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Tourist Attractions Brisbane — Nearby, Anyhow!
Tourist attractions Brisbane is dedicated to those must-see places, and must-do activities, around Brisbane, such as the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and the fabulous lands behind them.
Many of Queensland’s great attractions lie just outside Brisbane and most of them are accessible for day or weekend trips by car or public transport.
The Gold Coast, for example, is only around a 45 minutes drive depending on traffic and which beach you are aiming for.
Surfers Paradise, the most famous beach of the Gold Coast, is 45 minutes from Brisbane. If you want to head farther south to the quieter beaches around Coolangatta, it’s about an hour and 15 minutes.
Even further south, over the state border in New South Wales, is Byron Bay, the most easterly point on the Australian mainland (see photo below) and another beautiful beach beloved by backpackers. It’s about 2.5 hours from Brisbane or about 1.5 hours from the Gold Coast.
There are also great beaches to the north at the Sunshine Coast. Caloundra, in the south of the Sunshine Coast is about one hour from Brisbane and Noosa Heads, at the northern side, is about 2 hours. Another area to visit in this region is Glasshouse Mountains National Park, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
If you’re looking for a sight of Australia’s famous scenery and wildlife, Lamington National Park is about 1.5 hours drive south from Brisbane, Australia Zoo (the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s place) is about the same distance but north, while David Fleay’s Wildlife park is about 2 hours south near Burleigh Heads.
If you don’t have access to a car there’s regular bus and train transportation to most of the tourist attractions Brisbane (nearby anyhow), however it will take longer to get there. For example, public transportation down to Surfers Paradise adds about half an hour to the trip.
Farther Afield:
Not strictly tourist attractions Brisbane are the further afield destinations, though they can be reached from the city — just not in a day trip.
If you are heading to the Fraser Coast and Fraser Island, then Hervey Bay (where the ferry to the island leaves from) is around 3.5 hours drive from Brisbane.
One of Queensland’s most renowned attractions is the Great Barrier Reef. The closest place to catch a boat to the reef is from Bundaberg and it’s around a 5 hour drive from Brisbane. However some of the best reef sights are from Cairns or the Whitsundays, both of which are more accessible by flights (3 hour and 1.5 hour flights respectively).
You can also visit the underwater world from Rockhampton and its nearby attraction at Great Keppel Island.
Driving down to Sydney is also not impossible, however it is just over 1000km and takes about 12 hours. Since most of the highway follows the coast down there are some spectacular views and quaint places to stop along the way which would make for a leisurely way to spend a week, driving down and stopping in at the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour and other coastal towns along the way. If it’s the destination and not the journey that interests you, fairly inexpensive flights will get you there in about 2 hours.
For more about the fabulous city of Sydney, visit:
Sydney Attractions
Follow the story of a family who relocated to Sydney and shares the experience. Get practical tips on how to plan your trip, what to do on arrival in Australia and how to start your new life in Sydney. Discover Sydney’s attractions and famous places, the outdoor lifestyle, the amazing food, leisure and travel.
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