Brisbane cruise terminal to Lone Koala Sanctuary

[cunnorl]

  We are looking to go to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary while we are in Brisbane. Is it possible to take a taxi from the pier and will there be availability of taxis at Lone Pine for the return?

[beatleman]

The Lone Pine is about 15km the other side of Brisbane, most cruise ships have shore excursions to the park. The Bus also takes you through the City. Another way is to get to Brissy and then catch the M.V Miramar a cruiser that will take you upstream to the park. The new BCT is over 20km from the CBD so the trip to the park is about 40km that's why a shore excursion is the way to go. Not sure what Taxi service is like from BCT, a Queenslander like Sinbad should be of help there.

 

 

 

[cunnorl]

@beatleman Thanks for the info. I booked the ships excursion today. 

[beatleman]

Great, you will have a nice excursion, make sure you visit the Platypus Tanks

[Lonedaddy]

Our ship excursion was to end a 1pm but I booked the behind the scenes koala experience at 1 and was able to pre book a car back to the port for 90 usd.  

[Lonedaddy]

With the Brisbane port closure the cancelled our tour to lone pine.  I purchased the following tour.  It was non refundable but they will let me transfer it up to Jan 28 2024. It was 300 AUD for two people If anyone is interested let me know and make an offer.

 

 

The Koala Discovery Tour is the perfect experience for any koala lover. During this 60 minute guided experience, participants will:

Go behind-the-scenes to our leaf sorting area and learn how we cater for our picky eaters

Enter a koala exhibit with your guide for extra special photo opportunities

Spend one-on-one time holding one of these incredible animals and capture your special moment with a photo from our professional photographers. You can also take photos on your own device

What’s included

60-minute guided experience with Education Officer

Koala hold and 5×8 printed professional photo

Exclusive access to our koala exhibits

Requirements

*Package price does not include entry to the sanctuary. Entry passes to be booked in addition to tour package.

Minimum age for participants is 12 years old

Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult participant and supervised at all times

[possum52]

8 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

With the Brisbane port closure the cancelled our tour to lone pine.  I purchased the following tour.  It was non refundable but they will let me transfer it up to Jan 28 2024. It was 300 AUD for two people If anyone is interested let me know and make an offer.

 

 

The Koala Discovery Tour is the perfect experience for any koala lover. During this 60 minute guided experience, participants will:

Go behind-the-scenes to our leaf sorting area and learn how we cater for our picky eaters

Enter a koala exhibit with your guide for extra special photo opportunities

Spend one-on-one time holding one of these incredible animals and capture your special moment with a photo from our professional photographers. You can also take photos on your own device

What’s included

60-minute guided experience with Education Officer

Koala hold and 5×8 printed professional photo

Exclusive access to our koala exhibits

Requirements

*Package price does not include entry to the sanctuary. Entry passes to be booked in addition to tour package.

Minimum age for participants is 12 years old

Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult participant and supervised at all times

I would suggest you reword your post as it reads that no cruise ships are docking in Brisbane Port which is not correct. It is only Portside where smaller ships used to dock which is not in operation. The new Brisbane Cruise Terminal at Luggage Point is in full operation for all ships which are booked to dock there. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by possum52

[MMDown Under]

On 10/29/2022 at 2:13 AM, Lonedaddy said:

With the Brisbane port closure the cancelled our tour to lone pine.  I purchased the following tour.  It was non refundable but they will let me transfer it up to Jan 28 2024. It was 300 AUD for two people If anyone is interested let me know and make an offer.

 

 

The Koala Discovery Tour is the perfect experience for any koala lover. During this 60 minute guided experience, participants will:

Go behind-the-scenes to our leaf sorting area and learn how we cater for our picky eaters

Enter a koala exhibit with your guide for extra special photo opportunities

Spend one-on-one time holding one of these incredible animals and capture your special moment with a photo from our professional photographers. You can also take photos on your own device

What’s included

60-minute guided experience with Education Officer

Koala hold and 5×8 printed professional photo

Exclusive access to our koala exhibits

Requirements

*Package price does not include entry to the sanctuary. Entry passes to be booked in addition to tour package.

Minimum age for participants is 12 years old

Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult participant and supervised at all times

$300 for two seems expensive to me to not include entry to the Sanctuary.  

[Lonedaddy]

29 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

$300 for two seems expensive to me to not include entry to the Sanctuary.  

