Accessible Brisbane
A flat river city that has become the place where accessible adventure gets invented: the world's first wheelchair accessible bridge climb, Australia's first accessible vertical restaurant, and a riverfront you can cross end to end without meeting a step. This is the deciding-level guide, with the exact facilities, the exact locations, and the parts we will tell you to skip.
Getting there and around
| Mode | Access detail, verified |
|---|---|
| By air | Brisbane Airport is Australia's third busiest and a major international hub, connecting to every major Australian port and regional Queensland. It has won awards for its accessibility, with Changing Places adult change facilities in both terminals, a service dog relief area, and an Accessibility Journey Planner you can download before you fly. |
| Airtrain | Runs from both the domestic and international terminals, 20 minutes to the city. Platforms allow level entry into the trains and are reached by ramps and lifts. Station announcements are both visual and audible. Platform gap fillers have been installed at the International Terminal station under the Queensland Government's accessible tourism grant program. |
| Buses and busways | Low floor entry, a ramp and allocated wheelchair and scooter space. Busway stations have lifts, ramps, pathways and tactile ground surface indicators, with hearing loops available during emergencies. The free City Loop and Spring Hill Loop buses circle the inner city every 10 minutes on weekdays. |
| Trains | Wheelchairs and mobility scooters travel on all TransLink services, with allocated spaces in the middle carriage. Wait at the assisted boarding point marked with the international access symbol and staff deploy a ramp. Access varies from station to station, so we check your specific stations rather than assume. |
| CityCat and ferries | CityCat is fully accessible with four wheelchair and scooter spaces on every vessel, and many terminals are step free. The free CityHopper and the Cross River Ferry are not accessible. |
| Vehicles | Pre-booked wheelchair accessible vehicles with trained drivers for airport transfers and day touring. Self-drive WAV hire is also available for travellers who want their own wheels for the week. |
The river, and how to actually use it
Brisbane is built along a bend in its river, and almost everything worth doing sits on one bank or the other. The good news is that the riverfront is where the city has put most of its access effort.
South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach
Seventeen hectares of parkland with accessible parking underneath, entered from Grey Street with lift access up to parkland level. Streets Beach is a man-made lagoon with a sandy beach, reached by concrete path from the south and boardwalk from the north. Boat Pool has ramped access into the water on its western side, and Aquativity is an interactive water play area built for all abilities. Entry to all three pools is free and lifeguard patrolled.
- Beach wheelchair available from the Visitor Information Centre
- Ramped water entry at Boat Pool
- Roll-under barbecues and accessible picnic tables at Kaohsiung Place
The Arbour and Clem Jones Promenade
The Arbour runs more than a kilometre from Sidon Street to the Wheel of Brisbane, level the whole way on wide concrete, with a metal roof over most of its length for sun and rain cover. The Clem Jones Promenade continues in level concrete from the Maritime Museum to the Performing Arts Centre, with shade, seating and three ferry terminals along the way.
- Level for more than a kilometre
- Roofed for most of its length
- Seating and shade the whole way
Howard Smith Wharves
Five hundred metres of riverfront directly under the Story Bridge, with 13 restaurants and bars, accommodation and event spaces. The whole precinct is flat on concrete or asphalt, including the restored wharf decking, and every one of the 13 venues has level entry and seating that works for patrons with limited mobility. It connects to the city by the City Reach Boardwalk and to New Farm by the Riverwalk.
- Two lifts down the cliff face from Bowen Terrace
- All 13 venues have level entry
- Drop-off zone at 5 Boundary Street
Kangaroo Point
The boardwalk along their base is asphalt and level over its entire length. Accessible parking at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park car park opens straight onto it, with accessible picnic tables and barbecues right there. Up top, there is accessible parking and an accessible toilet beside the cafe, and the Venus Rising sculpture at the eastern end.
- Level asphalt boardwalk end to end
- Accessible parking at both clifftop and base
- Accessible picnic tables and barbecues
Cards marked Verified by AccessibleOz have been assessed on the ground by our team. Remaining access detail is drawn from the Queensland Government's Greater Brisbane accessible destination guide and re-confirmed with the venue before every booking.
Attractions and experiences
Two of these do not exist anywhere else, and both are worth planning a trip around.
