About 12km south of the city centre, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary occupies a patch of parkland beside the river. It’s home to 130 or so koalas, plus kangaroos, possums, wombats, birds and other Aussie critters. The koalas are undeniably cute – most visitors readily cough up the $16 to have their picture snapped hugging one. There are animal presentations scheduled throughout the day.
To get here catch bus 430 ($7.20, 45 minutes) from the Queen St bus station. Alternatively, Mirimar cruises along the Brisbane River to the sanctuary, departing from the Cultural Centre Pontoon on South Bank next to Victoria Bridge. They depart daily at 10am, returning from Lone Pine at 1.45pm.