[fstuff1]

On 8/27/2022 at 8:41 PM, beatleman said:

The Lone Pine is about 15km the other side of Brisbane, most cruise ships have shore excursions to the park. The Bus also takes you through the City.

Another way is to get to Brissy and then catch the M.V Miramar a cruiser that will take you upstream to the park. The new BCT is over 20km from the CBD so the trip to the park is about 40km that's why a shore excursion is the way to go. Not sure what Taxi service is like from BCT, a Queenslander like Sinbad should be of help there.

 

How to get to Miramar cruises location from the cruise terminal?

Is there Uber?

[triplem67]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

How to get to Miramar cruises location from the cruise terminal?

Is there Uber?

Hi there @fstuff1
I am a Brisbane local and want to caution you about some issues you need to consider before booking Miramar... ONLY from the point of view that it can be challenging to get from the Brisbane Cruise Terminal to the Miramar departure point.  You need to look at what day you're in Brisbane - weekday or weekend, and what time you can depart from your ship at the Brisbane Cruise Terminal.  

I am doing a Celebrity Edge itinerary in late Feb/early March.  We have a Brisbane port day on Tue 5th March.  Our "arrival time" is listed as 8am which will not give people enough time in Peak Hour Traffic to get from the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal across the city to the South side of the river to meet up with Miramar for the 9am departure.  The boat won't wait if you're late.  

If your Cruise is "arriving" in Brisbane earlier and you can depart the ship earlier on a weekday, then it might be doable to get to the Miramar wharf in time.  There would be some taxis and possibly ride shares to grab at the terminal.  But keep in mind that a taxi or rideshare can't drop directly at the departure wharf.  They would drop you nearby and then you need to walk down to the river walkway to get to the departure wharf.  

I have connected some people on my Celebrity Edge cruise with a rideshare driver (who I know personally) and he is pre-booked to pick them up and then bring them back from Lone Pine.  I have also found a few private vehicle transfer companies that can do private transport or shuttle bus. I have contact details for them if you need them. 

Another tip is that I have seen people quoting travel times using the wrong Cruise terminal.  Brisbane used to have a Cruise terminal at Portside Hamilton which is now closed.  Some international sites still quote Portside as the Cruise terminal.  All Cruise ships now dock at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal which is right out at the mouth of the Brisbane River and is a long way from the city.  There is no public transport to or from the terminal.  I think all Cruise lines put on a paid shuttle service but they would only go to a central location in the Brisbane CBD (usually somewhere like ANZAC Square).  

Having said all that.... If you can make the Miramar Cruise to Lone Pine work for your Cruise Ship timings... it's a wonderful trip and a great way to see Brisbane from the River.

Edited September 14, 2023 by triplem67

[fstuff1]

16 hours ago, triplem67 said:

Hi there @fstuff1
I am a Brisbane local and want to caution you about some issues you need to consider before booking Miramar... ONLY from the point of view that it can be challenging to get from the Brisbane Cruise Terminal to the Miramar departure point.  You need to look at what day you're in Brisbane - weekday or weekend, and what time you can depart from your ship at the Brisbane Cruise Terminal.  

I am doing a Celebrity Edge itinerary in late Feb/early March.  We have a Brisbane port day on Tue 5th March.  Our "arrival time" is listed as 8am which will not give people enough time in Peak Hour Traffic to get from the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal across the city to the South side of the river to meet up with Miramar for the 9am departure.  The boat won't wait if you're late.  

If your Cruise is "arriving" in Brisbane earlier and you can depart the ship earlier on a weekday, then it might be doable to get to the Miramar wharf in time.  There would be some taxis and possibly ride shares to grab at the terminal.  But keep in mind that a taxi or rideshare can't drop directly at the departure wharf.  They would drop you nearby and then you need to walk down to the river walkway to get to the departure wharf.  

I have connected some people on my Celebrity Edge cruise with a rideshare driver (who I know personally) and he is pre-booked to pick them up and then bring them back from Lone Pine.  I have also found a few private vehicle transfer companies that can do private transport or shuttle bus. I have contact details for them if you need them. 

Another tip is that I have seen people quoting travel times using the wrong Cruise terminal.  Brisbane used to have a Cruise terminal at Portside Hamilton which is now closed.  Some international sites still quote Portside as the Cruise terminal.  All Cruise ships now dock at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal which is right out at the mouth of the Brisbane River and is a long way from the city.  There is no public transport to or from the terminal.  I think all Cruise lines put on a paid shuttle service but they would only go to a central location in the Brisbane CBD (usually somewhere like ANZAC Square).  

