Kangaroo Point Cliffs

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Cliffs at sunset

The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are located at Kangaroo Point just across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. A popular recreation spot, it is conveniently close to the city and the South Bank Parklands. It can be reached by the Pacific Motorway, South-East Busway or a ferry to Thornton Street Wharf.

The Cliffs are situated on the east bank of the river north of the Maritime Museum and opposite the Queensland University of Technology. The area is a popular picnic and abseiling site. The Kangaroo Point Cliffs feature excellent rock climbing possibilities for all skill levels^[1], and Kangaroo Point is primarily a place for recreational climbing. The cliffs are mainly used as a training ground by South East Queensland's rockclimbers. The cliff's rocky formations are lit at night by numerous flood lights. Climbing the rocks without adequate ropes is punishable by law.

At the base of the cliff, curbed by a large bend in the Brisbane River is a narrow strip of parkland. The park contains electric barbecues, tables and chairs, sculptures, toilets and ample views of the Captain Cook Bridge, mangroves, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and downtown buildings across the river. Native vegetation has been redeveloped into gardens which display a very natural design.

The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are not natural. They were created by a quarrying operation which mined the volcanic rock or rhyolite lava flows which form the cliffs. These lavas were deposited in the Tertiary period about 30 million years ago and filled up an ancient river valley. They currently form the banks of the Brisbane River.