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Kangaroo Point Natural History Trail: An Honor to Brisbane’s Pioneers

Locals are naturally proud of Kangaroo Point as a suburb with lots of wanderlust potential. Kangaroo Point Cliff, for instance, attracts tourists because it’s a great destination for rock climbing and abseiling. Then there is Story Bridge with its panoramic view of the river.

For locals and visitors alike, there is a lot more to Kangaroo Point than meets the eye. Did you know that Kangaroo Point is one of the oldest suburbs in Brisbane? The city is home to a number of heritage trails, walking trails, and history trails.

When you want to know more about Queensland’s pioneering scientists and researchers, the Kangaroo Point Natural History Trail is worth seeing. It extends from the C.T. White Park up to the Brisbane Jazz Club. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to pack a picnic and bond with loved ones while you walk back in time.

It is the Brisbane City Council’s project in an aim to recognize the contribution of Queensland’s pioneers through a series of interpretative and botanical signs in the parks.

Kangaroo Point During the 1800s

Before the British settlement in early 1800s, it was occupied by Turrbal people. Explorer John Oxley described them as “the strongest and best-made muscular men” he had ever seen in any country.

The first land sales took place in 1843 when the British settled in Brisbane. Surveyor James Warner built the first house at Kangaroo Point in 1844. He was known for his deep religious convictions, his extensive knowledge of botany, and his role of the first secretary and treasurer of the Queensland Institute of Surveyors.

James Warner’s story can be seen when you hop in to the Natural History Trail. Aside from Warner, here are the other personalities features in Kangaroo Point Natural History Trail:

Frederick Manson Bailey

A colonial botanist of Queensland from 1881 to 1915, Bailey contributed his encyclopedic knowledge to the long list of published works on Queensland flora. This helped in the colony’s fledging agricultural and pastoral industries.

Silvester Diggles

His flair for music result in the founding of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Brisbane Philharmonic Society in 1861. Aside from being an artist and musician, he was known as one of the notable naturalists during the 19th century.

Harry Oakman

He served as the Council’s Superintendent of Parks from 1946 to 1962. The distinctive subtropical style of many Brisbane parks and streetscapes were all because of his passion for lush tropical foliage and flowering plants.

Cyril Tenison White

White was best known for his expertise on identifying plants by sights. His thousands of illustrations were published in his grandfather Frederick Manson Bailey’s Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants. He served as a botanist for the Queensland Government from 1917 until his death in 1950.

Oscar Werner Tiegs

Tiegs, born at Kangaroo Point in 1897, was a world-class entomologist and zoologist. As a child, he had a great fascination with insects and that passion eventually led to his outstanding career in zoology.

Kangaroo Point in the Present

It does not come as a surprise that it was once home to Queensland’s best naturalists. With their beautiful surroundings, parks all over Kangaroo Point are perfect destinations for simple relaxation, family-friendly games, and city cycling.

Story Bridge Top-ranked For Most Crash Reports

Motorists driving along the Story Bridge, the nation’s longest cantilever bridge, are urged to “slow down and take care merging.” The heritage-listed bridge that links Kangaroo Point to Fortitude Valley has been top-ranked for having the most crash reports, the latest report revealed.

Between 1 January 2015 and 31 October 2018, insurance claims records show that there have been 36 crash reports on the Story Bridge, the State’s peak motoring body, RACQ reported. Captain Cook Bridge and Gateway Bridge followed with 29 and 14 reported crashes, respectively.

“These bridges are often heavily congested, high volume, multi-lane crossings, making them hot spots for multi-vehicle crashes,” RACQ spokesperson Lucinda Ross said.

“Most are peak hour rear-end collisions, or sideswipes where drivers fail to give way changing lanes. Drivers need to take care merging and leave plenty of room between cars,” she said

Rounding out the top six are William Jolly Bridge (11), Walter Taylor Bridge (10), and Go Between Bridge (4).

