Brisbane Travel Forum

Can anyone tell me if I want to fly into Brisbane and go to the rehabilitation section of the Mater Private Hospital to visit my sister who has had major surgery how far is it from the airport and is a taxi the best way to get there?
Any idea how much it would cost and is it easy to find ? Also any suggestions for a hotel near the hospital in case I stay o/n as I looked on wotif accomodation site and gave up there are so many I have no idea which suburbs are near hospital
Knowing my luck I would book opposite side of town to hospital .Any help appreciated .
I will probably fly up and back in one day unless I can stay at a hotel within walking distance or short taxi fare Trying to keep costs to a minimum this close to Christmas but thought it would be a nice surprise as her immediate family live 5 hours drive north and with their work and school it is too far for them to drop in easily .

Nice touch, Kerry. You could take the train from airport to Southbank Station and walk about 600 metres to Mater which is easy to find. see rail map and more: http://www.airtrain.com.au/maps.php (my guess is 30 kms from airport - taxi to CBD is 36 bucks Mater is a few kms further) )also Google Maps will give you an idea of the area around the Mater.
I'd suggest an hotel at or close to Southbank for a walk or short taxi ride to Mater if you decide to stay. I wonder if Mater have web site with suggested overnight places?

Hi Kerry, I hope your sister will recover her strength and health soon.

Mater Private Hospital is on Vulture Street, mid-block between Stanley Street in the west and Allen Street in the east. The suburb would be South Brisbane and it is not far from the Woolloongabba cricket oval.

The distance from the airport by car is roughly between 18-22km (depending on route) and would take about 30-35 minutes depending on traffic. Cab fare should be about $39. If you're only coming up for the day, I'd say grab a taxi and save time. Alternatively, you could catch a train from the airport in to the city, change at Central or Roma Street for the Cleveland line and hop off at South Bank Station. From there it is a 10min walk max in an easterly direction along Vulture Street to the Mater Private.

The Mater Hill busway is directly across the road from the Mater, so you should have convenient public transport after visiting the hospital.

The nearest accommodation is Hillcrest Central Apartment Hotel and the South Bank Mater Motel (http://www.southbankmatermotel.com.au/). Leopard Lodge in Leopard Street, Kangaroo Point, is also nearby. I cannot vouch for any of these establishments as I've never stayed there.

Princess Plaza just around the corner (12 Annerley Road) has some very nice and affordable restaurants, especially if you like Vietnamese, Japanese or Korean food. By the way, they also have the Diana Plaza Hotel, but not sure what the costs would be.

Other suburbs that would be close are: South Bank, Dutton Park, West End, Highgate Hill, Hill End, Kangaroo Point and Woolloongabba.

Hope this helps and good luck with your sister.

Thankyou both so much for you help I didn't think to look up the hospital to see if they have a website but I certainly will now. Usually I goole everything my brain must be in Christmas rush mode and not thinking straight .
I appreciate the time you both took to answer .I feel more confident of coming up for the day now and might even fly up Friday after work knowing I can be booked in somewhere close by with dinner available locally go in to visit Saturday then home Saturday night
Thanks again appreciate it
Kerry

You both made it sound so easy we have booked our flights coming up Friday night and booked into the Southbank Mater Motel and will be back for our Christmas party Saturday night if all goes to plan
Thanks again

Hope you and your sister both gain a lot from the surprise visit!
Merry Christmas!

Have a safe trip. Hope sis enjoys the surprise. de p

Well I went to Brisbane last night planes delayed out of Sydney due to rain arrived at 7pm got a taxi straight away $40,50 to the Southbank Mater Motel which was $89 for a room walked to hospital at 7.45pm surprised my sister - she cried when I arrived , But I must say all the hospital staff were excellent so professional and caring , Went for a walk early this morning had breakfast at the Princess plaza coffee shop then back to hospital Caught a taxi from hospital to airport cheaper on return $46.50 and got put onto an earlier flight as all the flights very full .There and back in 22 hours .In Hindsight if I ever had to go back to visit someone that I knew was in the Annerly Road campus I would stay at the hotel in Princess plaza as it is directly opposite the section of the hospital I needed .Walking around through a deserted hospital both inside and out in grounds last night in the dark was scary to say the least as I was alone but a nurse in emergency escorted me through the bowels of the hospital when I looked so lost which was lovely . Actually I think what made the trip special was not only seeling Kim but meeting all the helpful and friendly people from taxis drivers ,motel staff , hospital staff even guy in cooffee shop was great so thankyou everyone I really appreciate your help and kindness

Glad it all worked out well!