The Summer Guide to Brisbane 2019–20
Slap on your sunscreen and get out there — clear blues, secluded bush spots and ice-cold beers await.
Summer in Brisbane is nothing short of glorious. It's sunny mornings, steamy afternoons and evenings that stay bright and burning long after you've escaped the office. It's gold-coloured sunsets at Shorncliffe, Friday afternoons at Kangaroo Point cliffs, post-work picnics in New Farm Park, eating chips by the shore at Manly and weekend jaunts to Straddie. We could go on, but you get it: summer is a jump-out-of-bed-in-the-morning time to be in Brisbane.
But, hey, we're spoilt and sometimes we forget just how damn special this time of year is. That's why, together with BATI and RATU by RUM Co of Fiji, we've put together the Summer Guide, a shortlist of the best this city has to offer December through to March, from rooftop bars and beaches to backyard barbecues and way, way beyond.
So whether you're drinking piña coladas by the beach or putting away a dark and stormy a cool corner of a beer garden, go forth and frolic. Summer is the ultimate Brisbane pop-up and it waits for no one.
The essentials
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The Ten Best Beaches Near Brisbane
Summer smells like sunscreen, feels like sand between your cheeks and looks like old men in Speedos.
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The Ten Best Summery Day Trips Out of Brisbane
Take advantage of the warm weather — beaches, waterfalls, rainforests and baby turtles are just a stone's throw away.
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The Best Rooftop Bars in and Around Brisbane
Here's where to head in and around Brisbane when you want to enjoy a cocktail skyward.
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The Best Things to Do in Brisbane This Week
This week, you can hear an orchestra play dance music hits, catch 'Gladiator II' under the stars and stock up on supplies for festive season from Scenic Rim producers.
What to do
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How to make the most of the weather
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The Five Best Rivers for Swimming in Near Brisbane
Skip the surf and overcrowded sands of Queensland's beaches in favour of floating upstream at these nearby rivers.
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The Four Parks in Brisbane Where You Can BYO Drinks
Grab an esky, pack a picnic basket and go soak up the sun in these BYO-friendly Brisbane parks.
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The Best Caves to Visit Near Brisbane and Beyond
Crawl out of your living room cave and into these awe-inspiring ones.
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The Five Best Snorkelling Spots Near Brisbane
Swim with dolphins, spot shipwrecks, and peek into the underwater lives of starfish, sea anemones and more at these Queensland snorkelling spots.
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The Best Picnic Spots in Brisbane
Wait till the weather is just right, fill your esky with cold drinks and an oversupply of snacks, then get picnicking.
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The Most Unusual Swimming Holes to Try Around Brisbane
Don't stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to.
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Five Epic Multi-Day Hikes to Conquer Near Brisbane
Pack a tent, water and lots of snacks and walk your way through the most beautiful parts of Queensland.
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You Can Now Take Your Pet Pooch for a CityCat Ride Along the Brisbane River
TransLink is trialling the move for three months between December 2019 and March 2020.
Where to fuel up
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Where to Find the Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Brisbane
The temperature is rising and the gelato is freezing — cool down with Brisbane's top tier of iced confections this spring and summer.
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Guide
The Best Rooftop Bars in and Around Brisbane
Here's where to head in and around Brisbane when you want to enjoy a cocktail skyward.
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Guide
The Best Breweries in Brisbane
With freshly brewed IPAs by the river and cold ones in the 'burbs, Brisbane is a beer-lover's playground
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Three Summery Rum Cocktails to Make the Next Time Your Mates Come Round for Drinks
These refreshing drinks only require a few ingredients and can be thrown together without raising a sweat.
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A Bunch of Gin and Tonic Gardens Are Popping Up Around Australia This Summer
Mix, match and experiment with making different varieties — including at the DIY garnish stations.
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Brisbane Now Has Its Own Gin So You Can Sip Cocktails While Celebrating the City
The handcrafted small-batch gin is now available in more than 20 venues around Brisbane — and to buy online.
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Yoko Dining Is Howard Smith Wharves' New Waterside Japanese Izakaya and Bar
Serving up tonkatsu, tempura, yuzu slushies and plenty of sake — and river views.
How to get out of the city
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News
The Ten Best Summery Day Trips Out of Brisbane
Take advantage of the warm weather — beaches, waterfalls, rainforests and baby turtles are just a stone's throw away.
