Cruise Lines Shore Tour Brisbane Highlights and Lone Pine
Description
We will meet at 8:45 at the Port Bus Loading area. Get ready for a fun and immersive day out, learning about Brisbane and getting up close with native animals. Embark on a full-day shore excursion to Brisbane, immersing yourself in natural wonders, architectural marvels, and cultural highlights. Discover the rich history of the city, from its founding in 1799 to its transformation into a vibrant metropolis. Visit and the majestic Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Enjoy a delicious, included lunch at the botanical garden cafe with stunning garden views. Explore iconic landmarks, admire breathtaking views, and get up close with adorable koalas and native wildlife at the renowned Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary. This is a great snapshot of our gorgeous city, with informative commentary given by our friendly drivers/guides. Welcoming you to the sunshine state aboard our comfy and spacious 11 seater minibus you will indeed become a Brisbane Local Too.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover the historical building which was once Brisbane first source of Power. With views over to the mansions in Tenneriffe and a cute little cafe for a quick coffee. Enjoy the beauty of an old piece of infrastructure which has now been turned into an entertainment precinct.
The Story Bridgeis a heritage-listedsteel cantilever bridgespanning the Brisbane Riverthat carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the longest cantilever bridgein Australia. The road across the bridge is named Bradfield Highway.
Come visit the bougainvillea Arch and the Brisbane Sign for the best of Brisbane photo! The South Bank Parklands, which were established on the former site of World Expo 88, are one of Brisbane's most popular tourist attractions. The parklands are home to many restaurants and cafés as well as landmarks such as the Queensland Conservatorium, the Wheel of Brisbane, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, Streets Beach (a free man-made swimming area), and the Grand Arbour. Approximately 11,000,000 people visit the South Bank Parklands each year.[1]
We will travel alonside the brisbane river and sight many things along the way, from historical buildings and bridges to our wonderful city cat which cruises along this amazing long river which spans from the mouth of the ocean all the way to toowong.
Check out the great views of the city and the Brisbane River! The Kangaroo Point Cliffs were created by convicts mining the volcanic rock or ignimbrite or welded tuff which form the cliffs.[2] These lavas and pyroclastic rocks were deposited in the Triassic Period about 230 million years ago and filled an ancient river valley. These rocks were known as porphyry and later became known as the geological unit called the Brisbane tuff.[3] Records indicate that it was Captain Patrick Logan, commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, who first opened a quarry to supply stone to his building works as early as 1826. Stone from the quarry was used to line parts of the Brisbane River with walls, for the Manly Boat Harbour and at the new Port of Brisbane. The quarry finally closed in 1976.[3]
View Brisbane from up High with almost 360 degree views of the city! Before the Moreton Bay penal settlement, Mount Coot-tha was the home of the Yugara Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal people came to the area to collect ku-ta, the Yugarabul word for honey that was produced by the native stingless bee. In 1839, surveyor James Warner and his team cleared the top of the mountain of all trees except one large eucalypt tree. Because this single tree could be seen from many other locations, it was used as a trigonometric station to take surveying measurements. This led to the mountain being called One Tree Hill. In 1873, the forests on the mountain were reserved declared a timber reserve to supply timber for Queensland's growing railway network. The name Coot-tha replaced the name One Tree Hill when the area was declared a park in August 1883. The name was suggested by Henry Wyatt Radford, the Clerk of the Queensland Legislative Council.
We will have lunch here and time to wander the gardens. The Brisbane Botanic Gardens has a range of attractions featuring plants from different landscapes, including a tropical hothouse, a Japanese garden, an arid zone (plants from Central America and Africa), and a Pacific Island zone. The major exhibit is the 27-hectare (67-acre) display of native Australian plants (with emphasis on Queensland plants), featuring an artificial lagoon.
