Teneriffe, Brisbane: Woolstores, Riverwalk and the Ferry

Teneriffe Brisbane is a riverside suburb of old woolstores, tree-lined streets and cafes, just downriver from the CBD. Come for the heritage brick buildings, the flat Riverwalk along the Brisbane River and a meal or coffee on Commercial Road.

It has its own ferry terminal, so the easiest way in is a CityCat, followed by a walk to New Farm Park or the Powerhouse.

The Teneriffe woolstores

Teneriffe became Brisbane’s most important wool wharf precinct. Wool was railed to the stores, pressed, baled and carried to the wharves for export. Most of the stores went up in two building booms, from 1909 to 1915 and in the 1920s, with a few in the mid-1930s and the last two in the 1950s.

Shipping later moved closer to the river mouth, and by the 1990s the area was run down. Urban renewal in the mid-1990s turned the big brick stores into apartments, with restaurants and shops at street level. One of the first, the Queensland Primary Producers store at 241 Arthur Street, became 66 apartments around an atrium and won the 1995 Lord Mayor’s Award for Urban Renewal.

You can see the stores from the river, and from Arthur Street and Commercial Road on foot.

Teneriffe Hill and Teneriffe Park

The hill’s landmark is Teneriffe House, which James Gibbon built on the hilltop in 1865 to a design by Melbourne architect W.H. Ellerker. The estate was later subdivided, and the old orchard became Teneriffe Park, which Brisbane City Council had acquired by 1930.

The park sits on a steep slope between Little Chester Street, MacKellar Street and Teneriffe Drive. It has a picnic area, a children’s playground, patches of bushland and views towards the Bulimba reach of the river. Council values it for its bird life and native plants.

Commercial Road and Hall’s Building

Commercial Road is the suburb’s old main street. Hall’s Building, at 102 Commercial Road, was built in 1924 as a store and leased to a succession of storekeepers. It is a local heritage place, and it was later converted for use as a restaurant.

The warehouses and woolstores around it have become apartments and townhouses, and the tree-lined streets now hold a growing number of bars, cafes and restaurants. Opening hours are set by each business, so check before you go.

The Teneriffe Riverwalk

Brisbane City Council describes the Teneriffe Riverwalk as flat, and starts its Teneriffe to New Farm route at the Commercial Road ferry terminal. In the other direction, the council’s walking guide starts at Waterfront Park in Newstead, follows the Riverwalk signs to the Teneriffe ferry terminal, then goes on past Gasworks to Brisbane Powerhouse and New Farm Park. It is suitable for prams and scooters, and dogs are welcome on a leash.

On a Saturday morning, the council suggests stopping at the farmers market at the Powerhouse. See our guides to Brisbane Powerhouse, Jan Powers Farmers Markets and New Farm Park.

Teneriffe ferry terminal

The Teneriffe ferry terminal is served by the CityCat (F1) and by the Cross River ferry (F21) to Bulimba. Translink also lists bus route 199 here. Across the river, Bulimba has Oxford Street, parks and its own history.

Ferry note (checked 14 Nov 2026): Bulimba ferry terminal is closed from 9 November until mid-December for essential maintenance. During the closure, F21 Cross River ferries that normally run between Teneriffe and Bulimba stop at Hawthorne instead, and the crossing is a little longer. Check Translink for current times.

Brisbane City Council says dogs are allowed on its ferries off-peak, on a leash and muzzled or in a carrier, and they must stay outside the cabin.

Planning your visit

• How long: Allow a couple of hours for a Riverwalk stroll and a meal.
• Dogs: Welcome on the Riverwalk on a leash; Powerhouse Park has an off-leash area.
• Picnics: Teneriffe Park has a picnic area and a playground on the hill.

Getting there and parking

By car it is about 4 km and about 10 minutes from the Brisbane CBD without traffic. There is street parking around Teneriffe.

By public transport, take the CityCat or Cross River ferry to Teneriffe ferry terminal on Commercial Road, or route 199. Use the Translink Journey Planner for current times.

Nearby

• New Farm Park – jacarandas, playgrounds and riverside lawns at the end of the Riverwalk.
• Newstead House – Brisbane’s historic house and a park by the river.
• Wilson Outlook Reserve – Story Bridge views and a lift to Howard Smith Wharves.
• Howard Smith Wharves – restaurants and bars under the Story Bridge.
• Fortitude Valley – dining and live music.
• More in History and landmarks and Brisbane.

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• Kingston Butter Factory (Logan)
• Woodford (Moreton Bay)
• Cape Moreton Lighthouse (Moreton Island)

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