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Walking Along Brisbane’s Southbank
The Southbank is located (no prizes for guessing) on the south side of Brisbane, on the bank of the Brisbane River and directly opposite the tall towers of the Central Business District. In 1988 this was the site of the World Expo. Afterwards, rather than let the area sink into obscurity like so many other World Expo sites, the city fathers embarked on a campaign to transform the area into a vibrant ‘lifestyle precinct’, which would embody all the best Brisbane had to offer. The efforts were hugely successful. Today, the Southbank is 17 hectares of delightful riverside parkland, shady walkways, cozy cafes and bustling weekend markets and other popular attractions, which draw more than 5 million visitors a year.
Southbank Beach — a beach in the middle of the city
Australia's famously outdoors-oriented lifestyle is at its best in Southbank, as every weekend, the locals come out to stroll, jog or bike along the many shady pathways and trails of the area. There are cars allowed in the parklands, but for the most part, people prefer to move around leisurely on their own two feet. The best way for a visitor to absorb the real feel of the Southbank is to join the lazy stream of strollers walking along the paths, and slowly explore the many offerings of the Southbank.
One of the most popular attractions is the little Southbank Beach, offering pristine white sands, the crystal blue waters of its lagoon, shady palm trees and the lovely view of the city beyond. On a hot summer’s day, both locals and tourist flock here to cool off and there are, of course, plenty of water-sports available. Visitors looking for a patch of sand to lie down on had better go early though, especially on the weekends, as the beach isn’t all that big, and on a particularly hot day, there’s fierce competition to find a good spot to spread your towel on! Even for a beach this small, safety is taken seriously and lifeguards patrol everyday throughout the year, from 7am to midnight daily, and a very popular photograph of the beach will include the yellow lifeguard’s tower on the beach, with an alert, sunglass-wearing lifeguard perch on top.
It might seem strange to have a beach in the middle of the city, but after all, this is Australia, and its almost unthinkable for a city not to have a beach — even if they have to build one! The city went to great lengths to create the beach: 4000 cubic metres of sand was trucked in from Rous Channel in Moreton Bay, with some 70 tons added each year. Chlorinated fresh water (about five Olympic-sized pool’s worth) is re-circulated every six hours at up to 125 litres per second. The water is pumped through two large sand filters and chemically treated before being returned back to the beach.
Around the beach are plenty of lawns and cooking pits, so that people can indulge in that most Australian of pastimes — a barbecue. There’s usually a few families stoking something up on the weekends and visitors to Brisbane might like to get into the whole outdoor living way of life too, right near the beach. Slap some meat, veggies and a big prawn or two on the grill, open a can of drink, lie back on the grass, and you’re all set.
If you’d rather not go to all that trouble, there’s plenty of places where you can enjoy a good meal, with a spectacular view and reasonable prices. There are over 30 restaurants scattered, throughout the area, though Southbank is particularly known for its profusion of cafes, from Merlo, Vittoria and Lavazza to Steam, Golden Espresso and Belaroma. Another particularly popular place is The Plough Inn, located smack in the centre of South bank and practically an institution. With its cheery beergarden and cozy balconies, it’s a great place to relax and watch the world go by.
Icons of Southbank
Somewhat less romantic, but just as popular, is the Goodwill Bridge, another icon of Southbank. This impressive structure links the southern end of Southbank, the city's Botanic Gardens and the adjoining Queensland University of Technology, creating a long, loopy promenade that’s popular with cyclists, joggers and rollerbladers. In fact, more than 50,000 pedestrians and cyclists using the bridge each week!
If you’d rather do something more leisurely than dodge suicidal rollerbladers, there’s always a riverboat cruise, the pinnacle of relaxation. When it comes to cruising, visitors are spoilt for choice: there are three cruises running daily from the south bank area. The MV Neptune takes its passengers on a daily 90 minute journey to nearby Breakfast Creek, while the historic steam tug Forceful chugs merrily along to Moreton Island on the weekends. For a more unusual journey, there’s the paddle-wheeler, the Kookaburra River Queen, which does a slow, stately tour of the Brisbane River.
The MV Neptune departs from the bank opposite an ancient-looking two storey Nepalese pagoda. This strange structure, which looks like it was transported from ancient Kathmandu, is a legacy from the days when the area was the World Expo site. The pagoda, a symbol of peace, was a gift from Nepal and one of the few things retained when the area was transformed into Southbank.
Shopping and arts in Southbank
Once off the boat and ready for more energetic activities, there’s the delights of Little Stanley Street, just a short distance away. This area, now known for its excellent shopping, has a little history, for in the 1840s, this was the centre of trade with Sydney and the arrival place for immigrants. The original site had a wharf, a hotel, a pub and a general store. You can still see the same pub, with its balconies and verandas made of wrought iron, but today the rest of the area has become a shopping strip.
Among the many shops offering their wares on Little Stanley Street are Marcs, Baby Doll, Bettina Liano, Indigo, Bijoux Bijoux and Princess Highway from Denim Co. — none of which will mean a thing if you don’t know Australian fashions. More universal in appeal however is the Arts & Crafts Market. Every weekend, Little Stanley Street is transformed into a pedestrian-only marketplace, with handmade goods ranging from clothes to crockery, to gourmet preserves, all offered by over 150 stalls. Buskers make their noisy way along the aisles, tarot readers and palmists tell your fortunes, and if you find something you particularly like, you can always bargain with the seller! On the first and third Saturdays of every month, the Farmer’s Fresh and Seafood Market is held at the same place, offering everything from dew-speckled lettuce to lobsters straight off the trawler. The market is a favourite with gourmets, and with good reason!
For those interested in art, culture and entertainment, Southbank is where you'll find the home of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Opera Queensland, Queensland Theatre Company, Queensland Art Gallery, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Museum, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the Greater Union Hoyts South Bank Cinemas. There's also a $260-million Millennium Arts Development at the northern end of South Bank which is planned for completion in 2005.
On special events, Southbank is packed, and there is often fireworks displays. Even on ordinary days though, Southbank is filled with people strolling, biking, or simply sitting down and enjoying the sun. Of all the attractions in the city, Southbank is the most emblematic of all the good things offered by the Australian lifestyle — and over five million visitors each year to the area will attest to that!
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Article Information
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Of all of Brisbane’s
myriad attractions, the one most popular with locals and with tourists is the
Southbank parklands. In many ways, it is an icon to the famously laidback
Australian lifestyle and for visitors looking to experience a little of that
Down Under living, there’s no better place to go than Southbank.
One of the
most iconic sights of the Southbank is the award-winning ENERGEX Arbour
(pictured right).
This spectacular one-kilometre walkway is graced with a curving arbour of
profusely blooming, magenta bougainvillea, draped around unique, tendril-like
columns. During the day, it is a popular place for families to stroll along, and
during the night, when the pillars glow with mood lighting, it is particularly
popular with couples on a romantic stroll.