Queensland’s First European Settlement City
If you just need a relaxing place to get away from the city or a family retreat to get back to nature and more attractions, then the Redcliffe attractions are for you. The safe beaches are great for families, or you could take a stroll along the many walkways.
Redcliffe is full of history. Aboriginals have called this place home for thousands of years, with the local seafood and plantlife keeping them well fed. Lieutenant Cook mentioned this area on his 1770 voyage, but it was Matthew Flinders in 1799, who spent more time exploring the area and named it Red Cliff Point after the red soil that was exposed on the cliffs.
On 13 September 1824, the convict ship Amity docked in Redcliffe. Aboard were the settlement’s commandant, Lieutenant Miller, explorer John Oxley, crew, guards and, of course, convicts.
Within a year, they moved to the Brisbane River as there wasn’t enough water, or safe anchorage along with other problems, to sustain the settlement. Redcliffe remained untouched until the 1860s when it became an agricultural reserve and then, in the 1880s a seaside resort.
Redcliffe Today
Today you can find not only its historical past but so much more. It is best to have a car as it’s only a 45-minute drive north, but if you don’t, you can catch the train to Kippa-Ring, an hour from Brisbane Central, and use the buses to get around. You can find the link here to plan your journey. You can easily spend a long weekend.
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If you are travelling around Australia, the best way is by car. Not only do you get to see more but you will find more hidden gems that the average traveller doesn’t see.
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Clontarf Attractions
Clontarf is the first place you come to when you come over the bridge from Brisbane. Here is the start of your Redcliffe attractions.
Clontarf Information Centre
The Clontarf Information Centre at Pelican Park is packed with information on the Redcliffe attractions and where they are in the area, with the helpful volunteers will steer you in the right direction.
There is another Information Centre on the Redcliffe foreshore, but this is the first site you’ll come across.
Hours
7 Days 9 am – 4 pm
Closed Christmas Day and open from 1 pm on Anzac Day
Public holidays may affect these hours.
Get Up Close with the Pelicans
If you arrive at 10.00 am for your visit to the Clontarf Information Centre, you’ll see the local Australian Pelicans up close as they are fed. They are fed a small amount of fish each day by the centre volunteers as they do health checks. Fishing lines and hooks are common problems for these fish-loving birds, so checking down their throats is a great way to check their health.
This is a must-do of Redcliffe attractions if you’re here this early.
You’ll see them flying in right at 10 o’clock, even before the volunteers are out the door.
Ride/Walk Along the Foreshore and Ted Smout Bridge
This is one of the Redcliffe attractions for those who want to be more active.
With kilometres of cycling and walking paths along the foreshore, you’ll be spoilt for choice of where to go. From Shorncliffe Pier, along Sandgate and Brighton, then across the Ted Smout Bridge is already nearly 10kms.
You have this cycle/walkway around to Endeavour Park in Newport, which is about 15 km from Pelican Park, with only a few times having to go on the road.
Between July and November, it’s Magpie Season. Magpies are nesting in these months and may swoop you as you pass by, causing scratches or worse on their attack, so watch out.
Aqua Warrior
Looking for an active Redcliffe attraction in the water?
At the back of Pelican Park is Aqua Warrior. During the summer months is when this aqua park comes to life. The whole family can have fun enjoying this adventure water obstacle course and keep cool in the hotter months.
Children from 5 years old and upwards are welcome, although those between 5 and 9 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There are lifeguards on duty, and water jackets must also always be worn as the water here is deep.
You could buy tickets for 1-hour, 2-hour sessions or all day. AquaSplash is only open during the warm months – which is about nine months of the year here – but if you’re coming in late Autumn or early Spring, just check on their website if they are open.
Hours
Saturday and Sunday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm the last session starts at 3.00 pm
Monday to Friday Closed and during the colder months.
Prices
See their website for information on prices and conditions.
Fly a Kite at Pelican Park – Kite Fest
Looking for a fun family Redcliffe attraction? When the winds are blowing off Bramble Bay, this is a popular park to come and fly a kite.