Having said all that.... If you can make the Miramar Cruise to Lone Pine work for your Cruise Ship timings... it's a wonderful trip and a great way to see Brisbane from the River.

 

thx.

ship arriving in oct 21 (sat) 8am.

no rush hr traffic since it's a sat.

 

Do you think i can make it on  sat?

Or is it better just to get an uber directly to lone pine koala and skip the mirarar ferry?

 

How much is an uber from cruise terminal to koala place?

Also, worth $25 USD to get pic taken with koala?

Edited September 14, 2023 by fstuff1

[triplem67]

5 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

thx.

ship arriving in oct 21 (sat) 8am.

no rush hr traffic since it's a sat.

 

Do you think i can make it on  sat?

Or is it better just to get an uber directly to lone pine koala and skip the mirarar ferry?

 

How much is an uber from cruise terminal to koala place?

Also, worth $25 USD to get pic taken with koala?

@fstuff1  Ooooh! You're on Solstice!🙂 I'm going to have some questions for you about the North Queensland stops on your itinerary.  They are the same as Celebrity Edge next year.  

 

I'm really sorry but my honest opinion is even on a Saturday, I'm not sure it's doable if your "arrival" time is 8am.  I'll explain why below.  

 

The things working against you is check-in and boarding for Miramar is 8:45am for 9am departure. The walk off the Ship along the gangway to the front of the cruise terminal, is approximately a 300 metre walk. Then you have to grab a taxi or rideshare. Once you're in the car, on a Saturday morning the travel time estimate is 28 to 35 minutes from the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal to the Southbank location of Miramar's Wharf. And then you also have to factor a short-ish walk down to the departure wharf from your drop off point.  That's an awful lot to do in less than an hour.  😐 

 

My recommendation for the easiest way to do Lone Pine yourself, is book a driver and have them waiting to pick you up and take you direct to Lone Pine then pick you up when you want to go back to the ship. That's what one group is doing on my Celebrity Edge cruise. I have a family friend who is an Uber Driver and he is booked to do exactly this.

 

Another group from my Cruise has booked a shuttle bus service that I found. The company is a local private transport provider in my area and I put their details up in my Roll Call. So far one mini bus of 11 passengers is fully booked and they are selling a second one. I can put in contact with either of those options if you'd like.  Once you have transport arranged, then you just have to buy your entry ticket online.  

 

As for $25 for a Koala photo... Sure if you like. I do the Animal Encounters at Australia Zoo and what I like about those experiences is you get to go behind the scenes and learn more about the animal's care. Also, funds raised go towards conservation work. So I think it's good to do those kinds of encounters.

 

I hope that information helps. I feel really bad because the Miramar Cruise is a fabulous way to go to Lone Pine and back. It's just these bloody Cruise ship timings don't make it easy for people to organise their own plans.

[Lonedaddy]

5 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

thx.

ship arriving in oct 21 (sat) 8am.

no rush hr traffic since it's a sat.

 

Do you think i can make it on  sat?

Or is it better just to get an uber directly to lone pine koala and skip the mirarar ferry?

 

How much is an uber from cruise terminal to koala place?

Also, worth $25 USD to get pic taken with koala?

The photo is pretty much what value is it to you.  The behind the scenes encounter we did at Australia zoo was awesome and well worth it.  We had it booked at lone pine but had to cancel due to the port change we had on regent explorer.

[fstuff1]

18 hours ago, triplem67 said:

My recommendation for the easiest way to do Lone Pine yourself, is book a driver and have them waiting to pick you up and take you direct to Lone Pine then pick you up when you want to go back to the ship. That's what one group is doing on my Celebrity Edge cruise. I have a family friend who is an Uber Driver and he is booked to do exactly this.

Thx.

how much does your friend cost?

And does he accept USD?

 

or just call a random Uber when I get to port?

[possum52]

5 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

And does he accept USD?

I am sorry, but this question really annoys me. Let me ask you, would you expect an Uber, taxi or tour driver to accept Australian dollars in the US?  You will probably find that you will need very little Australian cash as almost everywhere a credit or debit card will be accepted. Uber is card only.

Edited September 15, 2023 by possum52

[beatleman]

Just because the ship docks at 8.00am does not mean you will be on the dock at 8.01am. 45minutes is far to tight even for Brisbane, so forget the Miramar. If we go to the UK or USA  we are obliged to use  Pounds and USD as visitors are required to pay in AUD or Credit Card.

