The love of Carindale (like all the biggest stars, it's only known by one name) has been handed…read moredown through the generations of my family. My Mum passed down her passion for this place to me and my sister in law - and now we're handing down the pleasure to my 3 year old niece, Olivia (who loves it) and 14 month old Renzo (distinctly unimpressed). So why does this slightly ugly (from the outside) building inspire so much devotion in the female members of my family? Well, for those times we can't be bothered traipsing into town, Carindale pretty much has everything we could need. Except, perhaps, a chic cocktail bar. But I live in hope. Myer, David Jones, Sportsgirl, Dotti, Portmans, Witchery, cinemas, grocery stores, mobile phone shops, sports stores...it's like a one-stop-shopping-utopia for all our needs. With carpet. Yep, to this day, it's the only Westfield I've been in that has carpet. It's not particularly nice and occasionally gives you static attacks but I kinda like that it gives Carindale a strangely unusual USP. Even my friends in London laugh at my Carindale obsession (I've recently relocated back home after a lengthy stint living in London). Every email they send me usually starts with "so, how many times have you been to Carindale this week?" (I don't usually answer as I'm slightly ashamed that sometimes it's so often I feel I should take a sleeping bag and just move in). As Westfields go (and there's a gazillion of them in Brisneyland) this is not the biggest (yet) but it soon will be. I'm positively giddy at the fact they're spending $300m making it even more ginormous. For me! According to the website, it's due for completion in late 2012 and "will include a new parallel mall over two levels, a new full-line Coles supermarket, a relocated larger-format Target and a new dining precinct. Plus approximately 120 new stores including a range of Australian and international designers." Readers, dreams can come true.

I love Westfield Carindale! I don't think, from memory, I've ever visited and not enjoyed the…read moreexperience. I bypass three other closer, smaller shopping complexes and drive straight to Carindale. Took my kids, now 40 and 37, often and now take my grandchildren. I love the renovations, major stores and specialty shops. The parents' rooms are always clean and well appointed. Love the Event cinemas. Plenty of great coffee shops. Late night Christmas shopping is always a favourite time for me. Thanks Westfield Carindale.

Quick and easy to buy food…read more Connected above Brunswick Train station in the Valley. 280 seat food court, Terry White Chemist, fitness first, Foodworks ( grocery store) 10-12 fast food places, 7-11, nail bar and medical centre. Parking building is also connected to the small centre on Alfred street. Major brand names like Subway, Hungry Jacks, Muffin Break, Fitness First, KFC, Hungry Jacks, pollen Florist, BWS liquor, sushi, Indian, etc. It's fine for a quick shop or a bite to eat. If you spend a certain amount at Foodworks you can get you car parking validated.

Valley Metro is more commonly known for housing the Brunswick Street Train Station in the Valley. I…read morepass through here more often than I probably should but it is quite a nice station and the Valley Metro Shopping Centre surrounding it definitely makes it feel a little safer and cleaner than most train stops. Surrounding this train station is a bunch of shops and a little food court. When I was here just before Christmas there was also a lovely group of guys playing Christmas Carols on their brass instruments. While mainly just the train stop, the shops do offer things to look at while you wait. There is a foodworks, newsagent and florist if you need to pick up some last minute things. The food court has plenty of seating but only a few food outlets to choose from. There is a great juice place, and a funky Japanese Crepe shop you should try if you get the chance. Overall, Valley Metro is a small shopping centre, if you can really call it that. Still, it makes the Brunswick Street stop a whole lot easier to bear.

Brookside isn't really my closest or most convenient shopping centre but it offers an interesting…read moremix of shops and that is what draws me to it on a weekly basis. There is convenient parking (inc. undercover), Woolworths, Myer, multiple cafés, clothing stores, EB Games, Chemist, Big W, Nail Salons, Bottle Shops, Bakeries, Shoe Stores, Barber & Hairdressers, Jewellers, Doctors, Banks and everything in between. You can literally come and run your errands and have a wonder around too. If you're someone like me who has a lot of time on their hands, that sort of thing is important to you. Brookside is a real gem!

