Guide to Kangaroo Point Queensland Australia

Kangaroo Point is a narrow peninsula in a loop of the river directly opposite the centre of Brisbane. Its western edge is a line of sheer cliffs that face the city skyline, floodlit at night and alive with climbers, and its northern tip carries the Story Bridge. With parks along both shores and a new footbridge to the city, it is one of the best places to see Brisbane from.

Known For

• The Kangaroo Point Cliffs and their skyline views
• Rock climbing, abseiling and kayaking on the river
• The Story Bridge and its bridge climb

The peninsula is about two kilometres long and only a few hundred metres wide. River Terrace runs along the top of the cliffs, Main Street carries traffic down the middle to the bridge, and the eastern shore is lined with apartment towers and a marina. The parklands of South Bank begin at the foot of the cliffs.

Kangaroo Point suits active visitors and anyone who wants a quieter base within sight of the city, a short ferry ride or walk away.

Things To Do in Kangaroo Point

The Cliffs

The cliffs rise about 20 metres from a riverside park, the result of convicts and later council workers quarrying the volcanic rock for the buildings and sea walls of early Brisbane. A path and picnic lawns run along the top, with barbecues, lookouts and a cafe, and a long flight of steps leads to the park below. The view of the city across the river is at its best at sunset and after dark.

Rock Climbing and Abseiling

This is one of the few places in the world where you can climb natural rock in the middle of a city, free of charge. Hundreds of bolted routes cover the cliff face, and floodlights allow climbing well into the night. Visitors without their own gear can join guided climbing and abseiling sessions with an adventure company based in the old naval stores at the foot of the cliffs, which also runs kayak tours on the river, including evening paddles.

The Story Bridge

The steel cantilever bridge at the tip of the peninsula opened in 1940 and is the best-known landmark in Brisbane. Walkways on both sides carry pedestrians and cyclists to Fortitude Valley and Howard Smith Wharves. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb takes guided groups up the superstructure to a platform 80 metres above the river, with dawn, day, twilight and night departures. Captain Burke Park, beneath the bridge, has lawns and a small beach.

Kangaroo Point Bridge

Opened in December 2024, this elegant bridge for walkers and cyclists crosses from the peninsula to the City Botanic Gardens end of the city centre in a few minutes. It has shaded rest points, a restaurant and bar on the structure itself, and it has turned the cliffs, the gardens and South Bank into an easy walking loop.

Riverside Walks and Cycling

A flat path follows the river all the way around the peninsula, from the cliffs past the old naval stores, under the Story Bridge and along the eastern shore to Mowbray Park. Joined with South Bank and the Goodwill Bridge, it makes one of the best short rides in the city.

Where To Stay

Kangaroo Point has a good range of hotels and apartments, generally cheaper than the city centre.

Hotels along Main Street and Shafston Avenue, including The Point Brisbane, offer rooms and suites with city or river views, pools and parking. They are popular for events at the Gabba, a short walk south.

Apartment hotels and serviced apartments are plentiful, particularly around Dockside on the eastern shore and along Lambert Street, with full kitchens that suit families and longer stays.

Motels and backpacker hostels on the southern side cater to budget travellers. Ferries and the footbridge make it simple to reach the city centre without a car.

Eat & Drink

The cliff-top park has a cafe and restaurant with a deck looking straight across to the skyline, a favourite for breakfast, and the restaurant on the Kangaroo Point Bridge is one of the most unusual settings in the city.

Two historic pubs anchor the peninsula. The Story Bridge Hotel, beneath the bridge, dates from 1886 and is known for its beer garden, steaks and its quirky Australia Day cockroach races. The Pineapple Hotel, trading since 1864, is the traditional gathering place before matches at the Gabba.

Cafes and small restaurants are scattered along Main Street and around Dockside. For a wider choice, South Bank is a ten-minute walk and Howard Smith Wharves is just across the Story Bridge.

History

Kangaroo Point is in the country of the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples. It was one of the first parts of Brisbane settled by Europeans, with farms in the 1820s and land sales from 1843. Convicts quarried the cliffs for stone, and shipyards, wharves and engineering works lined the shore for more than a century.

The Story Bridge, built as a public works project during the Depression, opened in 1940. Industry moved away from the 1970s, and apartments and parks have since taken its place.

Getting to Kangaroo Point

From the city centre, walk or ride across the Kangaroo Point Bridge or the Story Bridge. The free CityHopper ferry and cross-river ferries stop at Thornton Street, Holman Street and Dockside.

Buses run along Main Street to Woolloongabba and the city. The nearest railway stations are South Bank and, across the river, Central. Parking along River Terrace is limited and timed.

Nearest Airport: Brisbane