Roma Street Parkland

Roma Street Parkland covers about 11 hectares on the northern edge of the CBD, right beside Roma Street railway and bus station. The site has a layered history: it was a meeting and ceremonial place for local Aboriginal people, then from 1875 a railway terminal that grew into Brisbane's main goods yard. When the freight operation moved to Acacia Ridge in 1991, the state government decided to turn the land into parkland, and the new park opened in 2001, absorbing the older Albert Park and its amphitheatre.

The centrepiece is the Spectacle Garden, a display of seasonal plantings that changes through the year, linked by a footbridge to the lake and its surrounding lawns. The Rainforest Walk leads through shaded subtropical planting, and a network of paths and boardwalks crosses streams and rocky outcrops. The park describes itself as the largest subtropical garden in a city centre, and it holds a Green Flag Award, an international accreditation for well-managed green spaces.

The parkland is open 24 hours a day, though the Spectacle Garden and the Rainforest Walk are open from dawn to dusk. Entry is free. There are barbecues and picnic areas, a cafe, public toilets and two playgrounds, which makes it a practical stop for families. Dogs are allowed on a lead in most of the park but not in the Spectacle Garden. Alcohol is permitted with a substantial meal in the Celebration and Lakeside precincts between 10am and 8pm.

The park is a good place for a quiet walk, a picnic or birdwatching. The amphitheatre, inherited from the old Albert Park, hosts plays, concerts and the Moonlight Cinema's summer outdoor screenings, and a statue of Gandhi stands near the Wickham Terrace entrance to it. Allow an hour or so to wander the main gardens.

Getting there is simple: Roma Street station and the Brisbane Coach Terminal are directly beside the parkland, with access from the lower ground level, and pedestrians can also enter from Albert Street and Wickham Terrace. The on-site car park is off College Close and is paid by app or meter, with lower rates at weekends. Drivers can drop off or pick up on Parkland Boulevard.