Every year Kitefest is held in Pelican Park. In 2024 it will be on the weekend of 14-15 September. This annual celebration of kites brings domestic and international kite flyers of all shapes and sizes.
Fun for all the family, there is all types of entertainment from stage to street performers and grows more popular every year.
Hours
9 am to 4 pm
Prices
If you want to know the prices, click here.
Watch the Sunset over Hays Inlet
The best free Redcliffe attractions in Clontarf are the sunsets.
At the end of the day, there are many places to watch the sunset, and down at the old Hornibrook Bridge is one of them. You may even want to drop in a line and see if you can catch any fish for dinner.
Woody Point Attractions
The next suburb to enjoy Redcliffe attractions is Woody Point.
The Belvedere Hotel
The Belvedere Hotel is the best seafood restaurant and part of my Redcliffe attractions not only for the food but the views as well.
Looking out over Bramble Bay, the Belvedere Hotel is a great place to enjoy your breakfast, lunch or dinner. From this vast outside deck, you can enjoy views of Bramble Bay.
Trading Hours in the Restaurant
Monday – Thursday 8 am – 8:30 pm
Friday – Sunday 8 am – 9 pm
Trading Hours in the Jetty Bar
Sunday – Thursday 10 am – 9 pm
Friday – Saturday 10 am – 11 pm
If you’d like to see hours for other parts of the Hotel, click here or see their menus for breakfast and lunch and dinner.
Fish and Chip Takeaways
You may also want to try the local fish and chips and eat them at the park along the foreshore.
You can try Seafood Town Cafe.
Seafood Town Cafe Hours
7 Days 11 am – 7 pm
See the Wreck of the HMQS Gayundah
In 1958, the HMQS Gayundah was grounded at Woody Point after nearly 40 years of service. During this time, she served as a flat-iron gunboat in the Queensland Marine Defense Force and Australian Navy. In 1921 she was decommissioned and became a sand and gravel barge on the Brisbane River.
You have to go on the road around Woody Point. From the road, you can either look down on the wreck or go back down to the Gayundah Coastal Arboretum. It is here that go back to the site of the wreck and see it a bit closer.
Please note that there are signs up saying to keep off the wreck. It should really be common sense not to climb down to it, as it is crumbling away like crazy, as you can see from the photos above.
See the Sunset over Bramble Bay
Another great place to watch the sunset is Woody Point Pier. As the sun sets, the lights come on, and many people are still down here enjoying the light show and eateries.
Redcliffe Attractions
There are plenty of places to park in Redcliffe, on the waterfront at Captain Cook Park, street parking and car parks along Sutton and John Streets.
There are many Redcliffe attractions that happen once a year and one is the Festival of Sails at Easter.
If there is an event weekend like the Festival of Sails, you’ll find signs directing you to the showgrounds to park, and there will be shuttles to the foreshore or the event site.
Redcliffe Information Centre
If you have bypassed the Clontarf Information Centre, then you have the Redcliffe Information Centre to check out to see the Redcliffe attractions you want to see.
Here you will find everything you need to know about Redcliffe and Moreton Bay area.
Hours
7 Days 9 am – 4 pm
Public holidays may affect these hours. Closed Christmas Day and open from 1 pm Anzac Day.
Beaches and BBQ Areas
Bring a picnic or BBQ lunch for these beaches in the Redcliffe attractions list. You can walk the pathway from Scotts Point Beach, Woody Point, to Scarborough Beach. All this stretch is made up of safe beaches for families to swim at. Some are patrolled, but not every day, and you can check out when the patrols are from the BeachSafe website here.
Suttons Beach
One of the most popular beaches on the Redcliffe Peninsula is Suttons Beach. Here you will find not only a safe swimming beach for the family but parklands, picnic and BBQ areas, The Pavilion Cafe and playgrounds for the kids.
You’ll find a huge car park at Suttons Beach although it will fill up quickly on weekends and public holidays.
