UQ Tennis is back in action! After being M.I.A. for the first few months of 2011 due to the…read moreunprecedented amount of damage caused by the January floods, the UQ Tennis club is back into the swing of things. Progressively, the courts have been resurfaced and a number have opened throughout the year, but now all 21 courts are fully functional. I've been a member of the club for 2 years and have played some interesting games in my time (one may include being blinded by the sun and swinging my racquet into my face [yes there was blood]). Fortunately for me, the floodlights come on and the courts are open until 11pm, so I quickly changed to night sessions. The club caters for beginners through to the professionals, so you can hire a court, racquet and set of balls, grab some mates and game-on for 2 hours. Alternatively, for your inner Federer or Sharapova, you can compete in social or competitive tournaments that are held most nights of the week. Need to work on that backhand or perfect your slice? Then you can also sign up for coaching sessions, which are also held most nights of the week. You don't have to be a university student to play - the place is packed with school groups in the afternoons, and adults getting in a quick hit on their way home from work. All you need to do is become a member of UQ Sport and you're well on your way to competing in the next Australian Open.

Although archaic in terms of booking a spot and payment, it's a great local court…read more Maintained well and with good facilities, this is a synthetic grass court with sand. There are 3 courts in total and it also has night lights, an umpire chair, and an undercover section with seats, toilet facilities, and small office. The courts are locked and you'll need to call to make a booking and get the code to unlock the gates. All well and good, except the 'office hours' are very short and they aren't too prompt returning your calls, which is a pain if you want to play at short notice. The message prompt also goes for about 30-seconds which is ridiculously long. Payment is rudimentary, with money in an envelope being deposited in a slot in the office door. I hardly ever have cash on me, so online booking would be preferable and much easier. Great courts, though, and I use them every now and then when the weather is good. One side of the courts have some shade from the neighbouring trees which is nice during especially hot days. You can switch sides to avoid burning to a crisp with your partner if you're not playing all that competitively.

Good professional high quality courts, including clay and grass…read more Best courts in Brisbane probably since it is an actually professional stadium. They have shaded courts for hire if you need them or if you can afford it you can probably hire the main centre court out as well :) There's a shop that sells treats, drinks etc and of course tennis gear and accessories eg. if you need to renew the grip on your tennis racket. Outside in the nearby park, there are some nice playground and BBQ areas you could go to afterwards for a post game feast :)

So I am not the most massive tennis fan. I enjoy watching the odd game but kind of get bored by the…read moreend of it. I guess tennis is just not my thing. While I may not be the biggest fan of tennis I am a big fan of the Queensland Tennis Centre for what is a slightly unconventional thing. The road that runs through the Queensland Tennis Centre (King Arthur Terrace) is the perfect short cut to avoid the peak hour traffic. While you can't go more than 40 km/h here it still saves time during the busy traffic. There are numerous round abouts to maneuver and the pedestrian crossing at the Tennis Centre to be careful of. Just a tip, there are two speed bumps either side of this crossing that are hard to see since the markings have rubbed off. It is very easy to scrape the bottom of your car if you are not prepared. This shortcut takes you from the busy King Arthur Terrace in Tennyson to Fairfield Road in Yerongpilly, skipping a lot of traffic lights and peak hour build up.

What is there for two recent university graduates do on a Tuesday afternoon other than chill out in…read morePerrin Park and play in the playground? Perrin Park is quite beautiful with is expansive grassy areas, footpaths, fenced area to unleash your dog, plenty of parking spaces, clean toilets, fresh play equipment (some of which is still under construction since the recent flooding), and plenty of trees and shade to rest under. Tucked away in Toowong, this park offers a place to escape. The park is deceptively big with different sections split in the middle by a little creek. There are also some quite fun bike-things to play on. And the best bonus of all is that when I visited it today, there was a mama and a papa duck and 5 little ducklings (one for each star I give this park).

This is the sort of park I wish existed when I was a kid. As it is, I love it as an adult. Why?…read moreBecause finally they've put mini-roller-coasters in parks! Well, not exactly a roller-coaster - but as close enough as we'll get for free in a public park. What is described in elegant fashion by the Totaltravel website as "a pedal powered carson on a circular track" is like a giant toy train on a wheeled closed circuit. Unlike most trains, but similar to vehicular locomotion in The Flintstones, your feet are used to power the train. As fast as you peddle you can't break the kiddie-safe speed, but it's still awesome to ride, like you're a toy human in some giant's train set. I'm not the only immature one, either. The first time I glimpsed the roller-coaster addition to the park and yelled for the driver to stop the car, my companions (in their 20s and 30s) also got out and jumped on. That meant a few of us were late to uni classes. Totally worth it. There's old-school swings (read: new, but not awesome like a giant train) in the playground and there's also a rebound wall and off-leash park for dogs. *This biased review has been brought to you by the creator of the We Should Replace Public Transport With Roller-Coasters Facebook Group.