Kangaroo Point City

This highly varied inner city walking circuit of around 5km takes in old quarries, mangrove boardwalks, river parks, botanic gardens, bridges and bars and eateries of South Bank and is largely flat. Discounted parking is available in the Little Stanley St precinct with a receipt from a local eatery or take a chance on surrounding streets.

1. Starting from the bougainvillea arbour in the vicinity of the Maritime Museum, head towards Kangaroo Point, where the path soon morphs into a water dragon patronised boardwalk at the base of the old Kangaroo Point cliffs. Until 1976, these rocky gashes were part of an operational quarry that supplied many of Brisbane’s historical buildings with their distinctive greenish pink porphyry (or tuff) stone.

The Riverlife Adventure Centre which inhabits the heritage listed naval store at the base of the cliffs has turned them into a hot spot for city climbers and also rents out bikes, kayaks and rollerblades to bored walkers at reasonable rates.

2. The rest of the path  is a delightful jumble of tiny pocket parks with picnic shelters and playgrounds, a mini mangrove forest, steel Expo ’88 sculptures and benches.

3. At the far tip under the Story Bridge is Captain Burke Park with its silty sand beach at low tide and Yungaba, the grand Victorian Italianate ex migrants hostel that is soon to be swallowed up within a luxury apartment complex. Veer backwards from here into Main St and head up to the historic Story Bridge Hotel (originally the Kangaroo Pt hotel) with its wild frontier style bar in the original section and Shelter Bar in the old bomb shelter at the rear. Turn left into Thornton St and walk across the Kangaroo Point Bridge.

4. Once on the other side of the bridge, you can enjoy a coffee and bite to eat at Mulga Bill's adjacent to the City Botanic Gardens. Take a stroll on the riverside path of the Gardens up until QUT and Old Goverbment Housem the forst home of Queensland's governor. 

5. Well behind the Old Government House and near to the Riverstage exit of the Gardens is the entrance to the Goodwill Bridge and the final stage of the walk across the river to the Maritime Museum. 

6. Finish with a post-walk drink or meal at South Bank, where there's everything from bars and cafes to eateries for all budgets to choose from.