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Brisbane is Australia’s coolest city, or is it? I am not sure how any city that holds the world record for going to bed and waking up earliest can call itself “cool.” Either way, it is a city with quite a lot to offer, and it was our first cruise port off of the Radiance of the Seas, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship we are taking from Sydney to Perth, up and over the top of Australia.

Having already done the animal highlights on our last visit (Australia Zoo and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary), and not being in the mood for amusement parks, we opted for a city tour, a walk through the Botanical Gardens, the Brisbane Museum, and a tour inside the old clock tower.

Like we have done in Barcelona, Madrid, Moscow, Vancouver, and other cities around the world, we found a free city walking tour. Our guide (Jonny) was extremely knowledgeable and expanded our tour a bit as he saw our small group were all interested.

Here are some of the highlights of our day:

Speaker's Square, the former soapbox location in Brisbane, Austr
Speaker’s Square, the former soapbox location is now home to statues of Arthur Hoey Davis, Emma Miller, and Sir Charles Lilley.
The shrine of rememberance is one of many memorials in ANZAC squ
The Shrine of Remembrance is one of many memorials in ANZAC square.
Haunted windmill in Brisbane, Australia
This windmill missing its sails is the most haunted area in Brisbane. Back in the 1800s, it was used as a torture device. It was operated by prisoners wearing 9kg leg irons and walking for up to 16 hours per day on a treadmill. It was also used as a gallows and was the site of the 1971 protests against the Springbok’s tour.
Welded metal kangaroos sit on George Street in Brisbane Australi
Two of the four welded metal kangaroos that sit on George Street. They are quite close to Merlo, the best coffee we have had so far on these travels.
St, Stephen Cathedral is the oldest in Queensland, Australia
St. Stephen Cathedral is the oldest in Queensland. It offers free tours at 10.30 on weekdays.
Burnett is the oldest street in Brisbane, Australia
Burnett is the oldest street in Brisbane. There was some street art along the walls, but nothing like what we saw in Melbourne.
Eagle Street Pier in Brisbane Australia.
Eagle Street Pier is one of many ferry stops along the river. There is also a beautiful riverwalk path. (The Red ferries are free). The Story Bridge in the background is one of 10 bridges in Brisbane.
This s the above ground root system of a Banyan Fig Tree in the
This is the above ground root system of a Banyan Fig tree in the City Botanic Garden.
City Botanic Garden, Brisbane, Australia
Another view in the Botanic Garden.
Brisbane City Hall in Australia
Brisbane City Hall. The sculpture above the columns has always been controversial as it depicts in part the European’s forcing native Aboriginal people to leave (according to our guide).
View from the clock tower in Brisbane, Australia
View from the clock tower. Tours to the top are free from the Brisbane Museum. The 1930s elevator to the top requires an operator.

Tips for Brisbane as a cruise port:

  • Smaller cruise ships dock closer to town, but the larger ships, like the Radiance of the Seas, need to dock at Fisherman Island. It is about a 45-minute drive to the city. Royal Caribbean provided a low-cost shuttle bus option ($25 USD per person). We, along with many other passengers, felt it should have been included as walking from the port was not allowed.
  • If you want to visit the Australia Zoo (The Steve Irwin Zoo) and your ship is docking at Fisherman Island, it is probably more economical to take a ship’s excursion. (If you have never been to this zoo, it would be my recommendation).
  • We opted to take a 3-hour free walking tour from Brisbane Tours. Alternatively, the city greeters were available at the shuttle bus stop and offered free one-hour introductory tours.
  • City Hall offers free tours at 10.30, 11.30, 1.30, and 2.30 daily.
  • The Brisbane Museum is free to enter, filled with fascinating history, and offers free 15 minute tours up the clock tower.
  • The streets in the city centre take their names from royalty. Interestingly, the names of the men running in one direction (NE to SW) and the women running perpendicular.
  • Remember the currency conversion if you are comparing prices offered by the ship versus doing it on your own. In the case of Royal Caribbean, the ship’s currency is US dollars, while local currency is Australian dollars.
  • If we had more time in Brisbane, we would have head to nearby Cape Byron Heads. 
Don’t Miss: 25 Tips for Cruising

