Banks Queensland banking hours are Mon-Fri 9.30am-4pm; major branches in the centre are around Queen and Edward streets.

Bike rental and repairs Brisbane Bike Sales, 87 Albert St (tel 07/3229 2433); open daily and late Fri night; bikes with helmets from $20 per day, $60 per week. Hotel Cycle Hire (tel 0408 003 198) charge $38 a day or $99 a week, but deliver to your accommodation and offer a free emergency repair service within 10km of the city centre.

Bookshops American Book Store, 173 Elizabeth St (tel 07/3221 7838), has a broad selection; Angus and Robertsons, Queen Street Mall, is a good standard bookshop; Women's Bookshop, 15 Gladstone Rd, Highgate Hill (tel 07/3844 6650), stocks the latest lesbian titles. Bent Books, at the crossroads with Boundary Rd and Vulture St (tel 07/3846 5004), is an independent bookshop with a gay bias.

Buses All ticket desks are on the third floor of the Transit Centre, Roma St. Coachtrans (to the Gold and Sunshine coasts; tel 07/3236 4165); Crisp's (to Toowoomba, Warwick, Stanthorpe, Goondiwindi and Tenterfield; tel 07/3236 5266); Greyhound Pioneer (Queensland and interstate; tel 07/3258 1670); Kirkland's (to the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Lismore; tel 1300/367 077); McCafferty's (Queensland and interstate; tel 07/3236 3035); Premier (all highway destinations to Sydney and Cairns; tel 13 3410); Whites (to Toowoomba and the Gold Coast, including theme parks; tel 07/3245 1308).

Bushwalking Brisbane Bushwalkers Club, 116 Alderley Ave, Alderley (tel 07/3856 4050), 8km west of the centre by train.

Camping supplies K2, 140 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley (tel 07/3854 1340); Kathmandu, 144 Wickham St (tel 07/3252 8054); and Mountain Designs, 120 Wickham St (tel 07/3216 1866), for top-quality camping gear and information.

Car rental You'll pay around $40 for a single day's rental; longer terms work out from $25 a day. Shop around and read rental conditions before signing. Most places will deliver; minimum age is 21. Aircond Car Rentals, 53 Montpelier Rd, Bowen Hills (tel 07/3216 0303); Coast to Coast, for campervans from $40 a day (free call tel 1800 246 869); Compass (free call tel 1800 640 191); Integra, for campervans and one-way rentals to Melbourne, Sydney or Cairns (free call tel 1800 067 414); Network, 398 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley (tel 07/3252 1599); NQ Australia, 24 Violet St, Eagle Farm (tel 07/3268 5800), for campervans; Thrifty, 325 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley (tel 07/3252 5994).

Consulates Britain, 1 Eagle St (tel 07/3223 3200); Japan, 12 Creek St (tel 07/3221 5188); Papua New Guinea, Level 1, 99 Creek St (tel 07/3221 7915); Philippines, 126 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley (tel 07/3252 8215); Thailand, 87 Annerley Rd (tel 07/3846 7771).

Disabled travellers The Disability Information and Awareness Line (DIAL) maintains a database of accessible accommodation and other facilities throughout Queensland (tel 07/3224 8444, or outside Brisbane free call tel 1800 177 120, dial@fsaia.qld.gov.au ).

Diving The nearest dive sites to Brisbane are off North Stradbroke and Moreton islands. Nautilus Scuba, 504 Lutwyche Rd (tel 07/3857 1440), can cater to all your needs.

Flights Possum Air Tours (tel 07/3397 0033, www.possumairtours.com.au ) depart daily at 5.45am for a spin over the city followed by a champagne breakfast. $214 per person, includes pick-up and return to accommodation.

Hospitals/medical centres Roma Street Medical Centre, Level 2, Transit Centre (Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm, free dental consultations Tues; tel 07/3236 2988); Royal Brisbane, Herston Rd, Herston (tel 07/3253 8111; buses #126, #144 or #172 from outside City Hall); and Travellers' Medical Service, Level 5, 247 Aldelaide St (Mon-Fri 7.30am-7pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; tel 07/3211 3611, fax 3221 3771), for general services, vaccinations and women's health.

Internet access Most hostels have terminals where you can log on from around $4 an hour, or there are slightly more expensive internet places just up from Central Station and Palace Backpackers on Edward St, as well as the Backpackers Travel Centre at 138 Albert St.

Left luggage At the airport, Transit Centre and in the basement of the Myer Centre; $4-7 per day per locker.

Maps The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland's series, free to members, or $5.50 each from the RACQ centre at 261 Queen St, covers everything from major highways to almost invisible 4WD-only tracks; and World Wide, 187 George St, stocks a comprehensive range of maps, atlases and travel guides for Queensland and beyond.

Markets Eagle Street (Sun until 3pm) and Brunswick Street Mall (Sat until 4pm) for bits and pieces; South Bank Parklands (Fri night, Sat & Sun until around 4pm) for clothing, arts and crafts and a family atmosphere; while the Riverside Centre (Sun only) is more "arty" than the rest.

National Parks and Wildlife Service (Naturally Queensland) 160 Ann St (tel 07/3227 8187). Plenty of fluffy toys, brochures, books and general information about the state's national parks.

Pharmacies Transit Centre Pharmacy (daily 7am-5pm); and Day & Night Pharmacy, Queen Street Mall (Mon-Sat 8am-9pm, Sun 10am-5pm).

Police Queensland Police Headquarters is opposite the Transit Centre on Roma St (tel 07/3364 6464).

Post office GPO, 261 Queen St (tel 07/3405 1202); bring photo ID to collect poste restante. Mon-Fri 7am-6pm.

RACQ 261 Queen St (breakdown service tel 13 1111).

Telephones International payphones are located in the arcade beside the GPO at 261 Queen St; cheap international rates are also available through the internet places near Palace Backpackers on Edward St, and the Backpackers Travel Centre at 138 Albert St.

Trains Queensland and interstate trains leave from the Transit Centre's ground floor; the ticket office and information centre there is open Mon-Sat 5.45am-6.30pm, with variable hours on Sun. For rail information call tel 13 2232.

Travel agents Discounted air fares and other travel arrangements are available from: Flight Centre, 181 George St (tel 07/3229 0150); cnr Creek and Queen streets (tel 07/3227 1777); STA, 111 Adelaide St (tel 07/3221 5722); Trailfinders, 91 Elizabeth St (tel 07/3229 0887). There's also the Backpackers Travel Centre at 138 Albert St (tel 07/3221 2225), and a YHA office opposite the Transit Centre at 154 Roma St open Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm (tel 07/3236 1680).

Women travellers Contact Women's Infolink, 56 Mary St (free call tel 1800 177 577).

Work Popular with job-hunters, Brisbane offers fairly good employment prospects, if you're not too choosy. Regular employment agencies may actively discourage travellers, though several hostels now run very effective ad hoc agencies, or try Backpacker Employment Services, on the top floor of the Transit Centre in Roma St (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm; tel 07/3236 4899, fax 3236 0899, www.backpackersaustralia.com ).