bluemooseband

hi all.... we're spending a short 1 1/2 days in Brisbane, and were thinking of a river cruise.... I see the City has ferry's that go up and down the river, (similar to the Sydney harbour ferry's) but I can't determine if you can traverse the whole area by public ferry, or, is it better to take a private tour.... I've seen 1 1/2 + hour private tours, not too expensive.... thanks

marg

Easy to do on the ferries and much cheaper. There are several places where you can easily walk from ferry stops to restaurants, parks etc. Get off the ferry at New Farm, nice coffee place at ferry terminal or walk a short distance through New Farm park to the Powerhouse, good place for coffee or lunch overlooking the river. There are often exhibitions on at Powerhouse. Another good choice would be the Howard Smith wharves just near the Storey Bridge - walkable from the city or get the ferry from Riverside - good place for lunch or dinner.
Be aware that you will need a Go Card - you cannot pay in cash on the ferry. If you are seniors, public transport including ferries is cheaper and free during certain times of day.

KayF

In Brisbane we have the CityHopper (also now called KittyCats), CityCats and tourist boats. I've never done the tourist journey but I think it goes further down the river and I'm sure you'd get some sort of commentary so you know what you are sailing past.

The CityHoppers are the small boats, free for everyone and they go from North Quay to Sydney Street, in a continual loop. You can hop on and off at any of the stops in between. They are quite a bit slower than the CityCats and only run every 30 mins. If you get off at Sydney St terminal, it's a nice walk along the river to New Farm Park, as marg describes above. Howard Smith Wharves is very popular, with places to eat and drink. If you end up there, go up in the lift by the cliff to see the river views from that height.

Just to add to the confusion of many people, the small CityHoppers also have a cross river service, just going back and forth from Holman St, Kangaroo Point and Riverside which is opposite. You do need to have a GoCard to pay for that.

The CityCats go the furthest, from St Lucia all the way to Northshore. You can stay on this one as long as you like, do a loop or just a sector. If you want to use this service, you should have a GoCard but because it's so hard (why, why??) to buy a ticket I've seen many people travel without paying. I've never seen a ticket inspector but I guess they may be around. I think for tourists, the stretch between Southbank and Brett's Wharf is the best section. Hope you have a great time.

bluemooseband

thanks, some good advice.... I think the Cityhopper smaller boat is the way to go for we tourists ! according to the map, it starts at North Quay and goes to Sydney Street, and as suggested, we can walk to New Farm Park.... is there parking availability at North Quay or are we better off boarding at one of the other stops ? (Maritime Museum, Riverside, Holman Street, Howard Smith)... also, are there interesting things to see at these stops, given the HOHO ability ? cheers

KayF

There is not much parking at any of these stops as they are all city or inner-city. There will be car parks where you can prebook and pay (Secure Parking is one) or just turn up. There is a huge carpark under the Brisbane Convention Centre, you can check cost online. Park then go upstairs in the lift, ten minute walk to the Southbank ferry terminal.

You could park in a city centre car park, there are loads but none will be cheap. Just wondering why you will have a car? City hotels often charge for parking too. You don't really need it in the city area unless you are travelling further afield. There are free city loop buses. North Quay does not have any parking nearby and the ferry terminal is down lots of stairs, the lift is often out of order. There's an underground (pay) car park near Riverside, off Eagle St. Very little parking at Holman St. Underground car park at Howard Smith Wharves but my guess is it gets booked out a lot (small and lots of events held there).