Ferny Grove Recycling & Waster Transfer Station is the rubbish tip for the north side of Brisbane…read more There's been many a trip through my life where I've visited to dump all stuff that can't be put in the wheelie bin or picked up by road collection. In these instances I've had to pile up the trailer and do it myself. Depending on how much you are recycling and throwing away you will have to pay. So it's very important that you keep those free tokens that the BCC leave in your letterbox once a year. The staff you'll really encounter are the ones in the booth at the entry and exit of your journey. It isn't like the tips you see on television with their mountains of refuse, it's a big concrete pit where items are thrown into and then crushed so there nobody wading through it looking for little treasures. Just junk.

Darra train station was one of the closest train stations to where I lived and I used to have to…read morecatch it to go to Uni. I never enjoyed catching the train from Darra because the area used to scare me a bit. It just looked a bit... dodgy. However, I never ever felt unsafe. The train station just looked like it was in desperate need for TLC. I moved to the UK for two years and when I came back, I went to the train station and saw a massive improvement. It looked nothing like the old train station. It looked brand new, contemporary and safe. I love the fittings and design of the new station. They have added two more platforms for service Richlands and Springfield Lines. This station has become very important for commuters in the Western suburbs and now with its brand new looks and design, it has surely attracted commuters back to the train.

Cox Park in Lota is home to the Wynnum Manly Netball Association and its member clubs. It's a hive…read moreof activity on winter Saturdays, when the clubs play their fixtures. There'll be older players on the hardcourts, younger ones on the grass courts and teeny ones learning pre-game skills from the dedicated association members. Each of the clubs has a membership drive early in the year and the association will try to get as many teams together for each club as possible, to ensure a robust season. Fees apply to join the association and a club but hopefully they aren't prohibitive for anyone who really wants to play. The older teams play in the evenings at different venues to get more competition. It's a good way for kids to have fun and get fit.

After a recent falling out with my local child care centre, I needed to find another centre - stat!…read more I needed a centre close to my home, but most importantly a centre that was professional and fun! All of the children here seem pretty happy, and the staff are extremely professional and very friendly. The centre is clean, air-conditioned and they have great facilities including an outdoor, undercover playground and a sandpit! My daughter who is 2 has been attending this centre now for four weeks (3 days a week) and I couldn't be happier. If you are looking for a great child care centre on the Northside make sure you drop into Goodstart Learning on the Boulevard.

This might seem like a strange place to Yelp, but going to watch a court case at the Law Courts is…read morea really interesting way to spend a morning or afternoon in Brisbane. Now I'm not touting this as entertainment as the cases you see are often of a very serious nature, but if you have any interest in the workings of the law or functioning of society, go along. Not all cases are open to the public, but all you have to do is go up to the front desk when you first walk in and find out what's on. It's a bit hit and miss--some days it might be all really boring stuff, but on other days you could get lucky and wander in on a murder case. Be mindful that the general atmosphere there is quite somber and there are a few rules of etiquette to observe. Firstly, dress respectfully. Try to wear a decent pair of shoes and modest clothing. Secondly, you may enter a court room at any time, but you must nod/bow to the judge upon entering and make your way quietly and directly to a seat. Thirdly, make sure your mobile phone is on silent! Lastly, be mindful when leaving the courtroom that you don't go talking loudly about the case as you don't know who might be within ear shot, eg. Friends or relatives of someone involved. I think this is something that everyone should do at least once, a) because it's interesting and b) it's good to know how these things work, as it's not quite how it looks in the movies!

In recent years, Brisbane has undergone a city wide upheaval. Once upon a time, where Brisbane…read moreSquare stands now used to be a park. A nice humble square of grass that bordered the mayhem of the Queen Street Mall. It was a lovely place to go to roll around in the grass, take a short time out, or to meet someone. I fondly remember a couple of protests I went to there as well. When the bob cats and bulldozers moved in and tore up the grass, I was furious. I was convinced it was another case of tearing up public space for commerical ventures. I had a mixed reaction when Brisbane Square was unveiled. There was no greenery anywhere. Some eateries (Coffee Club is one of them, no less) and a few shops had opened up. I was right! However, to soften the blow of losing a beloved park, they had built a state of the art library there, and had installed some recycled public art works there. I don't exactly know what they are, but they look like old school colanders that have been welded together into giant balls. They are scattered throughout the square and are actually pretty cool. You can climb up on top of the big ones and chill slightly above the rest of the city goers. The Brisbane City Library is famous now. It's a dominant feature of the city scape, thanks to those giant lego block architectural features. The facilities are fantastic, it's all brand new, spick and span, and it has a cafe inside for when your brain and eyes want to zone out from all the reading you're getting into. As a side note, Brisbane Square becomes a market place on Wednesdays. It's the best for having a deliciously tasty lunch, or getting your farm fresh fruit and veggies while you're in city centre. Bonus! So it turns out that Brisbane Square, despite there being no grass, is still a great place to take a reprieve from inner city hustle. Now, when a friend calls to ask where to meet them, I will usually reply that I'll be sitting on one of the balls in Brisbane Square.

Brisbane Square used to be what we all considered a park - but it was never a park, just a vacant…read morelot owned by developers that was used as a thoroughfare / lunch spot by city workers. Due to this I was pretty relieved when I saw there's still plenty of public space after the development was completed (I also thought it was pretty nice of them to let it be a park while they were figuring out what to do with it). The Brisbane City Council and Brisbane City Library are pretty big tenants, along with Suncorp bank, so that has probably influenced the amount of public use. There's no more grass, but there are great community markets and plenty of benches to eat your lunch if you need a fresh air break. It's also pretty much right on the river if you feel like taking a stroll afterwards.

I have been to the Office Of Fair Trading Queensland to register a business name. As I have never…read moredone it before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Because it is government related, I assumed these things are lengthy and you'd be in the longest queue. I was organised upon getting there, with all my paper work filled out. I had my magazine, earphones and a book in preparation for the wait. When I got there, I was surprised how organised the place appeared. No huge queues full of people, just a handful sitting on the seats waiting for their number to be called. I didn't take long until my number was called. The person behind the desk, stamped and approved my proofs of identity and said, "thanks, we'll see you back in an hour and a half". Normally I'd be annoyed about the waiting. However, as it is conveniently located in the city, it was perfect timing to go for a quick shopping trip and grab some lunch. With no time wasted, I arrived back and my business name was approved! Yippy! Great customer service here, efficient and helpful staff.

A homage to Alexander Stewart, Stewart Place park is what remains of the 19th Century Scottish…read morebusinessman's expansive estate. A small, triangular block is all that remains of the Glenlyon House estate in which Stewart farmed and bred horses and Hereford cattle. (My research seems to cite this as his biggest claim to fame - being a rich man who liked his farming.) The park is more of a memorial than a place to hang out at. Ashgrove was initially a region with a high Scottish population, though today it is one of the least multicultural suburbs in Brisbane. There seems to be a sort of war memorial here, too. I've never read the plaques or paid much attention to the old cannon in Stewart Place when I've walked or driven by, I'm afraid. Usually, if I'm noticing anything, it's a homeless guy sleeping on the grass. Today, Stewart Place is a rat racer's dream and a nightmare to the rest of us drivers with manners. People use it to avoid the lights at the Waterworks Rd-Stewart Rd intersection and sneak onto Stewart Rd. Meanwhile, the rest of us poor law-abiding shmucks are stuck at the lights or copping the constant onslaught from any side street off Stewart Rd, since there's no adherence to the traffic lights to create a break in the Stewart Rd traffic. Come on, Brisbane City Council. Stop the road rage. Get rid of Stewart Place (the street, not the park.)