If there were any shopping centre in need of a desperate makeover, it would be Brookside. The…read moreinside is still quite nice, with carpetted flooring and a Myer, even a supa IGA, but you can tell that over the years, whilst awesome in its heyday... it is time. There is a really daggy foodcourt, with only a few shops, the shops range from your Target, Loot, Myer and Donut King to antique gifts and miscellaneous stuff by Anthea. Whatever the case, this northside icon, needs a facelift. A little bit daggy, a little bit worn. But it's still got that certain je nais c'est quois of the Northside.

If I were a tourist, this would be disappointing. MC makes me think of the functional over the…read morestylish. The foodcourt hosts solid businesses but none of them essentially exciting. Big W sticks to the essentials (although it does have an optometrist and always brings in the Peter Morrissey range). Woolworths is pretty good for a city centre grocery store. So you get a barber, florist, optometrist, jeweler, internet booths, grog store, newsagent, chemist and large toilets. A few luxury stores are on the Edward Street frontage. This includes the Apple Store. The Shingle Inn here has bad chairs (uncomfortable and dirty) in what would otherwise be quite an ace spot to have a nice lunch. They really, really need to address that and hopefully MC will do something about it. Beware with the parking. The gates to this mall close 9pm on night shopping. There probably is a way to get to the carpark afterwards but we haven't found out how yet. Parking entrance is via Elizabeth Street. There used to be a doorway into Big W from Elizabeth Street, but these days the only entry points are from Edward and Queen Streets. The foodcourt has recently undergone a glossy revamp. The thing that gets me most, however, is despite the lovely space inside (it can't be helped if most of the shops are not very interesting) the outside is and always will be a horror to me. A large steely wedge with sturdy poles clinging onto decorative lacy patterned glass panels. Who what why where? It's so disappointing they whacked that onto the heritage building.

If you're a city worker wanting to escape the crowds, head to Macarthur Central for your weekly…read moresupplies and errands. What Macarthur Central lacks in specialty shops and boutiques, it makes up for by providing a stress free shopping experience in a central location and housing a full line Woolworths and Big W. There are a few specialty shops such as Honey Birdette and Oroton but this shopping centre focuses on covering the essentials. There's a decent newsagency, a book shop, chemist, medical centre and a JB Hi Fi where you actually have elbow room. This seems to be the place where all the ATMs like to hang out as well. ANZ, Bank of Queensland, Commonwealth, NAB, Redi ATM and Suncorp can all be found in this complex. Best of all, their food court hosts a wide variety of eating options and you can actually get a table around lunch time. Try the Hainachi here sometime for a fuss free, easy meal. NB: The opening hours refer to the shopping centre but Woolworths and Big W have extended trading hours.

I probably go to the Queen Street Mall too often. At some level, I feel lame for not exploring…read moreother options or areas. However, it's just too easy. It's well located and has just about everything one could want. There's food, drinks, movies, food, drinks, clothes, mobile phones, banks, etc, etc, etc. The current construction is a bit annoying, but it's hard to knock improvements being made. The result is a bit of a bottleneck with the huge crowds walking around on weekends. This is a problem when you walk faster than basically any other human in existence and are incredibly impatient. So, it's probably more of a problem just for people like me, which thankfully, I don't believe can be found in abundance. I like that there is often music and the people watching is tremendous.

Queen Street Mall is a great open air mall to spend a few hours if you're in Brisbane. There's a…read moregood mix of shops, from well-known brands to smaller specialty stores, so there's something for just about everyone. There are also plenty of cafés, restaurants, and quick food options nearby, making it easy to grab a bite or take a break between shopping. One of the highlights for me was the street performers. During my visit there were musicians and entertainers performing throughout the mall, which gave the area a fun, lively atmosphere. It can get very crowded, especially during weekends and peak shopping hours. It's definitely worth visiting whether you're looking to shop, eat, get your steps in, or simply soak up the atmosphere.

