Brisbane - Australia 2004 - page 235

passes and to pick up timetables and maps are the Brisbane Transport outlets on
the Elizabeth Street level of the Myer Centre, which fronts Queen Street Mall;
at Brisbane Transport's Brisbane Administration Centre, 69 Ann St.; at the
Roma Street Transit Centre; or at Brisbane Marketing's kiosk in the Queen
Street Mall. You can also buy passes on the bus, at the train station, or on the
CityCat or ferry. Any news agency displaying a yellow-and-white BUS & FERRY
TICKETS SOLD HERE banner sells passes, but not train passes, special tour tickets,
or family passes.
A single sector or zone on the bus, train, or ferry costs A$1.80 (US$1.15).
Whether traveling with a parent on a single ticket or a pass, kids under age 5
travel free, kids ages 5 to 15 pay half fare; all seniors except Queensland residents
and all students pay full fare. If you plan on using the buses and ferries a lot,
weekly passes and Ten Trip Saver tickets are available from the outlets described
above.
The Brisbane Mobility Map, produced by the Brisbane City Council, out-
lines wheelchair access to buildings in the city center, and includes a detailed
guide to the Queen Street Mall and a map of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at
Mt. Coot-tha. The council's disability services unit also has a range of other pub-
lications including a Braille Trail and an access guide to parks. These can all be
obtained from council customer service centers ( & 07/3403 8888 ).
TRANSPORT PASSES A 1-2-3 Ticket can be used for up to 2 hours on a
one-way journey with any combination of bus, train, or ferry, and only costs
A$3.80 (US$2.45). There are limits to how far you can go on the trains, but the
pass will get you as far as the Australian Woolshed at Ferny Grove, which is
probably as far as you will be traveling anyhow.
It's possible you won't use trains to get around Brisbane, as most attractions
are on the bus and ferry networks. In that case, get a Day Rover pass, which
allows unlimited travel on buses, CityCats, and ferries for A$8.40 (US$5.50).
On weekends and public holidays, it's cheaper to buy an Off-Peak Saver pass,
which lets you travel on buses all day for A$4.60 (US$3) for adults. The Off-
Peak Saver is also available on weekdays, but remember to plan your sightseeing
around the fact that it cannot be used before 9am or between 3:30 and 7pm.
And it can't be used on CityCats or ferries.
Note that Day Rover and Off-Peak Saver passes can't be used on tour buses
like City Sights (see “Organized Tours,” later in this chapter).
If you see peak-hour buses displaying a full-fare-only sign, that does not mean
you cannot travel on them with a discounted ticket or pass. It just means you
cannot purchase a ticket or pass on the bus; you will have to purchase your ticket
or pass from a ticket agent before boarding the bus.
The excellent City Sights bus tour entitles you to unlimited travel on buses,
ferries, and CityCats for the day, and at the same time gets you around to 19
points of interest—see “Organized Tours,” later in this chapter, for details.
BY BUS Buses operate from around 5am to 11pm weekdays, with fewer serv-
ices on weekends. On Sunday, many routes stop around 5pm. Most buses depart
from City Hall at King George Square, from Adelaide or Ann streets. The
Downtown Loop is a free bus service that circles the city center. The Loop's dis-
tinctive red buses run on two routes stopping at convenient places including
Central Station, Queen Street Mall, City Botanic Gardens, Riverside Centre,
and King George Square. Look for the red bus stops. It runs every 10 minutes
from 7am to 5:50pm Monday through Friday.