My 2011 review would have been four stars, because while I wasn't a skater, the winter festival…read moregave us something to get excited about and transformed the bleak expanse of King George Square into a wintry dreamland. I spent multiple evenings in the Alpine Ski Hut, sipping on (slightly chemical-tasting) gluhwein from my festival-branded take-home mug and watching the skaters, hoping and praying for a bit of schadenfreude. It wasn't exactly what I'd pictured of winterfest when I'd first read about it, but it was fun. 2012 Winter Festival is less welcoming. In essence, everything is the same (the humblebrag of "more food stalls!" definitely feels exaggerated) and yet the physical layout has been altered a little. In some ways, for the better - no longer do skaters have to do the walk of shame from one side of KGS (where they booted up) to the other (where the rink was), but as far as MY interests lie, for the worse - walking through, it feels like it's harder to view the skaters this year? The Alpine Ski Hut is tucked in behind everything, where last year it stretched out over some of the steps. It doesn't make me want to run inside, find a cosy chair and drink a gluhwein. I've been to the 2012 winterfest twice so far and both times I've not deigned to walk in to last year's stomping ground. The time's gonna have to come, though, and it's gonna have to come before July 1, when the festival packs up for another year. In any case, take advantage of the free Lipton chai during these chilly evenings.

During winter this year, there was a flurry of excitement around King George Square. Over a few…read moredays, there was a team putting together an ice rink and toboggan area on the square itself and everyone I knew who worked or passed through the city was eager to give it a try. Initially, I wasn't keen to go ice skating - it was over priced and the ice had melted partially, but soon enough I was getting into the winter festival spirit. On my way home, I'd stop by some of the stalls for some fresh orange juice, freshly fried cinnamon donuts, and mini pancakes. My friend was visiting from overseas and he joined us on a family expedition out on the ice. We picked up our skates and hobbled over to the rink, which was bustling with people. A few skaters stacked it trying to pull off tricky moves on the small rink, and beginners had plastic stabilisers they could grasp onto as they found their feet. It was a sunny, beautiful day out, and one of the best Sundays I had this year. It was more expensive than ice skating out in Acacia Ridge or Boondall, but the atmosphere - with the stalls from local businesses, the kids excited for their first skate, the couples on their first dates - was charming and I'll definitely be going back next year.

My friends that live in the area kept raving about this place as their favorite building in the…read morecity so we went out of our way to come. It's awesome, a historic powerhouse building has been converted into a performing arts venue. The main floor has high ceilings and a stage. Down below are smaller theatre rooms for comedy, music, and whatever else is needed. They have a welcoming area and gift shop too. It's really well done with exposed brick and metal columns, but ultra modern too. They have a bar and restaurant overlooking the river as well, which offers picturesque views of nearby neighborhoods and passing boats. I hope to visit again and see a show here!

You say: Comedy. I say: Brisbane Powerhouse…read more You say: Sunday drinks with your crew. I say: Brisbane Powerhouse. One visit to Brisbane's iconic Powerhouse and you'll soon understand what makes this venue one of our best. From comedy shows (check out Livewire on a Sunday night - it's free!), independent theatre, bars and restaurants with river-side views - this restored power station has a tick in virtually every box. Each March it provides the perfectly rustic / diamond in the rough backdrop for the Brisbane Comedy Festival where you can catch some of our country's best comedic talent. Throughout the rest of the year you can let the Powerhouse treat you to an array of creative events including theatre, live music, film festivals and more.

Got a chance to see the Belle Lume Sculpture and just wow! So very aesthetically pleasing to the…read moreeyes. Very sturdy and beautiful!

From the owner: Over the last 40 years the staff of Natureworks has produced the masters for most of the "high…read morequality" fibreglass life-size animal art currently being sold on the world market. Natureworks has been sculpting moulding and casting life-size wildlife for almost 40 years. The collection of moulds of sculptural features now numbers over 2000 different individual pieces. Casts can be made in a variety of materials from Fibreglass, Glass Reinforced Cement (GFRC), Hard-Coated Urethane Foam and Cold Cast Bronze. New pieces are being created all the time. They can be adapted for domestic use, playground or zoological standard and are designed, reinforced & finished to varying standards as appropriate to its use.

The student rate for tickets is $5.50 for a matinee showing. Might as well end the review there,…read morereally. Most of Oz is expensive, but not this place. They have one big screen and several pedestrian ones, but they show most of the major movies and are right in the middle of all the goings on at Southbank. Fair warning: you'll see ~25 minutes of ads before your show starts, including promos for surrounding business as well as movie trailers.

