Kangaroo Point Cliffs

The Kangaroo Point Cliffs rise up to about 18 metres above the riverside on the Kangaroo Point peninsula, facing the CBD and the City Botanic Gardens across the Brisbane River. They are not a natural formation in their present shape: around 1826 Captain Patrick Logan, commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, opened a quarry here, and convicts cut the volcanic rock for building. The quarry later passed to private stonemasons and then to the government, and its stone was used for river walls and harbour works before it closed in 1976. The cliffs were added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2003.

Today the cliffs are mainly a recreational climbing site and a training ground for South East Queensland climbers, with around 408 routes covering top rope, traditional and sport climbing for a range of abilities. Abseiling is also popular, and guided groups can abseil the cliff face; local operator Riverlife runs climbing, abseiling and kayaking sessions from its base nearby. Numerous floodlights illuminate the cliff face at night.

For non-climbers the main reason to come is the view. From the path at the base and the parkland at the top you look across the river to the CBD towers, the Botanic Gardens and the Captain Cook Bridge, with the Story Bridge to the north. It is a good spot for photographs at sunset and in the evening, when the city lights come on.

The parks along the foot and top of the cliffs are open 24 hours and free. Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park has picnic areas, shelters, barbecues and public toilets, and the native vegetation along the base has been redeveloped into gardens. Scout Park at the top opened in 1982. Bike racks are provided, and the riverside paths form part of a longer walking and cycling route between South Bank and the Story Bridge.

Getting there is easy on foot or by bike from South Bank Parklands, from the city across the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, or via the Story Bridge. Ferries stop at the Holman Street and Maritime Museum terminals nearby. Street parking is metered on Lower River Terrace, River Terrace and the surrounding streets. Combining the cliffs with a walk to South Bank or a ferry across to Howard Smith Wharves makes an easy afternoon.