outdoors

The cement works adjacent to the entrance at first seem incongruous to this superb green expanse bordered by a hill of towering gums

This subtropical wonderland, the largest of its kind in the world, sprang to life in 2001 on the site of the former Roma St railway goods yards

These beautiful gardens sprawl along the river and were established in the early 1920s. They are unique in that they contain 1,000+ species of almost entirely native flora

Tucked well into the bush at the foot of Mt Coot-tha and yet only a short drive from the city, Simpson Falls provides an idyllic gum-shaded expanse of green

A rolling expanse of hills form the setting for this scenic park which is large enough to have a circuit road loop through it.

This Federation-style park, once part of the grounds of famed Irish retailer TC Beirne’s Victorian villa, has to be Brisbane’s prettiest green public space.

Hidden away atop Teneriffe’s highest (44m) hill is this charming little green domain, overlooking nineteenth century cottage chimneys

One of the few waterfront bayside parks with a sandy beach suitable for paddling, WH Yeo is a lovely flat stretch of green with views

This little stretch of green on the precipice of rocky cliffs carved by an ex-quarry and framed by the Story Bridge is one of Brisbane’s secret parks

Few who visit this impressive stately park with its woodlands and memorial paths would realise that it’s one of the oldest in Brisbane.

This ride via the Western Freeway bike path begins at the beautiful sub-tropical Botanic Gardens and ends at the southwest’s showcase riverfront parklands.

A labyrinth of dirt trails cuts through this lovely gum-forested koala reserve, with three circuits of varying lengths open to horse and bike riders.

This spectacular ride through Boondall Wetlands is a 7-8km foray into the terrestrial world of marshland, casuarina woodlands, mangrove grottoes

A little strip of patrolled sand, Suttons Beach is one of the best swimming beaches on the peninsula

The perfect antidote to the corporate bustle of the CBD across the river, Streets Beach has something of the surreal about it

Of the string of little bay beaches that line the Redcliffe Peninsula, Scarborough on the far northern tip would have to be the prettiest.