Updated - February 2024
We’re a church with a students and graduates from Griffith University. We love connecting with and caring for students.
Below is a short guide if you’re moving to the area to study at Griffith University. It covers: location, climate, residential colleges, nearby shopping, banking and free things to do around Brisbane city.
If you’d like to see more about our activities and ministry on campus and with students click the green button below.
We’d love to meet you! Read on to see more about moving to campus and Brisbane.
Location
Griffith University Nathan and Mount Gravatt Campuses are about 10 kms out of the Central Business District of Brisbane (CBD). They are near each other on the south side of Brisbane.
What’s it like in Brisbane?
Trimester 1: You'll be arriving at the end of Summer in Brisbane - February which is usually very hot and humid. Sometimes it rains a lot in February if the conditions are right. But even with the rain it stays quite hot and humid. So, you will want to bring plenty of cool summer clothes, buy a fan when you arrive and definitely pack some swimmers.
Trimester 2: In the middle of the year it also does get quite cold for 2 months in the middle of winter. So do bring some warm clothes. (You might also want warm blankets or a quilt for your bed in winter - but you can buy these in Australia. It might be cheaper than bringing them from overseas.)
Griffith University Nathan Campus
The campus is situated on a hill surrounded by Australian bush. You drive into the campus by turning off Kessels Road in Nathan or University Road. This campus has a number of cafes and food take away places: Sammy G’s café, Café Rossa, Indian brothers. There is also a small post office.
Griffith University Mount Gravatt Campus
The campus is situated on a hill surrounded by Australian bush. It is entered by driving or walking on Messines Ridge Road. The residential college on this campus has closed down and the whole campus is closing down. So…it’s a pretty low key campus experience.
There are regular free buses from Nathan Campus to the Mount Gravatt Campus and back!
Shopping in Brisbane
The major supermarkets in Brisbane for food are: Coles, Woolworths (sometimes called Woolies) and ALDI. In general, food shops in Australia are very safe with very high standards of food safety and hygene. For general household items you can shop at Big W or Kmart.
Shops near Nathan Campus
Garden City Westfield: This is at Upper Mount Gravatt on Logan Road. It is a huge shopping centre. For food it has: Coles, Woolworths and ALDI. Buses go from the campus to Garden City. The shopping centre also has KMART and Big W. At these places you can buy cheap clothing and small electrical items. A fan, a small fridge, a heater. Many residential college (KGBC or BK) students buy these for their rooms to make them more comfortable. Sometimes you can buy one cheap from a student who is leaving.
Salisbury – ALDI: There is an ALDI in Salisbury. It is a short walk from Nathan campus to ALDI. It takes about 15 minutes. If you have a lot of shopping you might want to catch the bus back.
Sunnybank – Mains Road: This is a smaller shopping centre. It is a bit harder to get to than Garden City but can be quicker to shop at because it is smaller. The major supermarkets are there: Coles and an ALDI (nearby.) It also has a KMART for household items such as fans, blankets, toasters, cooking utensils etc.
If you have access to a car, many students shop at a place called Cocos Brisbane in Annerley , for the cheap prices. Or they shop in the suburb of Inala.
Shops near Mount Gravatt campus
Mount Gravatt Plaza: 55 Creek Rd, Mount Gravatt. Coles, Woolworths, Flight Centre, Australia Post, Butcher.
Garden City is not far away. See above
Residential College - KGBC & BK
KGBC is organised into flats. The flats share a kitchen, bathroom and small living area. Usually there are 8 bedrooms for each flat. You can live on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd floor. Entry is via a secure stairwell.
In KGBC - C stands for Carnarvon. This set of flats is usually for post graduate students. It is on the eastern side of the gym.
BK - Bellenden Ker. This is a long building with 20 or so students living on each floor. Students rooms come off a long corridor. At the end of each corridor shared kitchens. The bathrooms and toilets are also shared. Many first years like to move into BK if they can, as it quite social and can be a good way to get to know lots of people. But this means it can be noisy.
Our the back of BK is a large spacious deck.
Banking
In Australia there are lots of good banks that are trustworthy and deal with international customers. The major Australian Banks are
ANZ
Commonwealth bank called Combank
Westpac
National Bank called NAB
St George Bank
These are all national banks for Australia. You can also find some banks and building societies like BankWest and Bank Queensland etc. The banking industry is well regulated in Australia.