Story Bridge Accessible Climb
The world's first wheelchair accessible bridge climb, launched from Howard Smith Wharves with Queensland Government funding. A purpose-built motorised stair climber wheelchair, custom engineered for this bridge, carries you to the summit for 360 degree views over the city, the Gabba, South Bank and out to Moreton Bay. Each climb takes up to nine people including one wheelchair user and runs two and a half to three hours. Book well ahead.
- World's first wheelchair accessible bridge climb
- Purpose-built motorised climbing wheelchair
- Ramped base office at Howard Smith Wharves
Access Vertigo at Brisbane Powerhouse
Australia's first vertical restaurant, and now the first one wheelchair users can join. You transfer to a lightweight aircraft-grade aluminium chair, are winched seventeen metres up the face of the Powerhouse, and eat a three course meal locked safely onto the platform with the city laid out in front of you. Two chair options exist depending on how much assistance you need.
- Two chair options for different assistance levels
- Chair locked and backup-supported at the table
- Designed with Sporting Wheelies and wheelchair users
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Twelve kilometres from the city at Fig Tree Pocket,. Most paths are asphalt under a 1:12 gradient, with clearly marked alternative routes where they are steeper. Every exhibit is mesh or glass fronted so it reads properly from a seated position,, and the koala encounter works seated with staff assistance.
- Exhibits viewable from seated height
- Wide self-opening doors at the research centre and platypus pavilion
- Guide and service dogs welcome by prior arrangement
QAGOMA
Two galleries a hundred and fifty metres apart, both accessible throughout by ramp and lift, with an adult change facility at GOMA. The access programming is the strongest in the state: free Auslan interpreted tours on the last Sunday of the month from January to November with a NAATI accredited interpreter, small group tours with assisted listening devices, audio described tours for blind and low vision visitors, low sensory viewing sessions, and an award-winning Art and Dementia program.
- Free wheelchairs, bookable through the information desk
- Monthly Auslan interpreted and assisted listening tours
- Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards on request
Queensland Museum Kurilpa
Lifts in the centre of the building reach every level, with accessible toilets on levels 0 and 2 and in Cafe Muse and SparkLab. Induction loops at the cloakroom desk, the Level 2 theatre and the Level 0 entry desk transmit straight to hearing aids with T-coils. Staff have all had autism and disability awareness training, and sensory friendly sessions run with dimmed lighting and audio switched off. The quieter window on a normal day is 2pm to 4pm on weekdays.
- Free wheelchairs from the Level 2 cloakroom
- Sensory kits and noise cancelling headphones on request
- Auslan interpreted Highlights Tours
Wheel of Brisbane
Sixty metres above South Bank at the Victoria Bridge end, with accessible gondolas large enough to take most mobility devices and a ramped loading platform running from the ticket office. Staff are trained to assist, service animals are welcome, and the audio commentary picks out the Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha, the Goodwill Bridge and the Performing Arts Centre.
- Accessible gondolas sized for most mobility devices
- Ramped loading platform from the ticket office
- Air-conditioned, enclosed and weather-proof
Cards marked Verified by AccessibleOz have been assessed on the ground by our team. Access programming changes, so interpreted tours, sensory sessions and encounter availability are confirmed against your travel dates before anything is booked.
The Scenic Rim, an hour inland
Six national parks, World Heritage rainforest and mountain villages, an hour inland. Some of it works beautifully. We are specific about which parts, because out here the difference between a good day and a wasted one is entirely in the planning.
O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat
High in Lamington National Park. The Treetop Walk, a boardwalk and nine suspension bridges up to sixteen metres above the forest floor, is step free for its entire length at gentle gradients, entered directly opposite reception. The Python Rock track is also wheelchair accessible. Be aware the bridges narrow to 750mm in places, the planked deck has gaps of up to 13mm, and they sway and bounce as people move across them.
- Step-free treetop walk with nine suspension bridges
- Two wheelchair accessible Mountain View rooms
- Accessible bathrooms at the Mountain Cafe for day visitors
Tamborine Mountain
The botanic gardens run to eleven hectares with most trails step free and suitable for wheelchairs and mobility devices, two accessible bays directly opposite the entrance and a picnic pavilion with accessible tables at the gate. Gallery Walk is a single level street block of more than seventy shops, all with level or ramped access and wide doors, movable cafe seating throughout and an accessible toilet midway down the eastern side.