If you ever have to meet anyone at "the shopping centre" at Cannon Hill, be very clear with your…read moreinstructions. I don't know which braniac came up with this (I'm sure there's a history to it), but there are actually TWO "plazas" on the corner here. Maybe even three. Things are very awkward in Cannon Hill. What I do feel I really need to tell you is that the one plaza closest to Creek Rd is officially "Cannon Hill Kmart Plaza" and it is the best of the three. It's well-lit, clean and cheerful, and as it's the closest set of shops near my current workplace, I've been frequenting it for more than five years now for necessity's sake (Australia Post for bills & postage, Mister Minit for keys & watch batteries, etc). While it's still very suburban plaza chic (compared to the monstrosity that is Westfield Carindale a mere suburb down the road), it's FINE. You know? It'll do. It's got a few chain stores that Carindale doesn't (e.g. Kmart, Loot, Autograph), a few Carindale DOES (Coles, Liquorland, EB Games, Payless Shoes, Gloria Jeans, Coffee Club, etc omg okay so there are a lot of double-ups, not my problem), and Deli Talk, but you can read more about Deli Talk on their own Yelp page (as well as some of the other shops in the Plaza). If I gave CHKP any more than three stars, they'd just be for my personal memories that are associated with it (like getting my passport), but if I strip them out, it's still absolutely A-OK here.

So this is the best Kmart I have ever been to. Ever. This. Is. Not. A. Drill. People…read more I headed there on my first solo driving trip in QLD in a car I've never driven before and was happy to make it there without getting lost or breaking the car. Win. First off. Probably the biggest Kmart I've ever been to. Homewares everywhere. I was in cheapo decorating heaven. But I was not to be distracted. I was there for certain things and that was all I was getting. Wait do I need four empty terrariums? Alice. No. Control yourself. I found everything I needed pretty quickly and they - shock horror - had everything I wanted (and so, so much more) I filled my trolley nicely (quilt, laundry stuff, bathroom bits, hangers, desk) and headed to pay WITHOUT buying any candles, paintings, extra bedding or hanging things at this stage - you cannot believe how freaking proud of myself I am. The check out kid was so cute. I got all flustered at the check out trying to get everything out of my trolley without decapitating someone with my desk and he was so patient. I am super excited to return and fully unleash myself on the joy that is Kmart. Bring it on.

When it comes to shopping, Brisbane is always seen as the poor relative to Sydney. And it usually…read moreis. But the uber chic Level 1 Designer section David Jones is definitely equal to, if not better than its counterpart down south. Let me run through just a taster of the labels you can get your hands on here: Burberry, Paul Smith, Scanlan and Theodore, Easton Pearson, Willow, Romance is Borne, Sass and Bide, Camilla and, my fave, Thurley (note to parents: as the sales will be on by then, I'd love the one shouldered lurex top or the long sequinned necklace for my birthday!) The drawback - the expense makes your eyes water. So my tip to you is, browse now and make a note of what you want, then come back in sale season and rummage, rummage, rummage. It's worked for me many a time. Ladies, be strong, be determined and above all, keep looking until you find it!

When I was a young whipper snapper I remember going into the David Jones store in Sydney. It felt…read moreall fancy, and i'd marvel at the food markets they had in there too. And the cost! Well, DJs still goes for that fancy, up market look, and if their Brisbane store ever had food markets, they're long gone. This is a newish store in Queens Plaza, and it's still quite fancy. Multiple levels, I usually come in for clothes, or sometimes to check out the electrical stuff. They've scaled back on games, and I note that their electronics is just a Dick Smith now. The department stores of the past are long gone. Despite the up market vibe they go for, I've found they are quite often competitive with prices, so it's definitely worth checking out if you're shopping around for the best price.

Being the behemoth of a shopping centre Chermside Westfield is, it has the two major department…read morestores. This DJs is pretty big, but not quite as shiny as the city store. But let's face it, not as bedraggled as the old Toombul store had become. Staff are helpful. I've gotten some good advice here, not just someone trying to make a sale, which they could have done. Of course, it's not always the cheapest, but that doesn't mean you won't find a bargain. There's been one or two times when they HAVE been the cheapest, so it can pay to pop your head in if you're after something and you're doing the rounds.