Visit the longest running koala sanctuary in Australia! A great little zoo! Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was opened in 1927 by Queenslander, Claude Reid. We initially opened with just two koalas, Jack and Jill, at a time when wild koalas were being culled for the fur trade. It was quickly recognised by Claude that something had to be done to help protect one of Australia’s most iconic species. The sanctuary is named after the huge hoop pine that still stands today at our Ticket Entrance. It is said that the single pine tree used to be a location marker for guests visiting the sanctuary via the Brisbane River, mooring their boats at the ‘lone pine’. The tree was planted by Daniel Clarkson in 1867, when the property was a cotton farm.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The duration of the excursion already includes transportation.
- We can accommodate vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
Reviews(12)
We had a great tour with Mark. Really enjoyed both the Koala Sanctuary and the city portion of the tour.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! 😊 We’re so glad you had a fantastic day exploring Brisbane and enjoyed both the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and the city highlights. It’s the perfect combination of meeting our iconic Aussie wildlife while discovering the stories, sights and beauty of Brisbane. 🐨✨ We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to Mark he’ll be thrilled to know he helped make your experience a memorable one. Thank you for choosing BOS Tours Queensland and we hope to welcome you back for another Queensland adventure in the future! 🇦🇺 Warm wishes, Tania & the BOS Tours Queensland team 😊
What a wonderful day! Mark took us straight to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary before all the big tour buses arrived. We spent over two hours there and got to feed the kangaroos and touch the koala. It was getting very busy when we left. Lunch out was delicious and the views of Brisbane were spectacular. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind review!! We love the koala sanctuary so much! Thanks for travelling with Bos Tours!!
We loved the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It was a beautiful day. We had time to do a Koala Moment, feed the kangaroos, see a couple of shows. Thanks for a great experience.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! 😊 We’re so happy to hear you had a beautiful day at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and were able to enjoy some of the special experiences, including your Koala Moment, feeding the kangaroos and catching some of the amazing wildlife shows. 🐨🦘 Lone Pine is such a wonderful place to experience Australia’s unique wildlife, and we’re thrilled we could help make your visit easy, relaxed and memorable. Thank you for choosing BOS Tours Queensland we truly appreciate you joining us and hope you take home lots of wonderful memories of your Queensland adventure! 🇦🇺✨ Warm wishes, Tania 😊
It was a difficult weather day, not the tour company’s fault obviously. Generally they did a good job improvising and making the best of it; however having better process over checking people in, who had bought lunch, who was not riding back, and the communication of where/when to meet could have been better. We would definitely do again, and felt it was still good value, despite Mother Nature raining on our parade!
Thank you so much for travelling with us and for your kind words about the team doing their best in some very tricky weather. Our meeting point details (Coach Bay 13) were provided in advance, but we always appreciate feedback and will keep working to make things as smooth and clear as possible for our guests. We are really glad you still enjoyed the day and felt it was good value, and we would absolutely love to welcome you back for another tour when the Queensland sunshine is showing off for you. #BOSToursQueensland #SeeYouAgain #RainOrShine #QueenslandTours #BetterInTheSunshine
Tania provided an excellent tour of Brisbane, including Mt. Coot-tha, the river area and bridge, and the botanical gardens where we had a good lunch. We ended the tour at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where we fed the kangaroos and met an adorable koala. I highly recommend this tour for anyone traveling to Brisbane.