I've been spoiled by going to the Palace Barracks here in Brisbane as my first movie experiences…read morebut have to say the the Cineplex has its charm. Being located in South Bank, it is so accessible and placed right in the middle of shops, restaurants, etc. The ticket prices are very reasonable at $8.50 and $6.50 if you're a student. For a late movie on a weeknight, the cinema was super crowded. My film was being shown in cinema 5 which is the former IMAX screen so the screen is gigantic and theatre is huge. I really loved it because my film was action packed! I didn't enjoy the 30 minutes of commercials before the movie though. I understand a few but the worst commercial was even repeated twice!! Also, remember to bring cash. If you're wanting to watch a movie on a budget, the Cineplex is the place for you.

I'm a self-proclaimed lover of the silver ball, and I can say with confidence that the franchise…read moreowner, Tony Argery, appears to be passionate about pinball. I can say this because I have seen the finest examples of pinball for public play in this location. I went up there today and there is a Stern "Family Guy" and "The Sopranos". Both tables have been fully shop reconditioned and fully LED converted. They look and play fastastic! The pinball games are set at $2/play, which is quite expensive if you are only a casual player. The games have quite a high replay value on them as well, so it isn't easy to "get your money back" with a free game. I'd like to see regular players treated to games at 3 tokens a play (so about $1.50) instead of the current four tokens.

Mostly referred to as the GOMA, this art museum is a great place to learn about different styles…read moreand modes of artistic creation. The facility itself is superb, with multiple floors to view. Also, it has many spaces for quiet reflection or purposeful concentration. FREE! That is right-- this Museum is free so take advantage of its collections. Even just a small amount of time walking through a few of the exhibits can be a wonderful way to take a break.

Lovely place - especially lovely date night/ day idea! Very COVID friendly, very nice staff, lovely…read moreart - what more can you ask for :)

Starlight, Star bright, let there be a bean bag free at Open Air tonight! Ready your picnic…read moreblanket, gather friends, pack a few treats and make use of the green grassy knoll or be one of the lucky few to nab a bean bag or deck chair for your Openair Cinema experience. The Sundae Session had the perfect vibe of a cruisy Sunday afternoon with live music (Note to self: check out Avalanche City) and enough Ben & Jerry's ice cream to keep you on a sugar high. Plus B&J's have a mad activity circuit - put put golf, turn over the giant cow patty and a sack race. Of course, when else can you get to watch a movie, under the stars, by the river?!? A great night out.

We dont Date Night very often but when we do its usually something special…read more The Openair Cinema was just the thing to make this a special night. We picked a movie we hadn't heard of, booked some chairs (Mr J cant sit on the ground ) and ordered our selves some pizza drinks and of course some Ben and Jerry's. The awesome thing is that you can order and pay for everything online making the only decision you need to make on the night what flavour ice cream to get. Although it is slightly more expensive than your averge movie trip (expext to spend easily $100 on everything) the quality and experience is awesome and we would easily spend similar money on dinner and drinks on a date night with no movie! Looking forward to them coming back to brisbane!

After reading about Dr Sketchy's online I got curious and wandered on down, sketchpad in hand…read more Spending an hour and a half sketching a gorgeous burlesque dancer is not the way I usually spend my Thursday nights. The experience, though, was a heap of fun and something I intend to do more often when Sketchy's starts up again in 2012. The event I attended was the end of year celebration, and took place in Puritan, a lingerie store on James Street, rather than the usual Glass Bar. This setting made the night even more unusual and surreal. The lighting was a little bright and took away from the intimacy of the night, but the enthusiasm and sense of community among the attendees more than made up for it. We were treated to a variety of costumes and poses by reigning Miss Burlesque Australia, Sina King, who was enthusiastic and friendly. Tickets were $20, which bought a Strom cocktail on arrival (Strom being the event's sponsor) and wine throughout the night. Nibblies were also provided. Normal Sketchy's events are $15 entry, so keep an eye out for next years' events, and remember to take your sketchpad and pencils!

Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School isn't so much an art class as a social event, one where you get to…read moredraw scantily clad burlesque dancers. The first time my friend invited me to join him for a Dr Sketchy's night I did not know what to expect. As soon as I walked in I was greeted with a free cocktail and a lot of smiling faces (both from regulars and the folks running the show). A very voluptuous and stunning woman in a red corset happily posed and chatted to the "artists" sitting closest to her. Now I say "artists" in inverted commas because Dr Sketchy's is an Anti Art class. They don't teach you how to draw nor expect you to have any talent whatsoever. They just encourage you to enjoy yourself and sketch away. This encouragement also comes in the shape of prizes given out throughout the night for things such as "most creative incorporation of Santa into the sketch" or just "model's favourite". You don't have to be the most artistic in the room to win these either. I was definitely not the best but got a prize anyway (I think they were being nice because I was a Dr Sketchy's virgin). There are plenty of opportunities to sketch away, chat and drink throughout the night. The model poses for different periods of time ranging from 1 min to 15 min poses, allowing you to practice different techniques. She also had a costume change half way through to mix things up a bit. There were some poses where her breasts were almost exploding out of her corset but everything stayed quite PG the whole night, much to some of the "artist's" dismay. The whole night cost fifteen dollars which sounds like a lot but for such a fun, interesting and unique night out in Brisbane the price it is totally worth it. It is best to keep an eye out on the Dr Sketchy's Brisbane facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DrSketchysBrisbane?sk=info) for info on upcoming sketch nights usually held on the first Tuesday of every month, as the website (http://www.drsketchy.com) covers the Dr Sketchy's chain across the entire globe. The Brisbane Sketchy's is held at the Glass bar at the Judith Wright Centre on Brunswick Street, which is the perfect, classy venue for it. Whether you go to draw, drink, or just have fun socialising while doing something completely different, I highly recommend checking out Dr Sketchy's.

It doesn't look like much of a club from the outside, more like an old Beach House... but on the…read moreinside, it is a classy little Jazzy dive. I went here for the Ozmanouche Festival Final night, it was amazing. The sheer talent from all over Australia which comes here during this Festival to play is amazing. If you are a jazz lover like I am, you should definetely check this place out. It is the Brisbane hub of all things Jazz, events through the year, you can go as a member/non-member, usually there is some sort of fee to go to an event, but it's a reasonable price. You can even volunteer if you have free time to give. The prices may be a little up there for the food and drink with a lemon lime and bitters going to $4. But for the ambience, music, talent and experience, it's worth it.

The Brisbane Jazz Club is a not-for-profit that has a house band, it's own building (a former boat…read moreshed) that survived floods of 1974 and 2011, and which books national and international acts. The place is attractive for its location, as an alternative night out, for the good drinks, but first of all of course as a live Jazz venue. The setting feels like a real venue of old with a series of tables placed on a sloping surface toward the stage. With a glass half-empty outlook one could say that it feels a bit cramped; I'd prefer the glass half-full approach where it is clearly nice that some extra space between rows of chairs allows for dinner and a more total experience. That dinner was not the highlight in our case (with uber-mild green curry - but very nice pork fillet with sweet potato) but the bar was excellent. Add to that the unique riverside location with great views of the city skyline (and the CityCat serenely gliding by at regular intervals) from the deck but also from inside the club during the performances, and you're bound to have a great night out.

Love this theatre! Super classy and is very similar to its sister theatre at The Barracks but…read moresmaller. I came here for the Great Gatsby Premiere and had a great experience. Everyone came dressed up and we were treated to a nice glass of prosecco as if we were back in the 1920s at a party hosted by Gatsby himself. They went all out for this premiere with a bess dressed contest, fashion show, Yelp photo booth, and rafffled away some great prizes. When it was time for the movie, we all shuffled into the theatre and were welcome to an intimate theatre with super comfy seats. We were greeted by the friendly staff who informed us of the next premiere. I liked how they informed us that there would only be one preview before the feature started. I felt so comfortable and enjoyed the screening very much. Most reviews note how uncrowded the theatre usually is. The premiere was sold out on this particular evening but I really enjoyed seeing all the enthusiasm for a Thursday evening premiere. You can order popcorn and soft drinks but they also have wine, choc tops, and cheese platters on the menu!! Can't wait to go back here again.

I'm a Palace Cinema fan girl from way back and will talk about them to anyone who'll listen. Their…read moremovie club is stellar value for a year. They're a cut above the rest with their comfy, high-back chairs and Centro in the trendy James Street precinct is no exception. Watch your favourite Hollywood blockbusters or take a dose of culture with an array of their film festivals including Italian, German and French festivals. As well as your standard popcorn fare you can indulge in decadent choc tops (I suggest the cafe grande), cheese platters, cakes and sweets. Wash it down with your favourite ale or wine.