We walked across the bridge near our hotel to this free museum…read more There are things of interest for children & adults. In addition, there are some activities you can pay for. Lastly, there was A/C on a hot day, as well as a nice cafe to grab something cold to drink. If you are in Brisbane CBD, this free museum is worth a visit.

It's free. Don't complain. You can see quite a bit without paying…read more Lots to learn about the history of Brisbane and Queensland. It's a good study into the biology of the plant and animal species local here.

In recent years, Brisbane has undergone a city wide upheaval. Once upon a time, where Brisbane…read moreSquare stands now used to be a park. A nice humble square of grass that bordered the mayhem of the Queen Street Mall. It was a lovely place to go to roll around in the grass, take a short time out, or to meet someone. I fondly remember a couple of protests I went to there as well. When the bob cats and bulldozers moved in and tore up the grass, I was furious. I was convinced it was another case of tearing up public space for commerical ventures. I had a mixed reaction when Brisbane Square was unveiled. There was no greenery anywhere. Some eateries (Coffee Club is one of them, no less) and a few shops had opened up. I was right! However, to soften the blow of losing a beloved park, they had built a state of the art library there, and had installed some recycled public art works there. I don't exactly know what they are, but they look like old school colanders that have been welded together into giant balls. They are scattered throughout the square and are actually pretty cool. You can climb up on top of the big ones and chill slightly above the rest of the city goers. The Brisbane City Library is famous now. It's a dominant feature of the city scape, thanks to those giant lego block architectural features. The facilities are fantastic, it's all brand new, spick and span, and it has a cafe inside for when your brain and eyes want to zone out from all the reading you're getting into. As a side note, Brisbane Square becomes a market place on Wednesdays. It's the best for having a deliciously tasty lunch, or getting your farm fresh fruit and veggies while you're in city centre. Bonus! So it turns out that Brisbane Square, despite there being no grass, is still a great place to take a reprieve from inner city hustle. Now, when a friend calls to ask where to meet them, I will usually reply that I'll be sitting on one of the balls in Brisbane Square.

Brisbane Square used to be what we all considered a park - but it was never a park, just a vacant…read morelot owned by developers that was used as a thoroughfare / lunch spot by city workers. Due to this I was pretty relieved when I saw there's still plenty of public space after the development was completed (I also thought it was pretty nice of them to let it be a park while they were figuring out what to do with it). The Brisbane City Council and Brisbane City Library are pretty big tenants, along with Suncorp bank, so that has probably influenced the amount of public use. There's no more grass, but there are great community markets and plenty of benches to eat your lunch if you need a fresh air break. It's also pretty much right on the river if you feel like taking a stroll afterwards.

Brisbane is a city of bridges. Kurilpa Bridge is one of the more recent bridges to be built in the…read morecity, and it's definitely the most eye catching. You could ask 100 people what they thought the bridge reminded them of and they would probably all have a different answer. It reminds me of bike wheel spokes. The bridge was built by Baulderstone Queensland (for a sweet $63.3 million) and is internationally recognised as a feat in design and engineering (the web link provides some technical information about its design). It's a foot and bike bridge that connects Tank Street (city side) to GOMA (South Brisbane side). If you're a cyclist, it's super fun to come from the Tank Street entrance and spend most of the journey speeding down towards GOMA. Do watch yourself coming towards the end of it though, the bridge spirals in under itself before it lets you off at GOMA. The speed limit for bikes is 10km and for good reason. Have fun, but not too much fun- you can and will axe yourself. I have done so. You will have a leisurely upward climb if you're coming from GOMA, but it's a lovely and short walk to get into the city. At night, the Kurilpa Bridge is often ablaze with lights. Sometimes you'll see a red bridge, other times it will be purple, blue, or green. It is an everchanging sight to behold. In some ways, you're best walking across the Victoria Bridge (running from the Cultural Centre) so you can marvel at it from a distance. The jury is still out on this one. Some people think the bridge is amazing, others think it's an eye sore. Either way, it represents another step the Queensland Government has taken to make Brisbane an easier city to navigate by foot. It's also helped put Brisbane on the map as far architecture and design goes. If people travel to San Fran for The Golden Gate Bridge, and to Bilbao for the Guggenheim, well, surely it's not unreasonable to think someone, SOMEONE would come to Brisbane for the Kurilpa Bridge and GOMA. Right?

