Brisbane.com.au

South Bank offers a man-made beach - a safehaven for children - along the banks of the Brisbane River and adjacent to the central business district. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

More pictures below

South Bank, in the heart of the city, is a major attraction of Brisbane with 17 hectares of parklands, riverside promenades, a man-made beach, lifestyle acivities and lots of restaurants and cafes.
More than 11 million people visit South Bank each year.
The main focal point of the South Bank Parklands is a man-made beach and lagoon, constructed in a contained area beside the banks of the Brisbane River.
More than 4000 cubic metres of sand was used to create the beach and each year the sand is topped up.
The lagoon is about the size of five Olympic swimming pools and is surrounded by palm trees, tropical plants, rainforest and grassed areas, with small man-made creeks meandering throughout the lagoon area.
There is a lifeguard stand and the beach is patrolled seven days a week by lifeguards.
The appeal of the beach lies in the fact that the city area is a long way from beaches, yet visitors can sunbake and swim in the heart of the CBD.
Wider afield, at the northern entrance to the parklands, is the one-kilometre-long South Bank Arbour, which consists of 443 steel columns covered in bouganvilleas.
The Brisbane City Council, in conjunction with the Medibank Feel Good Program, runs free lifestyle events in the parklands including yoga, pilates, meditation, athletics workouts, Zumba dance parties and Bubasize classes for new mums and bubs.
Other council activities and parkland events include the
Riverside Green Playground, sutiable for children of all ages, open-air cinemas, live music and lawn games.
One of the attractions at South Bank is the Wheel of Brisbane, a giant ferris wheel that offers 360-degree views of the river, city and South Bank areas. It's open seven days a week: Monday to Thursday from 11am – 9.30pm; Friday and Saturday from 10am – 11pm; and Sunday from 10am – 10pm.
Also situated in the South bank area are the Queensland Performing Arts centre, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sciencentre - Queensland Museum and South Bank Cineplex.
Eating out
South Bank is one of Brisbane's main eating out precincts and has a host of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars.
Restaurants cater for most food tastes, including Malaysian, Japanese, Indian, Spanish, Argentinian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Mexican, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Italian and Mediterranean. Sidewalk dining is a feature of South bank.
GETTING THERE
BY TRAIN. South Bank has two train stations, South Brisbane and South Bank Train Stations on Grey Street.
These stations provide regular train services allowing visitors to connect with the Brisbane CBD rail network and the Gold Coast rail network.

South Bank is one of the best vantage points to watch the annual Riverfire fireworks event, held in September. Photo: Wikimedia Commons


A pathway, popular with cyclist and walkers alike, skirts along the South Bank Parklands and Brisbane River.

Above photo and all photos below: Brisbane.com.au

The cafe in the South bank Parklands makes a pleasant setting.


Blazes of colour define the South bank Arbour.


Young teens soak up the sun beside South Bank Parkland's lagoon.


Friends enjoy the open spaces of the South bank Parklands.

Below: The streets in the South Bank precinct are marked by an abundance of restaurants and cafes - including footpath eating areas - and a mix of older and new buildings.