Ms Ross suggested that apart from public transport, the government also needs to invest on projects that will provide alternative routes to minimise congestions and offer vehicle access to and from Brisbane City such as upgrading Roma Street, North Quay, Stanley, and Vulture streets.

Sea Legs Brewing Co. Opens At Kangaroo Point

Photo Credit: Instagram/sealegsbrewingco

Kangaroo Point has another brewpub in town. Sea Legs Brewing Co. recently set up shop to further boost Brisbane’s profile as the fastest-growing craft beer destination in Queensland.

But the Sea Legs Brewing Co. site isn’t just a pub located on Main Street. Beneath the shop near the Story Bridge heritage site is a warehouse with a 15-hectolitre brewery system that can ferment 9,000 litres of different kinds of beers every day.

Co-owners Chris Davies, Jon Fuchs, Dave Machin, Harvey McKibbon and Tim Wyatt have been planning to open Sea Legs Brewing Co at Kangaroo Point three years ago. However, it took the group a while to secure council approvals.

Despite some delays and obstacles, construction was finally completed by the end of 2018. Finally, Sea Legs Brewing Co. opened its doors to the public in late December.

The bustling venue is close to other hangouts like the Brisbane Jazz Club and the Story Bridge Hotel. But Sea Legs Brewing Co. stands out because it brews its beers on site.

During its opening day, the pub offered more than 130 freshly-brewed batches of craft beer to its guests. Sea Legs Brewing Co. caters to all types of beer drinkers, wine lovers and even non-drinkers, with its lagers, IPAs, spirits, cocktails, and hand-selected wines. Aside from the drinks, the pub also serves burgers, wings, and hand-stretched pizzas.

Photo Credit: Instagram/sealegsbrewingco

Patrons can also buy bottles of brews at the brick-and-mortar store to enjoy at home. The owners also revealed they will be introducing experimental and seasonal beer flavours too.

Sea Legs is the first of more new dining and shopping sites opening on Main Street. Brisbane City Council has been pushing to bolster this part of the city as part of its improvement projects.

Enjoy the Cockroach Races at Kangaroo Point on Australia Day 2019

One of the most popular activities for the Australia Day festival in Brisbane, the Cockroach Races, is coming up on Saturday, 26 January 2019. The Story Bridge Hotel in Kangaroo Point will once again be packed with this and other fun activities and entertainment as they celebrate the much-anticipated event.

Photo credit: Story Bridge Hotel/Facebook

Celebrating its 38th year, the Cockroach Races will be having a full day of entertainment for everyone to enjoy. Live music, sporting races, competitions with great prizes, Aussie themed food vendors, and lots more await at the Story Bridge Hotel.

Event Details

What: Cockroach Races 2019

When: Saturday, 26 January 2019; gates open 11:00 a.m.

Where: Story Bridge Hotel, 200 Main St, Kangaroo Point

Cockroach Races 2019

Competitions

This year, the annual Cockroach Races will be hosting its first Thousand Guineas Short Horn BBQ Cook-Off. The competition will see eight people show off their skills on the grill. The best cook will win a dinner for up to 10 people worth $1,000.

Think you’ve got what it takes to win this cook-off? All you have to do is convince them why you are the best BBQ cook in all of Brisbane. Your answer may include photos or videos. Remember to submit your entry to the Story Bridge Hotel before 23 January 2019.

Can’t cook? Round-up your friends instead and join the Best Dressed Team Costume competition for a chance to win a $2000 party at the Story Bridge Hotel. Those who want to join should be there by midday and report to the Stewards’ desk to register.

Furthermore, lovely ladies can also enter for a chance to be crowned as the next Queen of Cockroach racing. The lucky winner will win $200 on the day.

Of course, the event won’t be complete without the main event. The Cockroach Races is the biggest event of the day so make sure to come in early.