Comino’s Arcade
If you want to see what Redcliffe was like over the past 100 years, then you should visit Comino’s Arcade.
The photographs give you an insight into the life of those visiting the Peninsula by whatever means possible over the years.
Redcliffe Farmers and Artisan Markets on Sundays
On a Sunday morning, why not try out the Redcliffe Jetty Markets. You can buy everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to gifts to take home.
This is a very popular market and part of Redcliffe attractions, for locals and visitors. Not only do you have food trucks, but all the cafes and restaurants, including Hoggs Breath Cafe, Coffee Club, Preece’s at the Jetty and British Fish and Chips from Yabbey Road. From all these eateries, you can enjoy outside dining, looking out over Moreton Bay.
Market Hours
Sunday 8 am – 2 pm
Redcliffe Museum
Another one of the free Redcliffe attractions is the Redcliffe Museum. Here you can find out the history of the area in the converted Catholic Church.
Inside the excellent Redcliffe Museum, you’ll find not only the history of the Peninsula but how the Aboriginals lived before the white man arrived.
The Shed, in a room on the right-hand side, has memorabilia that takes us through the last 100 years or so. This shows you what life was like with tools lining the walls and a recreated kitchen and laundry.
In the kid’s area, they can practice sailor’s knots and learn about boating in Moreton Bay.
A room to the side houses the war propaganda posters. You can also see a film on the cartoons that Australia, Britain and the U.S. made using war propaganda, which is very interesting.
Parking is right next to the museum, and admission is free.
Hours
Sunday 10 am – 3 pm
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday to Friday 10 am – 4 pm
Saturday 10 am – 3 pm
Closed on all public holidays.
Redcliffe Art Gallery
One of the Redcliffe attractions is even an Art Gallery.
The Redcliffe Art Gallery isn’t big, but it does include works from local artists. It’s only half a dozen walls or so, but there are many artworks with changing exhibits.
Hours
Sunday and Monday Closed
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Closed on all public holidays.
Parking is either on the street or underneath the Art Gallery/Redcliffe Library building. Access is off Downs Street.
Redcliffe Library
In the same building as the Art Gallery, but on the other side of the foyer, is the Redcliffe Libary. Here you can find free Wifi as well as the usual books, magazines and newspapers. You can also use their computers and get any photocopying done.
Parking is either on the street or underneath the Art Gallery/Redcliffe Library building. Access is off Downs Street.
Hours
Sunday 10 am – 3 pm
Monday – Thursday 8:30 am –6 pm
Friday 8:30 am – 8 pm
Saturday 9 am – 4 pm
Closed on all public holidays.
Settlement Cove Lagoon
One of the best Redcliffe attractions is Settlement Cove on the waterfront. Here all ages can safely swim in the man-made Lagoon/Pools. Picnics and BBQs are popular, as are the kid’s playground and it’s part of the walkway along the foreshore, people will walk between Sutton’s Beach and Redcliffe.
Lifeguards are on duty during the day, although it is open 24 hours. Parents should still keep their eyes on their kids at all times. You can check if lifeguards are on duty here.
There is a car park just along from the Cove that you access from the roundabout on the Redcliffe Parade.
Bee Gees Way
One of the Redcliffe attractions that has an international link is the Bee Gees Way.
On the 14th of February 2013, the Bee Gees Way was opened, commemorating the work of the Brothers Gibb and how they got their start on the Peninsula. In 2015 Barry Gibb was here to witness the opening of Stage 2.
The Bee Gees Way is a celebration of the lives of the Brothers Gibb. It was on the Peninsula that their career began in the late 50s and early 60s.
Here you can wander down seeing photographs, album covers, a film and career highlights with their music playing. At the bay end, there are also statues of the brothers in their younger days and at their peak.
Light shows are on every night between 7 – 9.30 pm.
Watch the Sunrise over Moreton Bay
After or before watching the sunset at Clontarf and/or Woody Point, you have the sunrises over the eastern beaches of Redcliffe.
