Brisbane Wildlife Parks and Zoos

Australia's native fauna is a feature of wildlife parks at several locations around Brisbane and the region. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary at Fig Tree Pocket is the world's largest koala sanctuary.

The riverside garden setting is also home to a large community of kangaroos, wallabies, emus, wombats and native birds.

Koalas and kangaroos are also a feature at the Australian Woolshed and Alma Park Zoo.

Brisbane Parks and Gardens

Brisbane's green image is largely due to the multitude of parks including the magnificent City Gardens, established in 1855 on the banks of the river's Town Reach. Palms, Moreton Bay figs, a mangrove walk, a rainforest area and a cafe are some of the features of this stately park.

Mt Coot-tha Gardens at Toowong has themed sections including a scented garden, arid zone, cascades and waterfalls that weave through rainforest terraces and a geodesic domed greenhouse for tropical plants.

Brisbane Forest Park, on the western edges of the city, encompasses 28,500 hectares of rainforest, mountains, waterfalls, creeks and bushland as well as numerous picnic grounds and an information centre at The Gap. Several small national parks include rainforest walks while Bellbird Grove and Mt Coot-tha Park both have Aboriginal trails and former gold mine walks.

Boondall Wetlands Reserve is home to a vast population of resident and migratory water birds including the Eastern Curlew from Siberia. The wetlands can be explored from an extensive pathway which includes a trail of 18 Aboriginal totems, symbolic of the indigenous history of the region. The wetlands can also be seen on a canoe trail (brochures from Brisbane Tourism).

Glasshouse at the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

Picnic grounds with barbecues, either electric or well stocked with firewood, are abundant in parkland areas throughout the city, suburbs, riverbanks and bayside parks. Close to the city centre try South Bank Parklands and Kangaroo Point.

New Farm Park is one of the city's oldest parks. On the riverbank at New Farm it features early rose gardens, a jacaranda avenue, massive curtain fig trees that form a children's playground and traditional tearooms.