Thank you so much for this beautiful review and recommendation. It was an absolute pleasure showing you around Brisbane and sharing some of my favourite spots from Mt Coot tha to the river, the gardens and of course our special visit to Lone Pine with the kangaroos and koalas. I am so glad you had such a lovely day and truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We would love to welcome you back anytime for another Queensland adventure. Warmly Tania BOS Tours Queensland #BOSToursQueensland #VisitBrisbane #KoalaCountry #QueenslandExperiences
Had a wonderful time on this tour. While we left late due to one couple arriving well after the clearly stated time, Mark (our guide) did a great job rearranging our itinerary, so we were able to see everything we wanted to see. Loved the small van vs. the BIG bus you end up on when you book through the cruise line. We were able to hop off quickly at all the stops, spend an appropriate amount of time, and jump right back on. We could have spent less time at the Koala Sanctuary as most of the group were done under 2 hours (we were allotted 2.5 hours) so suggestion for future would be somehow predetermine how long the stay should be.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We’re so glad to hear you had a wonderful time on the tour and enjoyed the flexibility of our smaller group and van. We agree — the smaller group setting really allows for a more personalized and efficient experience, with quick stops and plenty of time to explore. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the Koala Sanctuary. It’s important for us to balance time at each stop, and we’ll definitely take your suggestion into account to ensure we can better tailor the experience for future groups. Mark did a fantastic job rearranging the itinerary, and we’re so happy he was able to ensure you still had the chance to see everything you wanted. Thanks again for choosing Bos Tours! We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon. #BosToursQueensland #BosTours #ExploreQueensland #TravelWithBos #KoalaSanctuary #EcoTourism #GemsOfSpringbrook #SmallGroupTours
Fantastic day out with Tania. She showed round the highlights of Brisbane and was really passionate about the city she has grown up in. Lunch at the Botanical garden was exceptional and the Koala sanctuary was amazing. A really good value for money tour. Highly recommend.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! 🌟 We're so glad you had a fantastic day exploring Brisbane with Tania—she truly loves sharing her hometown's best spots. 💛 Lunch at the Botanical Gardens sounds like the perfect way to relax, and we're thrilled you enjoyed the incredible experience at the Koala Sanctuary 🐨🌿. We’re delighted you found the tour great value for money—thank you for the high recommendation! We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon. 😊 ✨ #BosToursQueensland #BrisbaneTours #ExploreBrisbane #KoalaSanctuary #BotanicalGardens #CityHighlights #VisitQueensland #AustraliaTravel #NatureAndWildlife #ScenicQueensland #TravelAustralia #EcoTourism
Great customer service from booking to return to the cruise terminal. Tanya is a great guide and driver, if you overlooked her dad jokes! 🤣 Lunch was very nice and tasty after our highlights tour and set us up nicely for the lone pine tree visit. Bottle of water provided which was very welcome on a hot day. The packet of crisps were the dogs B as it's been 6+ weeks since I last had a packet. To get a real personal service, do book this one. Thank you Tania, hope you get your cruise later in the year. Julie and Mandy.
Thank you, Julie and Mandy, for your fantastic review! 🌟 We're thrilled you enjoyed the personal service from start to finish. Tania will be delighted to hear your kind words (and she’ll be pleased her dad jokes didn’t go unnoticed! 😄). We're glad you enjoyed the tasty lunch, refreshing bottle of water, and of course, the much-needed crisps after a few weeks! We hope the visit to Lone Pine was a memorable highlight and that you’ll join us again on another adventure. Fingers crossed for Tania’s cruise later this year! 🚢✨ ✨ #BosToursQueensland #BrisbaneTours #LonePineSanctuary #CruiseExcursion #ExploreQueensland #PersonalizedTours #TravelAustralia #VisitBrisbane #ScenicQueensland #AustraliaTravel #TourExperience
Explore Brisbane’s iconic landmarks before visiting Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for incredible wildlife encounters. This tour is ideal for cruise passengers wanting a mix of city and nature.
Thank you for sharing your experience! 🌟 We're so glad you enjoyed exploring Brisbane’s iconic landmarks and meeting the amazing wildlife at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 🐨🌿. This tour truly offers the perfect balance of city highlights and natural beauty—especially ideal for cruise passengers looking to make the most of their time in Brisbane. We hope to welcome you back for more unforgettable adventures soon! 😊 ✨ #BosToursQueensland #BrisbaneTours #LonePineSanctuary #KoalaEncounter #CityAndNature #CruiseExcursions #ExploreBrisbane #VisitQueensland #WildlifeExperience #TravelAustralia #ScenicQueensland
Friendly folks with tons of local knowledge. Thesy catered to our every need and showed us s o much in the small amount of time we had.
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear that our team’s local knowledge and attention to detail helped make your experience unforgettable. At BOS Tours Queensland, we strive to make the most of every moment and ensure you have an incredible time, no matter how short the trip. We hope to see you again on another adventure soon! #BOSToursQueensland #LocalKnowledge #CustomerCare #ExploreQueensland #MemorableExperiences #QueenslandAdventures #TravelWithBOS #UnforgettableJourney
