcase parkland which has become quite iconic in Brisbane. The Spectacle Garden, every time I have been there, is amazing and as its name suggests, Spectacular! My kids can run and roam to their heart's content, with playgrounds and large open spaces throughout the park. There is even a motorised train ride around the park to keep them enthralled, and to rest your weary legs as you take in the sites.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Cathedral Square

Cathedral Square is bounded by Ann, Wharf and Turbot Streets at the North East end of the city. It is so named as it is opposite St John's Cathedral, located on Ann Street. It would seem they deliberately laid out the gardens and features within the park so that from most angles you would have a view of the Cathedral.

For many years, Bob Dobbs was involved with as the curator of many of the parks and gardens around the city, including Cathedral Square. One thing that had struck me over the years of walking past the park was the vast array of floral displays which adorned the garden beds, particularly in the Spring. Unfortunately, with the large scale water restrictions in place at the moment it is only Australian native flora which has been maintained, although the lawns are still quite lush.

This park to me has always been a "chill" park. I can go up there and just sit and not worry about anything. Even though its not as enclosing as the Botanic Gardens, its far enough away from the centre of the city as to not be too busy, but still civic enough that you can people watch.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

ANZAC Square

ANZAC Square, which is dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) is located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street. This view is across the road on the Adelaide Street side of the park. The square features a park area with various memorial statues, along with the Shrine of Remembrance which holds the Eternal Flame. The ANZAC Square War Memorial is also located here.

ANZAC Square is dedicated to Australia's military heritage. In most cities around Australia you will find significant parks, shrines and memorials of this nature. At present the Square is undergoing some refurbishment, in particular with the memorial ponds at the Ann Street side of the park. The Park also holds some unique flora in the form of the Bribie Island Pine Bottle trees.

Although I've never served, I respect what the ANZAC represents, and in particular the statement "Lest We Forget". To me, this means that we should never wish to make war, lest we forget the sacrifice of those who have gone before. War is a terrible thing, often fought by those with little relation to the leaders who engage the conflict in the first place. Personally, I'd fight to preserve my children, and the freedoms which we have in this country, one of the luckiest of all. But I'd do this only after all other forms of democracy had failed.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.