The Best Things to Do on Australia Day in Brisbane
Picnic feasts, Hottest 100 parties (and anti-parties) and $5 movies.
The Best Things to Do on Australia Day in Brisbane
Picnic feasts, Hottest 100 parties (and anti-parties) and $5 movies.
Lamingtons. Vegemite. Barbecued Sausages. Listening to the nation's biggest song countdown. Maybe one or some of these are part of your yearly Australia Day tradition — or maybe you just go wherever the occasion takes you. Either way, Brisbane will be buzzing with options, ensuring that your public holiday certainly won't be boring. Here's our pick of the best ways to spend the day, featuring hipsters, pineapples, cockroaches, Greek sporting contests and good ol' '90s Aussie rock.
Of course, it's a day of great contention in Australia, often called ‘Invasion Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’, ‘Survival Day’ or ‘Aboriginal Sovereignty Day’ (since 2006). Be mindful on Tuesday.
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So, you haven’t been to River Quay — and you don’t know where River Quay is. It’s the pocket of South Bank that now houses a host of restaurants, plenty of grass and a great view of the river, and it’s the place to be from January 23 to 26.
For four days, the eateries in the area — aka Aquitaine Brasserie, Cove Bar & Dining, Popolo and The Jetty — will showcase their wares, offering not only a sample of everything that makes them great, but a feast of Queensland ingredients as well. A lineup of live performances provides just the right kind of mood music, and a fireworks display brings everything to a close on Australia Day.
If Great Australian Bites sounds like the perfect way to while away an afternoon, that’s because it is. Who doesn’t love taster plates piled up, pop-ups, local artists and scenic sights, after all? No one, that’s who.
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When Green Beacon Brewing Co opened its doors back in 2013, few could’ve known the yeasty, tasty joy that would follow. Actually, that’s not true. Predicting that a brewery in Newstead was going to be a hit — well, that can’t have been all that difficult.
Now, three years later, they’re doing what every brewery is obliged to do on such an occasion, aka throwing a massive birthday bash. And because the Beacon doesn’t do things by halves, they not just throwing a shindig — they’re making the most of it over the course of a week-long celebration.
It all kicks off with Big Thanks Thursday on January 21, with the help of How We Rolls and some IPA pork belly. Yep, booze and food is the ongoing theme, as also seen in Saturday’s food truck and beer special event, Fiesta of the Froth. If you like four-course meals matched with mouthwatering tipples — and who doesn’t? — then we recommend dropping by on Monday for the Statler & Waldorf pop-up. Finish up the fun with a good ol’ fashioned Australia Day party; tis the day for it, and all that.
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Don’t be turned off by the name of Woolly Mammoth’s Australia Day event. No, people won’t just be sitting around chatting about how things used to be cool way back when — or what the next big trend is going to be. We promise.
Instead, bearded blokes will be encouraged to liberate their chins, and everyone will be encouraged to enjoy a beer or several. Both are aligned with good causes, with shaving your face supporting Lifeline’s suicide prevention initiative, and knocking back a few beverages all part of the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers.
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It’s the event that was always bound to happen. Even decade-long music polls have their detractors, or those who’d just rather listen to something else — and they’re the folks The New Globe is catering for.
Their “F!#* The Hottest 100” Australia Day Party offers an alternative to the triple j countdown, including a lineup of bands you’re not likely to hear on national radio. Here, you can listen to Love Hate Rebellion, Lunar Seasons, Deadbeat Society, FriendlyFire, Dr Peppernickle’s Orphanarium of Obese Aristocrats, Buttermilk, The Moongrinders, The MontalRoys, Thirteen Seventy and more to be announced, and think about your new favourite acts instead of last year’s hit
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If ever an event could straddle the line between gross and fun, it’s this one. For 35 years, the Story Bridge Hotel has commemorated Australia Day by seeing if one scurry pest could outrun another. It all started as a bet between friends back in 1981, and now it’s an annual party. And yes, it’s something that every Brisbane resident really must experience for themselves at one point or another.
14 races, complete with a steeple chase, is just the beginning, with live music, street entertainers, costume contests and food trucks all part of the action. Basically, it’s a great excuse to throw a shindig without worrying about pest control.
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There’s no avoiding the Hottest 100 on Australia Day. Even if you don’t still tune in now, you definitely grew up listening to it — and if you fall in the latter category, you probably have fond memories of the great Aussie rock acts that have graced the countdown over the years.
The Empire Hotel certainly does, which is why they’re dedicating the occasion to the homegrown bands that made the ’90s great. Settle in for the sounds of Silverchair, Spiderbait, Jebediah and Frenzal Rhomb — and, if that’s not enough, play giant versions of jenga, connect four and chess with your mates.
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Think Taps, the Brunswick Street bar that lets you pour your own beers, is just about the beverages? Think again. On Australia Day, they’re also about combining a pint with a few friendly competitions. If ever there was an occasion for drinking games, it’s this one.
Given they’re calling the event the Taps Olympics, you can safely expect more than a few rounds of shenanigans. Plus, there’s something fitting about celebrating our great multicultural nation by embracing a sporting contest first started in Ancient Greece many, many centuries ago.
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Last year on January 26, The Triffid did what they do best. They threw open their doors, started up the barbie, served up many a cold beverage, and cranked up the tunes. Being a live music venue, there’s no prizes for guessing where their soundtrack came from. Like most of the country, their speakers blasted out triple j’s Hottest 100.
This year, they’re reliving the fun because Australia Day traditions are hard to shake. Expect all of the above for the second year running, plus Sarah Howells spinning tracks during her post-countdown DJ set.
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Sometimes, it’s easy to forget the holiday part of a national day off. Sure, you’ll remember not to go to work — but will you really take advantage of the chance to go wherever you want?
Enter the humble picnic — or the day trip getaway that everyone can enjoy, complete with tasty bites to eat and scenic surroundings. On January 26, Walkabout Creek at D’Aguilar National Park is the ideal spot for relaxing, dining and soaking up the country’s flora and fauna. Plus, you can order a hamper for two in advance, and feast on shredded lamb wraps, lamingtons and pavlova.
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Watching a film can transport you to another place — and, at Palace’s Brisbane venues on January 26, it can transport you to another period, too. Heading to either Palace Centro or Palace Barracks on Australia Day will feel like jumping back to a time when movie tickets were only $5. Can’t remember a trip to the flicks being that cheap? Neither can we.
The one-day-only offer is the perfect way to celebrate the public holiday, particularly if you’re avoiding the heat and sitting in a darkened room is among your favourite pastimes. Sure, you might already have other plans — but who isn’t tempted by the thought of going to the cinema for a fiver?
The lineup of films is certain to prove just as enticing, with everything from The Hateful Eight and Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens to The Big Short and Carol currently screening. Catch new Aussie effort Looking for Grace on its opening day, or check out an advance preview of Oscar contender Room. At $5 per ticket, if you time it right, you can probably watch all of the above.
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Who doesn’t want to fling some tropical fruit around on a public holiday? It’s a strange concept, we know — and one that’s exactly as silly and simple as it sounds — however this day seems to not only embrace tradition, but novelty.
Of course, when it comes to throwing pineapples, there’s only one iconic, 130-year-old venue for it. Head to one of Woolloongabba’s finest, enjoy the other Australia Day merriment (including pub food, brews and the Hottest 100), and then try your luck in the 10th annual competition. The winner won’t just receive bragging rights, but $750 for their efforts.
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