- Mostly step-free botanic garden trails
- Gallery Walk is level end to end
- Accessible toilet midway along Gallery Walk
Summer Land Camels
Forty-five minutes from the CBD in the floor of a volcanic crater, with a homestead cafe, farm store and camel tours. Parking sits in front of the homestead, a lift on the veranda reaches the cafe, and the doors are wide with movable seating. The farm store is on car park level. The farm tour follows a gently sloping farm road for less than five hundred metres, with some sections crossing smooth grass.
- Lift from the veranda to the cafe
- Farm tour under 500 metres on a graded road
- Accessible toilet on the homestead veranda
The rest of the Rim, by vehicle
Moogerah Dam has a wide, gently sloping asphalt path to a flat concrete dam wall with big views, a picnic pavilion with roll-under tables, barbecues and an accessible toilet, though the path turns to steps beyond the wall. Rotary Lookout offers accessible parking, seating and a level concrete viewing area. Cauldron Distillery at Tamborine has an Auslan interpreted video on a high visibility anti-glare screen with enhanced audio. We route a private vehicle day around the stops that hold up and skip the ones that do not.
- Level dam wall and accessible facilities at Moogerah
- Auslan interpreted tasting video at Cauldron Distillery
- Private accessible vehicle days with guided options
Scenic Rim access detail is drawn from the Queensland Government's Greater Brisbane accessible destination guide and re-confirmed with each venue before booking.
What is harder in Brisbane
Brisbane is flatter than Sydney and easier than most Australian capitals. But the access is not evenly spread, and several of the things visitors get told to do simply do not work. Here is what we would tell you on the phone.
| Where | What to know before you go |
|---|---|
| The free ferry | The one everybody recommends is the one you cannot use. CityCat is fully accessible with four wheelchair spaces per vessel, but the free CityHopper and the Cross River Ferry are not. Terminal access also varies along the river, so the route matters as much as the boat. |
| Fish Lane | The dining and street art laneway behind the arts precinct is level for its first two blocks from opposite the Queensland Museum, with level entry to every venue. The final two blocks have narrow footpaths and limited kerb cuts. |
| Lone Pine | It is built into a hill. Most paths sit under 1:12 and the alternative routes are signposted where they are steeper, but the kangaroo paddock is fine gravel rather than a hard surface, which matters for small front casters and for anyone pushing manually. |
| Roma Street Parkland | Effectively two parklands. The lower gardens are largely under a 1:20 gradient with accessible picnic areas, barbecues and three accessible bathrooms. The upper sections are cut into the hillside and contain steps and steeper paths. |
| Brisbane Botanic Gardens | The gardens publish a mobility map grading every path as under 1:20, between 1:20 and 1:14, or steeper than 1:14. The Freedom Walls, Lookout, Bougainvilleas, Japanese Garden and Lagoon all work. |
| Museum of Brisbane | The museum on level 3 of City Hall is reached by lift from the King George Square foyer and is wheelchair accessible throughout, with QR codes linking to audio description and Auslan, a downloadable social story and a sensory map. There is no wheelchair access to the clock tower. |
| Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk | The one Scenic Rim attraction we usually steer wheelchair users away from. The upper walkway and cantilever lookout are step free at gentle gradient, but the deck is expanded metal grate with holes around 25mm by 50mm, which is a genuine hazard for small front casters and walking sticks. The lower gravel section contains flights of three to four steps and narrows to 750mm over the final two bridges. |
Where to stay
Apartment, South Bank
An independently accredited accessible one-bedroom apartment a short roll from Streets Beach, with a raised toilet and grab rails, a walk-in shower with grab rails, wide doorways and step-free access throughout. Suits independent wheelchair users who self transfer, and anyone using a cane or frame.
Hotel, roll-in shower
Accessible rooms with roll-in showers in the CBD and South Bank, matched to your transfer method and the equipment you need delivered. We confirm the room's actual specification with the property rather than trusting a booking label.
Rainforest, Scenic Rim
O'Reilly's has two wheelchair accessible Mountain View rooms high in Lamington National Park, with the step-free Treetop Walk starting opposite reception.
Practical support on the ground
Equipment hire
Electric beds, hoists, shower commodes, wheelchairs and scooters delivered to your accommodation, short or long term.
Support workers
Screened local support workers, registered nurses and multilingual carers can join you for any part of the trip, arranged privately for international visitors.
