Brisbane, Qld, source: Wikipedia Creative Commons.
For those seeking a Brisbane day trip, the following list has many suitable ideas. Each list number can be the basis of different Brisbane day trip ideas, for example, number one could involve only King Island despite belonging to Bayside Islands.
1. Bayside Islands
Wellington Point's
King Island is accessed by walking at low tide but must be crossed back prior to high tide. Less than half an hour's drive away is
Coochiemudlo Island - which is a tourist destination with water sports, cycling and swimming. In the vicinity is a trip to
North Stradbroke Island - a well-publicised day or overnight trip. The island's east side has a beautiful walk near the ocean's side. Also located in the Bayside area is
St Helena Island - accessed by boat trips to see historic buildings. There are many islands in the Brisbane Bayside area - nearly all are appealing in terms of a day trip, such as Russell, MacLeay and Lamb Islands.
Wellington Point near King Island, source: Wikipedia Creative Commons.
The Mount Coot-tha botanical gardens are in Brisbane's west with a
planetarium on the same grounds as the botanical gardens, while the Mount Coot-tha mountain's bushwalking has many trails which suit different fitness levels. There is a lookout at Mount Coot-tha with a cafe for all to enjoy views across the city. Near Mount Glorious, Samford Valley is close to the suburbs, with lots of romantic places amongst its farms, lookouts and delightful specialist shops.
Walkabout Creek is a restaurant and nature reserve near the Brisbane western suburb The Gap at the base of Mount Nebo - which has a slow scenic drive leading to the higher Mount Glorious which can be accessed from either The Gap or Samford Village. All aforementioned destinations are around the Taylor Range - a south-eastern spur of the large D'Aguilar Range.
3. North-eastern Brisbane
The north-eastern located Boondall Wetlands is good for a half-day tour because it has long walking trails that are flat and safe for most types of fitness levels. It's also good for cycling. Nearby
Nudgee Beach is a place to spot an aeroplane landing at the nearby airport, go fishing, take a photo, or try the well-signed mangrove boardwalk. Near both are seaside suburbs of
Sandgate and
Shorncliffe - renowned for a picnic or a seaside stroll, while nearby on the Pine River at Bracken Ridge is the
Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve, an environment suitable for walking its trails, birdwatching and water sports.
Jetskier at Tinchi Tamba wetlands, source: Wikipedia Creative Commons.
The south-west suburbs of Inala and Darra are accessible by car or bus/train. They have many Vietnamese-influenced restaurants and are nice places to try sweetened coffees, noodle soups and minted salads amongst the many delicacies and amongst the eclectic, often Asian immigrant-inspired restaurants that are seen throughout the area in and between the two suburbs.
Darra, Qld, source: Wikipedia Creative Commons.
The
rum distillery offers tours at Beenleigh and has a very interesting story about its long-running establishment. It's a highly-rated part of Brisbane culture to see this distillery and taste its artisan rums. The
Must do Brisbane website has ten Logan day trip ideas, including Daisy Hill, the former Kingston Butter Factory and the Chung Tian Temple. Logan has got many cafes and stores selling specialist goods of high interest (such as the Middle Eastern markets and the Underwood furniture stores).
6. Moreton Bay
In the Moreton Bay Region, Deception Bay was settled by the Bancroft family who built sea baths for family members based on the medical knowledge of
Doctor Joseph Bancroft. The sea baths and the heritage trail along the shore add to Deception Bay's appeal in terms of a half-day trip. The Moreton Bay Region suburbs Redcliffe, Beachmere and the few suburbs of Bribie Island aside from Caboolture which is inland, are coastal - offering swimming, boating, fishing and eclectic attractions. Caboolture is ideal for access between the city, coast and hinterland - within a fifty-minute drive from the Brisbane CBD.
Redcliffe, Qld, source: author's work.
The centrally-located Suncorp Stadium is important in the history of several codes of football, while a few streets away is the Castlemaine (Fourex) Brewery. The horse racing grounds at Ascot and Doomben are short bus or train trips from the CBD. Brisbane City has nightlife, the
Southbank Parklands, historical buildings and landmarks, parks, and much shopping and commerce. The CBD is accessible by taxi, ferry, train, bus and even foot or e-scooter or bicycle from inner suburbs such as Paddington, New Farm, Ashgrove, Clayfield/Albion, Fortitude Valley, West End and Milton/Toowong - which all have specialist stores and designer clothing outlets.
8. Ipswich
Rosewood is a village on the Ipswich train line southwest of Brisbane with charm and character. There are many villages among historic Ipswich, Brisbane Valley and the Scenic Rim. It's possible to drive through Brisbane's western suburbs to the
Moggill Ferry which is a small barge on the Brisbane River that takes people and/or vehicles to the Ipswich suburb of Riverview. Ipswich City has a parkland called
Queens Park with a wildlife sanctuary amongst its many activities suitable for a range of ages and participants.
9. Bulimba and Portside (Hamilton)
Portside Wharf Hamilton is where cruise ships depart and arrive in Brisbane. A nearby council ferry service departs to the city centre via the southern suburb of Bulimba - with its renowned cafe culture - the combination of ferry travel, Bulimba and Portside are an ideal inner city day trip idea especially combined with an idea from the CBD (number seven on the list).
10. Moreton Bay Hinterland
The area around Moreton Bay Hinterland includes lakes Kurwongbah and Samsonvale, while Dayboro is a quaint village leading to the ever-popular Mount Mee Tourist Drive which connects Dayboro with Woodford and D'Aguilar. The Mount Mee Tourist Drive has views, vineyards and romantic retreats. While towards Samford Valley (from point two on the list) is Clear Mountain - with panoramic views over the Moreton Bay Region and its lakes and countryside with its own resort with views.
Dayboro, Qld, source: Wikipedia Creative Commons.
that the photos used are from Wikipedia Creative Commons and the author's images.
