SkyscraperCity Forum banner
Cancel
New Forums

Ideas for Brisbane's Iconic Tourist Attraction

Jump to Latest
21 - 40 of 88 Posts
#21 ·
now now, keep your cynicism to yourself!!! ;)

i am sure there would be a lot of debate about how these islands should be developed, but i think opinion would tend more towards noosa heads-style low impact tourist accommodation than surfers paradise-style high rise and permanent resident accommodation.

but the debate will never happen until we get the transport links developed. baby steps!
 
#22 ·
For those pushing for the Aquarium, would anyone think having it in a bayside area (Redcliffe or Redlands) be a good idea as it would be on the bay itself and actually would be good for the community that gets it.

Manly (Sydney) has a successful aquarium which is a drawcard to the suburb.
http://www.manlysealifesanctuary.com.au/
 
#28 · (Edited)
Cleveland is too far, you need it kept reasonably close to the CBD, the tourism attractions need to be a synergy of attractions all relatively close to each other to capitalize on each other's marketing. Just look at the Gold Coast, 5 competing theme parks all within a relatively small area.

That's why I love the idea of further Eco-tourism development at Mt Cootha, the area has the space, natural assets and connectivity to really become a focal point for tourism in Brisbane.

I think we're kidding ourselves if we think a single iconic attraction like a tower is going to put Brisbane on the map, it won't happen... Brisbane faces too much competition for tourist developers for those type of attractions from the Gold Coast and other parts of Queensland, secondly a tower has to be truly groundbreaking these days to even raise an eyebrow internationally, Brisbane doesn't have the sovereign wealth or economies of scale to warrant such a development.

People need to start recognizing the natural beauty and potential that Brisbane/Queensland already has and building on that, it's much more cost effective and it's unique. Tourists want a unique experience, not some carbon copy plastic crap that can be found in hundreds of other cities internationally.
 
#29 ·
KJBrissy said:
^^I completely agree with your ideas. I had always thought an extreemly detailed and well researched Aboriginal themed museum located next to GOMA would be amazing.
Click to expand...
Is there any scope to redevelop or add floors to the existing site of the Queensland Museum because you could include it there within the building?

I remember when I made my first visit to Brisbane in 2006, I was interested in the Sciencentre which is a separate part of the Museum of Queensland. To me while the exhibits are great, I just think its too small. I've been to Questacon in Canberra and its huge down there.

If you could expand that, build the indigenous museum and retain the existing museum on the one site, I think Brisbane could have the best Museum complex in the country.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I was talking recently with a friend about expanding the Moreton Bay Islands as tourist destinations (particularly Stradbroke). It would be awesome to just have them so easily accessible, and to be honest I wouldn't even mind if certain parts of them were 'pimped out' if a large majority could be reserved to never be touched and other sections maintained their existing character. It would just make Brisbane that much cooler - Straddie is so close but feels so far away, it's hard to believe how close you really are to the waters of muddy old Brisbane. I appreciate that that is sort of its appeal so I am a bit conflicted, but I think the positives would outweigh the negatives. I think.

An Aboriginal History Museum is something I really wish Sydney would hurry up and build, but there's no one reason Brisbane can't have one. Each region obviously has its own history.
 
#32 ·
The thing about the Moreton Bay Islands, they can be made more accessible in a tourism sense without suffering from overdevelopment, North Stradbroke or Moreton Island are both prime eco-tourism candidates..

People from Brisbane would just love to have quality beaches made accessible to them without have to go all the way to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast. To have the beaches made accessible in some form with a backdrop of tourism attractions on the island would become a suitable drawcard not just for interstate/international tourists but also people from Brisbane.

The hardest thing is to come up with a suitable way to connect the islands to Brisbane proper and then a means of transport once on the islands.
 
#33 ·
I'd go with the Moreton Island development idea, as I've said on here a few times before. It would be awesome. If Moreton was more convenient, I'd go a few times a year and I live in Brisbane... never mind tourists.

asdfg said:
I realise conservation is a big issue, but improving the accessibility to and developing Moreton Island could be a big draw card for Brisbane.

For international tourists, Australia is an exotic place associated with warm weather, wilderness and sand. A more marketed and developed Moreton Island would probably be Australia's finest example of this near to a large city. At the moment it's a sort-of secret little brother of Fraser Island that very few tourists are aware of.

The catch is that it would need the development of a few resorts, plus roads on the island, which would clearly affect the natural side of the island.
Click to expand...
asdfg said:
innerwest said:
^^Totally agree, making all of the islands a lot more accessible would be extremely beneficial for Brisbane tourism, although conservationists might have something to say about it. Fast catamarans from the CBD, as well as easy transport between the islands themselves, would offer an opportunity no other capital really could. Parts of the islands themselves would have to become more touristy/developed to cater for it, I guess, which I admit would mean the loss of some of their charm. At the moment I feel they are too far removed, expensive and take ages to get to.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

The more I think about the Moreton Island idea, the more I see the potential in it.

