Looking for a nice, inexpensive, laid-back way to spend an evening? Leave bars and restaurants…read morebehind, take a bottle of wine, some cheese and a picnic blanket up to Highgate Hill Park and enjoy the view of Brisbane's cityscape. With a gazebo perched at the top of the park, this is easily one of the most beautiful spots in Brisbane.

"Be as true to each other as this dial is to this sun" reads the inscription on the sun dial at…read morethis little patch of green near the apex of Highgate Hill. A nice sentiment for a nice park, which serves as a favourite spot for locals to view the Riverfire spectacular and other fireworks displays throughout the year. It's also a popular spot for couples and groups to populate with a picnic rug and basket to enjoy some food and drink over views of the sunset. Recently they established a community garden here, growing a variety of herbs, chillies and what look like lime trees.

Alderley is really blessed with great parks, and Grinstead Park is definitely one of them…read more Theres a playground, paths for skating and BMX riding, wheelchair accessible toilets, BBQ's and shelter and it joins the Sparkes Hill Reservoir so there's heaps of walking to be had.

As far as venue goes its quite adequate, set in an attractive location at the top of the QUT…read moreCampus near the Botanic Gardens. Compared to venues like QPAC and La Boîte it's quite small but intimate. There is a small bar and other essential amenities as well as a box office.

The recent upgrading of this park makes it one of the best equipped of all the parks along the…read moreWynnum, Manly and Lota foreshore. It's right at the end of the Esplanade, so has a great view over the bay to Straddie and also around to Wellington Point. It has a huge new playground, with shadesails, slides, forts and timber walkways. It also has very nice new picnic tables and barbecues, accessible toilets, shared walkway/bikeway and a seperate area with fitness equipment for anyone keen to do some circuit training. Oh, and obviously these days you can't camp at all; this name is an historical reference to its turn of the century popularity as a holiday camping spot by the bay.

The J C Slaughter Falls Picnic Area is at the base of Mt Coot-tha, west of Brisbane CBD. There are…read morea number of wood fire BBQ's available to be used, as well as nearby tables which are perfect for a BBQ or picnic, and taps for water. To get there, get onto Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, but rather than driving up to the Lookout, stay on the road and follow it around until you see the signs for the J C Slaughter Falls. There are a number of car park areas as well as toilets open from 6am-7pm. A short walk in from the car park and toilets, you'll find the Picnic Area, a luscious green flat area, where all the BBQ's and tables are. A little further in there's a Bush Chapel area. It's an open air chapel with a sandstone pulpit and log seating on a concrete base. There's seating available for 30-40 people, and would be a fantastic space for an outdoor wedding. And if you're feeling adventurous after your picnic, walk up the Summit Track - 3.8km return trip, which takes about an hour to complete.

J C Slaughter Falls is a killer place for an outdoor feast. It really is the woodfire barbecues…read morethat make this picnic area the best of all of the ones in the general Mt Cootha reserve area. I personally enjoy the rustic experience of having to build a fire to cook my snags on. I knew those girl scout skills would come in handy at some stage. There are heaps of facilities around so you won't have to defend your barbecue against other groups of people. There's a stream that you can have a bit of a splash in, and there's space enough for a game of footy or cricket (or interpretive dance, or whatever it is you want to do in a park). You can take a short walk (less than 1km) to the falls, or take a longer walk to the Mt Cootha Summit. Stretch before you start. For those of you looking for outdoor venues to hold particular events in, you might be interested in the bush chapel. It's a very cool rustic looking sandstone structure set amid the bush that would be perfect for a suitably quaint, el natural event. I'm thinking weddings, really. I don't know what the name is about really, but it sounds like its worthy of Hollywood horror type stories. What's the story behind Slaughter falls? Whoever makes up the best story will win..... the knowledge that they're more creative than, say..... me. Just go there for a nice time, ok?

"A review of a bikeway, Lani?" I hear you say. But hear me out. This bikeway and walking track…read moretakes you (depending on what end you start) from Toowong to QUT at Gardens Point. Whether you're walking or cycling at lightening speeds it's a level trek along the river and at 6:30am - it's hard to be sarcastic and cynical looking over the water towards our CBD. Whatever you say I think this is a great part of Brisbane, and keep an eye out for a few pod cafes being installed now the major works are completed.

This is a must-see for anyone who visits Brisbane. I've used is as both a bikeway and a walkway,…read moreand it's a beautiful flat stroll for anyone wanting to see the city and river views. Though the bikeway is almost six kilometres long, those wanting a quicker stroll or just a glimpse of the view can enter from several entrances along the bikeway. You can enter via the nearby Coronation Drive, which doesn't interrupt the tranquillity of the bikeway as the bikeway is down several metres from the ground and further away from the street than a cursory glance from the road would suggest. Let's admit it: despite the post-cards suggesting otherwise, the Brisbane River's water is brown. I don't advise leaning on the railing and gazing down into the water for too long, lest you see some floating garbage or an oily slick of God knows what. Keep your head up and enjoy the view instead. Or rather, from floor-level upward: this board-walk type bikeway is attractively built. When I'm walking along it I feel like I'm on a cool suspension bridge over water - without the fears regarding sturdiness. Even if the water in the river is less than sparklingly azure, the experience of crossing this bikeway is a fantastic one. It's also a great way to enjoy the wind off the river and cool down on a hot day - just remember to slip, slop, slap and all that jazz.

Let me just make sure that I am clear about this... this is a 4 star park until the sun sets, once…read moreit is dark, i'm pretty sure it is a 1-2 star park, mainly because it's not safe... just saying! But during the day, it's got the best little kids playground, there are people walking tightropes, flogging themselves doing bootcamps and it's a great little park in general when festivals aren't making use of it. It is the stomping ground of Paniyiri and other markets as well on weekends. I really like this park because of it's location and atmosphere - but not at night.

Musgrave Park is home to many a festive event, the most memorable of which is probably the annual…read morePanyiri Festival hosted by The Greek Club across the road. There is also a cultural centre on the grounds of the park to celebrate to indigenous community of Brisbane. I have been to both Panyiri and a NAIDOC week celebration in Musgrave Park and it has been a fantastic venue for both. There is plenty of shade in Musgrave Park as well as open grass, perfect for a game of cricket or football game. One downside of this park is that it can be a bit dangerous at night, so if you're around that area at night I'd walk around the perimeter rather than through it.

UQ is part of the sandstone university club (or Group of 8 as the prefer to be known) and the Great…read moreCourt drives that point home hard with a crap load of beautifully worked stone. It's a pretty impressive spot, allowing Brisbane students to fantasise about Oxbridge style uni days and providing an important place to socialise, flirt and hold O Week stuff. Just don't think you'll get any study done here.

When I first went to university in 2006 Brisbane was in the middle of a rather dusty and dry…read moreperiod. The Great Court at the University of Queensland was little more than sandstone buildings encompassing what was pretty much an expanse of sand, hardly anything impressive. However, now that the rains have brought it back to life this green expanse within the sandstone walls is nothing but beautiful. It is the perfect park to relax, read and just soak up university atmosphere. Often filled with students lazing between classes, studying, reading, having a nap or eating lunch, this court is almost never not in use. It is also well lit at night for safety. I often go here just to eat lunch, happily watch the countless crows, or gaze at all the varied carvings on the sandstone. It really is a little bit of beauty in the middle of UQ, no wonder it is iconic and much loved and populated space of the university.