If you set up an Australian bank account you should ask questions like
What fees will you charge me for withdrawing money?
What fees will you charge me for transferring money?
Do you charge fees on my account or card every month?
Australian banks like to charge lots of fees but if you ask good questions usually you can find an account that suits you with no or very small fees.
Garden City Westfields has the following main banks: ANZ, Commonweath, Westpac and National Bank, Bank of Queensland and a couple of smaller banks and building societies.
Sunnybank: ANZ, Commonweath (Combank), National Bank.
Banks like university students because they hope that university students will continue to bank wth them when they become rich workers! So, don’t be shy in asking a bank if they can help you or if they can offer a better deal or have an account with less fees.
Intercampus Bus
There is an inter campus bus that takes students for no cost between Nathan Campus and Mount Gravatt. The Intercampus Bus also stops at the Griffith University Busway Station.
You can catch an express bus in and out of the city fro the Busway Station. It takes 15-20 minutes. See below for more.
There is also a bus travelling to the Griffith University Gold Coast Campus.
Public Transport in Brisbane
The Go card
The Go card is a card you purchase to pay your fare and travel on public transport. You usually buy them at 7-eleven stores, many busways and trainstations on fare machines. You buy a card and load money onto it to pay for public transport trips. As you get on and off a bus, train or ferry you ‘tap’ on and ‘tap’ off. This deducts the fee for your trip.
The major public transport in Brisbane are trains and buses. There are also ferries ( called City Cats) on the Brisbane river.
The best online resource for finding out about buses and trains is Translink. https://translink.com.au
Buses are numbered with numbers such as 120 or 135. These numbers correspond to the routes the buses take. You need to check if the bus is going into or out of the city. If it is going into the city the bus often has the word ‘City’ on display.
Griffith University Busway station and express buses
If you are going to catch a bus into the CBD of Brisbane this is one of the best ways. The bus trips down the busway into the city centre are very quick. Make sure you are on the correct platform to go into the city or away from the city
Catch buses 130, 140 in or out of the city.
Nathan Campus Buses
120 Bus - Going into the city – you can catch the 120 bus into the Central Business District of Brisbane. Catch this bus from Queen Street in the Brisbane CBD to retun to Nathan.
120 Bus Outbound from the city - Continues from Griffith University Nathan campus to Garden City Mount Gravatt.
125 Bus Outbound – 125 Bus going outbound will take you from Nathan Campus to Mount Gravatt Campus and then onto Garden City.
Mount Gravatt
Make your way to the Griffith University Busway station – on the edge of campus. And catch a Brisbane bus or the intercampus bus.
Free things to do around Brisbane
Picnic Area at Toohey Forest on Toohey Road and great walks through Toohey Forest starting at the picnic area.
Swim at the Southbank pool.
Walk a circuit from Southbank to Kangaroo Point and then even up over Storybridge and into the CBD. Or go from Southbank over the walking bridge to QUT.
Enjoy the free basketball shooting court in Salisbury near Russ Hall Park (just over the creek).
Hold an evening or night time BBQ at Kangaroo Point overlooking the Brisbane river and the city centre.
Lovely parks around Brisbane: New Farm Park, Sherwood Forest Park, Picnic at Kangaroo Point – top of cliffs or bottom of cliffs.
Coopers Plains Library on Orange Grove Road
Garden City Library at Garden City
Walk a circuit from Southbank over the walking bridge and into the Brisbane CBD. Botantic Gardens in Brisbane CBD.
Roma Street Parklands, just on the north edge of the Brisbane CBD.
Bike ride through Toohey Forest
Catch an express train to the Gold Coast and go see some amazing beaches.
Cheap things to do
Yeronga Pool on School Road. It’s really lovely with a café, shady spots and 3 pools.
Catch a City Cat (river ferry) from University of Queensland or Southbank all the way to New Farm. See a lot of the Brisbane river near Brisbane.
Places to eat near Nathan Campus
Eat Fresh - Salisbury
Hungry Jacks – Salisbury
MacDonalds – Salisbury
Roberston Village – Barret Street, a number of Asian food takeways and Caffeine Monster. This place kinda died during Covid but is getting more restaurants and cafes now.
Cups & Wells cafe - Salisbury
Apples on Ainsworth - Salisbury
Lots of great food options in Sunnybank