The Best Picnic Spots in Brisbane
Brisbane is packed with awesome locations for a picnic, from beautiful parks and gardens to breathtaking waterfront settings. When the weather is just right (pretty much always in Brissie!), pack your esky and picnic blanket, and GetGoing. Check out our top picnic spots in and around Brisbane below to help you live your best life when the sun is shining. Grab a GoGet and start exploring today.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
Whether viewed from the top or bottom, this is the ideal location in Brisbane for a picnic. Enjoy a panoramic view of the city and set up your rug at the top of the cliffs, or relax by the river. Whatever you decide, there are gazebos, benches, tables, grills, and ample grassy spots to set up. There are also cafes for those without food, rock climbing, and cycleways for the more energetic.
New Farm Park
It is also the only outdoor space in Brisbane where you are free to drink alcohol anywhere you like. Want a seat besides the river but plan to play some soccer later? Want to relax under some Poinciana trees but fancy an afternoon barbeque? Whatever your plans are for your sunny day, New Farm Park has it all!
City Botanic Gardens
Can’t travel far but need a city break? The City Botanic Gardens is a great option for you. The 45-acre City Botanic Gardens, which first opened its doors in 1855, have remained Queensland’s crowning horticultural achievement. Tucked between the river on one side and QUT and Government House on the other, it is not only picturesque and convenient, but also a haven from the bustle of inner-city life. Where else can you spend your lunch break gazing over ponds filled with birds, fish, and turtles, strolling around unusual sculptures, and reading love letters scrawled on secret benches?
Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
A fantastic retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. The 56-hectare grounds are open every day and have many hiding places where you can set up shop for the day. With so much land to traverse, you’ll have lots of opportunities for new excursions, from the Japanese Garden to the Bamboo Grove. For those who like to gaze upward, there is more to be had. The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is also located nearby. Forgot to bring your basket home? To keep you covered, there is a cafe on the premises.
Howard Smith Wharves
Meet Howard Smith Wharves, the minimalist picnic aficionado where you’ll be treated to the best skyline view Brisbane has to offer. There is no need to BYO with Felons Brewing Co. on site. Families and dogs are welcome, so your four-legged friend need not be left at home (just make sure to book a pet-friendly GoGet).
Roma Street Parkland
The inner-city refuge of Roma Street Parkland will make you forget you’re in the bustling metropolis. The park, which is divided into an upper and lower level and connected by bridges, is a wildly diverse collection of subtropical precincts, including the Arid zone, fern gully, the rainforest, and Pandanus headland, to name just a few.
Picnic Island, South Bank Parklands
An island where picnics are the main activity? Well kind of. Picnic Island is not really a land mass surrounded by water, as anyone who has been to South Bank before will know; rather, it is a spot for dining, drinking, and taking in Brisbane’s (usually) excellent weather. The park is home to a wide variety of plants, flowers, and trees in addition to a number of wonderful picnic spots. The city of Brisbane is practically at your feet, and when the sun sets, things only become better.
Lower Moora Park & Beach
This charming little bay is located next to the ancient jetty at the base of the Shorncliffe cliffs. There is a beautiful playground as well as grassy stretches that are shaded by cotton trees, rock ponds, and contemporary white picnic shelters. There are adventures to be had everywhere you turn in the playground, which consists of a network of connected timber forts with sea creature sculptures in the sand and colourful animal wood carvings interwoven on the inside of the posts. It’s a great option for kids and your little ones can enjoy a paddle in the calm waters.
Sherwood Arboretum
With plenty of grassy areas to spread out a picnic blanket, Sherwood Arboretum’s 15 hectares of parks is a great spot for a picnic. The gardens are special because they have more than 1,000 species of vegetation, practically all of it native. With flora pockets ranging from lush rainforest to leafy, open eucalypt and gum forest, wetlands, and mangroves, the arboretum is made up of seven distinct plant precincts. It also has a number of self-guided trails that you can explore at your leisure, including the Tree Trail, Bird Trail, Kauri Heritage Trail, and the Environmental Trail. Two sizable, well-shaded playgrounds are available for older and younger children to. Free-to-use barbecues and picnic tables are distributed throughout the grounds and dogs are welcome too, but must always be on a leash.
If you’re a GoGet member, then there’s nothing standing in your way! Book a car today and GoGet out there. No Membership? No problem! We’ve got the perfect plan for you!
