“Do you want to spice up your Instagram profile with Brisbane’s best-kept picture-perfect secrets? You’ve come to the right place. Whether it be street art or natural beauty, you are guaranteed to have a great time getting Insta-worthy shots at these easily accessible locations in and around Brisbane.

South Brisbane Laneways

Melbourne and Sydney are known for their street art, but did you know that Brisbane also has its fair share of amazing artworks? Blending in perfectly with the edgy surrounds, you can snap some shots when walking through South Brisbane’s infamous Fish Lane. ‘Adrift’ by Loretta Lizzio, ‘The Harvest’ by Mimi and ‘Message in a bottle and octopus’ by Fuzeillar are just some of the artworks you can explore. While you’re there, grab a wine from La Lune or a pizza from Julius Pizzeria, true Brisbane institutions. Continuing onto Boundary Street via Merivale Street, you can follow it all the way into Brisbane’s most trendy suburb, West End. The suburb’s laid-back flair also gave way too much of the street art you can admire on buildings and in between residential Queenslanders.

Mount Coot-tha & Botanical Gardens

Of course, Mount Coot-tha belongs on this list. What would Brisbane be without its popular No.1 lookout spot? Located just west of the city, make sure to head to the top for sunset, as you can watch the sun illuminating our river city as it disappears behind the skyscrapers. Another location in close vicinity to the Coot-tha lookout are the Mount Coo-tha Botanical Gardens. Many native and exotic plants call the gardens home and make for amazing photo backdrops. One that you can definitely not miss is the botanical garden’s tropical dome (cover photo). Its geodesic structure is insanely Instagram-worthy.

University of Queensland

Nestled in close proximity to the Brisbane River, the university’s St. Lucia campus boasts 114 hectares of beautiful sandstone buildings, contemporary architecture and landscaped gardens and lakes. Its great court is heritage listed for a reason, so hop on the next City Cat and fly down river to wander through this iconic campus.

Gallery of Modern Art

Regularly featuring some of the world’s most renowned artists, exhibitions at the Gallery of Modern Art are one not to be missed. Ai Weiwei’s giant chandelier is by far the most impressive piece of lighting one has ever seen and instantly boosts any Instagram account. The gallery’s most current exhibition, Mavis Ngallametta’s ‘Show me the way to go home’ offers lush backdrops of incredible indigenous art pieces, detailing nature’s many facets. Obviously, only take photos when allowed to do so.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Get up close and personal with Australia’s most famous inhabitants. Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and many more residents await you at the sanctuary and cannot wait for you to feed & cuddle them! Plus, they’ve always got a smile ready when you pull out your camera.

Fairy light trees QUT or Captain Burke Park

Imagine a whole tree wrapped in nothing but fairy lights. Sounds like straight out of a fairy tale and too good to be true? Well, not in Brisbane! At the Queensland University of Technology’s city campus as well as at Captain Burke Park in Kangaroo point, you can shoot giant fig trees, magnificently illuminated against the night sky. You’re welcome.

St John’s Cathedral

When driving past St John’s Cathedral on Brisbane’s Ann Street, you may quickly notice this building is very different from the surrounding high rises to its left & right. Built from Brisbane tuff (it’s a type of rock, and it’s pretty tough too) and sandstone, the outside is almost as stunning as the church’s interior. Its gothic revival style boasts high, arched ceilings, which would feature oh-so perfectly on your feed.

Enoggera Reservoir

Who says you have to travel far to get a slice of nature’s goodness? The Enoggera Reservoir is comprised of stunning, lush, green forest and an ever-so-blue lake. This blue and green stage can only be enhanced by the blooming flower lilies, at special times of the year. Located a short 40-minute drive from the Brisbane CBD, the reservoir makes for the ultimate half-day big smoke getaway.

We know having an engaging feed is harder than ever, among literally millions of other social media accounts. Hopefully, some of these spots make it into your next holiday plans and we cannot wait to see the results. If you visit any of these spots, tag us at @novotel_southbank to be featured.

PS: Our hotel is pretty Instagram worthy too. Check out what we have on offer here.”