Kangaroo Point River Walk

The Kangaroo Point river walk and cycle path, which circumnavigates the peninsula, is a picturesque path of about 7km return which takes in sculptures, historic relics, mangrove walk, picnic and barbecue spots and quaint viewing platforms.

The path, which is mostly shaded, is split for pedestrians and cyclists most of the way, making for a relaxing walk, with plenty of waterfront benches to stop and enjoy the views of the city, Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves. There are also riverfront cafes perfect for a halfway coffee and refreshment. A great place to start is at the Queensland Maritime Museum.

The first section of the path starts outside here, on Lower River Terrace (a good place to park) and takes in stunning view of the Goodwill Bridge, with South Bank on one side and the City Botanic Gardens on the other. Perched on a remnant of the old bridge is the Pelicans sculpture, fashioned out of recycled scrap metal by artist Christopher Trotter. 

From here, you'll come to some relics of Expo '88 - the iconic Man over Matter sculptures - an iconic collection of 12 painted steel sculptures by artist Peter D. Cole. A picnic and barbecue spot on the river features a table tennis table with a stunning water and city view. 

Soon, you'll come to River Life, Brisbane's outdoor adventure centre for kayaking, rock-climbing the cliffs and events and functions, housed in the heritage-listed Naval Stores.

Behind are the cliffs of Kangaroo Point which were once a quarry, which provided the unique coloured porphyry stone, seen in some of Brisbane's historic buildings.

The cliffs staircase is one of Brisbane's biggest outdoor cardio challenge, but if you want to take a detour to the clifftops the views are stunning. Otherwise, continue on for a couple of hundred metres until the path splits - take the left side for a stroll through a tiny preserved mangrove cluster, before meeting up with the main path again.

Along the way you'll also notice a smattering of tiny wooden pavilions in different styles, reminiscent of ferry stops and a small pier leading out from one of them. The path becomes an over river boardwalk for a short while until you are past the cliffs, before coming out to and joining the Natural History Trail.   

This trail cuts through grassy riverfront parklands which are overlooked by apartment blocks, with information plaques along the way conveying the pioneers who lived in this area and the unique botanical features of this section of the river. It might be hard to believe but in the first part of the 20th century, this area of Kangaroo Point was home to the Evans and Deakins Shipyard but along the way, there's a small cluster of stones with an historic plaque pointing out the remains of the two original crane bases that are still present.

The Natural History Trail leads through to Captain Burke Park, located at the base of the Story Bridge, and featuring a fantastic kids playground and picnic spots on the river and within the park. The path passes under the Story Bridge, with great views of the Howard Smith Wharves on the other side of the river.

At low tide, a wide mangrove fringed sandy beach appears and further along are stairs to reach it so you can take a stroll along it.

A little way under the bridge and around the bend you'll see the old Yungaba Immigration Centre which for years in the early 1900's was the first point of arrival by boat for immigrants to Queensland.

Today, the heritage-listed building has been converted into luxury apartments and beyond the lawns in front you'll arrive at one of Brisbane's best cafe/restaurants, Medley KP. The stunning riverfront open-sided venue is the perfect breakfast, coffee or lunch spot and is also open evening Thursday to Saturday for dinner.

From there you can either continue along the waterfront until you reach Dockside, where there's a vintage prawn trawler - The Prawnster - moored and you can dine on fresh seafood on board (pre-bookings required). Or return the same way from Medley KP. 

Good to know - Although the first section of the walk is almost totally shaded, to avoid the sun, this walk is best done early morning or late afternoon.

Need to know - Metred parking is available on Lower River Tce near the Queensland Maritime Museum or further along, there are car parks below the Kangaroo Point cliffs before you reach River Life. Alternatively park at South Bank and take the Clem Jones promenade to meet up with Lower River Tce. There's also a ferry stop at The Queensland Maritime Museum and the South Bank Train station is 5 mins walk away.

More great things to eat, drink, do and see in Kangaroo Point HERE