Welcome to Brisbane! The third-largest city in Australia. Just some of the renowned works that have been inspired by our wide, leafy streets include Nick Earls’ Zigzag Street, Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe, David Malouf’s Johnno and John Birmingham’s He Died with a Falafel in His Hand. And of course, my works, which barely anyone knows about.
Author Dean Blake shares his views on why Brisbane is a must-visit when in Australia. Follow his journey and check out his work on instagram @deanblakeauthor and his websites https://generationend.com/ and everydayassholes.net. You can also follow him on facebook at generationend and Twitter @deanblakeauthor/
How long have you lived here?
Most of my life.
Describe your city in 3 words.
Where I live.
What is the one thing everyone must see when they get here and why?
They must check out the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Firstly because of the great art and its convenient location to other museums, and secondly because it’s free to enter and has air-conditioning.
What is the most overrated thing about your city and why?
Some people say the South Bank beach is overrated, as it’s a man-made beach. But I think it’s what makes Brisbane unique – you may laugh at it, but many people find comfort in it. I laugh at a lot of things about Brisbane, but there’s nothing I can think about that’s overrated – everything about Brisbane makes it unique.
What is your favourite local dish – describe it to us?
La Lupa’s pizza in West End, for sure – the best authentic pizza I’ve had in my life.
Describe your perfect day if you were a tourist?
My perfect day would start out like this: you’d wake up at 10 am, either hungover or well-rested, and you’d open the windows and see a beautiful view of the City resting by the Brisbane River. You’d go out with your lover to a nearby cafe, and you’d both take snazzy photos of your overpriced cafe food for social media likes. Then you’d take a long walk by the river and check out the Eagle Street Markets, and perhaps find yourself in Kangaroo Point, wondering how the hell you got there. You’d go to a pub and drink, and then eat, and then maybe (but hopefully not, especially if you had a drink or three—do not go rock climbing under the influence) do some rock climbing, and then trek your way back to the City (stopping by the magnificence of the Cathedral of St Stephen), then, because you can, walk to South Bank and check out the works at the Gallery of Modern Art. Then you will sit by a clear patch of grass and:
- Stare at the river and think about life, or:
- Mindlessly scroll up and down your social media feeds
Afterwards, for dinner, you could go to George’s seafood restaurant, where they offer a half-price menu at certain times, then go for a cocktail to a nearby bar at Eagle Street Pier. Then you and your lover will walk by the romantic river view, and you’d either talk about life or take more photos for social media, and then you’d return to your hotel and you’d sit by your desk and write in your journal or do some more social media newsfeed scrolling, and then you’d sleep with a smile on your face because you spent an entire day doing no work whatsoever.
This article has been edited for clarity and grammar
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