I admit that I wasn't a fan when the Kurilpa Bridge first opened, I looked to me like someone had…read morethrown down a pile of pick-up sticks and tried to fashion them into a bridge. Having traversed it at least twice a day in the last year I am a convert - I have come to admire it and even see it as a thing of beauty. There are plenty of viewing platforms spaced along the bridge with seating, bins and water fountains. It makes a great place to eat your lunch, have that mid-morning coffee or meet your lover for a sneaky kiss and a cuddle .

My college organised a ball inside Boggo Road Gaol some years ago (just before it was closed due to…read moreconstruction next door) and it was a really novel venue. A DJ was brought in and a bar and dance space set up, but the real fun was in the prison reinactments where groups of us were taken into old gaol cells, under the orders of gaol wardens and treated like prisoners. It wasn't scary at all, but our drunken 18-year old selves screamed and behaved like it was. I also did a tour here (sober and in the day-time) as part of my high school legal studies class and it was really interesting. Apparently it's reopening in 2013, hopefully earlier in the year rather than later.

Pretty cool idea for a tour, unfortunately there's not alot left of the original…read moreGaol thanks to the development next door, but we visited after buying a scoopon deal, and went in the middle of the day, and damn, wish i had worn a hat coz it was hot hot hot and not a lot of shade inside, just a lot of hot concrete (what more can you expect from a gaol?) The tour guide was very passionate about the gaol and sharing the stories and rumours of the gaols past. Bummer that only one of the three prison blocks was able to be opened for everyone to have a look, and if you take children in there maybe stay with them as there is some highly offensive and racist Graffiti on the walls inside the cell blocks. Always watch where you are waking as there are a few trip hazards. Book ahead as they only run yours at certain times and on certain days, but deffo worth a look for a bit of Brisbane history and some lovely architecture

Brisbane, you want laneways? Well the same people that gave us Winn Lane are introducing us to…read moretheir newest creation, Bakery Lane. A mix of niche fashion, dining and shopping, this is a place to come and truly admire just how much Brisbane has grown up. From the delicious gluten free brownies of I Heart Brownies, to the healthy juices from Skull It and the chic cacti at The Botanist, this is a nook of the CBD that is almost too cool for school. Pro Tip: check out their once a month markets on the first Saturday of each month.

I am proud to come to work in this awesome new laneway everyday…read more I love the vibe and the people. It keeps me excited about going to work each day. Not to mention wanting to come in on the weekend to enjoy the monthly markets.

On a clear day or a cloudless evening, Wilson's Outlook at New Farm provides one of the most…read morestunning views of Brisbane city and the Story Bridge. I stumbled upon it accidently after taking a wrong turn on my way to Chouquette for a croissant. The vista was breathtaking and has caused me to return time and time again since. Take a picnic, a friend, or a date you want to impress. If you have a good camera, it's also a great place to take photos of Brissy or if you're game, get their early for the annual Riverfire festival.

Wilson's Outlook is beautiful. At night time, the bridge looks amazing, and the hum of the cars as…read morethey zip across gives this very nice white noise, as odd as that sounds. Perfect place to take someone after a date, as it's just a short stroll from the city, the valley or New Farm. There are around 5 benches in the spots in Wilson's Outlook, and a couple of public bins too, so it's perfect for a picnic during the day and you don't have to take all your rubbish back with you in the car. If you're only going to come here once, make sure it's at night, it's so much nicer! Note, the only problem with Wilson's Outlook, and the reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5, is because of the chronic mosquitos that will devour your skin. Wear some insect repellent, or you will have a miserable time. Although, at the time of writing, there is a huge mosquito population outbreak right now bigger than any in the past 14 years (2015), so that may be skewing my review a tad.

What an intricate, eye-catching bridge. It's so mesmerizing any time of the day. Plus, when walking…read moreover it, you are amazed at the sights of the city and the height of the bridge. It's definitely similar to the London Bridge. At night time, it's visible from so many different areas and so picturesque. During the day, it's filled with noises of cars and little foot traffic. But the walking paths going both directions and on top and beneath the bridge, make it accessible to walk over it. Definitely a must when visiting Brisbane!

