🎡 South Bank · Ticketed

The Wheel of Brisbane

A sixty-metre observation wheel at the northern end of South Bank Parklands, with enclosed air-conditioned gondolas and a view over the river, the CBD and out towards the ranges.

✍️ By Frank Adam Burns 📅 Updated 2026 📍 Brisbane, QLD

The Wheel of Brisbane stands at the northern end of South Bank Parklands, near the Victoria Bridge end of the promenade. It was installed for Queensland's 150th anniversary in 2008 and stayed. At sixty metres it is not the tallest observation wheel in the world, but it is well placed — directly on the river with the CBD across the water.

What You Can See

The view is the reason to ride. From the top you take in the CBD towers directly across the river, the Story Bridge downstream, South Bank and the Cultural Centre below, and on a clear day the Mount Coot-tha ridge to the west and the Scenic Rim ranges to the south.

Because the wheel sits on the river's south bank, the city is presented head-on rather than at an angle — which is why it photographs well despite the modest height.

The Ride Itself

Gondolas are fully enclosed and air-conditioned, which matters in a Brisbane summer far more than it sounds. They seat a small group comfortably, and the ride runs several rotations lasting around ten to fifteen minutes in total.

Commentary plays during the ride. Gondolas are accessible, with at least one configured for wheelchair boarding — worth confirming when booking rather than on arrival.

Best Time to Ride

Sunset is the popular choice and the busiest. The city lights coming on with colour still in the sky is the version most people picture, and it is genuinely good — but expect a queue.

Mid-morning is the clearest air and the shortest wait. After dark is underrated: the CBD fully lit, the bridges illuminated, and almost no queue.

Winter gives the sharpest long-distance visibility of the year; summer haze and afternoon storm build-up both cut the view west.

Combining It With South Bank

The wheel is a twenty-minute activity rather than a destination, and it works best folded into a South Bank afternoon.

Streets Beach, the Arbour walkway, the Cultural Centre galleries and the riverside restaurants are all within a few minutes on foot. Doing the wheel late in the day, then eating on the promenade, is the standard pattern and a good one.

Getting There

South Bank is one of the best-connected spots in Brisbane. South Bank and South Brisbane train stations, the Cultural Centre busway, and the CityCat and CityHopper ferry terminals all serve it, each at Queensland's 50-cent flat fare.

On foot it is about ten minutes from the CBD across Victoria Bridge or the Goodwill Bridge. Parking is beneath the Cultural Centre and fills on weekends.

Questions About the Wheel of Brisbane

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