Things To Do in Brisbane

Brisbane on the Cheap -- You can save up to 50 percent on entry to five of Brisbane's top attractions by buying a "Five in One" discount card. You can choose from a list of attractions that includes Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Mirimar Cruises, the City Sights tour, Kookaburra River Queen Cruises, Riverlife Adventure Centre, Brisbane Ghost Tours, walking tours, wine tasting, kayaking, and more. The card costs A$145 for adults and A$109 for children aged 4 to 15, and can be used for three months. Buy it online at www.brisbanefiveinone.com (and you can pick it up at the Brisbane airport visitor information center, if you wish).

Taking a City Stroll -- Brisbane is leafy, warm, and full of colonial-era Queenslander architecture, making it a great city for strolling. A self-guided walking tour, the Brisbane City Walk, takes you to 30 attractions, from shopping precincts to historic buildings, and links through three inner-city parks -- Southbank Parklands, Roma Street Parkland, and the City Botanic Gardens. The route is marked on a map distributed by the Brisbane Visitor Information Centre in the Queen Street Mall Information Centre, or you can download it from Our Brisbane (tel. 1300/134 199) at www.ourbrisbane.com/see-and- do/brisbanecitywalk.

Before the devastating January 2011 floods, there was a "floating" River Walk that connected more than 20km (13 miles) of pathways, roads, bridges, and parks along the Brisbane River. You could stroll along River Walk on the north bank of the river between the University of Queensland at St. Lucia and Teneriffe, and on the south bank from the West End ferry terminal at Orleigh Park to Dockside at Kangaroo Point. At press time, the walkway had been completely destroyed, and no decision has been reached about reconstructing it. Some potential plans have included "grounding" it on dry land if they rebuild; if you are interested, check on its status with the Brisbane Visitor Information Centre (tel. 07/3006 6290; www.visitbrisbane.com.au) in the Queen Street Mall, between Edward and Albert streets.

Queensland Cultural Centre

This modern complex stretching along the south bank of the Brisbane River houses many of the city's performing arts venues as well as the state art galleries, museum, and library. With plenty of open plazas and fountains, it is a pleasing place to wander or just sit and watch the river and the city skyline. It's a 7-minute walk from town, across the Victoria Bridge from the Queen Street Mall.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (tel. 07/3840 7444 administration Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, or 13 62 46 for bookings Mon-Sat 9am-8:30pm; www.qpac.com.au) houses the 2,000-seat Lyric Theatre for musicals, ballet, and opera; the 1,800-seat Concert Hall for orchestral performances; the 850-seat Playhouse theater for plays; and the 315-seat Cremorne Theatre for theater-in-the-round, cabaret, and experimental works. The complex has a restaurant and a cafe.

The Queensland Art Gallery (tel. 07/3840 7303; www.qag.qld.gov.au) is one of Australia's most attractive galleries, with vast light- filled spaces and interesting water features inside and out. It is a major player in the Australian art world, attracting blockbuster exhibitions of works by the likes of Renoir, Picasso, and van Gogh, and showcasing diverse modern Australian painters, sculptors, and other artists. It also has an impressive collection of Aboriginal art. The adjacent Queensland Gallery of Modern Art houses collections of modern and contemporary Australian, indigenous Australian, Asian, and Pacific art, and also gives a stunning sense of light and space. The Australian Cinémathèque, located at the Gallery of Modern Art, has two cinemas in which it presents retrospective and thematic film programs, as well as a gallery dedicated to screen-related exhibitions. Admission is free to both galleries. They are open Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm and weekends and public holidays 9am to 5pm; closed Good Friday, Christmas Day, and until noon on April 25 (Anzac Day).

Brisbane's inner-city shopping centers on Queen Street Mall (www.queenstreetmall.com.au), which has around 500 stores. Fronting the mall at 171-209 Queen St., under the Hilton, is the three-level Wintergarden shopping complex (tel. 07/3229 9755; www.wgarden.com.au), housing upscale jewelers and Aussie fashion designers. Farther up the mall at 91 Queen St. (at Albert St.) is the Myer Centre (tel. 07/3223 6900; www.myercentreshopping.com.au), which has Brisbane's biggest department store and five levels of moderately priced stores, mostly fashion. The Brisbane Arcade, 160 Queen St. Mall (tel. 07/3831 2711; www.brisbanearcade.com.au), abounds with the boutiques of local Queensland designers. Just down the mall from it is the Broadway on the Mall arcade (tel. 07/3229 5233; www.broadwayonthemall.com.au), which stocks affordable fashion, gifts, and accessories on two levels. Across from the Edward Street end of the mall is a smart fashion and lifestyle shopping precinct, MacArthur Central (tel. 07/3007 2300; www.macarthurcentral.com), right next door to the GPO on the block between Queen and Elizabeth streets. This is where you'll find top- name designer labels, Swiss watches, galleries, and accessory shops. On Edward and Adelaide streets, you'll find more hot shopping at QueensPlaza (tel. 07/3234 3906; www.queensplaza.com.au).