Food and Entertainment

Photo credit: Abbiocco Food Truck/Facebook

There will be food trucks and street stalls offering the Story Bridge Hotel’s Australian Street Food Menu. Live music and DJs will be in the Hotel as well as on the street stage.

Australian artists Busby Marou will be headlining the entertainment line up. Other artists joining the event include Nick Trovis, Aussie Boogaloo, Forever Road, Mick Evans, The Dan Munn Duo, and Aaron Wright.

Gates are open at 11:00 a.m. and entry is a simple gold coin donation. All proceeds will go to Youngcare.

The Brick Bar and Ball Pit Party is Coming to Kangaroo Point

A pop-up lego bar and ball pit exclusively for adults is coming to Kangaroo Point.

After making waves in Melbourne, The Brick Bar is bringing their pop-up bar and ball pit to Brisbane on Saturday, 12 January 2019.

Credit: JAMES FARRELL/YouTube

The Brick Bar will be serving up a great deal of nostalgia with its one-of-a-kind brick bar and ball pit party at The Story Bridge Hotel, Kangaroo Point for one night only.

View this post on Instagram

1,000,000
A post shared by The Brick Bar (@thebrickbars) on Sep 14, 2018 at 7:06pm PDT

If you’ve missed building with your blocks a lot, this pop-up will feature over 1 million blocks so you can once again get creative with your friends. Take note that lots of prizes are in store for the best builders.

The bar will also showcase sculptures made completely from building blocks.

This adult playground includes a giant ball pit that you can dive in, ready to bring out the kid in you, except this time you’re allowed to drink. Moreover, local DJ’s will also be present, spinning tunes all day.

Limited tickets for The Brick Bar and Ball Pit Party will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and the event will only run for one night. This is probably one of those parties that you’d hate to miss out so make sure to book early.

Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and should attend prior to the 6:00 p.m. time slot. Ticket price for this event includes an entry for 90 minutes and food and beverage will be available for purchase at the bar.

Buy tickets for $32.18 – $43.51.

Kangaroo Point May Be Among First to Benefit from Optimistic 2019 Unit Market Outlook in Brisbane

More than half of Brisbane apartment units sold off-the-plan, over fifty percent of new apartments sold starting mid-2017, now have a valuation that is lower than what their buyers paid for, CoreLogic’s Settlement Risk report revealed.

However, experts say that the apartment market may have already bottomed out. Experts are optimistic that the worst is already over for the Brisbane unit market and areas in the 5-km inner-ring around the CBD, such as Kangaroo Point, may be the first to turn.

This same optimism is shared by researchers at Place Projects. According to Place Projects’Apartment Magazine summer edition report, current supply of new apartment is steadily tightening, declining to about 10 percent in September quarter 2018. Should the trend remain, available apartment supply will be absorbed by the end of 2019, the report said.

From its peak in 2015, the Brisbane market sales volume overall has since experienced a decline, albeit minimal sales volume decrease in the housing market. It is the unit market, however, that experienced a significant weakening in sales volume.

Sales volumes during the September quarter 2018 are still comparatively lower than previous long-term levels. Latest data, however, indicate rising buyers interest in the Brisbane unit market as sales volume has doubled compared to the previous quarter. The September quarter also saw the weighted average apartment sale price reach a new record high of $740,489, up by over $100,000 or 17 percent.

Kangaroo Point | Queensland 4169, Australia

Although the Brisbane unit market suffered due to oversupply in 2018, the coming months will see a decreasing supply as 60 percent of future projects are either currently deferred or abandoned. This trend will likely continue on with every quarter. Also, new applications now only account for eight percent of the future apartment market pipeline and the remaining 32 percent represents those applications that have been approved.

On the other hand, industry experts say that inner-city urban areas such as Kangaroo Point, are benefiting from strong owner-occupier demand, especially from the “downsizers” segment of the market.