 

[fstuff1]

36 minutes ago, beatleman said:

Just because the ship docks at 8.00am does not mean you will be on the dock at 8.01am. 45minutes is far to tight even for Brisbane, so forget the Miramar. If we go to the UK or USA  we are obliged to use  Pounds and USD as visitors are required to pay in AUD or Credit Card.

ok, thx

[nchr]

Sorry for also asking, but can't find Informations. We will be in Brisbane with german Cruise Ship MS Amera on 08. March 2024 and I now read, that all Ships will dock at Brisbane International. I found Cruise Schedule, but on this date there is only Quantum listed, not Amera. We also want to go to Koala, so its important to know, where we dock. Do you have other open Cruise Terminals in Brisbane, so I'm wrong with International?

Thanks in Advance and best regards

Nicole

[beatleman]

1 hour ago, nchr said:

Sorry for also asking, but can't find Informations. We will be in Brisbane with german Cruise Ship MS Amera on 08. March 2024 and I now read, that all Ships will dock at Brisbane International. I found Cruise Schedule, but on this date there is only Quantum listed, not Amera. We also want to go to Koala, so its important to know, where we dock. Do you have other open Cruise Terminals in Brisbane, so I'm wrong with International?

Thanks in Advance and best regards

Nicole

The MS Amera is due to berth at 0800 hours March 8th at BICT

[Lonedaddy]

15 hours ago, possum52 said:

I am sorry, but this question really annoys me. Let me ask you, would you expect an Uber, taxi or tour driver to accept Australian dollars in the US?  You will probably find that you will need very little Australian cash as almost everywhere a credit or debit card will be accepted. Uber is card only.

Poster may not be that well-traveled for instance in Israel and Egypt guides graciously accept tips in USD or Euros.  That is why there were asking because many countries do.  I tipped my driver from the Auckland airport in USD as I had no time to get NZD given what a mess it was.  He had no issues.   

[beatleman]

7 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

Poster may not be that well-traveled for instance in Israel and Egypt guides graciously accept tips in USD or Euros.  That is why there were asking because many countries do.  I tipped my driver from the Auckland airport in USD as I had no time to get NZD given what a mess it was.  He had no issues.   

Tipping is not required in OZ or NZ, please refer to the thread *TIPPING* at the top of this column.

[possum52]

9 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

Poster may not be that well-traveled for instance in Israel and Egypt guides graciously accept tips in USD or Euros.  That is why there were asking because many countries do.  I tipped my driver from the Auckland airport in USD as I had no time to get NZD given what a mess it was.  He had no issues.   

As beatleman said in his post above, tipping is not required in Australia and NZ. It is good manners, I would have thought to use the currency of the country you are holidaying in. It costs the vendors, taxi drivers etc money to exchange international currency. If you paid your driver for the trip by card, and you really wanted to tip him/her, you just ask them to add the tip to your fare and pay by card. 

 

Most Australians and New Zealanders would use cards to pay for goods and services when overseas and wouldn't even think of handing over Australian currency to pay or tip (yes we will tip if required). 

[Lonedaddy]

8 minutes ago, possum52 said:

As beatleman said in his post above, tipping is not required in Australia and NZ. It is good manners, I would have thought to use the currency of the country you are holidaying in. It costs the vendors, taxi drivers etc money to exchange international currency. If you paid your driver for the trip by card, and you really wanted to tip him/her, you just ask them to add the tip to your fare and pay by card. 

 

Most Australians and New Zealanders would use cards to pay for goods and services when overseas and wouldn't even think of handing over Australian currency to pay or tip (yes we will tip if required). 

I booked the trip on Viator so prepaid.  No place to add tip.  He was excellent and waited for us as baggage claim and customs was how do I say it…. Snafu.  If you’re not familiar with the term(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snafu) anyway he was good and I tipped him well.  Well enough I’m sure the currency exchange was not an issue for him.  He probably saves his tips and exchanged at one time to get a better rate.

 

I did my research and aware tipping not required but he did and extraordinary job.

[possum52]

If you did your research, you would have found that $US is not the currency used in New Zealand and you wouldn't have given it to your driver as a tip. If travelling overseas, I purchase a small amount of currency for the country/countries I am visiting just in case it is needed before flying/cruising. I would never, ever try to pay with Australian dollars.