Duration: 1-2 hours
Price Guide: $0
Last Reviewed:

Brisbane’s heritage-listed City Hall, combined with the Museum of Brisbane, offers an in-depth insight into the history of Brisbane.

Start from Central Station.

Exit via the main entrance onto Ann Street. Cross the road and immediately turn left down Edward Street.

Edward Street is host to some of Australia’s most renowned designers, including menswear stores, high-end fashion and, for those who need pampering after shopping – day spas!

Take the next right onto Adelaide Street.

Upon quick passing Adelaide Street seems dull, unexciting, with little to offer except mundane views of office buildings. Do not be so hasty to dismiss it – for those who are dedicated enough to seek it out, there is a heritage strip on the west end of the street (near South Bank) which features some one-off speciality shops.

Continue walking for about a minute; soon you will see King George Square to your right.

King George Square was opened in 1975. It is a public square, located between Adelaide Street and Ann Street. It was named after King George V, following his death in 1936. (Just south is Albert Street, which is named after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband). The square was closed to traffic in 1969.

‘Speakers Corner’ is a section of the square that is home to statues of famous Queenslanders. These include: Emma Miller (1939-1917), a suffragette who had huge influences on women’s votes and rights in Australia; Steele Rudd (1868-1935), a famous storyteller; and Sir Charles Lilley (1830-1897), a former Premier and Chief Justice of Queensland. Other statues within the square include the Petrie Tableau, which depicts the Petrie family, who were the first free-settling family in the local district. The Forme Del Mito statues were designed by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro – the Brisbane Council bought them in 1988. A rectangular fountain was built in the centre of the square to replace the previous circular one – unfortunately due to drought it is non operational; instead now it is a water-efficient garden.

As you enter George Street Square, the City Hall/museum is to your left.

the Lord Mayor’s Office, the Ithaca Auditorium and Balmoral rooms. Howeverm bear in mind the majority of these are empty function rooms or offices, so are not hugely exciting – the observation platform above the bell tower is probably the best part to visit.

Duration: 30 mins to 1 hour
Price Guide: $0
Last Reviewed:

Port Douglas is located 70kms north of Cairns, and is a popular tourist retreat to enjoy the tranquil surroundings of Far North Queensland and admire the breathtaking scenery.

Seeing as Port Douglas is so small, Macrossan Street is hard to miss, near enough impossible to miss, as you can’t really go anywhere without crossing it! If you enter Port Douglas by car, chances are you’ll be driving through this street. The second main street at the far end of Macrossan Street is Wharf Street.

From whichever point you enter Macrossan Street, it basically runs straight for about 10-15 minutes. It is bracketed at each end by Wharf Street, and by the Esplanade (which leads to Four Mile Beach).

For those who love their tacky souvenirs, Macrossan Street won’t fail to disappoint – from classic Aussie memorabilia to ‘naked chef’ Port Douglas aprons, you’ll find everything you need to remember your time here! On to more serious fashion, there are some great surf stores here, such as Tript, also some incredible little boutiques selling one-offs, such as Mermaids and Moonshine Bay.

Should you need to know, the Post Office is on the corner of Owen Street and Macrossan Street.

There’s also heaps of eating options as you continue to wander along Macrossan Street.

In true Aussie fashion, cafes are in abundance – Zinc is a perfect chillout for those who love extravagant cakes with their lattes, whilst Whileaway combines books, art and coffee all under one roof. Those with a sweet tooth should head to Shakes, a gelati bar that offers some superb flavours, or Wendys, a wonderfully sickly ice cream store, which has the added bonus of cheap internet for $3 an hour. (However it is a little slow – if you want something faster head to Wicked or the Kodak store.)

For eating out in the evenings, those that have come highly recommended are the Rattle and Hum Bar Pizzeria and Grill, the Mango Jam restaurant, and the Star of Siam (Thai).

Duration: 1-2 hours
Price Guide: $0
Last Reviewed:

Mossman Gorge is within Daintree National Park, which forms part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA). The Mossman Gorge area was declared in 1967.

Depending on where you are, Mossman Gorge is easily reached from Cairns or Port Douglas.

From Cairns, travel north for 80km along the Cook Highway to Mossman. (The same applies for Port Douglas.)

In the centre of Mossman turn left into Johnston Road. This 5km bitumen road leads directly to the Mossman Gorge car park (caravans are not recommended on this road).

The longer walk, known as the Gorge Circuit, is a 3km loop which takes you through the depths of the rainforest amongst hoardes of wildlife, foliaged creeks and along the old wooden suspension bridge.

Quite amazingly, this remarkable place is not as busy as you would expect; many newcomers are often steered towards the more popular Cape Tribulation further north. Despite this car parking is pretty limited so can get full at busier times. Call (07) 4046 6600 for more information.