South Bank Walking Photo: David Lazar

I love Brisbane’s riverside pathways. They’re especially pleasant for a stroll during Brisbane’s balmy summer evenings.

Kangaroo Point Public Art

If you’re new to Brisbane, try the riverside path between South Bank and Kangaroo Point. The track is flat and lit at night and there’s lots of interesting public art to look at on the way. You’re likely to see rock climbers scaling the cliffs at Kangaroo Point, even in the evening, when the cliffs are lit by giant flood lights.

Kangaroo Point Cliff Rock Climbers

It’s a great return trip for walking off a meal you’ve enjoyed at one of the many restaurants and cafes at South Bank.

San Antonio in Texas also has a vibrant and well-used River Walk which dates back to the late 1930s.  It’s interesting to read the history of the area, especially the recurrent flood problems that mirror Brisbane’s own flood history.

He featured two walks – a history walk and a public art walk - from my guidebook Brisbane’s Best Bush, Bay & City Walks in the “Life” section of the newspaper.  You can look at excerpts from the article on the Courier Mail website.

Courier Mail Best Suburban and City Walks

Here are a couple of my photos that were used in the paper version of the newspaper.  Do you recognise the places?

We watched from the banks of the river, opposite historic Newstead House. Take note of Newstead House as a great viewing spot for the next time royals cruise down the river. The flotilla went close to the river bank and people on the historic house’s lawn would have had a close-up view of the royals.

The Queensland State Archives has a special virtual exhibition of British royal visits to Queensland where you can view hi-res images and videos online.  If you’re a fan of vintage dresses, it’s definitely worth a visit.

In the photo below, you can see the Queen in pastel green on the top deck standing with Anna Bligh in red to her right, and then Prince Philip in a dark suit. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Queen Elizabeth on Brisbane River

Over the weekend, we got to bring home a few shoe boxes of silk worms in various stages of their life cycle from eggs to caterpillars then cocoons and finally moths who lay another generation of eggs.

We’ve been unravelling the empty cocoons and winding them onto pieces of cardboard.  It’s amazing how long the silk thread is from just one cocoon and it gives you an appreciation of how much effort goes into creating a silk scarf.

Here are a few pictures of our weekend guests.

Silk Worm eggs on cocoon

Silk Worm

Silk Worm cocoon

Silk Worm moth

We really enjoyed Brisbane Open House on Saturday 1 October.  If you’re not familiar with this event, it’s when the doors of many Brisbane city buildings, usually closed to the public, are flung open for the day. So you get to see spectacular views from high level conference rooms, backstage areas, secured sites usually out-of-bounds to the public and the inner sanctums of buildings.

The event only began in Brisbane last year but was instantly popular. In fact, in 2010, some of the venues were caught off guard by the number of people visiting. I was chatting with one of the volunteers at the Masonic Memorial Temple who said last year they had 2,000 visitors in four hours. He said this year they had 45 volunteers on hand to direct people and answer questions (and yes, we found they were very well organised).

It was easy to get about because the program had a free pass to ride on the CityGlider buses. You could spot everyone participating because of the distinctive orange programs, plus the camera gear they were carrying.  (There was a photography competition associated with the event.)

I used the online map from the Brisbane Open House website to plan our route. There were four adults and two children in our group, so we chose five buildings (30 were open) to visit with the hope that the kids wouldn’t get too tired.

Brisbane Square external detail

Our first stop was Brisbane Square and the Brisbane Traffic Control Centre which was opened to the public for the first time ever. It was very interesting to see how all of the cameras are monitored and learn what happens when there’s an emergency on the roads or in a bus or train station. I reckon every time I walk near a street camera from now on, I’ll wave, just in case the camera is being monitored at that moment. My take-away piece of advice is: If you ever consider parking in a clearway on a Brisbane road – don’t. It’s so disruptive to peak hour traffic that they tow cars away very quickly and there’s a big fine.

Brisbane Open House - Brisbane Square Level 16 view

In the same building on level 16, we visited the conference room.  I can’t imagine being able to concentrate if I was in a meeting there because the views are spectacular (photo above).

Queen Victoria Statue outside Treasury Heritage Hotel

We tried to visit the nearby Treasury Heritage Hotel, but the tours were booked out. City Hall had a long queue which we decided to skip. Quite a few of the buildings had booked out tours, so for next year, we’ll get there early.

Brisbane Open House - Masonic Memorial Temple

We popped into the Masonic Memorial Temple on Ann Street which has a beautiful Grand Hall (photo above). The volunteers were happy to answer questions and even allowed my son to sit in the Grand Master’s big chair for a photo.

Brisbane Open House - QPAC Concert Hall

Another highlight was a QPAC’s concert hall where we got to hear the impressively loud pipe organ being played. In the foyer outside, we listened to a rehearsal. There were also back stage tours during the day.

I’m sure the event will be even bigger next year. You can sign up for the newsletter on the Brisbane Open House website or follow on Twitter @brisopenhouse.

Brisbane City Hall

If you’re interested in architecture, you won’t want to miss Brisbane Open House Day on Saturday 1 October 2011.

This special event, which coincides with World Architecture Day, is when the doors of many Brisbane buildings, usually closed to the public, are flung open for the day.

