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Kangaroo Point sits on a dramatic bend in the Brisbane River directly across from the CBD, heritage stone cliffs on one side and river parkland running the length of the point on the other. Until this year we’d only ever looked at it from the South Bank side.
IN THIS GUIDE
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This year we finally crossed the river, twice: once on my own on a morning I needed to clear my head, and once on a relaxed Friday midday with our daughter, a leisurely walk along the water with a picnic on the lower parkland rather than up at the clifftop lookout. Here’s what we did, what we’d still like to try, and what we’d pack next time.
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BEFORE YOU GO
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout at a Glance
Cost — Free to walk, picnic and use the lookout. Climbing, abseiling and kayaking through Riverlife are priced separately.
Pram access — The lower parkland, the flat paved path from the Maritime Museum through to Riverlife, is where we walked with our daughter and it’s pram-friendly the whole way. The 107-step staircase up to the clifftop lookout is not, we haven’t taken the pram up there. The new Kangaroo Point Green Bridge has a lift, no stairs needed to cross.
Best time — For comfort, the lower parkland has plenty of shaded spots along the boardwalk and around the picnic areas, so it’s comfortable to visit most of the day. For the view, late afternoon suits the clifftop lookout best, so the skyline is lighting up by the time you’re back down.
Correct as at — August 2026.
WHY WE KEPT COMING BACK
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout: Why It's Interesting
Our daughter on the jetty with the skyline in front of her, and that same skyline through the gum trees, both on the lower parkland at Kangaroo Point.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park runs along an old quarry face directly across the Brisbane River from the CBD, with South Bank and the Maritime Museum a short walk away over the Goodwill Bridge. It is not one lookout, it is a strip of park split across two levels, connected by a set of 107 steps that runners and dog walkers use like a personal gym. The lower level is a boardwalk built right at the base of the cliff, past pocket parks, a mangrove pocket, picnic shelters and the old Naval Stores building that now houses Riverlife. The upper level is where the actual cliff-edge lookout sits, with the Brisbane skyline on one side of the river and the Story Bridge holding up the other end of the park.
Further along, Captain Burke Park sits right under the Story Bridge with a nautical-themed playground, grassy space and picnic shelters. And since December 2024, the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge has connected Scott Street at Kangaroo Point straight across to the Botanic Gardens side of the CBD, a 460-metre pedestrian and cycle bridge that finally makes a full loop possible without backtracking to Goodwill Bridge.
The gazebo and bougainvillea from my first walk up to the clifftop lookout.
Our first Kangaroo Point Cliffs visit this year wasn’t with our daughter at all. I needed a walk, the kind you take when you feel stuck on something and the only fix is to move your legs, and I ended up going from South Bank up to the cliffs and finishing across the river at Howard Smith Wharves. Seeing the colours over the lookout with the skyline behind it did something a to-do list never manages. We’re writing that walk up separately as its own short reflection, coming soon, because it deserves more than a paragraph here.
WHERE WE SPENT OUR MIDDAY
Top Family Activities at Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout
Whether you’re navigating with a stroller or pacing the walk for little legs, this stretch of river gives you the same mix we found: outdoor adventure, plus flat paths, shade, toilets and BBQs, enough that a four-year-old can enjoy it too.
1. Water's Edge Picnics at Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park (Lower Level)
This lower parkland, sprawling beneath the cliffs right along the water, is where we spent our midday, and it quickly became our favourite spot on our walk. Wide grassy edges and a flat paved path run the whole way along the bank, easy enough to push a pram or let a four-year-old set her own pace without a single incline to argue about.
We found a shaded patch near where the climbers start their routes, laid out a blanket, and had sandwiches and fruit while CityCat ferries and kayakers went past. The parkland has free public barbecues on a first-come basis, picnic tables, and public toilets, plenty of space for a toddler to run around safely while the grown-ups sit down for once.
"What an amazing place here, mummy." Then, a little later, watching the council gardeners at work nearby: "Who is making this beautiful place for me?"
That second question is the one that stuck. We walked over and watched the gardeners for a while, which turned into its own small lesson, that the parks she loves don’t just happen, someone tends them. It cost us nothing and held her attention longer than most paid activities have. A short walk further along, a couple were playing table tennis by the river, which she also found more interesting than we expected.
2. Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout (On Our List for Next Time)
For the postcard view, the path up River Terrace leads to the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout, high above the cliff face with an open outlook over the river and the city skyscrapers. We didn’t take the 107 steps up with the pram on this visit, our daughter was far happier watching the ferries at ground level, so we can’t give you the toddler-tested version of the lookout itself yet. It’s on our list for next time, and by most accounts late afternoon is the time to go, so the skyline is lighting up by the time you’re back down at the lower parkland for an early picnic dinner.