Exploring on your own
A TransLink go card covers buses, trains and ferries across South East Queensland on one smartcard. The free City Loop bus circles the inner city every ten minutes on weekdays, and a CityCat trip between terminals turns transport into the sightseeing. We set the routes up with you before you land so the first day is not spent working it out.
A shape for three days
What makes it work
An accredited accessible apartment or roll-in shower room as your base, wheelchair accessible vehicles on every leg, and a bridge climb and koala encounter arranged before you arrive rather than hoped for on the day. Add a fourth day and the Scenic Rim opens up. Add a fifth and Moreton Bay does. One itinerary, one point of contact, everything confirmed against your access needs before you pay.
See more itinerary shapesBrisbane access questions we answer most
Is Brisbane's public transport wheelchair accessible?
Mostly, with one important exception. Buses have low floor entry, ramps and allocated wheelchair spaces, and busway stations have lifts, ramps and tactile ground surface indicators. Trains carry wheelchairs and scooters on every service, with allocated spaces in the middle carriage and staff deploying a ramp at the assisted boarding point, though station access varies. On the water, CityCat is fully accessible with four wheelchair spaces per vessel, but the free CityHopper and the Cross River Ferry are not. We check your specific stations and terminals rather than assuming the network is uniform.
Can wheelchair users climb the Story Bridge?
Yes. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb at Howard Smith Wharves is the world's first wheelchair accessible bridge climb, using a purpose-built motorised stair climber wheelchair engineered specifically for this bridge. Each climb takes up to nine people including one wheelchair user, runs two and a half to three hours, and includes commentary, a group photo at the top platform and a certificate. It needs booking well in advance and there are conditions around group size and support people, which we walk you through before booking.
Is South Bank accessible, and can I get into the water?
Yes to both. South Bank has accessible parking underneath with lift access to parkland level, and the promenades are level concrete throughout. Streets Beach is a man-made lagoon with a sandy beach reached by concrete path and boardwalk, Boat Pool has ramped access into the water on its western side, and Aquativity is an all-abilities water play area. A beach wheelchair is available from the Visitor Information Centre. Entry to all three pools is free and lifeguard patrolled. We confirm beach wheelchair availability against your dates, since it cannot be reserved indefinitely.
Where are the Changing Places facilities in Brisbane?
Both Brisbane Airport terminals have one, and the domestic facility is on the central ground floor near the Qantas baggage carousels. In the city there is one on the ground floor of City Hall, one beside the all-abilities playground at the City Botanic Gardens, and an adult change facility at GOMA in the arts precinct. Out at Mt Coot-tha, the Visitor Information Centre has one opened with an MLAK key available at the desk. Brisbane City Council publishes the full list, and some facilities are inside venues so they follow that venue's opening hours.
Is Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary wheelchair accessible?
Largely, with honest caveats. It is built into hilly ground twelve kilometres from the city. Most paths are asphalt at gradients under 1:12, and where they are steeper the alternative routes are clearly signposted. All exhibits are mesh or glass fronted so they read from a seated position, and the research centre and platypus pavilion have wide self-opening doors. The kangaroo paddock is fine gravel rather than a hard surface. Accessible toilets and parking are on site, and guide and service dogs are welcome by prior arrangement with a staff member accompanying you.
Can I visit the Scenic Rim with access needs?
Yes, and it is better than most people expect, but the planning matters. O'Reilly's Treetop Walk is step free for its full length including nine suspension bridges, though they narrow to 750mm and sway underfoot. Tamborine Mountain's botanic gardens are mostly step free and Gallery Walk is level end to end with an accessible toilet midway. Summer Land Camels has a lift to the cafe and a short graded farm tour. The Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is the one we usually steer wheelchair users away from, because the deck is expanded metal grate that catches small front casters. We route a private accessible vehicle day around what holds up.
Official Brisbane access resources
The city's own guides and facility lists, worth reading alongside this page.
Visit Brisbane accessibility (opens in new tab) Council accessible adult changing facilities (opens in new tab) Brisbane Airport special assistance (opens in new tab)Hear Brisbane
Vacayit's free audio guides describe Brisbane's venues in sensory detail for blind and low vision travellers, with dedicated guides for South Bank, the Story Bridge climb, Queensland Museum Kurilpa, the Wheel of Brisbane and getting around the city.
Brisbane audio guides on Vacayit (opens in new tab)Travel advisor or tour operator?
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