• Exterior
• Interior
• Detail
• People /crowds

Prize: Winner receives $1,000

Transport: Show your program map to CityGlider bus drivers to receive free travel on the day

Website: http://www.brisbaneopenhouse.com.au/photo-competition

Some of the places you can visit during Brisbane Open House include historic buildings such as the Commissariat Store, Customs House and Old Government House. Some of Brisbane’s beautiful churches are on the list, including Saint John’s Cathedral which has a spectacular stone vaulted ceiling. There are also architectural practices opening their doors and modern buildings including Santos Place which offers spectacular views from its Sky Terrace.

Terms & Conditions: here

For more photo competitions, visit: www.PhotoCompetitions.com.au

At the back of the publication, you’ll find tips on how to run a book club. You can download a PDF copy here.

Historian, Helen Gregory and I had a great time at Riverbend Books a while back, talking about our book, Building Brisbane’s History.  The crowd who filled up Riverbend’s wonderful deck enjoyed wine and sushi – no wonder their book talks are so popular!

One of the best things about doing an author event is what you learn from the people who come along. A lady who’d been looking at the section of the book on ‘Queenslander’ architecture recognised one of the images as a house that had been used by the Americans as a small hospital during World War II. Famous Hollywood actor, Jimmy Stewart, a bomber pilot during the war, was treated at this hospital.

At the time …. There was much excitement that a Hollywood star was visiting Brisbane. A Courier Mail article dated 2 April 1942 reports: Rumours that James Stewart, the Hollywood filmstar is stationed in Australia with the American Air Force has quickened the pulse beats of Brisbane “fans” in the last few weeks. It was rumoured that he’d been the guest of honour at a luncheon at Lennon’s Hotel (which still stands with access from the Queen Street Mall). Before his rise to fame, James Stewart had trained as an architect, so I wonder what the actor thought about our Queenslander architecture.

Rear Window

As we were signing books, a man came up and asked if the room he’d occupied in the hospital had a ‘Rear Window’ !

Jimmy Stewart appeared in several Hitchcock films. You can see these during the Hitchcock retrospective, at GoMA’s Australian Cinémathèque, which runs from 7 October to 27 November 2011.  Rear Window is showing on Friday 4  and Saturday 12 November.

You can see the festival program here.

It’s more than just a festival about books, authors and writing. It’s also about ideas. Attend the Brisbane Writers Festival and you’ll be exposed to so many new ideas, I can guarantee that at some stage your brain will feel bigger.

Because you’re in the Cultural Precinct, there’s also the opportunity to have a look at the Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland Museum and Science Centre.

FREE EVENTS

Some of the sessions are ticketed, but many are free. For free events, especially popular authors or topics, make sure you arrive at the venue early.  But don’t worry, it’s all very friendly and well organised. They give out tickets while you’re waiting in line so you know that you’ll have a seat. If you miss out, you can dash to another session.

FOOD

There’s so much to see at the Brisbane Writers Festival that I often find I don’t have time to eat, so my tip is to pack some quick snacks. If you have a few minutes to spare you can buy drinks and food near the outside venues and there is a cafe on the ground level of the State Library. If it’s very busy, the nearby Gallery of Modern Art has two food outlets and the Queensland Art Gallery also has a cafe.

BAGS

You can’t take large bags into the State Library venues, but there is a cloakroom on the ground floor.  Have a look at the guidelines here.

LIVE RADIO BROADCASTS

For some of the sessions, you might find that you’re part of a live-to-air ABC radio show.  Many of these programs can be later downloaded.

WHAT TO EXPECT

If you’re wondering about what you might hear at the Brisbane Writers Festival, have a listen to the following podcasts from previous festivals.

• I was surprised at how funny and charming author Jeff Lindsay was – not at all like the serial killer character he created for the Dexter series of books (also made into TV series). You can hear him talking with the ABC’s Richard Fidler and Australian writer M J Hyland from the 2009 Brisbane Writers Festival.
• Crime writer Val McDermid also spoke with Richard Fidler at last year’s Brisbane Writers Festival.
• Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself discussed how ‘old dogs CAN learn new tricks’ at the 2010 Brisbane Writers Festival.
• Susan Maushart convinced her teenagers to give up technology and then wrote a book about it. She’s a very entertaining speaker and you can listen to her on ABC Radio’s Australia Talks.

Visit the Brisbane Writers Festival website for more links to previous talks.

If you’re visiting Australia’s Sunshine Coast, the markets based in the small township of Eumundi are worth a visit.  At the Eumundi Markets you’ll find hundreds of stalls selling handmade jewellery, crafts, artworks, clothes and more. Foodies will enjoy a huge range of fresh produce and gourmet delights such as handmade chocolates and cuisine from many different cultures.

There’s free entertainment, places to sit and eat and a children’s playground under the trees on the edge of the markets. The township of Eumundi has lots of interesting shops including a new and second hand book store and plenty of places to eat.

Markets operate:

Wednesday 8:00am – 1:30pm

Saturday 6:30am – 2:00pm

Here are a few photos I took on my last visit to the Eumundi Markets.

Eumundi Markets

Eumundi

Eumundi Markets

Eumundi Markets

Eumundi