Brisbane Riverfronts

Sunday, 15 March 2009

The other water discovery in Brisbane is, well, the Brisbane River. In this entry's title I use the plural because the riverfront is well-utilized in many areas, lending a diversity of landscapes and uses. We started at South Bank, over the Goodwill Bridge, through a mangrove walk and the Botanical Gardens, then down Albert St in the CBD and Queens St the pedestrian mall, back across Victoria Bridge to the ferris wheel and Cultural Center, on Clem Jones Promenade and past Streets Beach and back to where we parked. A good 3.5-hour leisurely walk later, I was impressed by how well used every bit of the riverfront in this area is. Public access seems to be the priority, with private residential and commercial developments still able to take advantage of views. Some photos to entice you below.


The Arbours with signs giving you options of the river run routes you can take.

Impressively well-designed "private" space hanging off perpendicular to the Goodwill ped/bike bridge. Note functional shading above bench, glass rails allowing bench warmer a clear view of the river, oblivious to the other users on the bridge. Between the bridge and the bench is a slim trash can design with trash/recycle compartments.


Mangrove walk at the foot of the Botanical Gardens: Notice how clean and well-maintained it is. Pretty low use, which makes for a tranquil walk and observation. Interpretive signs explain mangrove ecology and bird species to look out for.







View of Brisbane CBD from South Bank, across Victoria Bridge. "Random" public art like this pair of birds dot many spaces all around Brisbane.















Laid back Queenslander - yes, he is barefoot sitting on a bench by the river working on his laptop.















Below: Still on South Bank, Maritime Museum. High-end residential towers with views of the river, but not colonizing the river front which is still accessible to pedestrians.