3. Watching the Rock Climbers on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs
Harnesses on, ropes out, our daughter was transfixed by the climbers working their way up the cliff face. These are 20-metre sport and trad climbing walls, not a photo prop, and Riverlife runs a guided Outdoor Rock Climbing session and an Abseiling Experience straight off the boardwalk in the old Naval Stores building, with Twilight Rock Climb night sessions also on offer. From the same picnic spot we also watched kayakers and paddleboarders further along the river, so it’s worth timing a stop here even if climbing itself isn’t on your list.
Riverlife’s day climbs have a minimum age of 8, with 8 to 12 year olds needing an adult alongside them, so at four our daughter isn’t old enough to book it yet, that’s one for a few years down the track. Murray and I are thinking of booking it ourselves in the meantime, a date without a pram for once.
4. Guided Tours Around Kangaroo Point
If you’d rather explore with a guide than plan the walk yourself, a few Brisbane tours run straight through here. Kangaroo Segway Tours glide along the river paths around Kangaroo Point in a small guided group, and several sightseeing tours list the cliffs as a stop rather than the whole itinerary, among them the Brisbane Mount Coot-Tha Half-Day Small Group Tour, the Brisbane City Highlight Tour with Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Entry, the 6 Hours Welcome to Brisbane Private Sightseeing Tour, and the Brisbane Half-Day Private Group Tour. We haven’t taken any of these with our daughter, so we can’t speak to how pram or toddler-friendly they are, that’s worth asking about directly before you book.
Climbers on the cliff face, kayakers on the river below, both common sights from the boardwalk.
THE ROUTE WE WALKED
Our Kangaroo Point Midday, Stop by Stop
This is the Friday midday version, the one we did slowly with our daughter, starting at South Bank and finishing near Central Station. The times below are roughly how our afternoon went, not a schedule, we stopped for as long as she wanted at each spot, which is most of the point.
Our daughter tucking into her sandwich at the picnic, and a water dragon soaking up the sun nearby.
SOUTH BANK TO KANGAROO POINT, SLOW VERSION
South Bank Parklands
FREE
Started at the Cultural Centre bus station and walked across South Bank Parklands via the Arbour to the Goodwill Bridge, the same starting point as our South Bank guide.
End of South Bank Parklands
FREE
From the Goodwill Bridge, we picked up the Maritime Museum footpath along the water, passing the ferry terminal on the way to Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park. Flat the whole way, easy with the pram.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park
Found a shady patch near where the climbers start their routes, laid out the blanket and had sandwiches and fruit. We stayed close to two hours, watching the council gardeners tending the plants and a couple playing table tennis by the river.
Past Riverlife toward the Kangaroo Point Bridge
First time either of us had walked this far along the river on the Kangaroo Point side. Stopped to take it in, as beautiful in its own way as the Botanic Gardens river walk on the opposite bank.
Kangaroo Point Green Bridge
LIFT ACCESS
Reached the lift at the base of the bridge, clean and air-conditioned, a genuine difference for anyone wheeling a pram or a wheelchair up and over.
Crossing the bridge
FREE
Another full view of the skyline and the Story Bridge from the middle of the crossing, plus the spring flowers just starting to bloom along the rails.
City Botanic Gardens Entrance to Central Station
FREE
Passed the City Botanic Gardens entrance along the Bunya Walk without going in, then headed to Central Station via Edward Street. Our daughter was asleep in the pram before we made it to the station.
Local walking guides put the full loop back to South Bank via the Goodwill Bridge at around 5km. We haven’t timed or measured that ourselves with a pram, so treat it as a rough guide rather than something we’ve verified.
If you want to book ahead, the exact cliff face we watched from the boardwalk below is bookable both as guided rock climbing at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and as abseiling down the same cliff. The kayakers we spotted paddling past the bridge were most likely on a similar Brisbane kayak tour out of Kangaroo Point, another one we’d like to try once our daughter’s a bit older.
For visitors staying in the city rather than a Brisbane family based at South Bank, a guided Brisbane walking tour is a straightforward way to string this route together with the CBD side of the river.
GETTING BETWEEN THE BANKS
Crossing the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge
Getting around Kangaroo Point with young kids is straightforward, thanks to the dedicated pedestrian and cycle infrastructure. The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, open since December 2024, runs 460 metres from Scott Street at Kangaroo Point across to the Alice and Edward Street corner near the City Botanic Gardens in the CBD, car-free from end to end and separated from any traffic.
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Lift, not stairs. The bridge has a lift from the deck at Kangaroo Point Bridge down to C.T. White Park, clean and air-conditioned when we used it, a genuine difference for anyone wheeling a pram or a wheelchair.
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The view mid-crossing. A full outlook over the skyline and the Story Bridge from the middle of the bridge, with spring flowers just starting to bloom along the rails when we crossed in August.
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Ferry hopping if little legs tire out. The free CityHopper ferry stops at Holman Street wharf, right next to Captain Burke Park at the Story Bridge end of the point. We’d check the current wharf before you rely on it, ferry stops around Brisbane do get relocated or closed for works.
