In the afternoon, we took a ferry with our kid to South Bank in Brisbane to play, and after the visit, I really feel this might be the most kid-friendly city park I’ve come across in Australia so far.
Why is South Bank good for kids
- Free! And the facilities are extremely well set up
- A whole man-made beach + water play area (feels like the ocean, but much safer)
- Large open grassy areas + plenty of shade, you can just lie down anywhere
- Very kid-friendly overall, pram-friendly, even suitable for younger kids
- Great surrounding amenities — lots of restaurants and cafés, plus nearby convenience stores and supermarkets
It’s also one of the filming locations of Bluey (Streets Beach / the Wheel / the jacaranda walkway… all here)
This time, we mainly focused on Streets Beach inside the park. We first played in the water play area next to it, and it was so much fun — splashing, stepping in the water, water accidentally getting on her face, eyes, and even mouth, and her hair got completely soaked but she didn’t cry at all, she just kept laughing!
Later we went to the sandy beach area, and she got really serious about digging in the sand. She kept going for a long time, right until it got dark.
Because the water here is quite calm with no waves, she wasn’t scared at all, and even walked into the water by herself a little. There are lifeguards around watching, but parents still need to supervise closely at all times — so safety first!
Apart from the areas we explored, there were still quite a few places we didn’t get to see.
There’s a slightly deeper open-air pool, a huge lawn area, a riverside rainforest boardwalk, and a big playground. It feels like kids of all ages can find something to do here. We also took our kid to the playground.
Overall, it’s a place where adults can relax and kids can burn off energy. If you’re in Brisbane and not sure where to take your kid to play, this is definitely a safe bet