Brisbane: what to see in 1 day

South Bank Parklands is the starting point—a riverside park built on the site of the 1988 Expo.

Here you'll find Streets Beach, a beach with a swimming lagoon artificially created in the heart of the city, surrounded by palms and lawns where you can relax before heading toward the neighborhood museums.

Just a few steps away stand the Queensland Art Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), and the Queensland Museum, all with free admission to their permanent collections.

From South Bank's wharf, take a CityCat ferry across the Brisbane River toward the city center: a few minutes of navigation offering a view of the city's skyline very different from what you see while walking the streets.

After docking downtown, you can stroll through the City Botanic Gardens, the botanical gardens overlooking the river, before reaching Queen Street Mall, the pedestrian shopping street and a good spot for lunch.

In the afternoon, head back toward the water, this time on the opposite bank, climbing up to the cliffs of Kangaroo Point: from here the river is seen from a rocky promontory, with the city skyline on one side and the Story Bridge profile on the other.

An alternative, for those who prefer a wider view of the entire city, is to reach the viewpoint of Mount Coot-tha by car or bus, the wooded hill west of downtown from where all of Brisbane can be seen, with the ocean visible on the horizon on clear days.

In the evening, it's time to head to Fortitude Valley, the northeast neighborhood that combines the city's Chinatown with one of the densest concentrations of restaurants and bars in Brisbane.

Brisbane follows well along the course of the Brisbane River, from South Bank to the center, then choosing between two observation points at elevation, Kangaroo Point or Mount Coot-tha, before closing among the bars of Fortitude Valley.

The islands of the bay, such as North Stradbroke Island, and natural parks further from the city remain left out, destinations more suited to those with more than a day at their disposal. It is enough, however, to follow the river from South Bank to Kangaroo Point to understand how tight the bond is between Brisbane and its watercourse.