More about Brisbane:

  • Brisbane sits along the Brisbane River.
  • It was founded (1823) as a harsh penal colony with gallows in the streets. The worst criminals from Sydney were sent here, to try and restore order in Australia.
  • Criminals wore 9kg leg irons on each leg, often leaving them crippled even after they were released from their prisons.
  • The first free settlers came to Brisbane in the 1840s.
  • Nearly 30% of the two million people living in Brisbane today were born overseas.
  • Brisbane was part of the state New South Wales until 1859 when it became part of Queensland.

Our next port was Cairns.

Have you been to Brisbane? What were your highlights?

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Haunted windmill is one of many interesting sites and stories in Brisbane, Australia

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Comments

  1. Love this!! I didn’t know Royal Caribbean sailed into Brisbane!! I’ve been dying to go to Aus and a cruise sounds like a fun way to see it!! Thank you for sharing on FlyAwayFriday!!

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  2. Superb! Brisbane is so beautiful, and it is more enjoyable when traveling with a yacht. I’ll also plan for a yacht trip and this place to the right to spend holidays. Thanks for letting me know about it.

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  6. Rhonda, the city looks cool indeed. I discovered the free tour operation on my last trip to Europe. I can say I am hooked now! I can’t believe how much I learned with the guides who took us around different cities. I am checking more about the cruise around Australia. That sounds very nice! #wkendtravelinspiration

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  7. It was so interesting getting a tourist’s point of view of Brisbane. I live on the Gold Coast, about 1 hour drive south of Brisbane and visit this river city occasionally for events and functions. I think it is a beautiful city with a lot to offer visitors, so I am very glad you enjoyed your tour. My highlights would be the river views and the South Bank precinct. Australia Zoo is amazing, but an hour of more drive from Brisbane, depending on traffic. Hopefully the remainder of your cruise will be equally as enjoyable. 🙂

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  8. Your pictures are so beautiful, Rhonda! The idea to visit Australia with a cruise seems great. I’d love to be able to visit more cities during one trip. Brisbane looks really beautiful.

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  9. Hi, Rhonda! Brisbane looks like a lovely city to roam around in for a few days. I always try to take advantage of free walking tours wherever I go, too. I find that most of the guides are quite knowledgeable.

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  11. You’re putting me to shame. I don’t know why we (or at least) didn’t travel my own country more before travelling overseas. I’ve never been to Brisbane I don’t think – just to the Gold Coast.

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  14. Thank you for telling me more about Brisbane! I have been there, but reading your experience, it might as well been a different city! Couldn’t find parking, just drove around. When we finally did found parking, we just visited the Mount Coot-tha Lookout and the inner-city oasis, walked along the river and visited the Kangaroo cliffs and had drinks at a rooftop bar to end the night. Never went to the zoo as I try not to support them. The only one I’ve been is in Dubbo and it’s the largest in Southern Hemisphere, open range with plenty of room.

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  16. Hi Rhonda!

    I’ve visited Sydney, Autralia once while my husband had a business trip there. I visited Taronga Zoo there which was phenomenal. I would love to visit Autralia again someday and taking a cruise sounds like a wonderful way to see many coastal cities. Brisbane looks so interesting.

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  19. I’ve visited friends in Brisbane a few times and think it’s such a fun, laid-back place. Never thought of it as a cruise destination before. I think it gives a great contrast to Melbourne and Sydney. Great rundown on the city and its history.

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  23. Beautiful photos! We visited Brisbane a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. We hung out a lot at South Bank Parklands and Queen Street and did the river cruise. This makes me wish we did this walking tour too. I just learned quite a bit.

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