Daily Detours for the Week of October 23
Featuring a film festival showcasing 36 movies all made using drones.
Daily Detours for the Week of October 23
in partnership with
Featuring a film festival showcasing 36 movies all made using drones.
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 help you celebrate the little things that bring a 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, pick some leaves from South Bank's free herb garden, enjoy ice cream from a slice of watermelon and spend a Sunday brunching and book shopping. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new 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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Forget everything you think you know about soft serve — ice cream served in a slice of watermelon is here to blow your mind. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like: instead of a crunchy cone, your ice cream comes in a crisp, cold wedge of watermelon.
The combo — as well as ice cream dished up in something more traditional, if you’d prefer — has arrived in Brisbane thanks to Double Good, which operates at the Eat Street Markets from Friday to Sunday. If you’re prone to wearing dark colours and making a mess of your food, it’s the dripping dessert you’ve always dreamed of.
If watermelon’s not your thing, then switch it out for pineapple or coconut (which come served in their respective receptacles). Or try a charcoal-infused soft serve that actually tastes like coconut and comes served with Oreo cookies. Pair it with a Nutella and banana milkshake if you’re feeling extra decadent, or the mix of waffle, doughnut, churro and multi-coloured soft serve that is their famous rainbow funnel cake.
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Drones: if filmmakers aren’t deploying them to capture bird’s-eye sights, they’re making thrillers about their use and impact. Expect plenty of the former at Drone Film Festival Australia + New Zealand, as lofty visuals get their time to shine — and swoop, soar, float, glide and more.
Touring Australia throughout October, the fest showcases 36 unique short drone films, stories and documentaries from around the world, including those made by filmmakers, production companies and everyday drone hobby enthusiasts. It’s the kind of cinematic package those not so fond of heights mightn’t be eager to see, so consider yourself warned. For the rest of us, however, it’s a chance to look at the world from a whole new vantage.
Last year’s highlights included superhero-like tales, jaunts through natural and urban spaces, and even a beer odyssey, as filmmaking took to the skies thanks to the latest unmanned aerial technology. Expect a whole new crop when the festival comes to the Schonell on October 24 for a one-night-only stopover.
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Herbs are the accessories of the culinary world. Sure, you can make something perfectly fine without them, but they add that extra something. If your thumbs are more green than brown — or you’re sick of buying supermarket bunches when you only need a few sprigs — South Bank has the answer.
Nestled amidst the riverside parkland’s many drawcards is the Epicurious Garden, complete with a thriving stock of growing edible greenery. If you drop by between 7am and 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, you can grab whatever you need from the on-site harvest cart — and for free.
Getting in early is recommended, with each day’s supply offered on a first-in, first-served basis. Everything planted and cultivated is organic, with produce rotated seasonally throughout the year. Volunteer gardeners are also on hand until 11.30am to answer any questions.
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There are after-work watering holes, and then there are after-work watering holes. The first could be anywhere that’s not the nine-to-five grind; the second are the type of place you look forward to all day (and sometimes plan your afternoons around). As Petrie Terrace favourite, Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall falls into the latter category.
If it’s a quick snack that you’re after, perusing their small bites menu is recommended, particularly with bacon-wrapped pardon peppers and fried pickles with smoked habanero sauce on offer. They’re served up from 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, as is the venue’s heftier selection of burgers and po’ boys. Plus, if you’re not particularly worried about getting home at a reasonable time, the bar’s greasy, delicious fare goes down extra nicely with a whisky.
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Every year, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre becomes a culinary wonderland. There’s even an alley dedicated entirely to cheese — yep, it’s a reality.
That’s pretty much the Good Food and Wine Show in a nutshell, with 2017’s event starting today. If you’ve been before, you’ll be eager to head along again. And if you haven’t, perhaps a 400 Gradi masterclass on the world’s best pizza and a new area dedicated to Korean food will whet your appetite. Basically, it’s the Ekka of great food — without the rides, the flu and the goldfish.
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Do one thing. Do it well. That’s a motto Les Bubbles has taken to heart with its signature dish: the steak frites. Don’t bother asking for a menu — served with a soft leaf salad, available with three types of sauces and boasting bottomless frites, it’s the only main meal on offer.
Once you’re done eating all the fries you can eat, move onto a six-dish selection of sweets, including crème brûlée and bombe Alaska. Then, ask yourself if you’re the kind of person who waits half an hour before getting in the water, or throws caution to the wind and jumps right in. Why? Well, downstairs you’ll find The Bath House, which nods to the site’s sordid history (this is the Valley, after all) and includes a 15-person spa. Some of their beverages are even designed to be enjoyed in said bath.
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Weekends and curling up with a good book go hand-in-hand — but what if you’ve already worked your way through your reading pile? Dropping by Bulimba’s Riverbend Books should solve that problem, as well as another Sunday morning struggle: where to go for brunch.
As classic a Queensland setting as you can imagine with its big deck and leafy trees, Riverbend Cafe is a popular mid-morning spot for plenty of reasons. Try the croque madame if you’re feeling extra indulgent; the breakfast menu is served until 11.30am. Cakes and pastries are also on offer, as well as Merlo coffee and T2 teas.
Then, once you’re done eating, head into the bookstore and browse away. If you’re after recommendations, the staff will be quick to help — whether you want something you know you’ll love, or are happy to jump outside of your reading comfort zone.
Image: Atlanta Bell.
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