WHERE TO BASE YOURSELVES
Where to Stay: Family Accommodation Near Kangaroo Point
For families wanting a central base near both South Bank and the CBD, The Point Brisbane Hotel on Lambert Street sits right on the point with quick access to the Kangaroo Point boardwalk along River Terrace.
We’ve stayed at both Emporium Hotel South Bank on Grey Street and Stamford Plaza Brisbane on Edward Street, and we’d recommend either for families. Emporium sits inside the South Bank precinct itself, an easy walk to the Goodwill Bridge crossing. Stamford Plaza is on the CBD side, close to the Botanic Gardens and near enough to the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge’s CBD landing that you could walk off the bridge and be back at your hotel in minutes.
If you want another South Bank option, Rydges South Bank Brisbane on Glenelg Street also sits inside the precinct, an easy walk to the same bridge crossing. We haven’t stayed there ourselves, so treat that one as a shortlist pick rather than a review.
PRACTICAL NOTES
Family Practical Tips for Kangaroo Point
Most of the lower parkland has some shade near the cliff base, and the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge’s walking path has cover of its own, but the upper lookout path sits fully exposed to the Queensland sun. There’s a brick gazebo up there, where most of the bus tours stop, if you need a shaded break. There’s no swimming to cool off in like there is at South Bank, so what you bring matters more here than it does on the other side of the river.
OUR PACKING LIST FOR THIS WALK
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Extra snacks and a small toy or two. Bring enough snacks to fuel an active child who wants to stop and look every few metres, and something small to hold when she’s resting on the blanket or in the pram.
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Hats and sunscreen. No hat, no sunscreen, no play, that’s our rule for any outdoor stretch like this given
Queensland’s UV.
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Bring a water bottle.There are water bubblers along the Kangaroo Point boardwalk for refills.
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A picnic blanket. The shaded spot near the climbers was the best seat on the whole walk.
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A pram built for the parkland, not the stairs. If you’re heading up to the clifftop lookout, plan to carry a toddler or use a carrier for the 107 steps, we kept the pram at parkland level.
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Insect repellent. The mangrove pocket parks along the route are pretty and a little buggy.
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A fully charged phone. Between the bougainvillea in bloom, the climbers on the cliff face and the river life passing by, there’s a lot happening here worth stopping to photograph.
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Parking, if you’re driving. Street parking on River Terrace near the upper lookout is limited and fills fast on weekends by most accounts, we’ve always walked in from South Bank so haven’t tested it ourselves. The car park within Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park near Riverlife gives more direct access to the picnic areas.
WHERE THIS FITS WITH THE REST OF THE DAY
Combine It With South Bank
The whole appeal of this walk is that it bookends so easily with a day we already know well. Start or finish at South Bank, and you’re minutes from everything in our South Bank family guide, and from the ten places we ate our way through in Dining South Bank: Where We Ate With Kids. On the Friday we’re describing here, we didn’t eat at South Bank at all, our picnic on the Kangaroo Point side did the job, but on a hotter day we’d happily walk back across the Goodwill Bridge for lunch at one of our regular spots instead.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout: FAQs
Is the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout pram-friendly?
Partly. The lower boardwalk from the Maritime Museum to Riverlife is flat and pram-friendly. The clifftop lookout sits atop 107 steps, so carry a toddler, or drive or walk in via River Terrace to reach the top directly.
How far is Kangaroo Point from South Bank on foot?
Close enough to walk with a pram in well under an hour. We walked from South Bank, passing the end of the Goodwill Bridge near the Maritime Museum, and a full loop back around via the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge and Botanic Gardens runs to roughly 5km.
Is Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park free to visit?
Can kids go rock climbing at Kangaroo Point?
Is there a lift over the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge?
Yes. The bridge, which opened in December 2024, has a lift from the bridge deck at Kangaroo Point down to C.T. White Park.
Where do you park for Kangaroo Point Cliffs?
There’s a car park within Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park near Riverlife, plus street parking on River Terrace closer to the upper lookout, which fills fast on weekends by most accounts. We’ve always arrived on foot from South Bank, so we’d check current signage on the day rather than take our word on availability.
Is there a free ferry near Kangaroo Point Cliffs?
Yes, the free CityHopper stops at Holman Street wharf next to Captain Burke Park at the Story Bridge end of the point. The older Thornton Street wharf nearby is permanently closed, so don’t head for that one.
Where should families stay near Kangaroo Point?
THE VERDICT
Is Kangaroo Point Worth It With Kids?
Without question. We should have done this walk years ago.
It has a cliff face with climbers working their way up it, a lift that makes a 460-metre bridge crossing trivial with a pram, and a quieter, slower version of the same skyline everyone photographs from the other side of the river.
For our daughter, it was the perfect shady spot for our picnic, the ferries chugging past and the climbers on the cliff face that did it, she spent two hours looking around like the place had been built just for her.
KEEP EXPLORING
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The Brisbane-based parents behind Really Traveling. They walk South Bank and Kangaroo Point with their young daughter most weeks and publish first-hand guides for families with children under five.
