Daily Detours for the Week of July 10
Featuring a cultural excursion through Fortitude Valley.
Daily Detours for the Week of July 10
in partnership with
Featuring a cultural excursion through Fortitude Valley.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule.
We've teamed up with Mazda3 to celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of their iconic small cars, and in turn, help you celebrate the little things that bring that sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Brisbane. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine.
This week, dig into the wonder that is haloumi fries, dance it out at a naughties indie party and hunt for treasure in one of our favourite antique stores. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the next few weeks here.
All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
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7
Sometimes, you just want to jump up, jump up and get down. Or jump jump in general when things are wiggity, wiggity, wiggity wack. Tingalpa’s BOUNCE Trampoline Park is the place where you can make that happen. Actually, you’ll be able to go ahead and jump (’80s musicians were in the know, too) in more ways than you probably think. Free jump over 50 interconnected trampolines — which includes tumble tracks — and then literally bounce up the wall. Or, put a spring in your basketball step while you jump to slam dunk, test out your air sports moves on the soft big bag, play trampoline dodgeball and take to the X-Park Adventure Challenge Course. Yes, that’s a real thing.
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6
Think Fortitude Valley is just about weekend markets and bars, bars, bars? Think again. There’s art to see and food to eat, too — and a trip to TWFINEART followed by a stroll down Bakery Lane makes quite the combo. At the first you’ll find an exhibition, of course. And while just who the artist is and what kind of style they prefer might change, the fact that you’ll experience a creative onslaught won’t. Then, eat your way along the coolest off-Ann Street space there is. Nom-Nom Korean‘s three types of bibimbap always hit the spot, but newcomer Johnny’s Pizzeria might tempt you with their wood-fired wares and disco theme. Either way, call into I Heart Brownies as well. From jaffa to double chocolate to salted caramel, you really will heart their baked goodies.
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5
It doesn’t matter if you’re an OG yogi with your headstand, scorpion and advanced warrior poses down pat, or if you’re still working on your savasana (you know, the one where you lie still on the ground for a bit), Yo! Yoga has got you covered. This New Farm yoga studio is the home of hip hop yoga in Brisbane, and is the perfect activity for shaking off some cobwebs mid-week no matter your level of yogi-ness. Book into a morning class and kickstart your Wednesday with a slow flow to smooth tunes.
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4
Going to a bar where everybody knows your name might be something that only happens in sitcoms, however West End’s new pub, The Montague Hotel, will make you feel like that could occur. When it opened in April, it didn’t hide the fact that it wants to be the area’s new local haunt — and once you’ve been there, you’ll probably be inspired to drop by the Monty quite often. Forget the drinks — a mark of a great pub is a varied menu of comforting eats. If you can see yourself eating there every day of the week, that’s an ace sign. Good ol’ Monty serves up three kinds of fries (potato, sweet potato and the cheese wonder that is haloumi), seven types of burgers, steaks, schnitzels, pizzas, salads and rotisserie chicken, lamb and pork, all of which is sure to get your tastebuds pumping. Oh, and who doesn’t want an espresso martini ice cream sundae for dessert?
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3
Do you feel like the ’00s were yesterday? I bet we know why. You’re still hooked on the decade’s ace indie music, aren’t you. We can all remember where we were when we first heard the Arctic Monkeys for the first time — and we can all still recite every track by The Streets, too. Taking over Woolly Mammoth on July 14, I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor is the night for you. The name says it all really. Somebody told me that you’ll dance over and over and over and over, get a dose of lisztomania and heads will roll — but hey, you only live once, right? Yes, The Killers, Hot Chip, Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Strokes are certain to get a spin, as is everyone from The Rapture to Peter Bjorn and John, and LCD Soundsystem to Kings Of Leon.
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2
In 2013, 300 people danced to Kate Bush’s’ ‘Wuthering Heights‘ in a field — and now in 2017, the idea is back and bigger than ever. Yes, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is happening in Brisbane today in Bedford Park. Yes, everyone should be dressed as Kate Bush, complete with a red dress, red stockings and black belt (men, that means you as well). Expect to see a clowder (that’s the collective noun for Kate Bushes, just FYI) descend upon the park and copy Bush’s swaying, kicky dance in unison just for the pure joy of it. Support for this weird and wonderful outing has been widespread, and Kate Bush fans from around the world have been inspired to create events in their home cities. So get your gear together (dressmakers have been flooded with orders, check it out here) and ready yourself to roll and fall in green, out on the wily, windy moors of Bedford Park. Then, head on over to the after-party at the Jubilee Hotel.
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1
Thanks to shopping centres, we’re all familiar with the concept of several stores under one roof. In theory, that’s what you get at the Paddington Antique Centre, but you also end up with much, much more. On a site that was once a theatre back in the 1920s, the massive antique shop became Australia’s biggest space of its kind in 1985. Get ready to scour the joint for vintage threads and finds while soaking in — what else? — plenty of old-world charm. Once you’ve finished your treasure hunt, take a short stroll down to The Hope & Anchor, which just might be Paddington’s cutest little pub. It’s just over a year old, but looks like it has been around for much, much longer. Grab a breakfast burger or brioche French toast if you’re heading by earlier in the day, or the homemade pie of the day, some roast chicken or a half-pound wagyu burger for lunch.
Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.
By Sarah Ward, Laura Dawson and Imogen Baker.