All along the Moreton Bay shoreline are great places to watch the sunrise. See the changing colours in the sky as you walk along the foreshore.
Redcliffe Botanic Gardens
If you want to get back to nature, then the Redcliffe Botanic Gardens is one of the Redcliffe attractions for you.
Tracks will lead you through the native gardens in Redcliffe Botanic Gardens. Bush Turkeys roam through the bush, and here you can enjoy the use of BBQs and picnic tables during your visit.
If you want to see fruit bats, then this is the place to be. You’ll hear them during the day, and if you look up, you’ll find them trying to get some sleep before dusk sees them fly off.
Hours
7 Days 6 am – 6 pm
Dogs are not permitted.
Scarborough Attractions
If you are walking or cycling the pathway, then you’ll come to the Northern end of the Redcliffe Peninsula at Scarborough.
Cafes line the village, which is across the road from Scarborough Beach.
Scarborough Beach
Scarborough Beach is another safe, calm family-friendly beach on Redcliffe Peninsula.
You have a car park or street parking, and it is busy on weekends with families using not only the beach but the playgrounds located here.
Railway and Pirate Place at Scarborough Park
Also at the beach is the largest playground and part of the Redcliffe attractions for the family.
A Pirate Ship and Train are just two of the attractions for the kids to play on, along with the usual swings.
If your kids love climbing, then the Cotton Tree Forest is for them. Gnarled Cotton Wood Trees offer plenty of opportunities for them to explore the cool undergrowth.
This is definitely a playground where your kids can let their imaginations run wild.
Reef Point and Scarborough Marina
You can pick up the walkway again here as you check out the views over Deception Bay on your walk around the Marina.
If the winds are strong, then you can be sure that kite surfers will be out here. You can take a stroll around the marina, and keep an eye out for local birdlife, or enjoy something to eat at Sea, Salt and Vine Cafe. So many Redcliffe attractions in such a small area, where you can enjoy nature at its best.
Hours at Sea Salt and Vine
7 Days 7 am – 4 pm
If you time your walk right, you can enjoy the sunset over the Marina and Deception Bay.
Fish, Chips and Seafood at Morgans
One of the most well-known fish and chip places in the Moreton Bay and Brisbane areas is Morgans Seafood and Takeaway.
Whether you’re after fresh fish, prawns, sushi or oysters, this is the place to find them all.
On Easter Friday, the queues are out the door and down the street, and most days have smaller lines for their takeaway.
If you love Seafood, then this is definitely one of the Redcliffe attractions that you need to visit.
Trading Hours in the Seafood Market
Monday-Thursday and Sunday 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Friday-Saturday 8:30 am – 6 pm
Public Holidays 8.30 am – 5 pm
Closed Christmas Day, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
Trading Hours in the Takeaway
Monday-Thursday and Sunday 10 am – 7 pm
Friday-Saturday and Public Holidays 10 am – 7:30 pm
Closed Christmas Day, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
You can find their menu here.
Rothwell Attractions
These Redcliffe attractions in Rothwell are full of colour and more with nature including if you’re lucky, Koalas.
Running beside the tracks between Kippa-Ring Train Station to Petrie Train Station is another cycle/walkway. This 12.6km path takes you through wetlands, and you’ll see artworks of the local wildlife, Anzac tributes and historical commemorations to the local Aborigines.
On the path, you could take a detour to Lake Eden at North Lakes.
Rothwell Water Tank Art
Another one of the colourful splashes here is the Water Tank on Morris Road.
Across the road from the Water Tank is Melaleuca Crescent, where once again, you can pick up the cycleway.
Take in all the views of Moreton Bay, Moreton and Bribie Islands.
Cycle/Walkway to Deception Bay
Enjoy nature on the cycle/walkway in Rothwell, as it takes you through parklands, Koala habitats, mangroves and more beaches through to Deception Bay.
