Daily Detours for the Week of June 12

Until 10pm every weekday — and 11pm on Friday and Saturday — swing a club, hit a ball and watch it fly at Victoria Park’s Driving Range. Nestled just on the edge of Fortitude Valley in Herston, the driving range boasts 300 metres of open space across 61 hitting bays and ten grass greens. Plus you can hit the range to relax or vent some frustration, rain or shine. While you’re there, you can putt around the sand traps and other obstacles on the 19-hole mini golf course, too. And once you’ve got your hole-in-one, go celebrate in the comfy bar and bistro. Wood-fired pizzas are their speciality, and pair well with one of their cocktail jugs.

There’s something whimsical and deeply satisfying about that first sip of an ice-cold, extremely creamy milkshake. The clever folk at the Southside Tea Room seem to have figured out this milkshake malarkey, serving up flavours like Oreo, Nutella, chocolate, salted caramel, vanilla, and strawberries and cream from their digs on Wynnum Road in Morningside. Kill two birds with one stone, get your shake fix and fix your caffeine shakes with a shot of espresso in your milky drink. And just a heads up: once you get a look at their menu, you’ll most likely add some food to your order too. Their toasties with dipping sauce are out of this world.

Image: Anwyn Howarth.

Grab your Mjölnir, your best Tom Hiddleston wig, an Infinity Stone and anything else that ties into the now 14-strong Marvel Cinematic Universe, and head to the Gallery of Modern Art. The massive Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe exhibition dedicated to all things superhero is one you won’t want to miss. It’s the largest ever Marvel presentation in an art museum worldwide, featuring original artworks, film props, costumes and more from the likes of Iron Man, Ant-Man and Captain America. So much more than a retrospective screening series, it’s a gallery-wide, government-championed, super huge event. After you’ve seen hundreds of MCU pieces drawn from Marvel Studios, Marvel Entertainment and private collections, you’ll probably want to rewatch the films, so book yourself into a double feature of Captain America: The Winter Soldier followed by Guardians of the Galaxy.

If your inner Picasso is itching for an outlet, look to the Art Shed — and we don’t just mean for supplies from their West End store. We know that getting the motivation to sketch at home is hard when Netflix is always calling, but here, the only thing to watch is your creative genius spilling across a canvas during a life drawing class. From Albion to West End — including Arana Hills, Bowen Hills, Maroochydore and Nathan  — there’s no shortage of class locations. You’re bound to find one near you, so there’s no excuse. Stop that auto-play, and opt to unwind sans technology. You may even come home with a new work of art to hang.

Image: @artshedbrisbane via Instagram

It’s just a jump to the left. And then a detour down to the Schonell Theatre for an evening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Floor Show. Prepare for a debaucherous night courtesy of Dr. Frank N. Furter, as you marvel at vintage Susan Sarandon, and wish like hell you had legs like Tim Curry. Oh, and as any Rocky Horror fan worth their fishnets knows, the only way to see this Science Fiction Double Feature is decked out in full raucous regalia. Audience participation is actively encouraged, including dancing in the aisles, and the accompanying floor show comes courtesy of performance troop, Cards 4 Sorrow. Saucy good fun – bookings are essential.

Image: 20th Century Fox

When it comes to food events, there’s nothing quite like Sunnybank’s Food Tours. Brisbane suburb’s shopping hub has become a diner’s delight with cafes and restaurants featuring a range of authentic, oriental cuisines. On the Food Discovery Tour, chef Tony Ching shows you the very best places to eat and shop, plus provides a few tips, tricks and pointers along the way. The 10am lunchtime tours include Yum Cha at Sunnybank’s famed Landmark restaurant, and the 3.30pm afternoon tour finishes with a progressive dinner through the Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong-style, Vietnamese, Korean and Taiwanese dishes on offer at the centre. With such an array of steaming soups and sizzling stir-fries on offer, we recommend arriving as hungry as possible.

Mt Coot-tha isn’t Brisbane’s only lofty peak. D’Aguilar Range‘s Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious may be a 45-minute to an hour venture by car, but you’ll still be in Brissie. Make a full day of the trek, because there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Take a bushwalk on your first stop at Mount Nebo, wander through the tiny township and visit the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre for a coffee and a glimpse of some local wildlife. Then, set your sights up, and make the climb through Mount Glorious’ Rainforest Circuit walk. While Mount Nebo is 550 metres above sea level, this mount reaches 680 metres — but never fear, the walk through the rainforest is scenic but a low-intensity affair. Post hike, drop by the Elm Haus café for a much-deserved German bite and a Devonshire tea.

Image: @explore.with.hannah / Instagram.

Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.

By Sarah Ward and Laura Dawson.