Of the 342 units available for sale in Kangaroo Point, only 39 remain as of end of Q3 2018, Apartment Magazine summer edition report said. Apartments are the most sought-after properties in Kangaroo Point, according to Domain, with a median price going up to $534,000 in 2018 from $525,000 in 2017.

Overall, Brisbane market is primed for future growth. Queensland, in fact, is becoming Australia’s top destination for interstate migration primarily due to its housing affordability. Brisbane is 90 percent cheaper than Sydney and 43 percent cheaper than Melbourne. Coupled with Brisbane’s infrastructure commitments, liveability, and job opportunities, demand has increased, notably for high quality apartments.

Celebrate the New Year’s Eve at Kangaroo Point’s Carnaval Themed Party

Dance the year goodbye with Riverlife’s Carnaval Themed New Year Party at Kangaroo Point.

The event promises to fill New Year’s Eve with good food, drinks, and a lot of dancing. With its ideal location by the Brisbane River, the venue also provides a fantastic view of the New Years Eve fireworks.

Photo credit: Riverlife Weddings & Events/Facebook

Riverlife Brisbane’s outdoor venue includes five different areas. Guests can either sit and relax with their family and friends or let loose on the dance floor. Dancing the night away is probably a good idea to stay awake until the fireworks light up the Brisbane sky.

Food and Entertainment

On the evening of NYE, Riverside will be featuring the amazing BenJam Roving Band who will be bringing the hits from the ’80s, ’90s, and now. Furthermore, there will be a Brazilian-themed Carnaval Entertainment complete with Brazilian dancers and much more.

Bookings are required for the event and all tickets include unlimited food and two drinks.

Take note that the food will be laid out festival style. The night’s menu has been curated by Head Chef Catherine Orbell and will be served from pop-up wooden food stalls.

Food options on-offer will include buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese dressing and garlic corn cobette, slow-cooked pulled lamb brioche sliders with slaw, crispy sesame pork belly with steamed rice and sticky BBQ sauce, dagwood dog and chunky chips, and more.

Gluten-free and vegan options will also be available including Thai vegetable curry, steamed rice, and shoot salad. Remember to make a note when booking if you have any specific dietary requirements.

The Carnaval Themed New Year Party will start from 7:00 p.m. and will end past midnight. For further information, check out their official website.

Buy tickets for $79-$89

Transport Plan for Brisbane Released

Brisbane City Council has released the “Transport Plan for Brisbane — Strategic Directions,” Brisbane’s guide to how its transport network will transform over the next 25 years. Transport projects already lined-up or underway include the Woolloongabba Bikeway, Kangaroo Point Bikeway, Cross River Rail, and Brisbane Metro.

The transport plan aims to address the challenges and opportunities, as well as outlines the specific directions the Council will take in order to meet the current and future needs of Brisbane residents and visitors. It also highlights the importance of partnership with the private sector and other levels of government to ensure success in delivering and managing future transport solutions. The Transport Plan for Brisbane – Strategic Directions identifies 15 desired outcomes and spread across these outcomes are 80 transport directions.

The transport directions framework are guided by the following community desired outcomes:

A clean, green, sustainable city
Community health and wellbeing
Meeting people’s needs
Better journey experience
Sustained growth of business and industry
Convenient commuting
Safe and efficient freight movement
Supporting the tourism and visitor economy
Innovative transport systems
Technology-enabled solutions
Robust organisations and partnerships
Integrated land use and transport
Well planned, designed and managed networks
Travel demand management and behaviour change
Safe transport networks.

Woolloongabba Bikeway project

Video Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube

Key aspects of the Transport Directions include encouraging the use of sustainable transport options like walking, cycling, and public transport through high-quality public and active travel infrastructures. The plan also considers the uptake of electric vehicles and technology to improve efficiency and reduce emissions and noise.

To provide a more efficient way of transporting goods to, from, and within the city, the Transport Plan will include proposals to maximise the use of rail network for container and bulk material transport to and from the Port. The freight transport network plan will also take advantage of emerging technologies such as automation and drones.

