Nestled between Brisbane City and Paddington is an inner-city oasis of horticultural delight, rolling green hills, lakes, playgrounds and more. Here is your guide to a day at Roma Street Parkland.
Parking update: Did you know that Roma Street Parkland now offers parking from just $16 a day on weekdays and $12 a day on weekends? Head to the parking page to learn more.
Start your day with a nourishing breakfast at The Garden Room. Inspired by the Roma Street Parkland gardens is a relaxed menu using the freshest ingredients, locally sourced. Chickpea pancakes with mango pickle yogurt is a must try. Also open for lunch and afternoon bites, we suggest grabbing something to go for later (keep reading to find out why).
If you’re looking to learn, join one of our experienced and knowledgeable volunteers on a free one-hour guided tour, starting at 10am. Choose from a number of themes available including Bush Tucker and the Rainforest, Bush Tucker Experience, 20 years of Roma Street Parkland, Spectacle Garden in Colin Campbell Place or Art in the Park. Bookings are essential via the guided tour web page.
Prefer to go at your own pace, download a map or head to The Hub and collect a special self-guided map which will take you on a journey around the parkland showcasing what’s on offer from 16 pieces of public art to the Lakeside Precinct.
From The Hub, we suggest taking Foxtail Avenue up to the Amphitheatre and around to the aptly named Weeping Fig Avenue. Continue on to The Lookout, cross through the misty Fern Gully Bridge and enter a subtropical rainforest with towering ferns looming overhead. Below the rainforest canopy, a trickling man-made creek welcomes you to Fern Gully – a thick green forest of ferns, figs and native plants.
No journey to the Parkland is complete without marvelling at this spectacle. Considered the hero garden of Roma Street Parkland, the Spectacle Garden at Colin Campbell Place is seasonally planted to showcase a vivid array of colourful blooms all year round. This horticultural masterpiece includes a collection of flowers, herbs, water features and art works. Make your way through the winding pathways which lead to a trickling brook, animal-shaped hedges and a Rainbow Serpent.
After exploring the gardens, relax and while away the rest of the day on the Celebration Lawn as you admire the towering wall of cascading water. Now is the time to enjoy those snacks you bought from The Garden Room! To make the most of the afternoon, the lawn comes complete with free barbeques and is licensed, allowing the consumption of alcohol with a substantial meal. If you can stay until sundown, the waterfall is lit with a range of colours and forms a beautiful backdrop to any evening.
Roma Street Parkland is just a short walk away from Brisbane City. Head along Albert Street Walkway and follow Albert Street to King George Square. To cap off your visit to the Parkland, enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks at one of The City’s bars or restaurants.