The key is convenience. The island is spectacular, the snorkeling is excellent, it has great whale watching, and it is big enough to offer accommodation from five star luxury to camp sites and everything in between.

Four or five separate resorts to ensure competition, some proper roads in the centre, some new bush walks, frequent ferries and the place could really put Brisbane on the map.

The island is the third largest sand island in the world. It's pretty special.

It is, however, 95% national park, so I'm guessing there would be severe constraints on development. Great Keppel Island is being redeveloped so perhaps that sets a precedent.
Click to expand...
 
#35 ·
TOCC said:
The thing about the Moreton Bay Islands, they can be made more accessible in a tourism sense without suffering from overdevelopment, North Stradbroke or Moreton Island are both prime eco-tourism candidates..

People from Brisbane would just love to have quality beaches made accessible to them without have to go all the way to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast. To have the beaches made accessible in some form with a backdrop of tourism attractions on the island would become a suitable drawcard not just for interstate/international tourists but also people from Brisbane.

The hardest thing is to come up with a suitable way to connect the islands to Brisbane proper and then a means of transport once on the islands.
Click to expand...
The big issue with North Stradbroke and Moreton Islands, and even the other Moreton Bay Islands as well is that no matter how accessible you manage to make them, their distance from the CBD still means that to get to them can be equivalent to taking a trip down/up the coast. Whether it be getting out to the Port of Brisbane for a Moreton Island connection (or to Holt Street Wharf for Tangalooma), Cleveland for North Straddie, Victoria Point for Coochie and Redland Bay for the Southern Moreton Islands.

The fact also that there are different departure points also poses an issue. Obviously, for the Southern Moreton Islands, access will always be from Redland Bay, and Victoria Point for Coochie, but for the bigger Islands maybe a push to have a dedicated single departure location. An extension of Portside Wharf might be an idea (if possible). It's close to the CBD, easily accessible by multiple forms of transport and is a nice locations to visit to boot.
 
#36 ·
nathandavid88 said:
for the bigger Islands maybe a push to have a dedicated single departure location. An extension of Portside Wharf might be an idea (if possible). It's close to the CBD, easily accessible by multiple forms of transport and is a nice locations to visit to boot.
Click to expand...
Yes, ease of access is critical. The current setup is unsuitable. A single departure point from a place easily accessed by public transport could be a hub for the whole of Moreton Bay.

Perhaps a catamaran could pick people up from the CBD and Hamilton. With the right marketing, Hamilton could also be used as a base for tourists direct from the airport.
 
#37 ·
are we really talking about "iconic" attractions?? because an aquarium isn't iconic. there is already one at sydney cbd, one at manly sydney, one at mooloolaba, one at perth, sort of one at seaworld, etc etc. they are not iconic.

nathan; the whole concept of moreton/straddie hinges on making the access easy. a tourist needs to be able to stand at a marina in the brisbane cbd and be standing on the sand at moreton/straddie less than 40mins later. if they can't make the trip that easy and that fast then they may as well give up and build an aquarium.
 
#38 ·
Seaworld is unique because they have their own research unit that is attached to the theme park and they do consveration work with marine life. They also go out and rescue marine life in distress on the Gold Coast.
 
#39 ·
^^ Don't Underwater World do the exact same thing though? Australia Zoo too for that matter, and I would say other zoo and aquarium operators probably do have similar conservation programs of varying scales. I think its more that Seaworld publicise their work more than the others do.

38921111 said:
nathan; the whole concept of moreton/straddie hinges on making the access easy. a tourist needs to be able to stand at a marina in the brisbane cbd and be standing on the sand at moreton/straddie less than 40mins later. if they can't make the trip that easy and that fast then they may as well give up and build an aquarium.
Click to expand...
The big issue with this is that the CBD just doesn't have a marina of an appropriate size and configuration (ie. to service car carrying boats) to accommodate the types of boats used to travel to North Straddie and Moreton Island, or the spare space to construct this sort of marina. On top of that is the additional time it would take boats to wind their way up the river to get to the CBD. I reckon it could add an additional 50% to overall travel time.

This is why I prefer somewhere like Portside Wharf – it has more appropriate facilities for larger boats, removes the tight curves in the river that add to travel time and river congestion, but is still close enough to, and readily accessible from the CBD by way of bus, train or citycat, as well as providing road access for offroaders. If Portside is too congested by the oceanliners, plan B would be to add a wharf in a redevelopment of the Bulimba Barracks across the river to provide a specialised wharf to service the Islands. Again, easily accessible by citycat at Apollo Road and perhaps buses too if BT decide that Bulimba is worthy of a BUZ service (which it should be!)
 
21 - 40 of 88 Posts
About this Discussion
87 Replies
29 Participants
Last post:
michael_n_
SkyscraperCity Forum
posts
146M
members
1.1M
Since
2002
A truly global community dedicated to skyscrapers, cities, urban development, and the metropolitan environment. Join us to share news, views and fun about architecture, construction, transport, skylines, and much more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Infrastruktura drogowa General Photography Obras públicas e Lançamentos imobiliários DN Archives Transport miejski i regionalny