Bicycle Queensland lauded the Council’s transport plan stating that its vision was “bold, brave, brilliant.” In particular, the community cycling organisation noted how the plan recognized the need to tap public and active transport towards shifting to a healthier and sustainable means to travel that is quicker, safer, and more affordable.

Property Council of Australia also provided feedback during previous consultation on the Transport Plan. They pointed out that with employment in Brisbane predicted to move towards knowledge and health related jobs, there is a need to understand where, how, and what infrastructure will be required and implemented to facilitate this growth and address its needs.

Cheeky Cheesy Day at the YMCA Rat Race in Kangaroo Point

The YMCA Rat Race was back for another day of cheeky cheesy obstacle course race and loads of fun and entertainment at the Captain Burke Park in Kangaroo Point.

Kids and the kids-at-heart once again gathered for the annual YMCA Rat Race, held last 28 October, to outwit and outrun competition as they scamper, skid, and slide across crazy fun-themed obstacles.

Ratty competitors tackled the 16 challenging obstacles such as the Rat Trap, Drowned Rat, Cheese Balls, Tunnel Rat, Be Amazed, and Ratatouille Rebel plus ten brand-new “Wild Cards”, while they protected their giant, inflatable cheese from pesky Pest Patrols.

The adventure started at Captain Burke Park, as participants looped around, along the top of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, and down past Story Bridge to finally finish the race back in Captain Burke Park beside the Brisbane River.

To make this event an all-out fun family affair, this year, both 4-km and 8-km courses were opened to anyone aged 7 and up. The fun did not stop at the finish line, though, as participants were treated to live entertainment, wine, and cheese at The Village Festival.

The event was aimed to raise funds for the school children feeding program of YMCA, which now provides breakfast to 106 schools across South East Queensland or about 500,000 breakfast a year.

“Too often children from disadvantaged and dysfunctional families are not given breakfast or even lunch – and find it very difficult to concentrate in class. This significantly impacts their ability to learn and absorb information affecting their grades. Consequently, their self-confidence suffers along with their health,” the YMCA website said.

*Photo Credit: YMCA Social Impact/ycare.org.au*

In the next five years, the YMCA aims to provides breakfast to more than 200 schools and educate school children on good nutrition and empower them and their families with the skills and improve their food choices at home.

Penthouse on Queen Street Tower Sold Off the Plan for Over $6 Million

In what could be an indication of the return of confidence in the Brisbane apartments market, the first of two penthouses at 443 Queen Street was sold off the plan for over $6 million.

Cbus Property broke Brisbane price records with sale of the luxurious residence, about $19,500 per internal square metre, adding to the more that 65 percent of the 47-storey tower that has already sold off the plan.

The four-bedroom penthouse is situated at the top of the residential tower with features three-metre high ceilings, three separate balconies, and a butler’s pantry. The penthouse delivers stunning views from every room of the Brisbane River, Kangaroo Point, and the Story Bridge.

Designed by Singapore based WOHA and Brisbane-based Architectus, the 443 Queen Street tower provides a more open and naturally ventilated apartment that veers away from the traditional “sealed square plan”.

Welcome to 443 Queen Street

It is still two years away before the new CBD apartment tower’s completion, however, it has already enjoyed strong sales which according to Chief Executive Officer for Cbus Property Adrian Pozzo is a testament to the uniqueness of the building.

Cbus Property will release the next phase of two bed apartments in the building offering world-class amenities, including an infinity pool, indoor and outdoor yoga rooms, and a gymnasium. 443 Queen Street is also going to lease its retail space to be first tendered as a signature flagship restaurant.

Next year, tenders for the remaining retail spaces will follow. 443 Queen Street offers a stunning view of the bridge right on the river and the still under construction Howard Smith Wharves, making its location highly coveted.

The Queens Street residential tower is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020 and will deliver a total of 264 apartment units.