The Story Bridge is Brisbane's most recognisable landmark, a cantilever steel bridge completed in 1940 that spans the river between Fortitude Valley and Kangaroo Point. Unlike Sydney's Harbour Bridge, this one is properly walkable — there are pedestrian and cycle paths on both sides, and the walk across and back takes about twenty minutes, with fine views of the city centre to the west and the industrial reaches of the river to the east.
The adventure climb — offered by a commercial operator with access to the top of the bridge — takes about two and a half hours and gives you a 360-degree view of Brisbane from 80 metres above the water. It runs at dawn, daytime, and dusk (the sunset climb is the most popular). The structure beneath the bridge at Howard Smith Wharves has been transformed into one of Brisbane's best eating and drinking precincts, which makes a story-bridge walk-plus-lunch combination easy to arrange.