In Fortitude Valley, on the city center fringe, the Emporium precinct (www.emporium.com.au) at the bottom of Ann St., is the place for designer labels (including shoes), gourmet food and wine, a couple of good bookshops, and other luxuries. James Street is home to some of the top Australian designers, including Scanlan & Theodore and Sass & Bide.

The trendy suburb of Paddington, just a couple of miles from the city by cab (or take the no. 144 bus to Bardon), is the place for antiques, books, art, crafts, one-of-a-kind clothing designs, and unusual gifts. The shops -- housed in colorfully painted Queenslander cottages -- line the main street, Given Terrace, which becomes Latrobe Terrace. Don't miss the second wave of shops around the bend.

Shopping Hours -- Brisbane shops are open Monday through Thursday from 9am to 6pm, Friday 9am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 5:30pm, and Sunday 10am to 6pm. On Friday evening in the city, the Queen Street Mall is abuzz with cinemagoers and revelers; the late (until 9pm) shopping night in Paddington is Thursday.

Markets

Authentic retro '50s and '60s fashion, offbeat stuff such as old LPs, secondhand crafts, fashion by up-and-coming young designers, and all kinds of junk and treasure, are for sale at Brisbane's only alternative market, Valley Markets, Brunswick Street and Chinatown malls, Fortitude Valley. Hang around in one of the many coffee shops and listen to live music. It's open Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 4pm.

The buzzing outdoor South Bank Lifestyle Market, Stanley Street Plaza, South Bank Parklands, is illuminated by fairy lights at night. The market is open Friday from 5 to 10pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 9am to 5pm. On the first Sunday of the month, you'll find the Young Designers section of the market, showcasing Brisbane's next hot young things.

Brisbane folk like trawling the Riverside at the Pier Markets at the Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle St., for housewares, hand-crafted furniture, glassware, leather work, jewelry, fashion, alternative therapies, stained glass, food, art, handmade toys, sculpture, and more. The markets are open on Sunday from around 7am to 4pm.

For an authentic taste of Queensland's best produce, the Powerhouse Farmers Markets (www.janpowersfarmersmarkets.com.au) operate on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from 6am to noon, in the grounds of the Brisbane Powerhouse, Lamington Street, New Farm. Here you'll find much to tempt your palate in about 100 stalls, selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to homemade chutneys, quail, fresh seafood, free-range eggs, and pâtés. There are even cooking classes. Foodies will be in heaven. There are also weekly farmers markets in the Queen Street Mall (at the Victoria Bridge end) on Wednesdays from 10am to 6pm.

Fireworks for Your Wall

If the Aboriginal art you see in the usual tourist outlets doesn't do it for you, what you'll see at Brisbane's Fire-Works Gallery, 52a Doggett St., Newstead (tel. 07/3216 1250; www.fireworksgallery.com.au), might. This renowned gallery shows art by established and emerging artists from all over Australia. You may pale at some of the prices, but the range is wide and you may find something you can't live without -- it's that kind of place. The staff will get your new acquisition shipped home for you. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm, or by appointment.

You can find out about festivals, concerts, and events, and book tickets through Ticketek (tel. 13 28 49 in Queensland; www.ticketek.com.au). You can also book in person at Ticketek agencies, the most convenient of which are on Elizabeth Street, outside the Myer Centre, and in the Visitor Information Centre at South Bank Parklands. Or try Ticketmaster (tel. 13 61 00; www.ticketmaster.com.au).

QTIX (tel. 13 62 46 in Australia; www.qtix.com.au) is a booking agent for the performing arts and classical music, including all events at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex (QPAC). There is a A$4.95 transaction fee per booking. You can also book in person at the box office at QPAC between 8:30am and 9pm Monday to Saturday, and at the South Bank Parklands Visitor Information Centre.

The free weekly magazine Brisbane News lists performing arts, jazz, and classical music performances, art exhibitions, rock concerts, and public events. The free weekly TimeOff, published on Wednesday and available in bars and cafes, is a good guide to live music, as is Thursday's Courier- Mail newspaper.

