Brisbane City - Part 2 The River

At the heart of the city is the Brisbane River which meanders and snakes its way from the upper reaches, through the outer suburbs, divides the city centre and then spills out into Moreton Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Jumping on a City Cat is one of the best ways to explore the city.  They depart every 15 minutes and head up and down the river passing many iconic city sights.  The trip from one end of the City Cat route to the other takes about one and a half hours (3 hours round trip) but you can just do sections of it if you wish.

One afternoon on my recent city break, I decided to hop on one of the city cats and explore the river.  It was something on my 'to do' list of things to do in Brisbane but for some reason had never got around to actually experiencing it.

I'm so glad that I did as I thoroughly enjoyed it and it reminded me a bit of going on the boats when I lived and worked in the Whitsunday's when I was in my early 20's.

I hopped on at the South Bank terminal and decided to head downriver which was about a one hour trip but obviously the return journey made it into a two hour trip and a great way to spend an afternoon on a public holiday.  (It also only cost me $2.65 for the whole two hour trip.  Yes, you read that right!)

One thing to remember about the City Cats is that they are passenger ferry's so the main purpose of them is for commuters.  That means no commentary about the various sights along the river.  There are other tourist river cruises you can do which will give you more information about the city and the river but I was just happy to be out on the water.

Some of the sights you will see are the Maritime Museum which is situated at the southern end of South Bank.  It's accessible via South Bank or from one of the smaller ferry's which service the river.

Kangaroo Point and it's iconic cliffs are seen best from the river too.

This area is known for it's parks and picnic areas and the cliffs are especially popular with rock climbers and abseilers which you can see in the above photo.

There's plenty of other ways to explore the river too.  As much as I love kayaking, it looked a bit too strenuous for me on this particular afternoon.

Jet skiing is another great way to see the river but a little too fast and noisy for what I was wanting.

There are paths and boardwalks all along the river and on a long weekend, there were plenty of locals out enjoying the inclement weather.

I also love that instead of walking or catching a bus from one side of the CBD to the other, you can hop on one of the ferry's which will take you around a bend in the river and presto, you have arrived with very little effort.

Being on the river means that you pass under the many bridges which join the two sides of the city including the heritage listed Story Bridge.  I'm much happier going under the bridge in a boat rather than doing the bridge climb as I don't do heights very well.

Another iconic thing to see on the river is the Kookaburra Queen paddle steamers which serve lunch, dinner or even a high tea as you tour the city. 

 I can remember when I was young and had watched the tv series All The Rivers Run with Sigrid Thornton, all I wanted to do was go on the Kookaburra Queen.  I haven't done that yet so maybe that will be on my list of things to do next time I head into Brisbane.

I love seeing the little glimpses of everyday life too and I have to say that the two dogs in the photo below were having the best time on the beach.

The river widens as you head down river towards the docks area and the City Cats really pick up speed in some sections.  It was fun although jeans or shorts are the best clothing option if you decide to stand on the front or back deck rather than sitting inside.  

Ladies, if you wear a skirt, wear pretty knickers underneath because everyone will see them when the skirt flies up!

What I really loved about the trip was the looking at some of the beautiful houses along stretches of the river nestled in between high rise apartment complexes.

There are many older ones that have seen the city grow and been through a few floods.

There are also plenty of new houses too with some spectacular views.

Then there is Newstead House which is probably the most famous riverside home in Brisbane.

It's Brisbane's oldest surviving residence built in 1846 and is now a museum furnished to reflect the  late Victorian period.

I remember visiting on a school excursion when in primary school and of course we were more interested in stories of the resident ghost than anything else.  Pretty typical of 10-12 year olds, although I would love to go back and tour this beautiful building again.  

It was a little difficult to see it well with all the trees surrounding it so it looks like I'll be adding this to my list of things to do on another visit.

 I know the 2011 floods were pretty devastating to many of the riverside properties and I couldn't help wondering how many of the buildings and houses I saw were affected.  That's something you would probably learn on the tour boat I suppose and maybe I'll do that another time too.

I did do a second trip the next day but went up river towards the University of Queensland terminal which was only about a 20-25 minute trip so I was back in the heart of the city in under an hour.

The western stretches of the river are much more residential with a few less iconic sights to see but still enjoyable if you only have a short time available.

I really enjoyed my trips on the City Cats and at only $2.65 per trip, I certainly couldn't argue about the price.

For anyone in Brisbane the best way to pay is if you have one of the transport GO Cards which you can use on the trains, buses and ferries.  I have one as I caught the train down too and it was a much easier option for me but you can buy a single ticket on board the boats if you don't have a Go Card.

The cost is a little more at somewhere between $4 and $5 but is still very cheap if it's the only public transport you plan on using while in the city.

After I just wrote all that I remembered that I took a photo of the current fares.  I won't delete what I wrote but will add the photo in for anyone wishing to know.

And for those who like maps I'll add the city ferry network map with the blue line representing the City Cat service.

I hope you've enjoyed a peek at my river trip.  I certainly enjoyed it at the time, then reliving it as I was going through the photos.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

xx Susan