South Bank, a bridge away

The Neville Bonner Bridge leaves from The Terrace and lands on the South Bank cultural forecourt. That one walk is why this hotel works so well for a weekend: a city beach, a Ferris wheel and two of Queensland's big cultural institutions are on the other side.

Illustration of a city lagoon beach with swimmers, a lifeguard chair and a skyline across the river — A lagoon beach across the river, as we imagine it. Illustration, not a photograph of the hotel.

The bridge

Type	Pedestrian, cable-stayed
Length	More than 320 metres
Mast	77 metres above sea level
Over the expressway	A 45-metre span across the Riverside Expressway
Opened	Thursday 29 August 2024, the same day as the first stage of Queen's Wharf
Owner	The State of Queensland
Designer	Grimshaw, according to the precinct owner

The Queensland Government expected about 10,000 crossings a day when it opened. The precinct owner says it took more than 1,000 tonnes of structural steel, sourced from fabricators in South-East Queensland. At the northern end stands a bronze bust of Neville Bonner by the late Brisbane sculptor John Elliott — our journal has more on who he was.

Our Sunday-morning route

Out

8:15 am
The Terrace
Start from Level 4, where the bridge begins.
8:25 am
On the bridge
Stop at the middle for the view back to the Sky Deck you stood on last night.
8:40 am
Streets Beach
A swim or a walk along the sand before the day warms up.

Back

9:45 am
The Wheel of Brisbane
Twelve minutes or so in an enclosed gondola.
10:15 am
Past QPAC and GOMA
Note what is on for your next visit.
10:35 am
Back over the bridge
In time to pack before the 11 am check-out.

Streets Beach

South Bank's own site calls it Australia's only beach in the middle of a city: an artificial swimming lagoon with white sand, palms and shallow water, overlooking the river and the CBD. There are no waves or rips, and professional lifeguards patrol it seven days a week. The address is 30b Stanley Street Plaza. Bring swimwear in a day bag and change before you wander back through the resort: swimwear is not allowed in the casino areas.

The Wheel of Brisbane

Fully enclosed, air-conditioned gondolas take you 60 metres above the ground with 360-degree views over South Bank, the river and the inner city. Visit South Bank gives the ride as about twelve minutes, four revolutions, with an audio tour. It is enclosed, so it works on a hot day or in light rain.

QPAC, GOMA and the convention centre

The Star's FAQ lists the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre as directly opposite the resort and all reachable on foot over the bridge. If a concert, a play or an exhibition is the reason for your weekend, check their own calendars — we link them below — and send us the date with your room request.

A note on Country

South Bank Corporation recognises the Turrbal and Yuggera people as the Traditional Owners of the lands at South Bank. On the city side, The Star and the precinct owner name the Turrbal and Jagera people. We use each organisation's own spelling.