Brisbane, why don’t you cross the river?

“I would never eat at a restaurant south of the river.”

A real comment made to me. In person. By the mum of one of my best mates. Emphasis on “never”.

Granted, she’s in her late 60s and has lived in the same house in Ashgrove for all the time I’ve known her – about 35 years – but still, I was shocked. Like, never?

The Story Bridge, one of the major arterials linking the north and south sides of Brisbane.Credit: Brisbane EDA

On a Sunday night in Brisbane, I’ll often head to the basement of my Fortitude Valley apartment, get in the car, and drive. It could be anywhere: Inala, Darra, Sunnybank, Underwood. But for me, it’s usually south, over the river.

I always figured the north-south divide in Brisbane was a bit of over-egged hype pushed by people who had never lived in another city. In Melbourne, where I spend many weekends with my partner, hitting the town or running her kids to sports games and play dates, it’s very real – because it’s actually hard to get across the river there.

It’s a bit like the eye-rolling social media joke a few years ago that the mascot for the Brisbane Olympics should be the much-maligned white ibis. Hate to break it to you, but bin chickens are widespread across Australia.

The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, which form part of the Gateway Motorway.Credit: Dan Peled

In Brisbane, we have seven bridges for cars between the Sir Leo Hielscher bridges (AKA the Gateway) near the river mouth and the Centenary bridge in the west. Most are at least two lanes each way. And we have a toll tunnel on top of that. All things being equal, there shouldn’t really be an excuse to not zip back and forth regularly.

And look, we do, clearly. The Riverside Expressway often slows to a crawl at peak hour or during shoulder times. And witness the hoo-ha when in March, the council unexpectedly closed the footpaths on the Story Bridge. But much of the traffic on those bridges is commuter action during the week.

A straw poll of co-workers and friends revealed that while some would happily cross the river, many don’t. One, who lives in New Farm, said she rarely went south. Another – a Gaythorne resident – said he was slowly trying to cull his southside friends. And another said it was close to a year since he’d crossed the river, other than to hit the Gateway Motorway north out of town.

Losers, clearly, but not really: these are folks I’d consider to be invested in Brisbane as a multifaceted, multicultural city, with different neighbourhoods to explore. It’s just that they no longer have an inclination to do so – perhaps because of a lack of time, or other commitments, such as kids or family.

I remember an ex-girlfriend who talked continuously about being bored with Brisbane and needing an overseas holiday. But try to get her out of Teneriffe? Not a chance. Like I said, ex-girlfriend.

Even a restaurateur in Morningside who’s a regular source asked recently, “What are you doing over here?” My answer was, it’s my job. It was and is, but that was also a bit of a cover story.

My own inclination to explore Brisbane began when I was young, still working in restaurants, and invested in becoming a journalist. I didn’t have any cash with which to travel the world, so I’d travel my own city instead.

I’d drive to Inala – where almost a quarter of the population is Vietnamese, or of Vietnamese descent – for banh mi or pho. I’d check out Moorooka and its tight cluster of African restaurants. Or I’d visit Market Square in Sunnybank – you don’t need to blur your eyes too much here to imagine you’re in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong.

Kingsfood restaurant in Sunnybank.Credit: Markus Ravik

For those who don’t habitually cross the river on days or nights off, I’d implore you to do so.

Head to Sunnybank and eat at Kingsfood or Glamorous Wok, or even further south to discover Ru Yi Dim Sum in Sunnybank Hills. Seek out Pho An in Inala for some of the best Vietnamese noodle soup in the city, or grab a banh mi from Scotts Road Takeaway and take it to nearby Rocks Riverside Park. Or visit Brisbane’s bayside for cracking eateries such as Manly Boathouse, The Arsonist, and Chumley Warner’s British Fish and Chips.

If you’re coming from the south, drive to Milton for a succulent Chinese (well, Cantonese) meal at China Sea, or neighbouring Paddington for unctuous Italian at Elementi and small-producer wines at Noir. Daytrip to industrial Northgate to check out brewpubs such as Aether and Fick, before heading on to Nudgee for fish and chips at Pam’s Cafe 88, or Sandgate for legit Italian at Acciuga.

Harry and Pam Tran, owners of Pam’s Cafe 88 in Nudgee Beach.Credit: Markus Ravik

Look, I get it. There are groceries to buy, family events to attend, and kids to deliver to sports, dance classes and swimming lessons. But maybe try to link those commitments with a visit to part of the city you haven’t explored. Sit and eat, or just grab a coffee if it’s all you have time for, then wander and people watch.

Some of this might come down to how we view city living. Outside our local community, is a city a place that feels inherently dangerous, or safe? I’d argue that in Brisbane, it’s very much the latter.

On those Sunday nights, when I’m maybe a little dusty, I’ll drive across the Story Bridge and just keep going, past the Princess Alexandra Hospital, through Annerley. By the time Beaudesert Road begins to straighten after its descent from Moorooka, your only company is the street lights, a few cars, and the occasional semi beginning its overnight run maybe south or west.

And then you hit the charcoal chicken shops in Acacia Ridge. They’re like little beacons of light, warmth and smiles in this otherwise industrial segment of the city. They’re safety, they’re home. They’re Brisbane. Get out and explore it.

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