The Performing Arts

Many of Brisbane's performing arts events are at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in the Queensland Cultural Centre. The city also has a lively independent theater scene, with smaller companies making an increasing impact. To find out what's playing and to book tickets, contact QTIX.

Queensland Theatre Company (tel. 07/3010 7600 for information; www.qldtheatreco.com.au), the state theater company, offers eight or nine productions a year, from the classics to new Australian works. It attracts some of the country's best actors and directors. The company performs at three venues: the Playhouse and Cremorne Theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), South Bank; and its home venue, the 228-seat Bille Brown Studio, 78 Montague Rd., South Brisbane. Tickets cost from A$30, if you are under 30, to between A$42 and A$75.

La Boite Theatre (tel. 07/3007 8600; www.laboite.com.au) is a well-established innovative company that performs contemporary Australian plays in the round. La Boite performs in the 400-seat Roundhouse Theater, 6 Musk Ave., Kelvin Grove. Take bus no. 390 from the city to Kelvin Grove Road, and get off at stop 12. Tickets cost A$48 to A$63 (opening nights); previews are A$26. If you are 30 or under, tickets cost A$28.

Brisbane Powerhouse Arts, 119 Lamington St., New Farm (tel. 07/3358 8600; www.brisbanepowerhouse.org), is a venue for innovative (some might say fringe) contemporary works. A former electricity powerhouse, the massive brick factory is now a dynamic art space for exhibitions, contemporary performance, and live art. The building retains its character, an industrial mix of metal, glass, and stark surfaces etched with 20 years of graffiti. It's a short walk from the New Farm ferry terminal along the riverfront through New Farm Park.

The state opera company, Opera Queensland (tel. 07/3735 3030 administration; www.operaqueensland.com.au), performs a lively repertoire of traditional as well as modern works, musicals, and choral concerts. Book tickets through QTIX (tel. 13 62 46; www.qtix.com.au). Most performances take place at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). Tickets range from A$48 to A$158 or around A$55 at some performances if you're age 30 or younger.

The Queensland Symphony Orchestra (tel. 07/3833 5000 for administration; www.thequeenslandorchestra.com.au) provides classical music lovers with a diverse mix of orchestral and chamber music, with the odd foray into fun material, such as movie themes, pop, and gospel music. It schedules about 30 concerts a year. The orchestra plays at the Concert Hall in the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and occasional other venues; more intimate works sometimes play at the Conservatorium Theatre, South Bank. Tickets for the Maestro concert series cost A$70 to A$85.

Brisbane's Historic Pubs

Brisbane's attractive historic pubs, many of them recently revitalized, have wide, shady verandas and beer gardens just perfect for whiling away a sunny afternoon or catching a quick meal at night.

The best known is the Breakfast Creek Hotel, 2 Kingsford Smith Dr., Breakfast Creek (tel. 07/3262 5988). Built in 1889, the hotel is a Brisbane institution. For many people, a visit to the city isn't complete without a steak and beer "off the wood" at the Brekky Creek.

Another landmark is the Regatta Hotel, 543 Coronation Dr., Toowong (tel. 07/3871 9595; www.regattahotel.com.au). This heritage hotel with three stories of iron-lace balconies is the perfect spot for a cool drink overlooking the Brisbane River and usually bursts at the seams on weekends.

Not far from the Regatta is the Royal Exchange Hotel, 10 High St., Toowong (tel. 07/3371 2555; www.rehotel.com.au). Known simply as "the RE," it's popular with students, probably because of its proximity to the University of Queensland. It has a great garden bar at the back.

The Story Bridge Hotel, 200 Main St., Kangaroo Point (tel. 07/3391 2266; www.storybridgehotel.com.au), is well known as the venue for some of Brisbane's most unusual events, such as the annual Australia Day (Jan 26) cockroach races. Built in 1886, the pub is also a great place to find live music, and has a wonderful beer garden under the bridge.

In Red Hill, on the city fringe, is the Normanby Hotel, 1 Musgrave Rd. (tel. 07/3831 3353; www.thenormanby.com.au), built in 1872 and recently stylishly revamped. Features are the giant Moreton Bay fig tree in the beer garden and the biggest outdoor TV screen in town.

Another of the city's oldest pubs is the Plough Inn (tel. 07/3844 7777; www.ploughinn.com.au), at South Bank Parklands, which has stood its ground through major changes in the neighborhood since 1885. There's even a ghost, they say . ..