More picnic tables are dotted along the pathway so you can sit and enjoy the views across Moreton Bay.
Keep an eye out for more local wildlife. Kangaroos may be seen on the grassy parklands at dawn and dusk, and if you look up into the Gum Tree branches, Koalas are in the area.
Also along this trail is the Fairy Way. This 50m piece of walkway is home to gems left by the community to add to the magical atmosphere under the trees and bushes.
It is located in Deception Bay, just past the Rothwell Dog Park on the corner of Esplanade South and Mana Court.
North Lakes Attractions
Not part of the Redcliffe Peninsula but another great place to see nature at its best is Lake Eden at North Lakes which also has a great walkway around the Lake.
As you walk around the 1-mile path, you will see water dragons and all types of birdlife keeping you company. Swans, turtles, ducks and swamphens also call this lake home.
Places to Eat
With so many clubs, cafes and restaurants as well as takeaways, you’ll be spoilt for choice about where to eat. Click here to find somewhere for you.
Accommodation
Everything from caravan parks to apartment accommodations is on the Redcliffe Peninsula.
Check out Booking.com or Agoda to book your accommodation for your stay at Redcliffe.
Seasonal Redcliffe Attractions
Whale Watching May-November
Taking off from the Redcliffe Jetty, Brisbane Whale Watching will take you out into Moreton Bay to meet the gentle giants that are Humpback Whales.
Along the way, you may also see the local dolphins, dugongs, turtles and more in this aquatic wonderland.
The whale watching season is from July to November.
If you are staying in Brisbane, you can get the courtesy shuttle to pick you up from your accommodation in Brisbane.
They can also take you out on Moreton Bay for Sunset Cruises.
All information is on their website, which you can also book through or click below.
Redcliffe Festival of Sails
Every Good Friday, Redcliffe is the most popular place to be during the Redcliffe Festival of Sails.
You have to get down to the foreshore early to your place to watch the yachts go past during the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race.
This is when all the apartments on the waterfront come into force as balconies are packed with residents and their friends to watch the yachts go past.
Live music, street performers, sand art and more keep you entertained at Suttons Beach and Redcliffe.
Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival
Every year, for one weekend, the Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival are on Redcliffe Parade.
This festival has pop-up bars, live music, dining experiences, cooking demonstrations and celebrity chefs.
The dates for 2023 are From 19 August until 25 September.
Caution
Queensland is the skin cancer capital of the world, so always bring sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, even in winter, and don’t forget your water if you’re walking or cycling.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you’re solo or a family, there are so many Redcliffe attractions to see and do in Redcliffe and its’ surroundings.
I hope that you have gotten inspiration from the Redcliffe attractions that I have listed and you are able to experience them for yourself.
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Very instructive and detailed. Loved the pictures
Thanks, Richa.
Wow! This looks like an amazing place! I’d love to see koala and kangaroos roaming free. Not so sure about the bats though. Fish and chips, pelicans, sunsets, and so much more. It looks like a place that you wouldn’t want to leave. Thanks for sharing all the details and ideas.
Thanks, Nancy. It is great to just come across wildlife in the suburbs.
I’m heading to QLD very soon and didn’t know Redcliffe had so much to offer – I think I’m due a visit.
I hope you enjoy it, Sharyn. If you’re there on a Sunday you’ll have markets to check out too.
Amazing! I wasn’t expecting there to be so much wildlife to see so Whales, birds, koalas, kangas aaaand a water dragon? That is all so cool. The sight of HMQS Gayundah is fascinating too.
Yes, Josy considering it is the suburbs there is plenty of wildlife to see if you’re lucky.
Wow there is so much information here. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Shreya.
Wow, there is so much to do in Redcliff. You have detailed so many things. Honestly, that fish and chips looks mighty good.
It is delicious, Karen.
Queensland looks gorgeous! I’ve never been to Australia but I’ve always wanted to go. I mainly want to go to Sydney but I have to put Queensland on my bucketlist!
I hope that you get to see both places one day, Hannah.