Thrifty’s Guide to a Week in Brisbane

There’s a good reason why Queensland is known Australia-wide as the Sunshine State, and almost all of those reasons can be found in the state’s capital of Brisbane. Stunning beaches, delicious food, great weather and an endless selection of exciting adventures are just some of what’s on offer in this city of sunshine, and all can be achieved in just a week. So, pick up your Thrifty rental car from any of the locations around Brisbane city, pack it with the essentials, and get ready to start your engine for an awesome week ahead. 

Eat Street

Begin your week in Brisbane with a visit to the centre of all things edible. The perfectly-named Eat Street is a precinct in Northshore at Hamilton Wharf that is filled with street foods of all kinds, serving up everything from teppanyaki noodles to pizza and pasta, Filipino street food to an oyster shuck bar. all in one easy spot. Situated within a collection of repurposed coloured shipping containers and surrounded by strings of fairy lights, Eat Street is the perfect night out. And not just for affordable eats either—the precinct has everything from fashion to a cinema to a selection of live music performers to keep you entertained as you eat your way through Northshore. There’s no better introduction to a week in Brisbane than a full belly and a beautiful night spent with delicious food down by the river’s edge in the city.

Embrace the Adventure 

Tucked into the unassuming banks of the Brisbane River is one of the most exciting opportunities for adventure in the city. Riverlife in Kangaroo Point has transformed the river banks under Story Bridge to one fun ride of a water adventure playground. With a backdrop of the city skyline, you can do anything from kayaking the waters of the Brisbane River, abseiling above them, or rock climbing your way along the sandstone cliffs that run by it. Every view of Brisbane city from this angle, be it upside down or atop the water, brings out the beauty of this spectacular place. And if that’s not enough adventure for you, Riverlife is located just next to the iconic Story Bridge that is home to one of the most amazing views of the city. Climb to the top of the bridge and you’ll be greeted by stunning 360-degree panoramas of Brisbane and its surrounds. To top it all off, sitting just below Story Bridge is the Felons Brewing Co and its Barrel Hall, equipped with a beer garden, waterfront deck, brewery and fish’n’chipper—everything you need to feed a hungry belly after a big day of adventuring.  

Visit North Stradbroke Island

Across the expanse of Moreton Bay, about thirty kilometres southeast of the centre of Brisbane, sits North Stradbroke Island. If you want to take your Thrifty rental car across the island of Straddie and its three townships, Dunwich, Amity and Point Lookout, you can easily catch the Sealink vehicle and passenger ferry across the bay. Only taking forty-five minutes, being fully air-conditioned and with a licensed cafe on board, the ferry is a great way to experience some sight-seeing of the bay. With beautiful, expansive, white sand beaches that stretch their horizons into the South Pacific Ocean, Straddie has everything you could crave for a taste of nature. Freshwater creeks run alongside the border of the ocean beaches and through the Naree Budjong Djara National Park, twisting their way into the selection of wetlands, springs, lakes and lagoons that all invite you to take a dip. If you’re after a break from the city lights, you can stay overnight on Straddie Island in any of its accommodation options. Or, being only a forty-five minute ferry back to the mainland, you could make it back to the city for one more night of riverside beers and feeds.

A Night Under the Stars

It’s only fitting that a city with such consistent sunshine has so much outdoor activity. Nobody takes better advantage of the beautiful weather than the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm. In collaboration with Dendy Cinemas, they’ve created Brisbane’s first ever permanent outdoor cinema, meaning you can enjoy a glass of wine, a bucket of popcorn, a good flick, and all under the sparkling stars of the Brisbane night sky. Doing what Dendy does best, the program for the Brisbane Powerhouse cinema ranges from major blockbusters to indie and arthouse films, scratching whatever movie itch you’ve got going. Paired with a lounge chair and a set of headphones, with options for snacks like a cheese-box or some classic cinema popcorn, a night out at the movies is the perfect way to finish off the week in this city of beautiful balmy nights.

Whether it’s exploring the backstreets and riverfronts of the city, or heading across the bay to Straddie on the ferry, a week in Brisbane is best spent embracing the adventure of all the city has to offer.