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News
Ten Incredibly Epic Australian Beaches You Need to Swim in at Least Once in Your Life
We've got some of the most idyllic white-sanded and blue-hued beaches in the world — and these are the ones you should add to your bucket list.
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A Weekender's Guide to Queensland's Bundaberg Region
Watch baby turtles hatch, swim at the Southern Great Barrier Reef, then sample award-winning local gin and rum.
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Ten Extremely Australian Big Things Worth a Detour on Your Next Very Long Road Trip
Giant watermelons, potatoes and lobsters named Larry might sound ridiculous, and they are — but that doesn't stop them from being among our most loved landmarks.
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News
Five Epic Multi-Day Hikes to Conquer Near Brisbane
Pack a tent, water and lots of snacks and walk your way through the most beautiful parts of Queensland.
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NSW's Cabarita Beach Has Been Named Australia's Best Beach for 2020
Two inland beaches have made the Tourism Australia list for the first time, too.
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The Great Barrier Reef Is Now Home to Australia's First Underwater Hotel
Cruise the Whitsundays on a floating pontoon — and sleep below sea level.
Where to stay cool
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The 11 Best Day Spas in and Around Brisbane
Treat yourself to a massage with a view, a soak on a rooftop or a bath overlooking Lamington National Park at these southeast Queensland day spas.
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Brisbane Bars with Games and Activities for When You Want to Do More Than Just Drink
Sip shiraz over 'Scrabble', mash buttons with a brew in your hand or pair cocktails with karaoke — or making your own perfume.
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Twelve Films and TV Shows You Need to Stream This Month
Spend your couch time watching Rashida Jones navigate a sci-fi mystery in Japan, Nicolas Cage face a post-apocalyptic future and a gripping Australian romance-scam thriller.
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Twelve Films and TV Shows You Need to Stream in June
Spend your couch time watching the delicious return of 'The Bear', Glen Powell playing a fake hitman and Lily Gladstone's latest excellent performance.
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Twelve Films and TV Shows You Need to Stream in April
Spend your couch time watching Andrew Scott step into Tom Ripley's shoes, a shattering docuseries about Nickelodeon's kids TV hits and Colin Farrell as a PI.
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Twelve Films and TV Shows You Need to Stream in March
Spend your couch time watching Adam Sandler in space, a stunning Oscar-winning documentary, girl group-fuelled sitcom hilarity and Noel Fielding's latest show.
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Twelve Films and TV Shows You Need to Stream in February
Spend your couch time watching the new 'Mr & Mrs Smith', one of this year's Oscar Best Picture nominees and a stellar new space thriller.
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Twelve Films and TV Shows You Need to Stream in January
Spend your couch time watching an Oscar-nominated true tale, the 'Boy Swallows Universe' TV series and the stunning return of 'True Detective'.
How to relive the best of the year
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The 11 Best Books of 2020 to Read This Summer
Use your time off to get deep into the winner of this year's 2020 Miles Franklin Award or a gripping memoir on the dark reality of Silicon Valley.
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The Ten Best Books of 2019 to Read This Summer
Use your time off to get deep into this year's Man Booker Prize winner and a timely nonfiction work on Australian bushfires.
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The Ten Best Films of 2019
This year we reviewed close to 150 films — and this devious South Korean masterpiece and hard-to-watch Australian thriller are among the absolute best.
Which bars and restaurants to hit
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BrewDog DogTap Brisbane
Open since 2019, the Scottish brewery's first Aussie outpost has arcade games, brunch fare and a bottle shop.
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Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane
The Byron Bay-based label has opened a brewery and taproom in a heritage-listed Valley building.
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Il Gancio - CLOSED
This Italian spot is serving up cheese wheel pasta and other Italian favourites in Brisbane's north.
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Goodtimes Gelateria
A colourful gelateria scooping up 22 different flavours at Howard Smith Wharves.
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Burleigh Pavilion
With seats basically on the sand, this Gold Coast eatery and bar serves up seafood and cocktails to help you make the most of that beachside view.
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ARC Dining — CLOSED
This beauty serves up seasonal dishes, more than 400 wines and top-notch river views.
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ZA ZA TA Bar and Kitchen
You'll find top-notch Middle Eastern-inspired cocktails and cuisine inside the Ovolo, Fortitude Valley.
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Greca
A Greek taverna from restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess at Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves precinct.
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X Cargo — CLOSED
The multi-purpose Fortitude Valley venue combines an American-meets-Latin American eatery, three bars and a party venue.