Opened in 1940 the Story Bridge is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia. It connects…read moreFortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point (I've been fortunate to live in both for some time). Ironically, for many residents of Kangaroo Point the small ferries and CityCat boats are nowadays a more convenient ways to get to downtown than this bridge, which is part of a highway shuttling people from southern neighborhoods to the north. Best part of the Bridge, for me, is that it lights up every night, often in a specific color commemorating an event. For example, on 14/11/17 it was lit in rainbow colours in recognition of the Yes vote .

I'm sure that not a lot of people get the time to remember that Anzac Square is actually a war…read morememorial. Most people are too busy using it as a shortcut from Adelaide to Ann St and vice versa - including myself. Which does make me feel a little bit sad. It was named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (known as the ANZACs) and was a memorial built for the men and women who fought overseas. It was officially opened on Armistice Day, 1930. At the top of the Square, almost at Ann Street, is the Shrine of Remembrance, which houses the "Eternal Flame of Remembrance" which, in its bronze urn, never goes out. Each of the 18 columns around the shrine represents the 18 years of peace we had after World War I. And the bottle trees in the park are to commemorate Queensland Light Horse Regiments, which served in South Africa's Boer War (1899-1902), while palm trees are actually Middle Eastern Date Palms and they were planted to celebrate Australia's success in the Middle East during both World Wars. And, of course, each year on Anzac Day (25 April), there's a dawn service held at the Shrine of Remembrance and in the Square itself.

What a beautiful, well maintained park and memorial in the center of the CBD, the world let alone…read moreBrisbane needs more of these type of public spaces. Both offering a shady, comfortable spot to relax, eat lunch, take in the greenery ( I say that cause apart from the botanical gardens there isn't enough of it about, and the scenery beyond the memorial's grassy borders is just cbd highrises and office blocks) and most importantly remember those who had past fighting for our country. One of my first memories of this place was on Anzac day 1997 when I, as primary school vice captain was asked to join in a remembrance ceremony in this square along with other representatives from schools all over Brisbane. I remember standing there on that central path hearing the trumpets sound and staring across the space admiring the statues and boab trees and eagerly waiting in anticipation to not only see the eternal flame and pay my respects but to shake John Howard's hand and recite the words 'lest we forget' - It was a beautiful moment for me and it cemented the significance of what this place represents in my heart and mind forever. Unfortunately at night this place on occasion, for some disrespectful people loses its significance and is tainted by acts of drunken or disrespectful behavior and vandalism - So I would suggest steering clear of it later in the evening and I hope that sooner rather than later that negative aspect of Anzac square passes.

As I have bemoaned previously on Yelp, Brisbane had most of its architectural heritage knocked out…read moreby the infamous Deen Brothers demolition company, often in the middle of the night. Fun fact - they're still at it! They demolished 6 heritage listed buildings in Hamilton only 4 years ago! However, my point is that we're all lucky no one called them in to take down Newstead House as our city would be the poorer for it. I remember going through this beautiful colonial building as a child, being fascinated by all the beautiful furniture and appreciating how the design of the house maximised the priceless river views and the rolling hills down to the river. You can take part in plenty of community projects here, or just educate your children about Brisbane's history (Deen Brothers soapbox is optional but highly recommended). Oh and you can have Devonshire tea! Delightful!

Newstead House is nestled within the gorgeous Newstead Park and surrounded by beautiful dear old…read moretrees. In addition to its tranquil park surroundings, it also overlooks Brisbane River. Newstead House is known to be the oldest surviving Brisbane residence dating back from 1846. Whenever I visit this park, I find it so heart-warming to know that right before me, is an important piece of Brisbanes history. The Victorian designed house, has a beautiful stretched balcony covering most of the front of the house. Inside it is furnished with some of Australia's rarest antique decor and furniture. This place makes for a wonderful venue to hold a wedding, a wedding reception or any celebration. The surrounding parklands are an idyllic location for wedding photography. Throughout the year, Newstead House hosts many events and has plenty of programs. You can come here to listen to an orchestra playing light classics, enjoy a cup of devonshire tea on the balcony and come for other concerts usually held throughout the year. The program changes yearly, so I suggest checking their website or call them for their latest updates. This is a wonderful piece of history preserved in time. It is a must see for tourists and locals a like. It makes a pleasant historical learning experience for the whole family to enjoy.